The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-28


OF tho sort the vaudeville aggregation
which travels about from town to town
would soon have got deeply mired In the
slough of despond and might never have
got out.
In speaking of the elements which have
resulted in the demand for better vaude-
Vile entertainments accidentally over
looked the continuous performance houses.
These places are springing up all over the
country, and they are patronized SO liberal
ly at the moderate prices charged for ad-
mission that they are enabled to hire the
best people in the vaudeville profession.
The general public, or ut least that por-
tion which bestows It's patronage upon
the travelling so-called burlesque shows,
naturally expects something more than
the ordinary turns which may be seen for
much less money at tho continuous per-
Torrance theaters. This is making all of
us alive to tho necessity of giving better
things, and most of us are doing 1t. know
that great many managers are now car
fytng shows about the country which arc
built upon tho lines described above, and
1t is an encouraging sign Of the times that
most of these are meeting with success,
showing TINT 1t is a condition and not a
theory which have described. have not
the slightest doubt that within q year or
two we shall have vaudeville shows
which will be made up entirely Of we'll
written burlesque containing good music.
or COURSE even In this event, 1t will be
impossible to ignore the fact that a large
number Of theater goers like spccislties
but these may be easily introduced-and
logically, too-without interfering with
the action Of the plot of the operetta,
which is moro than apt to be rather nsbu-
lous, In any event.
L In mt xx,tch IN ho t,,,x
abroad from what have said in tho fore
going that consider that vaudeville Is on
the decline. On the contrary, think that
tho appetite for 1t Is stronger now than
ever before. The continuous performance
houses have introduced this form Of enter
tainment to a large clnss of persons who
were previously totally unfamiliar with
it, and the demand for good speciality peo-
pie is for that reason greatly increased,
but, as have already explained, the old
timers who arc used to vaudeville must
have something new, as they have become
sated. There is no denying the fact that
what Is known as the Legitimate is dead,
so far at least as this country is concerned
Whether it will ever be revived is problem
atical, but there has boon gradual re-
duction in the patronage accorded to 1t
for several years, until now there Is prnc-
ttcally none left TO bestow. Melodrama
with the foolish hero and the putty and
sometimes pretty Seroine, has also enjoyed
a brief season OF prosperity, but Is now
unquesttonably on tho wane. Comedy.
without star with strong personal fol-
lowing, Is about one of the very best
methods that know OF to exemplify the
Old adage about tho speedy parting OF a
fool and his money. Comic opcrn is seldom
comic and always expensive 10 the auditor
as well as 20 the producer and Is fast fall
ing into innocuous desuetude. BurlecQue
is one of the fow forms OF popular amuse-
ment which appear to be increasing in
favor, and that fact is principally due, in
my opinion, TO tho Introduction OF many
OF the vaudeville features. No, depend
upon 1t, the coming thing in the thoatric-
al world is modified vaudeville bur
lesque type which will make money for
It's projectors and win ALSO afford amuse-
mont to the masses Mt le.s than the Van
derbiltian prices which some managers
now appear to have tendency to exact
from their patrons.