The Washington times., 1903-10-11
The Field of Art.
A Province Now Apparently
Given Over to Musical
Comedy-HoW Such an
Art Product Is Made.

critics and the composer were
quick to explain that the work partook
of both artificial and dramatic character.
The great pianist thought the truth OF
opera would be found midway between
Donizetti and Wagner. The much
heralded opera OF the future would be.
IN his mind, a combination of dramatic
and thepauc composition, much along
she lines Of "Siegfried" and Die Wal
kure,'' and purely artificial lyrics. duets
and trios such as characterized the
works of Donizett and Gounod.
It has seemed possible the promoters
of the modern musical comedy sat too
long at the feet of the great Polish
virtuosO. 1t might well be that Messrs.
Sam S. Shubert, Nixon and Zimmerman,
and Klaw & Erlanger feared 10 stray
after stranger gods Perhaps. like the
great bcdy of French sculptors. they had
found academic art good enough II
might even have been that, with Mat
thew Arnold, they found the kernel OF
all inspiration in things Greek II this
were true. 1t would not be wise in The
Times to treat such academic-although
eclectic-pToducts as 'The Runaways'
and "Winsome Winnie" with disrespect
For fear Of making 50 unhappy a mis-
take, therefore. The Times has been at
scme pains to discover the secret hidden
in the making Of musical comedy. A
hundred dramatic chemicals have con-
tribused TO the end. And now the mys-
tery IS clear to all.
Inspiration Put to Work
When a young man from Chicago or
Junction City or Olean walks nervous
" along Broadway. fired with the spirit
o. Palestrina. Dufay Mozart. and Liszt
and seeks to find a market for the musi
cal inspiration with which genius stamp
ed him for her own he finds himself
Eventually in the august presence Of the
trust. There he learns that busy men
have too little time either to hear music
or read plots. Finally, IL his spirit be net
too proud and his necessity be great
he consents to present in lieu Of his
completed work what the trust terms a
scenario
scenario" is the briefest possible
outline OF plot a glance at II serves
the trust manager admirably. If IT
pleases him. and it may please him in
o hundred different ways, he informs the
young man that some part Of his work
may be accepted
This usually ends the interview. The
manager has the idea. the outline and
refusal on as much of the book and
music as he may choose to accept The
young man has nothing In the course
Of a year or two. If the work succeeds,
he may get per cent OF some share Of
the proceeds If It fails he gets moth
irg, and is forever barred from giving
his serious work a serious presentation.
No Scorn for Old Friends.
Meanwhile, the manager is busy. With
the. "scenario" in his hands and ore
of his assistants at has side he is hard
at work
The trust managers vie with each 9TH
er in attempts to make their musical
comedies splendid. One of them recent
" contracted for SO many costumes that
twenty trunks full remained unused, an
other pocketed a loss of his entire in
vestment after a generous trial without
q murmur. Ten years ago a sufficient
mounting could be obtained for 10000
Today a similar enterprise would cost
from $4,000 to 900. Whatever can be
said Of the musical comedy as an art
product, its promoters Of the trust pro-
vide it with an equipment generous from
every point OF view.
But the ''shoe string manager reasons
differently.
We can use a couple of old scenes out
OF 'Giriie Grille for the first act" he
says TO his aide. Il guess we had better
get n set made cheap for the second act.
and we can worry along with some old
thing for the last act.
Get the property man to hunt out
those old costumes we stored away in
1sss. They ought to be pretty nigh for
gotten by this time. See what you can
do with - about new set for the first
act. and the right to use his name.
"As for the compaay-it's a cinch
ga know that little fellow that came
Australia? Well. he's mighty
We can get him on our own
Wen put him in the chief part.
i'm from soldier In the Turk
to a reformed racetrack tout,
ought TO do his part pretty
elp ne ind two or three people
who can sing and are out OF work. and
get that fat-faeed fellow TO do the love
making. II you can get a lot Of stu
dents to do the other roles and some
good lockers for the chorus. well have
& hot company"
Made in a Night.
In less time than readers OF this col
umn would believe all this is done. The
new scenery and new costumes take the
most time. The little fellow from Aus
tralia, the two or three people who can
sing. the fat faced fellow to do the love-
making. and the lockers" for the
chorus are brought together about two
weeks before the opening night. Then
follows tumble OF rehearsals. book
ings, instructions TO advance agents,
shipments Of Autographs. newspaper ad-
yertising and communications to dra-
matte critics enough to drive the ordi-
nary commercial manager TO the insane
asylum.
The opening is usually in some city