The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-04-27

of the sort the vaudeville aggregation
which travels about from town to town
would soon have got deeply lnirsd in the
slough OF dsspond 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 al over the
country, and they are patronized SO liberal
" at the moderate prices charged for ad-
mission that they are enabled to hire the
best people in the vaudeville profession.
The genera! public or at least that por-
tion which bsstows its patronage upon
the travelling so-called burlesque shows,
naturally expects something moro than
the ordinary turns which may be seen for
much less money at the continuous per-
Torrance theaters. This is making all Of
as alive to the necessity Of giving better
things, and most of US are doing it. I know
that a great many managers are now car
Tying shows about the country which are
built upon the lines described above, and
it is an encouraging sign Of the times that
most of these are meeting with success,
showing that it is a condition and not
theory which I have described have not
the slightest doubt that within a year or
two we shall have vaudeville shows
which viii be made up entirely Of a well
written burlesque containing good music.
OF course even in this event, 1t will be
impossible to ignore the fact that a large
number Of theater goers like specialties,
but these may be easily introduced-and
logically, too-without interfering with
the action of the plot Of the 0perstta,
which is more than apt to be rather nebu-
lous, in any event.
do not wish to have the impression get
abroad from what I have said in the fore
going that consider that vaudeville is on
the decline. On the contrary, I think that
the appetite for it is stronger now than
ever before. The continuous performance
houses have introduced this form Of enter
6ainmen6 to a large class of persons who
We're 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 are used to vaudeville must
have something new, as they have become
stated. 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 been 2 gradual re-
duction in the patronage accorded to it
for several years, until now there is prac-
tically none left to bestow. Melodrama,
with the foolish hero and the putty and
sometimes pretty heroine, has also enjoyed
a brief season Of prosperity but is now
unq uesUlOnabiy on the Wane- COMEDY
without a star with strong personal fol-
lowing, is about one of the very best
methods that i know Of to exemplify the
old adage about the speedy parting Of a
fool and his money. Comic opera is seldom
comic and always expensive to the auditor
as well as to the producer and is fast fall
ing into innoouous desueUude. BurIesque
is one of the few forms of popular amuse-
ment which appear TO be increasing in
favor, and that fact is principally due, in
my opinion to the Introduction of many
OF the vaudeville features. No, depend
upon it, the coming thing in the theatric-
al world is a modified vaudeville bur
lesque type, which viii make money for
its projectors and viii also afford amuse-
ment TO the masses at less than the Van
derbiltian prices which some managers
now appear to have 3 tendency 20 exact
from their patrons.