The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-11
MAKING MUSICAL COMEDY

they refuse to put a crimp in a single muscle of their fair features. Just before the play is produced you couldn't lure a hopeful expression about the play from one of those girls with a shark hook baited with broiled Holsters.
 Why. just before The Red Milr went out one of the skirted prophets eonf- feded to me that there wasn't laugh in the piece
 By this time the hero and the heroine had planted themselves in the corner of the stage and were swapping sweet lovers nothings in an imaginary moon- light MT Hobart who had been watch- ing the proceedings from behind the stage lamppost came forth and with excellent profuse apologies to the stage manager interrupted the proceedings and drew up A. chair in front of the two moonshiners. He talked to them as earnestly as con- fdence man, asking "her. to lay stress upon this or that and pleading with "him" to make love more fervently.
 DO it just as though you meant if" he pleaded.
 But, MT. Hobart, that line won't get across;' We need something else in there lot of short words to emphasize 1t. MT. Latham, you tell us some short words to use.'
 Good Lord" snickered a chorus grl; "and Mr. Latham never used a word of less than 10 syllables In his life. Why. he refers to a comic opera company going on the road as an 'entourage.' Can you beat that?'
 It took few moments to restore order among the doves, and then the love scene was tried all over again.
 While the lady was cooling the most vel vety coos in her nature, and while the moon was supposedly sending forth it's tenderest rays there suddenly came a scunling of feet from behind the back drop With three bounds the stage man. ager was on the job. He saw some of the peaches practicing one of their dancing numbers.
 And then you should have heard the roar.
 Fine, childrenr' When he's quite wroth he calls them children Fine. When your time comes to dance at re- hearsal I have to beg you with tears in , my eyes. But when we're trying out a i love scene and everybody's holding his breath. you children begin your racket. Stop it, I say. Dye hear?
 Features flushed with anger. he came back to the front of the stage.
 Cut out the love sceneLtry 1t some other time. Next number. Quintetl Where's the quintet? Mirabelle, that chair will stay there without having you hold 1t down. Come on, now!'' Then the merry quintet began to be merry and the reported thought things were going swimmingly. All of a sudden somebody strode down the aisle of the theatre, and when he got within shouting distance he complained.
 Stop 'em, Fred. For heavens sake. stop 'em. That's too fast"
 It was only the composer and nobody paid much attention, for the merry quin- tet sang merrily on. Well, there's not a bit of use'-or words to that effect-"of singing 1t at that tempo, for I won't let you sing it like that at the performance' Still nobody seemed to pay any atten- ton, and the composer walked across to the pianist who was playing the &C., compartments. He beat the time so loud and go long that this individual finally got the tempo to suit the composer. -teede-tum, um-tumple-lum went the music.
 Gee" observed the chorus girl, "but musicians Is sensitive peopleiH
 And you'd be apt to think that every body else is, too, if you could see about five hours of rehearsal of a musical comedy.