The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-10
FIRST NIGHT JUDGMENTS.
DECLINE OF AN OLD FEATURE OF
m NEW rORK THEATRES.

Causes OF the Disappearance OF first
Ntrhters-EH,et OF the lntrusion OF Peo-
ME who wanted 60 see Their Names In
Print-vniue OF First Night Opinions.
One Of the discussions OF which the English
public Is so fond ragged last winter In some OF
the English newspapers and magazines, and Its
subject has some interest for Nov Workers, as
In n certain way theatregOers here have been
observing facts similar TO those that aroused
London correspondents Ia express their views
In print. IL rarely happens that any subject
IL interesting enough 10 New Workers to lead
mem TO such n paroxysm of letter writing rs
occasionally breaks out among newspaper
readers In England. There Is nlways n liberal
supply OF letters to the editor In n London paper,
but when some particular subject comes mp
the output Is inconprehensible to Americans.
and It has been suggested that British readers
are sometimes so anxious to find something of
interest To read In their morning newspaper
that In desperation they ombody their own
views in the form OF n letter to the editor. Tho
crusade Of Mrs. Ormiston Chant probably pro-
voked the Creates amount OF correspondence
OF this kind that has been seen within recent
years, and a later discussion was awakened In
London by q play which had as its heroine n
woman with a past. In n mildcr way this sub
ject aroused n number of worthy people TO riot
in the correspondence columns of the papers.
somebody wrote recently to n London pnper a
letter which started n discussion rs to the value
OF q first night audiences opinion OF n play.
A number of replies followed, and the gist OF
them was that. even In London. where IA first
night opinion Ia moro important than 1t is
here in New York, the judgment of such an
audience was by no means indicative of the
subsequent fate OF the performance. Before
the debate had advanced far enough to be-
come violent the point at issue was changed,
- A. -., Nt.s.
into the discussion, and they were called upon
to give their opinion OF what critics said about
them and the way the public treated them.
This gave the correspondence II technical char
acter which put a quietus on the casual letter
writer's. They were over their heads and
ceased to contribute. So the matter was
dropped In the newspapers, transferred to the
columns of a theatrical magazine. and con-
tinued In q series of rapers written by tho
dramatists.
There never has been q theatrical season In
New York which presented the first night In
such a variety Of confusing forms as the sea-
son just closed. The first nighter has been ex.
hiblted in a bewildering variety of shapes. 1t
has been impossible to say Just what a first
nighter was. lie might have been a person
well known in exclusive club or society sets.
He might have been n man who Is seen only
on Broadway In the afternoons. or in the So
looms and hotels. He might have been a man
In evening dress unknown by name or sight,
and simply at the theatre because the per form
snce happened TO be the first night. There
were, in short. no first night audiences last
winter which shn we'd the spectators to be pos
sessed Of any d as cnaractsf; ApParr,
of new play or actor was the one element
that entitled a person to the distinction OF
being called a first %BiRnter.
1t is Just this negative character which has
come to be Usual with first night audiences at
repres mt ANYTHING. There was n time, as in
the DAYS of ,Wallack's old company; waen q
upon to welcome the production OF a new piece.
August Belmont, Robert Cutting. and u mum.
Der OF other men who were conspicuous in the
society of that time. were certain TO be in their
seats, and the gathering was distinctly repre-
sentative of a certain element in New York
might not belong To the same fashionable set,
but who were, for one reason or another vel
presence noteworthy. 1t lisa curious thing
about the development OF the first night that
surediy Fashionable clientele to witness the
first production Of Its new play. One of the
most striking anomalies OF the past season
opened his season here to an audience so abso-
lutely different from what one would expect to
1t. Chevalier and Yvettc %Ciuilbcrt. singing in
music halls. were greeted by audiences that were
One OF the features of a first night audience
now that marks graphically the change be-
days or nights of the old time first nighters is
to be found in the fact that a person familiar
with the faces OF New Works wcll-known peo-
pie may go TO the theatre on the occasion Of a
new productions; and recognize scarcely three
people among the audience. A man may
has seen the II on Broadway. Mt the race track,
or at the theatre. The women are not Likely
to be known at all. One of the best known
first n:ghters now Is a prominent bookmakcr,
and his satisfaction on these oc 'asions is likely
to, be conspicuous from the fact that he always
nEna n hnS mn KppnG wall tn fhn frnnf nf 4
a sun reporter asked 4, man who was one of
the old guard, Of first nighters what was re-
~ don't think he said to the reporter. |
that there would have teen any change # the
begun after a while to be printed in the news
papers. This. began Immediately to attract
people TO the theatre On those nignts who we're
names we're given. II took ten years. maybe.
for this invasion 70 have any effect on the |
character Of the audiences, but after n while it
"After a while the regulars began to notice
that they were bracketed in the newspapers
along with n lot OF people with whom they had
no Affiliations of any kind. New York society
yea RS. When this FIRST nigh. business com
menced 1t was much smaller and moro sensi,
n,s Snan a, II tr is at .i present neyoH 80 td the he r trirhtrn "ld
away. So one by one they dropped off. and as
a matter Of fact II Is no longer considered de-
on the first night. unless It be to see a par
ticularly well-known actor.
LnlHk Nuh cA.lliill tHt iu't tnat Nne-
valior and Yvette Gullbert had more fashion |
able people In their audiences than any other
New York theatre during the season. They
were best known to the wealthy Americans
who had travelled abroad. The rest OF the
first night crowd saw no particular reason why |
they should go. Both these artists sang in
music halls. so It did not seem probable that
there would be any social brilliancy, to be re-
fiected In. So they kept away, and society, |
probably aware that IL would meet itself there, |
went to both OF these performances. II these
singers or any others so well known come to
New York next winter they will not have such
brilliant audiences N greet them. Society
will be on It's guard against tho other first
nlghters, and keep away"
may not b. the real reason for the curious CON |
dition OF the New York first night ut present, |
but IL Is certainly true that the change In It's |
quality has been remarkable. TIN Sun told
the other day of u list distributed at one of
the theatres not long ago In which there ng-
ured tho names OF every other manager In
town. One whose marital relations have been |
more or less entangled was put down and
wife,. but the present uncertainty on that
point led to the crossing out OF those words. |
Anofhar list had the namRS nf the apana naintnr |