The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-07-14
BEING A SHOW ANGEL.
TWO YOUNG MEN WHo HATE DROPPED $15O, GOO EACH

some Nice Sclenery--Eeither Ready to Quit Yet--The Best Angel Broadway
 Ever Saw.
 That story about playwright who produced his own play on Broadway for three weeks at a cost of only a measely $500 sounds pretty good, but it IS calculated to give the public a wrong idea of the average financial situation surrounding the production of new piece at first class theatre" :" said theatrical manager. By way of contrast, the theatrical profession is now talking of the splurge made during the past season by two rich men who are now able to figure up approxi- mately the cost of being an angel for a new show,
 Each of these young men dropped in the neighborhood of s150,OOO in real money. but both are in the ring still, ana as they are showing signs of con- fractlng rigid pedal extremities, they stand to lose considerably more next season. As each of the G. Whatawads has about six or ten millions in reserve, the financial losses so far are about as Important as the biggest dent you could make with hammer on the Washing ton Monument.
 one of these young men is from Butte, Mon, and he became interested In theatricals because he is engaged to marry a girl who was formerly in the chorus of a comic opera. He has pro- duced three comic operas in succession for the prpose of giving this young lady chance to shine in the centre of the stage, and he Is now arranging for a fourth production, to go out next sea- son, by which time, he declares he and the young lady will be married,
 The girl in the case has visited the young mans mother and sister, who approve the match and are quite wiling that he should continue to spend money to advance her career on the stage.
 The other young man halls from a New England town, and invested his money in theatricals solely because he believed large profits would ensue. He was not interested in advancing the artistic career of any actress, and has made his speculation in the show busi- ness just as he would invest in real es- tate, factory or any other commer- cial enterprise.
 His losses, while heavy have been due to errors of judgment in selecting plays but he believes he has now &C., quired sufficient experience to get back a considerable sum next season.
 "The old proverb about the woman in the case applies with special force to any theatrical centure; and inc times out 6f ten where a mans judgment is influenced by the personal equation in the shape of a pretty girl the venture fails.
 That seem5 to have been the hoodo that has pursued the. Butte man during the last year He has spent money lavishly in every department to secure success, but instead of picking out a good piece of theatrical property and then engaging a good all around cast of players for 1t, has first placed, the ex-courus girl in the centre of the stage and tried to surround her with pleasing artists who would not overshadow her.
 His first comic opera, produced in Chicago last summer, ran eight or ten weeks and cost him about s35, ,0OO. Some of the newspaper critics said the young lady In the case promise of talent, and this determined the millionaire to try again.
 Casting his elaborate production in- to the discard he went right ahead on more lavish scale than ever to pro- duce a second comic opera, which he produced in Boston. He leased outright one of the leading Boston theatres for couple of months, and put on an- other $4O000 failure. One reason for this failure, I think, was that the manager of the theatre, having secured the rent inadvance, went off yachting and never came near the theatere dur ing the time the piece was running there.
 He drew down $20,000 as his bit for tfe rental period and naturally re didn't worry much more whether the piece succeeded or not. Meanwhile the Butte chap did all he could in Jos ing game, and after dropping $4000O closed the show.
 "His third speculation was the most disastrous of all, but he accomplished his chief aim, which was to make the young lady in the case nine days cele- brity in the profession. Giving his third opera a magnificent mounting with a great company of principals and elaborate costumes, he had the girl cast for the central figure In the story, and @ clever ilbrettist arranged that she should make her initial entree on a white horse.
 "The girl, by the way, has very pretty red hair, and this spectacle of a red hairedgirl on a white horse caught on, The show, however did not catch on, and though 1t subsequently, finished out the season on the road. it is said that it cost the packers approximately $75,O0O to keep it going.
 "This shows what some comic opera productions cost. Although it is nearly a record breaking case in the way of losing money to advance the pro- fesslonal reputation of mere girl, it is almost equalled by his own announce- ment that he intends to keep on produc- ing operas His exhibition of nerve in continuing the game in spite of un- precedented may be due to his Western training and the fact that he is mem- Der of the copper crowd of Montana and likes nothing better than a swift game of nolkar without any limit