St. Paul daily globe., 1895-12-15

- ~ WIN iOi ioNcTS Ol cOIIleuy.
DO those people who go nightly to see
MN think that his start was made
either on the Bowery In a cheap vari-
ETY. hall or as song and dance man in
an ordinary variety theater? They con-
denim vaudeville, but forget that it is
the backbone OF all successful bur-
lesque and farce comedy organizati tions.
Take, for instance, Harrigan and
Hart, William Barry, the late Hugh
Fay. or William Hoey, Charles E.
Evans, Joseph Hart, Francis Wilson,
James T. Powers. Peter Daley, Jen-
ME Yeamans, in fact many others who
today are among the biggest salaried
comedians In this country. Trace back
their career, and you will surely find
that they were first recognized as vau-
deville actors, and it was there that
they made their hit" Start those
same people in drama, and not one
half Of them will become paying stars.
Why, then, condemn vaudeville when
1t is the mother, as it were, of all
comic organizations. Take a farce-com-
edy, comic opera or burlesque eXtrav
aganza. What is 1t composed of? What
does 1t purport? 1t is simply a vehi-
Gle In which a series of vaudeville and
burlesque acts can be shown. Take
that away and you have few thread
bare, Worn-out lines that would be
pleasing to no one. Comic opera,
again, finds 1t necessary to intermin-
gle the variety, and even the dramatic
shows Of the sensational order must
fill in with variety or burlesque.
II you were to ask a first nighter''
who frequents only the highest class
theaters If he would like to see a vari-
ETY. or burlesque performance, he would
laugh at you. Still he will roar with
laughter at the vaudeville acts he sees
in comic opera and other entertain
ments. Why is it?
Just analyZe variety performers
ab1ltty-of course 1 mean one of note
and you will see that he is possessed
or not one but several phases of
merit. He must be original, able at all
times to change his jokes and dialogue,
should be good singer and dancer and
always writing or putting matter to-
gether that he thinks will please A
new act will last one season, but year
after year, If the public see an artist
with the same material, they soon tire
of it.
On the other hand, the dramatic actor
has each season a new part in a drama,
his lines are all written for him, and
he depends solely upon his general
ability as an actor for the success of his
part. All the large burlesque COM
panies are a mixture of vaudeville and
every farce comedy is dependent al
most altogether upon the speciality acts
to carry it through. 1 have endeavor-
ed to show the many disadvantages
that cnQoia1tu 10 nd
how hard it is to obtain recognition,
but I do not wish my meaning mis-
construed. Of course 1 readily UNDER
stand that the higher the class Of the
work the better the artist must be, and
It is much more difficult for a speciality
performer to be successful in drama
than it is for a dramatic artist to be
a success in burlesque and vaudeville.
Dramas of the sensat tional order have
in my opinion been on the decline,
while, on the other hand, vaudeville
has been steadily working itself into
universal favor. Take, for instance,
such stars as Gus Williams, Lew Dock
stader, Billy Emerson, Charles Dick
son, Manola-Mason, Edwin Stevens,
Willis Sweatman and others who have
for years been before the public as
leading attractions, heading large COM
panies and playing only the legitimate
theaters. They may have been sue
cessful, but, like others, they have to
succumb to the inevitable and are at
present playing the vaudeville thea
ters. Do they play such houses be-
cause dramatical gements are so
scarce? I do not think so for any of
these people can at any time obtain
good engagements with high-class COM
panies. 1t is my opinion that they
have adopted vaudeville because at
the present time it lis better paying
than any other line of theatrical en-
ployment, and again, the work is at
least twice as easy, an artist having
only from ten to twelve minutes of
actual work, while with other organi-
cations they will be required at least
from two to two and half hours.
1t is a. positive fact that all of the
variety. and burlesque houses are being
patronized more and more by ladies
and children. If a person has an hour
or even less to spare he can, by going
to see vaudeville entertainment, wit
ness complete acts in that time, while
if he went to see a drama or comic
ton and lose the entire purport Of the
play. Take all of the leading people
in the large burlesques or comic plays,
analyze their work very critically, and
sion that they are only at their best
Therefore why not designate these
companies as they should be-high-
class vaudeville? The manager, how
ever, knowing. the aversion to vaude-
vile, shrewdly masquerades under
some other title, and the unsuspecting
public accepts it as such.
1 have stated that it IS much easier
to elevate ones position in vaudeville
than in any other line of the theatrical
profession. I will cite my own case.
I was once the leading soubrette in a
large comic opera company; my work
seemed to please every one, and on
many occasions the press spoke very
highly of me- 1 closed the season with
that company, and had the same hard
struggle to get another good engage
ment, and had to accept a very small
salary to keep myself employed. If in
any comic play you cease to be, as it
were, 'up to the mark" through the en-
tire performance, you are thought in
competent, but If you are only depend
ent on your own specia! work. which
the variety artist calls his turn" you
can adapt it to your peculiar require
mentS. -Nettle DE CourSey.
The Christmas attraction at the
Metropolitan opera house will be the
American Extravaganza company in
their great spectacular production of
"Sinbad." This attraction has been on
the road all summer, and has met
with success everywhere. They will
arrive in st. Paul Sunday morning in
their own special train, opening Sum-
day night for weeks engagement,
including a matinee on Christmas day
and the usual Saturday matinee.
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