The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-20
What OUR SHOW GIRLS LACK.
,ovD POINTS ABOUT ENGLISH
MUSICAL FARCE.
A Certain Air About the Imported foune
women Not Found In New York
horuses-C Complaint That the New
,orh show Girl Is Too Independent.


With the appearance of every new English
musical farce company in this city there
x a cry from the public that they do those
.,jpgs in England very much better than
so are able to do them here.
Nobody who sees such a piece as the
Fbs,i.h musical farce now on view in THIS
,,v could deny that there is an atmos-
ore of refinement and daintiness about
Nh. imported pieces that our own produce
.lon. usually lack But II is quite as true
...- there is no reason why American pro-
.,prion, should not he quite as good il
:. right sort of stage managers we're al
uauJ
IIr men who come from London with
,.e.r English companies not only dress
.,r'rr than the average American rer-
.ar,n.r Of the Same k'nl. but they also
.ura, he language better. brush their hair
more in the style of persons OF good breed
me and carry themselves IN a fashion quite
Inherent from rle ordinary American
,nger in comic opera.
The same is true of the women. They
are 10 more intelligent than Americans
and no better looking Indeed. the ac-
r!esses in American musical plays OF ms
alnd are pretticr and cleverer i'll their work
than any others in the world. Yet they
are never able to inn at to musical play
the same distinction and refinement thht
seem perfectly natural to the Englsh
women who come over here
Ines, import at ions, from the day they
logan TO come in A Gaiety Girl down
20 the lstes, Three Little Maids, have
air that actresses oil
the same kind here have never been able
20 acquire.
They're better looking than the English
girls. said one manager who was talking
to Sun reporter about this pee .harhv OF
the English performances. they are more
,ntslligent and more animated; but most
of the Ame ricans have show girl written
all over them. So to make them look
or act like young sentlewomen is out of
the q,l-stion. however Handsomely 'hey
may be dressed
.rhcv always look to me "a If they were
irving 10 appe ar as much As they can like
tin, woman with he finest clothes In Shan
lev, or Rectors the night before. They
never suggest any other surroundings
Yet they could be made TO look quite
az smart and refine a as the English woman
if they were tod how TO wear tn, If dresses.
bat. and hair They should be made to
nm on clot hes properly, not merely nave
hem provided by the management. II
hat r-ere done by ONE eNIer's nced woman,
# tha co, TUNES we're selected with taste
and If thensual effort at the theatrical in
dres were avoided, our American show
lir, could give quite as refined perform
,lncn a. these tail and usually thin English
BEAUTIES.
orc point would have to he borne in
mind The, Young society girls IN Three
IL, - l<Nf hog
for the stage. They have on dresses that
any Young lady. might wear, and there Is
no -,ispicion Of staginess about them.
In most American productions the
gowns for those girls would be covered
with spangles and ribbons until it was per-
worn them They are intended only for
the stage.
As for the men in these English produc-
tlons they are as a rule more in accordance
with New York ideals Of beading and dress
than the customary tenofs or oarytones OF
comic opera Why there is not a similar
supply Of actors IN the United states ,ls
: difitfilt TO understand.
There are many young singers in choirs
and concert work who would be glad to
get the profit able employment in these
companies and nice looking chaps most Of
these men are. Under competent stage
manager they could be made proficient
enough for these English pieces, especial
as a certain amateurishness is not out OF
place in the actors Of the sentimental parts
In English musical farces.
But the average American manager
Who produces one Of these plays is never
wiling to make experiments: He always
wants ono of the old guard who has grown
fat singing in comic opera and is no more
capable of looking like young English
man than like rhir oceros-
How easily the right sort Of actors
are to be got right here in New York was
shown last spring at a revival OF The
Creisha,' made at cheap-priced theatre.
II was sung by clever young women none
Of them known to fame. but most OF them
better than the average wel'known comic
opera singer.
The sent imental roe was sung by a
handsome chap with fine voice who had
left Columbia University only the year
before. He had all the good quail, les
ri the best of the singing actors mat
lave come here with the English companies
Bur have not heard that he has any en-
gagement this season and don't think
there was any special demand for his SER
vices
The managers didn't want him. yet
they would Ike the first to say how dlnlcuit
II not impossible, it is to produce musical
Comedies here as they are given IN Loiioon
Il is true that these comedies are better done
in London in certain particulars IMAM
anywhere else. But with careful stage
management and the selection OF the rlght
End of acfors, it would. be possible 70 do
this almost as well here"
ono of the present problems OF the pur
yovors OF musical comedy nowadays ls
the difficulty of finding chorus girls ol
any kind. one OF the musica shows no"
on Broadway used to be famous IN past
seasons for the loveliness Of its feminine
display. This season it has much less
attractive crowd with preponderance
of what are known as battle axes.
Pdlchrituds in this group has declneo
because there are in the show thls yeal
too many changes Of costume to suit the
independent Young ladies OF the chorus
They do not want TO work so hard. ING
pretty ones, who are most In demand
refused 10 return 10 the company II they
were required TO change their costumes
more than three times.
In the costumer's plan 1t had been ar
ranged 10 have the dresses changed f1vf
times. This plan was adhered TO; &c
tn" management had to take the best
loo'ting girl, ii found willing to change
their clothes so frequently.
y i' easy 10 understand why any chorlf
gIr who could get anything else 10 DC
should refuse TO make so many changes
o: costume in the i'll ventilated, crowded
and often dirty rooms in which they are
compelled To herd. And the plyslca
eyer'icn Of being compelled TO pun OF
and of tights and dresses is enough lr
yself to exhaust the happy, happy chorus
Even when the work is much less eH
Ia, ia bn nrls hare