New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-19

clined to think that this Is an overestimate.
The average may be something Ike this In the
largest music halls, but there are numerous
small and cheap ones to be considereo anu
there are numerous persons acting IN 'n en
who cannot command more than say SIC OF "-V
a week Then. since ballet dancers. dresser
and aids Of various sorts have been counted az ~
making UP the total Of persons employed !,
must be considered that there are many WIN
work at extremely small figures
THE NETWORK VARIETY ARMY.
But let It be granted for the moment and for
the sake Of argument that $50 a week Is the
correct average Then this army Of 6I2 va
rfety performers IN New-York City would re-
ceive the weekly sum OF S33,6OO That Is a
startling sum. and 1t has already been sa'd
that the average OF $50 week for each per
former on which II is based. Is propaoy ,o'
high an estimate. But now are there any con-
ditions which have not been taken into cohsiuei-
alton which would tend TO re-estdbsh these
figures as approximately correct, In spite OF tne
high estimate of the average individual salary +!
Assuredly there are. AS mus: Inis sd,,sas
refers only to the recognized variety houses houses
1t does not take into account at all tne iarce
comedy and burlesque organizations Whlch IN
ploy actors who properly belong to the Varie.s
stage and are doing what Is properly variety
work Neither does IT count the beer gardens
which employ variety attors in large numbers
or the dime museums, when present the" oon
stantly; nor does IL take account or the many
nrivate entertainments and lodge and society
and military entertainments when make use 81
variety people constantly and pay them well
When all these are counted. II ~ lkeiy 'ild
estimate that New-York pays in the season 500.
600 for variety entertainments every week Is
not only decidedly moderate. but well uhuer 'ne
true figure. ...
And after all this refers only 10 the money
paid to those who are actually engaged III 'he
performances If the true expense OF the ei''e'
tainments were to be arrived az II would De
necessary to add the cost of business managers
treasurers dOOrkeepers, ushers, press ascn'.
stage hands, scrub women. advertising: print
ing heating, lighting, rent. scene painting, IN
strance and a few other little things that nave
been omitted here for lack Of space. But py
this time the reader is expected TO accept VIII
ont further resistance the proposition that thc
CITY of New-York IL spending good deal OF
money for vaudeville. .. s
Now TO 90 back To the managers question Oh
where are they all coming from? the on-
vious answer. IS: They are not coming AT an
they have come Even now III M 'I'e
weather with several Of the variety theatres
closed, there are enough ROOF earuehS pp,n ~
bring the number of variety shows going on
pretty nearly up to a dozen. Ana sun there
are variety actors unemployed. lHcE may
think themselves lucky that the New-f ork man,
ayers have not yet cut down their prices an"
forced them to adopt the London method OF go
ing about and playing in three or four music
halls every night When that fashion comes
in as II probably will in time, several OF lhe
less desirable actors will find ii hard To get EN-
nloyment they will be ere wded down t. the end
of the list and then they will drop on AT the
bottorn The present exaggerated taste for
variety is probably akin to the taste Tor snort
stories and short articles and short everything
else the unwlngness Of the modern tlred thiHd
10 concentrate itself on any one thlng TOT any eA-
tended time Perhaps il will not last forever
and when the change comes il Will be a cause or
congratuation 10 the macs or society anu %
coincidence for the poor variety actor