The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-12-15
A CLAOUE ALL BY HERSELF
JOE ron A WOMAN WITH A LAUGH
AZ a VAUDEYILEE Snow.

" MWAA tAAO AA@NNA !"
C1aQne-IRllA1p TeOo Msst AVASlRhlc
n De,Nonaa raGISS gas the WORK.
1rWsce a day a woIann WHO used to b. on
tho stage takes her plans In a Dor nc an
uptOsn music ball. She 10 tho posSosscr
OF a trained and contagious laugh Shich
ts able TO communicates gHycty to tho S@ss'
susceptible VERSIONS.
Her services arc not necessary except At
certain points OF the programme. Then
she releases her ilOw OF vociferOus apprecia-
ticn with u s~nlutary effect on tho audience
Persons who usually never do morn than
look mildly amused by the most expensive
tOpiiner burst into roars Of laughter.
After she has worked The audience out OF
It's indifference by her c-achinnations, she
retirss to the rear Of the box TO await tho
time when her services shnil again he
needed. Whenever she secs hat tho
audience Is losing it's interest In the huEnor-
DIS work Of tho performers or needs q
little stimulus peals Of laughter issue in
~fectiously from her box. Again the
audience takes example from her and the
situation is saved.
at helps put the people in the right
humor to enjoy themselves.' said tnc
manager who thought out this Inst kind OF
claque. IAN audience is not going 20 be
inspired to express its satisfaction by hear
ing a lot Of wooden handed Cshers beat
their palms together. But to hear laughter
puts people in u good humor."
This manager has destroyed another
tradition Of the theatre. Il used to be said
that you could pay people to applaud but
not to laugh. That was true before the
vaudeville manager found an actress who
could be hired to express such audiOie
amusement.
Tho Indifference OF audiences at the Met
rOpolitan has long been noted by the singers.
who find that a stimulating degree Of en-
thusiasm exists only on the nights when
there is Enthusiastically a claque present.
Not long ago a tenor dispensed for m
evening with the services Of his cla0ue.
~In never make that mistake again. he
said, as he walked TO his dressing room.
my ears are almost frozen from the cold
ness OF thai audience"
He kept his word and at his next appear
ance the hall RAM with the Outbursts OF
his patriotic compatriOts. They ~applauded
downstairs and they shot braves into the
aerial perohes of the top gallery.
Such enthusiasm awakens into some
demonstration the rather indifferent gather
ings at the opera house. They are OPP
posed 20 the exhibition Of their feelings on
various grounds. They are very much
dressed up for one thing. they are out for
social az well az for artistic enjoyment, and
they see no reason why they should spit
their gloves because somebody sang or
acted charmingly.
-They think il is enough" one OF the
prima donnas said the other day. when
thew clap their hands together twice and say
81. " - .-n-NN H. AwNtaN vonO hnNrA
been singing her heart out. but that does
not matter"
Al the Metropolitan and the Manhattan
there are 10 organized claques such as exist
i'm foreign cities. There 10 none in Convent
Garden either, and that disturbs the foreign
artists who 20 TO London from the Continent
for the first time lust as much AZ it does here.
They are accustomed TO applause at GER
tain points and when the co ldhearted Anglo
Saxons sit tight in their native undemOn-
strativeness the heart Of the foreigner
is wounded. French singers have been
known 70 bring small but experienced
t~roupes Of trained handclappers with them
> from Paris to London. OF course such an
: Importation to this CITY would he out Of the
r question.
Then il takes u claque of large proportions
! to make an imprt ssion in the Metropolitan
Opera House. One of the artists most de-
pendent. on applause for his stimulus used
to buy regularly for every performance at
which he appeared from $50 to 200 tickets
A. he grew to Importance In the opera
. house he spent less money for the applause
Of bIs comDatriOts, but saw to II that many
n were always admitted on his visiting card.
The claauei is most easily obtained in New
h York for the Italian singers. There are
y many Italians here and many places NJ
= which the tickets are distributed.
Once when all Italian singer especially
-, fall the need Of sympathy among his hearers
he bought 800 seats and had no more trouble
. i'm distributing them properly than IL took
r to 4end his secretary down 10 a bank IN
v Swing street and give them away there.
Then the Italians. in addition to their love
Il for music, are denIonstrative. They make
|, NOR, noise than any other nationality and
" are "A good Investment:
The first thing IA foreign artist does when
he arrives here is TO look about for the claQue
n and N he cannot get free seats from the
" manager he may buy them and give then
. TO people he knows tina ne may nt least
feel sure he has a certain number OF sym.
d pathetic listeners. Artists from abroad
}. mink that the management hould supply
The claoue just as il does in Europe in order
"a hat the singers may he applauded and do
their hest. The artists argue that nobody
y beneRts by their success 40 much As the
+" manager.
Is Maurice Grau always laughed at this sug.
l. gestion, On the other hand lie never failed
10 let the artists know when they had no
drawn a large house. He knew that ap'
Is pIause would make them swell with pride
h and wnnt more money next year. There,
fore ne laughed at the idea that he should
n hire a claque 10 applaud them.
= The claone question came up early In ths
, existence of the Manhattan. One Of the
- artists employed there sent his secretary
y around to Manager JOIN Ward with an ear
u neat request for some seats for his friends
y az IL would be impossible for him To do
y himself credit appearing for the first time
= In a strange land before an audience which
n did not contain a single friend.
. The secretary pleaded with such eloquenc'
= hat Mr.. Ward allowed hiIn 10 have some
seats. Mr.. Ward discovered afterward thai
the secretary did not giTe the seats 10 friend
= Of the artist pUr starteS out on his own hool
10 form n CIaut!o IA sOoh as possible. Th'
nearest place where hs could obtain ma
tiOnal cooperation was the rennsyivanl'
u tunnel. 40 thither he hied with his tickets
a aud distributed them.