New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-19
THE VARIETY BUSINESS.
ITS EXTENT IN NETWORK CITY.


PIE EMPLOYED AND ExPENDITuREs-
ACTORS GETTING FROM SIS TO
5000 WEEK.
When the palate and the digestion weariei
and jaded and deblitated by indulgence, there are
certain pquant havors and spices which are use
full to stimulate them TO restore their tone. This
remark applies az well to the mental and artistic
palate and digestion to the physical. so We'll
recognized Is this fact that it long ago crys-
tallized the saying that variety was the spice
of life But though 1t be admitted that spice is
OF wonderful value stimulant and restorer
of tone. yet the usefulness Of spice a steady and
exclusive diet may well be doubted And this, TOO,
applies in all things else well az in those of the
physical digestion. The recent rapid growth or
variety in the department Of theatrical am'lse-
ment has caused no small comment yet 1t Is likely
that some Of those who have watched 1t most
closely would b. surprised at the figures which
could be deduced to illustrate or rather to express
this growth.
A Tribune reporter happened the other day TO
wander into the office Of a theatrical manager Of
his acquaintance with no more definite intention
than to discuss the present badness OF the times
and the improvement in them that Is to come after
the Tuesday following the first Monday in No
vember. Come here" said the manager. here
are some figures for you. How many variety
theatres are there in New York;"
The reporter began to name Them and the man
ager took pad Of paper and made a scratch on 1t
for every one that the reporter named. Then he
added one or two scratches for some that the re-
porter. though he thought ne knew all about New
York theatres had never even heard Of, and then
there were fourteen. Now said the manager,
these places must have an average Of. say,
dozen acts each every night How many does that
make"
zone hundred and sixty-eight
Yes one hundred and sixty-eight. And each
act takes an average Of. say, four persons or
course there a good many acts that take only
one person each. but there are many that take
large numbers At OF the variety theatres in
town now. for instance. they are giving ballets,
50 there a single act requires good many people.
Then there are the acrobatic teams Of from six to
ten and there are many acts that call for the
services of several persons who do not appear on
the stage at all Frego for instance though ne Is
the only person who is seen by the audience in
connection with his act. carries about dozen peo-
ole with him. dressers, baggage men. light men.
! and so forth. It takes a dozen men and more to
work the lights for Loie Fuller's dances, and 50
]
/ estimate to say that variety act averages four
persons. Now. with 16S acts in New-York every
night in the season. how many persons does that
| make"
six hundred and seventy-two.
"yerv we'll Six hundred and seventy-two IN the
regular variety companies. and then think Of
/ those who are employed in the entertainments
that do not go under the name of variety. Take
all the farce-comedles and the burlesques, such as
/ 'F.vangeline' and 1892 and Little Christopher
/ They are all made up chiefly Of specialties, and
the actors In them are nearly all practically va
! rietv actors Add those in and there is no know
Ing how many it would make. and the question is
| Where are they all coming from? That is the
question: where are they all coming FROM
/ FROM PLAY-ACTING TO VARIETY ACTING
I'VE know where some Of them are coming
from the reporter ventured m suggest; they are
/ coming from what are commonly called the higher
/ branches of the trade We may not think our
selves that farce-comedy is 50 very much lofter
than variety. but 1t Is generally supposed 10 rank
higher Now how many actors from this or better
pla ,es can You think Of who have appeared on the
variety stage within a short time who are going
| 10 soon?'
The manager picked up the pad again and In
minute he had written a list something like this
Lilly Post Vernona Jarbeau. Carleton. Perugini
Hallen and Hart Donnelly and Girard Mr.. and
Mr. Sidney Drew. John Mason and Marion
Manola : Miller Kent. Miss tombstone Bennett.
! Charles Dickson. Marie DRESSER Richard Golden
Dora Wiley There" said the manager. that IL
a list made out offhand. without any pro-
grammes to refer TO. If had little time could
| think of some more. Yes. that Ia where some or
them come FROM no doubt but that doesn't ac-
Dfv i nv
theatres every week, and can't think where II Is
| all going to end If it goes on in this way.
Perhaps that Is tie most interesting question
| 70 the general reader. Where ia it all going TO
end? Only a few years ago the prominent variety
theatres in New-York Tony Pastors and
! Roster & Balls then In Twenty-third-st. There
| We're three or four lesser ones in the Bowery and
/ elsewhere around the edges, and that was all.
! And now there are fourteen Of them. and six Of
them are in Broadway, or just around the corner
| from It, And then think Of the prices paid to
! variety actors. There a good many who get
| little money enough OF course, but when the big
ones begin to get into the region OF fancy prices
there seems to be scarcely limit to what they
can command. When Paulus came here five or
/ six yeals ago and got 500 performance for four
weeks il was thought to be the greatest thing of
the kind that had ever happened In this country,
and So perhaps. it But In this very season
that has just passed Miss l-oie ruler mas played
an engagement in New-York. her pay being -
per cent Of the gross receipts OF the theatre with
| guarantee that her share should never fall below
So 900 week dt went up to S36OO one week.;
Albert Chevalier has played for eight weeks at
| about the same rate Mile. Yvette Guilbert has
/ played for a month for $4,000 and Fregoli Is
still at work at an enormous figure
AS COMPARED WITT. THE GREAT SINGERS.
Now. compare these figures with the sums paid
to actors who appear in legitimate plays. 1t
would not take long to make Il llst Of those who
get az much. but the list would not be worth
printing. Ii may be that some actors who are
also managers make such sums as these. but
there are no actors who. having no proprietary
or partnership interest I'm the enterprises In which
.h. ..lli.airal r.naiN. saLar.S Of 81. LMMl 4