The sun., 1897-08-22
PROSPERITY AND oHoRUs e1Rns
Tho Demand Exceeds the Supply ana Wages
Advance In Consequence.

Tho Demand Exceeds the supply ana Wages
Advance In Consequence.
1T looks very much as II tho welcome wave
OF prosperity had reached the show business al
last, said q theatrical manager the other day.
"Of course. do not mean to predict that the sea.
son Of 81 and 9s will be safe ono for every.
body who ventures In the show business. Those
times have gone by. Amusement enterprises
must not be conducted very much along the
line Of commercial pursuits"
As the season cannot be said to have opened.
where do you get your views on prosperityF'
asked the reporter
We'll replied the Snowman, "for several
years the supply Of chorus girls has been more
than equal to the demand. Managers could get
attractive girls with good voices and some ex-
perience on the stage at any price they saw ht
to offer. The prevailing rates have been 912 to
Sl5 week for engagements In tho city, and the
highest figure paid on the road has been 0ls.
When engaged my company last season for q
comic opera production turned away at least
zoo available young women. many Of whom
begged to be taken on for little or nothing. Some
of the stories had TO listen to were pathetic
In the extreme. They spoke eloquently OF long.
continued hard times. and my experience was
not any different from that Of other managers
who have to deal with the chorus girl o factor
"A decided change has come about. Fortu.
seasons chorus on contracts calling for the
same salary as paid then, but 1t happens that
weeks have been endeavorinG to engage two
sopranos and two contraltos for my chorus and
1sS Psfs' sS s ss 11eE @eeE
chorus 70 in hs hs for
fifty postal cards to girls listed on his
noces as he leee2ss Ii fDy to The @
girls, not one OF whom would havo engaged
even for an outdoor production a half mile from
sing. and as for looks-well, they would have
been Obliged TO wear masks in order TO prevent
inc is not the only case Ono of the best
xHHwn S theatTGai , firms IN this city ono which
shows largely dependent upon attractive chor.
uses has n, been compelled In recruiting Its COM
1T you do not think confidence has been re.
sorsd Ell ana nth things are are looking up with us as we'll
shows booked for the road and requiring from
ple, Take Klew & Erlsnecr, for example. They
viii send out Jack and the Beanstalk. in which
but able TO sing they also E have S tie ys new pro-
dpetiop, ono Round OF Pleasure, and that has
Dg GhGTSS FnaI soon as that show Leave. tho
and the English chorus will have to be largely
augmented with native material. They also
views. such as The Lady Slavey and In Cav
New York. and the latest one, The Whiri OF
the Town. all making heavy drafts on the army
OF chorus girls.
The big spectacle which Is about to open at
the Academy OF Music calls for a chorus I un-
derstand. OF nearly ZOO Tom Seabrooke 10 re-
hearsing a new comic opera ana that, of course.
will make further inrOads on the available tai.
ent in tights and short skirts. Hammerstein
must have chorus for his fort booming produce
tion Of La Pnupce.' Tho Casino management
will follow The Whirl of tho Town with an.
other rev lew calling for the shapelest and best
trained chorus girls to he had. Tho Brownies
is booked for the road. That show req uires a
large chorus. The three.star aggregation head.
ed by Lillian Russell. Dell Fox and De Angels
carriesa large chorus, probably the same as it
had during its season In this city last year
Leaving out Of the question what are known
as the regular comic opera Organ nizations such
~ the BOstOnians, Francis Wilson, DeWolt
Hopper and Frank Daniels, could name half
dozen other companies now rehea rising or about
to commence rehearsals in this city. Not In my
recollection has there ever been such n largo de-
mand for chorus people. girls especially and
sou can readily understand that under such
another instead OF turning away from their
doors hundreds Of anxious applicants. tho scale
OF wages has undergone a decided change. Tho
top notch reached far is S22 week hut 10
would not surprise me to see so Otfrred-Onlv
for the best people, OF COursC-before the season
is fairly under way.
II really believe that the good times for which
We nave all waited So long are on hand at last,
ana once more there will be some excuse for Lheb
old familiar gag, "A happy. happy ChoruS.' I
hope the managers will share In proportion the
good things that are TO come. The Lord knoWo
that our piekings have been few and far bStWssa
for the last four YoArR."