Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-01-13

ahead. This time nearly all their plans
have been knocked endways, for not
only has the percentage of failure been
more than a third greater than usual
but the enormous success OF the Hip
podrome, which has been playing since
August to receipts which average from
sfo,0OO TO 100000 week. has had
narrowing effect upon the box Office
receipts of the other theaters. OF
course, in those theaters where real
successes are playing this does not
matter. The New York public even
VI II goes to see the Hippodrome per.
iormance three or four times, has no
end OF other evenings 70 I'LL In. But
there are so many theaters In New York
now-so many, too many In fact--that
the average theatergoer, unable to at
tend them all, even II he wishes to I'm
the course OF week. Is able nowadays
to SIT back and discriminate as to Just
which theater he win attend. Nat
urally he picks out n known success
nearly every time. IN the old DAYS,
when the theaters were fewer, even
those playhouses which happened for
the moment to be Offering a mediocre
attraction, were sure sooner or later TO
get the patronage OF most OF the regu-
lar theater goers, but that day Is done
unless play scores a success which
Is big enough 10 bring II into prominent
notice nowadays, its success I'm the
financial sense at least Is not only D
snare 20 the management, but a fright.
fully expensive delusion.
One great thing IN addition TO its
huge artistic success the Hippodrolne
mas airs9dy accomplished for the pub
llc This Is n benefit which win an
peal to the country az large quite as
much az II does to New York. The
scale OF prodigal magnihcence on which
the Hlpp9drome productions are made
productions, mind you, which include
not only unsurpassed spectacle and hal
let, but splendid circus and most ex-
cenent extravaganza has practically
killed the imported and somewhat shop
worn London spectacular show and has
fung the deathknell Of at least 50 per
cent or the second and third rate
musical shows with which so many OF
me stages OF the tlrst class theaters
throughout the country have literally
been Uttered during the past few saa-
sons Managers who make speciu-
~ OF this sort OF production now franz
~ admit that the HIppodrome has killed
that sort OF show as far as Now York
IS concerned and though II often hap
pens that play can make no end Of
money throughout the country, which
New York has either condemned or
never seen, II Is very hard to persuade
a manager that he has any chance for
a success with a play which does not
bear the hallmark Of Broadway's ap-
prevail One of the biggest producers
IN America, q large portion OF whose
fortune has been made In spectacular
shows, said the other day:
Spectacle In this country Is a dead
dog, ] wouldn't touch another one OF
them with i0-foot pole. have given
them the finest IN the world. and you
can't get them In. Hereafter I'm go-
ing in only for PLAYS, plays, plays"
All the other managers feel exactly
as this one does, but they are all up
against the same tough proposition:
where sire they going 10 get these
plays? Certainly not in France and
equally certain not In England. for In
both countries the play market Il In
an infinitely worse state than 1t Is here