The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-17
BiiOu Musical Comedy COm-
 pany is Unique
EVERYTHING HOME MADE
The Company Prepares Its Own Music, Designs and Builds Its Scenery and Originates New
 Chorus Drills.

The Bijou Musical Comedy company, which is making a record here this week, Is said to be the most complete organiza- ton of it's kind It is the only musical comedy company which has everything it needs to make a complete production at hand, including the writer of its own music, the people to stage the production and people in the production who are able to do anything from work in the chorus to a leading part, or a speciality.
 The company is one of the most peculiar and enterprislng organizations on the stage. There are stock companies play ing standard plays, dramas, tragedies, and even farce but none of them combine those three and then add music to them.
 Max Hoffman writes all the music for the organization, and his music Is made popular by the company before 1t is used by other people. This Is something that no other company has. After he writes the music his wife stages the musical pieces, planning all the steps tHe chorus makes use of and training the girls. Miss Mary Marble takes the songs and plans costumes for them. Her plans are sent to Eaves in New York and the costumes are made according to her designs.
 Staging Pieces.
 The staging of the pieces is in the hands of Otis Harlan, stage manager, and a leading player ,He and the other mem- bers of the company put their heads to- gether and plan a stage setting for a certain act. The plans are then given to a special corps of stage carpenters kept by Mir Wells in Richmond and the seen cry is built by them., It Is then given to a scenic artist who paints it according to the plans. When the electrical effects are arranged by Sam Bennett, the com pany is ready to begin rehearslng.
 Unlike other companies there are no distinct lines drawn confining any one of the company to a particular part. In one production a man may be in the chorus, while in the next he Is the lead- ing character. It Is the same with the women. The characters are chosen and the parts distributed and learned. After the lines are memorlzed the company plans in what places musical features can be introduced to the best advantage. IL then learns the music written by Max Hoffman and his wife teaches the chorus the steps, This means a great amount of work in learning the songs and then drilling the company down to the fine point necessary.
 The production is then ready, after a couple of weeks rehearsing, to be placed before the public. It has been planned and built entirely in the south and mostly by people with the company.
 History of Company.
 The idea of forming this company origi- mated with Jake Wells and John Dunne, who has charge of the company and on whose judgment MT. Wells relies entire- ly for any improvements which are thought necessary. Alter a season on the road "The Milk White Flag" was carried by this company to Richmond and Norfolk for a short stay at each place. The play took so well that "A Trip to Chinatown and "The Black Sheep" followed quickly. These were so successful that the temporary plan was made permanent and the old company which played "The Milk White Flag was practically retained and strength ened somewhat. Shortly afterwards Otis Harlan was added to the company in the Black Sheep" in which lie had been starring for a season. He was made stage manager and leading man.
 The Bijou company is now "up'' on about eighteen plays, in other words the company can tomorrow put on any of the eighteen plays without having the cos tunes or specialties fin any two of them alike. The company never plays the same show twice in a city and never uses the same costumes in any two plays. It uses It's own music and always new music never the same songs in a place twice.
 The plays used are many of them well known, but they have undergone a transformation which is styled ''Hoff- manized," for Max Hoffman has taken them and fitted music to them.
 Thus the Bijou Musical Comedy com pany is a complete organization in itself. and the only one of its kind in the world.
 
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