The Washington times., 1904-09-25
Harry BeEesfOrd in aOur New Msn..
Louis Mann in "Ihe Second Fiddle"
An Expensive Luxuru.
Musical Comedy Costs Heavily and
Earns Generously.

Sitting in a comfortable orchestra seat
and listening to tinkling music. looking
at pretty girls and laughing with com
edians one scarcely gives a thought 10
the long months necessary before A
musical play can be given its initial
! performance or of the money involved
| in production o. this kind before the
curtain goes up for the first time. First.
/ the book and lyrics have 10 be. written
and whether the story is a cohe sive one
or not. the careful author has TO put
in several months, writing and rewrit-
ing. before he can turn the lyrics over
to the composer. Then there is an hi
atus of several more months until finally
the completed work is given 10 the
manager for production.
The first thing this gentleman does il
TO send for his designer, and it usually
takes from a month TO six weeks be-
/ fore this artist has completed his COS
I tune sketches, for NOWADAYS everv-
thing is done in color schemes. and. good
costume designers are few and far be
tween While the costumes are being
designed. the stage carpenter Is, busy
building the production, which I'm turn
Is handed over TO the scenic artist and
his corps of assistants to paint
Whiting for Paint.
Most interesting is the art or scene
painting. After the canvas is prepared
with sizing the scenic artist and his
corps of assistants. on a big bridge
twenty feet in the air. begin operations.
Nearly all Of the painting in the coun-
try is done with water cOIOrs. although
some Of the foreign productions are
done in oil colcrs. The paint for the
most part is made Of whiting, colored
water. and glue IN proper proportions.
and the painting is OF the most impress
sionistic order II Cne gets close to a
scene which is most effective from the
front il usually looks like a lot OF
daubs. But distance lends enchant-
ment." and over the fOotlights in the
full glare of the electrics. the effect is
most pleasing.
The scenes built and painted. the cleo
trician is called in. Cor al the present
time there are usually a number Of
electrical effects, and as all OF the
electricians work has TO pass the fire
insurance inspection. this part Of the
production is not only slow. but the
work has to be very carefully done.
When the designer has finished his
sketches they are turned over TO the
firm who are to make the costumes. and
1t often happens that the combinations
OF COlOrs called for in the sketches are
not obtainsbIe, and IL is necessary TO
have special weaves made-more time
lost This is especially true of parti-
cOlored tights and stockings, which al
most invariably have to BE- made TO or
der. There IS one knitting firm in
Brooklyn which does little else
With the costumes come the shoes, and
here is another very important item, for
each change Of costume necessitates
different pair of shoes, often running the
gamut from sandals up TO the modern
gIaci kid with high heels An order for
$50 pairs Of shoes in an up-to-date must
cal production is by no means a large
one and all of these are separately made
to fit each individual wearer- The same
is true of the stockings and gloves used
in the production.
And now the property man is hard
at work making the Various reproduc-
tons Of ''realistics' which are used
during the performance. All Of the big
properties are first modelled out OF clay
and then copied in papier mache. The
solid looking aruor. spearheads and the
rest Of the paraphernalia, as well as the
1ruit, etc. are. as a rule. made of paper
and then painted.
Trouble With the Chorus.
BY the time the production is ready
the cast and chorus have been engaged
As a rule the selection Of a cast gives
the management but little trouble, but
the chorus is quite another matter. or
all the irresponsible propositions here
below, the average chorus girl is prob
ably one of the most shining examples.
She is usually under contract TO three
or four managers at one time. the mere
fact that she has signed a written obli-
cation not making the least difference
with her, and Il she has the smallest
kind OF potion that she can oct an extra
dollar from the NTH. she has no hesi-
tatlon in leaving everyone else in the
lurch. 1T frequently happens that a
company Will open with not a single
feminine member Of the chorus who
were at the first rehearsal. At the pres
ent time managers, owing 10 the scar
city OF good chorus women, are obliged
to put up with their whims and raise
their salaries. The chorus woman who.
ten years agO was thought dear at Sl4