The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-01
NEW YEAR AUDIENCES.
They Arc Now the Best In All the Year
at New York Theatres.

"The banner theatrical night Of the year,
said the Broadway manager, ia New year
eve. Tia funny, but at one time that nigh
meant empty benches. 1t was considered
even worse than Good Friday
In the old days managers used to give
away their seats for the New Years eve
performance so that they would be sure to
have some people In the house that night
l remember an experience | had in dis
posing of a bunch OF tickets for New
Years eve performance,
Il was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre then.
and the attraction had was good show.
Still we feared TO have empty seats at the
last performance Of tho year and stunned
a couple of hundred tickets in my pocket
early In the week, ready and willing 70 give
them away 10 any one who would take
them.
Il had friend In the Custom House
then. and dropped in to see him q ay OF
80 before the year ended. Chester A.
Arthur was then Collector OF the Port
My friend took me into Arthur's office ana
introduced me to him.
we chatted for q time, and then thought
OF the wad OK tickets In my pocket that
wanted TO give away. l thought posSloIy
the Collector might have some pohtlcal
henchmen whom he might want to sta ke
TO tickets, and | asked him II he would not
accept bunch of them for his friends.
But why should l accept themF asked
Mr.. Arthur.
Because want to give them away, and
to tell the truth that IL the onlS way can
get rid Of them for this one performance
replied.
The future President OF the United
States seemed to think 1t rather extraor-
binary that theatrical manager was Will
ing to give away something for nothing,
and he piled me with questions. | tola
him, just as / am telling you, that Ne"
Years eve was one of the two worst nights
of the year for the theatres, for 1t meant
slim houses.
-',Jou't ever worry about your attendance
again said the Collector with hearty
laugh. This building houses number OF
people who are always trying TO get some
thing for nothing
.Ihanded over the tickets had to the
Collector. and he gave them to the Custom
House employees They all made use OF
them and we played 10 full house
From a hoodoo TO the banner theatrical
night OF the year Is u big jump. Manager
can thank the women for It. In no other
city in this. country is the New Year vel
coined with such ~hoop as in this.
Men used to stick close 10 their homes
and their clubs the lest night OF the year.
That meant that the women bad TO stay
the New Year in, and they spend the early
part OF the night in the playhouses- That
il as il should be 1t pleuses them ard in
creases the managers bank roll and gives
him kindly feeling for the new year.
The best all round theatrical day Of the
year ia Washington's Birthday. Every
theatre gives two performances on that
day, and il is a poor attraction that can
display the Standing room only sign
Thanksgiving Day is the next best day,
and then comes IIncoln's Birthday. Those
four days theatrical men all look forward
TO. In few years they hope to add Good
Friday to this calendar. Tho old purtani-
cal feeling In regard to attending the
theatre on this day is rapidly dying out.
In few years it will have passed away,
and the attendance az the theatres on Good
Friday night viii he up to the average.