The herald., 1897-10-03

Inc rival managers OF the DlS Vduue' .
willie houses in New York have been
interviewed with the object Of showing
that the competition now running at
such height is likely to lead to ruinous
results.
The capital invested in the four lead
ing music halls in that city is estimated
at 81, ,4S1, 900 and the annual expenses of
running them at 81, 10000. The larges.
factor in the expense is the enormous
salary list of each house, which has been
forced up by the effort made in each In
stance to secure exclusive novelties. AS
much as $4,000 per week has been paid
for twenty-minute turn and the aver
age Of the highest prices paid by the four
houses, namely, Roster G. Balls, Ham
merstein's. Weber G. Fields and Proc
tors is $2625 per week for single at
traction.
The music hall business is falling off
Of late. It is reported that one hall WHERE
a season or two ago the profit was nearly
5000, 900 finished last season with less
than $40 900 to the good, and will be
lucky this winter if it comes out even.
Mr. Hammerstein is quoted as saying:
ITO tell the truth, the music hall
show that is the regular variety pro-
gram of specially turns has gone to the
dogs-it's done, it's through with, It's
finished, it's no good. Managers might
as we'll make up their minds to that.
They have got to think out something
new. If they don't they may as we'll shut
up shop. They've got to provide novel
ties, absolute novelties Let them all
put that down as straight tip"
Roster & Balls manager says that
their expenses average $1,000 week and
some,i les running as high as $4,000
They paid Yvette Gilbert $4,000 a week.
and he estimates their yearly expenses
at $35O,O0O. The public, he says, have
grown so absolutely blase that they in
sist on our giving them magnificent
buildings and trebling the expenses Of
the program to satisfy their appetite.
Weber & Field told the interviewer
that when they asked $50 week at the
time they were creeping up in the show
business the managers thought they
wanted the earth. This year, II they
had wanted to take the road, they could
have received $1,000 week. Says Mr.
Weber:
"The public are sick Of variety shows,
a string of ten and twenty-minute turns
No matter how good they are, they won't
have them. If we filled our evening with
them we'd go broke. We put on three
good ones, an hour in all, and that's
the end of It, The balance Of the even
ing is given up to some rafting bur-
lesque."
Mr.. E D. Price of Proctor's says that
sandow was paid $1,000 for single turn
that lasted but twenty minutes, and
their salary list for stage performers
alone amounted to over $4,000. to which
$25o0 week might be added for other
expenses. Ten years ago, he says, New
Workers. were satisfied with such famil-
lar turns as song and dance men and
serio comic, Dutch comedy teams and
the like. They won't stand them now.
They will have the best, not only of this
country, but all Europe must be secured
for the foremost vaudeville entertain
ers. What is going to be the next ex-
pensive move cannot be foretold. But
the public Is constantly asking for some
thing new and costly.
The coming of w H. Crane to the Los
Angeles theater next Wednesday even
ing promises to be an event of more than
ordinary interest. II is Mr.. Cranes first
professional appearance in this city and
there will no doubt be considerable
eagerness among those who have not
had the advantage Of seeing him else
where, to witness the acting Of the man,
who, with Robson, made such sue
cess Of the two Dromios in Shake
speare's "A Comedy of Errors" and
who. besides, has earned such wide
reputation as a comedian Of the first
rank.
It Is now announced that the prom
ised season Of italian grand opera will
be given at the Los Angeles theater by
the company Of Italian artists which
has been playing for the last six months
at the National theater in the City Of
Mexico. The list of operas promised
for the coming engagement contains
works most of which have never before
been heard. here The bill for the open
ing night will be la Giaconda." The
orchestra comprises thirty pieces under
the direction of Pietro Vallini. Two of
the operas to be given here have never
yet, so Il is stated, been heard in the
United States. namely, Puccini's LA
Boheme" and Verdi's "Forza del Des-
tino"
Among the alterations at the Burbank
theater is a new drop curtain that at
tracts a large amount of attention and
has caused no little comment. The ar
tistic work displayed on it is not great,
there is no landscape In impossible per-
spective, painted In theatrical colors;
while the figures displayed are only
those of street numbers which indicate
the addresses of the various restaurants,
saloons dentists and others who choose
this method for bringing their business
into public notice. An eastern man told
me the other day how he was impressed