The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-11
From the New York Herald.

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 "V you and put some ginger in
 your toes! Bend forward and pick up your skirts! Now, then. one' two, three, four, -teedle-tum, teedle- tum -dum-duml
 "Stopl Whats the matter, Genevieve? Asleep? Don't you ever wake up before o'clock in the afternoon? Now, once more, lum-teedle-tum.
 NO! Nol N-O-O!!
 My word, children, but you're me lotv"
 No matter how much the above may sound like the raving of an insane man, if isn't It is simply faithful account of A wild moment during a rehearsal Of a musical play, set down by reporter who went to see how these things are made in the darkened workshop Of the theatre and gain an idea of what happens before the curtain Is raised the first night.
 The rehearsal-this particular one-was being held in the Lyceum theatre early that is. early for Genevieve and her dan cine sisters-jn the morning. The audi tor,,lm was dark and the stage was light ed any old way. Some of the scenery represented the London slums used Tn ''The Dawn of a Tomorrow There the old lamp post, and some or the men decorated that with hats and others how cred near the door of the scenery Ia beed Saloon"
 On boxes. chairs, window sills-every- where about-sat chorus and principals, each in street attire, the fair sex with more kinds of peach baskets inverted than you could see in a days journey anywhere else.
 The new musical comedy is called ''The Candy Shop" and it is being produced by MT. Charles Dillingham;. The librettist Is MT. George V. Hobart. The music was written by MT. John T. Golden. But the real boss of the rehearsal. the man who cracks the whip and who compli- ments the girls when they are asleep while you wait, is MT. Frederick G. La than, who is the stage producer for MT. Dillingham;. MT Latham Is enormous in stature, has the features of King Ed ward and the disposition of a cherub, and his patience is twice as long as 8 rainy Sunday.
 First act--from beginning; no stops; want to get the swing of it. Music. Chorus-ready.
 About 30 peach basket halted girls made wild rush for the trough that holds the footlghts and as many purses and bandages> were dumped there for safe keeping
 What in the worlds the matter now. Why this delay? And look at the mess a and here MT. Lathams tone assumed the finest brand of Covent Garden sar- casm-'T say, ladies'" ke repeated, why do you bring all this Furniture to re- hearsal?"
 I.um-teedle- e-tum, came from the piano, which represents the orchestra on such occasions. On comes one of the candy girls, lounging along as though she still had all her life before her.
 Not that way; not that way. Miss Evangelne, are you very, very tired?' This again in tones that have revolving spurs on every syllable, Like ths''-and the stage manager strode energetically-"an now some grace,''
 Lum-teedle-tum." again from the ciiNt more.
 One funny scene after another-that is, really funny in word and action-was un- folded by the plot The chorus sat by and looked Qn like so many sphinxes un- der peach baskets
 Notice the fine, amiable expressions on their faces" remarked MT. Dillingham;. "See how the children enjoy the show. That's a funny thing about rehear- sas," he continued. At first, of course the principals rehearse alone, and so do the chorus. Then we bring them to- gether, and they go through the piece to get the general ensemble effect. When the chorus hears the lines for the first time they usually yell at the fun the author has provided. That's the first week. The second week they grin, the third week they smile in tired sort of ] way and finally. as you see them now,