The Washington herald., 1907-01-06

days want il distinctly under
stood that their output isn't the common
or Forty-second-and-B Broadway variety Of
musical comedy. whatever else it may be-
Has musical comedy been branded low
caste by the theatrical authorities? Can
it be that this form of entertainment, to
paraphrase Dr. Johnson, is recognized in
the profession as the last refuge Of the
unfit and unfortunate promoters and man
ayers who have failed in other branches?
Is il possible that even success in it brings
no honor. gives no right TO strut and brag
and play the pouter-pigeon in a fur-lined
Overcoat, as in other branches because Of
the sort Of men who make the successes
It begins 10 look very much that WAY.
Each new musical piece presented or
scheduled for presentation is accompanied
10y an announcement that Il is an attempt
TO get away from the prevailing thing
called musical comedy, back TO the comic
opera or light opera or operetta OF other
and saner and more discriminating days.
Manager Henry W Savage writes 10 a
New York paper that in presenting The
Student King" he sought TO meet the de-
nand for a return TO solid, clean. meIo-
di0us old-fashioned operetta. He makes
this statement in calling attention To the
Inconsistency of critics who find fault with
his opera because IL is oId-fashioned. and
vet who have been calling for the last c0u-
pie of years for relief from the vapid mu-
steal comedy so much in vogue. Mr.
Charles Emerson Cook. part author Of
The Rose of the AIhambra." " which was
seen here recently, declared it was an at
tempt TO revert 10 the old comic opera
form. And now Glen AIacDonough tells
us that his Too Near Home" produced
at Wilmington Friday night is an attempt
10 return 10 the type of light comedy so
successfully employed for any years by
the hate Charles H Hoyt Anything 10
diffeTendate a piece from The ruck Of
musical comedies that are romping noIsiIy
over the circuits, Better be an imitation
Hoyt farce than "a musical comedy. Plain
ly. the reign of the musical comedy is
more than half over.
But the Washington appetite for this
bTand'of diversion still seems robust when
the offerings are really diverting. The ac-
cidents or exigencies or recklessness Of
theatrical booking brought three musical
comedies TO the three leading local thea
ters last week, yet each Of the companies
did "A very good business. This does not
mean that Washington IS so addicted to
musical comedy it can never get enough
of il. It means that the companies au-
pearins here the past week had in each of
them AT least Il few really clever and
humorous people. and that the pieces
themselves. light and inconsequentiai as
they might be We're not stupid and were
beautifully staged and costumed and acted
with dash and breeziuess that would
have made much duller productions 20. Il
was remarkable the three companies were
able 20 draw good sized audiences. 1t was
due L. the merit OF the pieces and the
leading performers. for many Of the musi-
cal comedies that were here earlier IN the
season met something of a frost because
of their lack OF attraction
Theatrical managers assert that the pub
lie has no just ground for complaint
against the prices that now prevail in
houses where frst-class attractions are
presented. In the theatrical business
even more than others. they contend. the
necessary expenses have increased great
" in the last few years. They contrast
the lavishness Of stage settings. the rich
ness of costuming. the all-rOund perfec-
tion Of detail now felt to be absolutely
essential with the simplicity and meager-
ness of fifteen or twenty years ago. \
local manager asserts that the necessary
expenses of the most unpretentious travel
ing company these days viii run up to
$3.50 "a week. Even companies of this
character appearing i'm the tirst-CIass
houses are compelled nowadays 10 carry
with them a complete outfit Of scenery
and properties. No company thinks Of
depending for any part OF its settings on
the resources Of the local scenery. lofts
Everything must be specially constructed
for each play and toted over the country.
The scenery and properties of even unpre-
tentiOus productions that make no point
of their stage setting, II is said, usually
require d couple Of baggage cars to trans
port them. This necessarily is a heavy
item OF expense. To meet the changed
conditions. the public must be charged
good prices for its entertainment Of The
higher class. And the public seems to be
willing to pay the higher prices when the
goods are delivered by the managers. This
is demonstrated by the box Office history
of the local houses. \ few years ago. il
is said. there we're just three attractions
that came 10 Washington regularly that
could be depended on to draw weeks
business running higher than 5000 These
were Lotta, J. X. Emmett, and Joseph
Jefferson. Now the company that comes
TO a first-Class Washington house and
draws only 5000 on the week is considered
TO have done a poor business. TC satisfy
the managers the receipts have TO run up
to $S.0o0, and this figure is frequently at
tanned That this IS not high will be un-
derstood when il IS recalled that one of
the great hits of the season on the road
took in over $4,000 during a single week
in Boston, and has done nearly as well in
other cities. This, Of course. means that
the houses were literally sold out at each
OF six evening performance and two matt
nees. And when house is really sold out
from orchestra rail to gallery wall. that
is a red-letter date on the managerial cal
endar, long to be remembered and talked
about
crouch sharper than serpent's tooth
has taken lOdgment on long lease within
the embattled bosom OF Wilton Iackaye.
It gushes out in gloomy, or bitter, or
ironical but invariably interesting. jets
of language every time he is called before
the curtain for a speech or yields to the
Establishments OF a newspaper person
searching for an interview on things ap-
This horTid Crouch had its origin in the