The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-28
THE BURlESQUE SHOW.

From the New York World
 It is more difficult to organize a bur lesque show that will please than any other form of amusement. The burlesque theatre audiences are harder to satisfy and expect greater returns for their money than do the more elite throngs that crowd the Broadway houses Aside from the gallery patronage, the habitues of burlesque for the most part come to kill time rather than to be amused. When they have nothing else to do they go to a burlesque and they pay their money with d spirit that clearly says: Make me laugh. if you dare"
 In the olden days, when I used to stand on the door, I would study the faces of the men as they went in. Downstairs in the 50 and 75 cent seats were the com mercial man. the man about town, the professional man and the better class of mechanic. And it was pretty hard to tell which of these was the most blase I have often seen a man read his news paper through the entire first part. No, it wasn'tsmy show, and I'll not mention any names; but it is mighty hard for an actor to make bunch like that laugh. You go to a Monday matinee, and look around the audience and the old story, in which the performer in vites his friend. who said he was sleepy. to come up and take a nap with the rest of them, seems pretty true
 Now in first-class theatre-n the legitimate business, as we used to say a man puts up $2 for good seat He doesn't usually come alone. either, so that makes s4 Now s4 has a strange psychological effect on the inward con sciousness of most people. It makesNthem feel that they deserve to have good time, that there is really something com ing to them. It puts them in recep- tive frame of mind--in universe of good humor," as the psychologists would call it, and when there is the slightest intimation of a good gag they are ready to laugh. In fact, they try their level best to get si worth of laughs out Aof that show; for if they fail, they think some one has robbed them.
 Within certain limits the more money a man spends for thing the better he enjoys 1t, and if you don't believe that. just watch some of these dead heads as they go on knocking right through the performance.
 Now on the other hand. when a man buys an orchestra chair at a burlesque show-or variety show, as the term used to be-he feels that he is up against something cheap and you can't tickle a laugh out of him with a camel's hair brush.
 Furthermore, the newspaper criticisms are often decidedly unjust to burlesque attractions. With the exception of one or two dailies. which have special bur lesque departments, the critic who is given the assignment is man accus- toned to write up Broadway musical comedies. He forgets that Elsie Janis and Rose Seidel are not in the same class. and he lays his money on the wrong pony.
 He looks at the Murray ffill stage through Metropolitan opera glasses, and when it comes to the summaries, where Is his best bet? It doesn't show Or if 1t does Il comes llmping in with lame leg
 Now my best bet is pure and wholesome burlesque Burlesque means burlesque and it doesn't mean tights. legs" or "Salomy wiggles." When Jack Reid de- clares his intention of voting for William Jennings Bryan next year because he voted for him in 1896 and he voted for him In 1900, and we have been having good times ever since--thats burlesaue. And just as soon as the managers fully understand what burlesoue really is we will be able to guarantee two hours and 40 minutes of real, unadulterated laughs to every one purchasing ticket