The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-20

HAIRY MORRIS.
there were several elements conspirirg tos
the same result. First and foremost, 10
must be confessed, Is the disinclination OF
the artists themselves to change their acts
and thereby make themselves OF new value
each year. Then, again there Is also. OF
course, the natural tendency OF tho amuse-
ment loving public to demand more for It's
money with each succeeding season. The
manager who does not meet this desire
when 1t becomes too manifest to be ignor-
ed Is very foolish and in the end must
pay for his stubbornness In the way OF de-
creased attendance at his performances,
for it Is as impossible In the show business
as in any other to force upon the people
that which they do not want. Give them
something which they like, and they will
pay well for it, but try to compel them to
attend an entertainment which does not
suit them, and you will speedily find that
you are on the wrong tack, even though
you should go To the length Of Offering
them admission free of charge. It Is hu.
man nature-nothing more.
Up to a very short time ago the usual
variety show consisted Of q lot Of "turns"
following each other indiscriminately. II
the audiences had not seen these people be-
fore, all well and good but II they had, as
was moro than likely, there was dissat!s-
faction. A great many shows 1t Is true,
opened with ''flrst part" In which an
effort was made 90 tumble a lot of sense-
less stuff together through the medium of
execrable rhyme which was innocently
supposed to constitute tho principal OLE
ment of burlesque. The music was gen.
orally taken from wherever IL happened to
suit the fancy of the builder of the enter
tainment, and it was, os course, promptly
recognized as having been stolen by every
person who happened TO hear it. That
would naturally not tend to increase the
pleasure Of tho auditor, either. But that
was not the worst of 1t, for at tho end Of
this style of vaudeville show there was
what Is called an afterpiece, and It was
usually regarded by the regular patrons as
being Just what its name indicated--a
thing which came after the show and was
not worth staying to hear and see Thus
at the end of the olio there was mighty
exodus, and tho performance was finished
before an audience at least 80 per cent
smaller than it was ut the rise of tho cur
tain.
I am not critloising brother managers
or performers, because until the present
season was doing all Of these things
which havo just pointed out as tending
toward the undoing Of the vaudeville
branch os the amusement profession.
might add, too (striotly In confdence),
that 1t had cost me a good many thousands
of dollars to learn what later experience
has warranted mo In assuming to be a
fact. Last season, toward the close,
made up my mind that II 1 intended to
continue in the vaudeyilles IL would be
necessary to improve vastly upon what
had gone before. Not wishing or, In fact,
daring TO be too radical at the start, con-
cfudod to make qualified departure,
keeping the main old lines In view con-
ttantly-in other words, TO build up tho
original style Of entertainment to the ex-
tremo limit of Its possibilities. This did
by having written really fanny and
bright first part, which Is n burletta, and
also pat together burlesquo OF the then
popular "Trilby." i confess that l felt All
almost uncomfortable desire 10 omit the
olio altogether and To introduce the spe
cialtios by means OF appropriate illusions
In the burlesques, but reflected upon the
well known fate OF roformers and refrain.
cd. The result Of the departure which 1
did make, however, with my Twentieth
Century Maids company hns been emil
nently satisfaNory, and shall stick to
these lines In my Offering for next scason,
only shall then do Napoleon instead of
syengali. shall leave il TO others to 60
still farther along the paths which have
blazod out.
That there will be those who will do
this do not doubt, and believe that II
the ventures are properly managed from
the business end thoy are practically Ger.
tain To succscd. l am gratifled with the
part have played In bringing about this
srformation because without something
or the sort the vaudeville aggregation
which travels about from town 10 town
would soon have got deeply mircd In tho
slough OF despond and might, never have
got ont.
In speaking Of the elements which have
resulted IN the demand for better vaude-
villo entertainments l accidentally over
looked the continuous performance houses.
These places are springing mp all over the
country. and they arc patronized so liberal
" at the moderate prices charged for ad.
mission that thny arc enabled 10 hire the
best people TN the vaudeville profession.
The general public or az least that por-
ton which bestows ~ pgtsopsye upon
the travelling so-calied burle<e eue shows,
naturally expects something moro than
the ordinary turns which may bc seen for
much less money nc the continuous pc~.
S,.......,r. si...toru TIfa a. un M.