Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-10-23
Some Things You Want to Know
The Theatrical Season

failed to please the public. Some of these
are absolutely new, for many a failure has
not lasted more than six days. From these
store houses frequently come second-ha
stage settings for plays about which a
producer is not optimistic In such cases,
of course, the cost OF production is ma
terially decreased There was a case on
record last season where young manager
who possessed great energy and no capital
was able to try out new play at a cost
of $500.
In producing musical comedies the same
general principles apply. the chief differ
ence being a larger expense. The most
unpretentiOus of musical comedies costs the
producer from $4,000 to $4,000 while the
more elaborate ones represent an expenIi-
ture Of $4,000 The expense of maintaining
a large company and transporting It over
the country Is also much heavier, so that
the profits gained in this field of theatrical
endeavor are seldom as large as in
dramatic success In answer to the natural
inquiry why all producers do not band
their efforts toward dramatic productions,
II may be said that a musical comedy fall
ure, or 'flivver," is seldom hopeless II
can be made over, doctored revamped, the
jokes culled and rewritten, new musical
numbers interpolated, comedians changed
and attractive dances added. ANY or all OF
these first aids may be applied and a
seemingly hopeless disaster turned into a
great money maker. Several years ago a
musical comedy called "A Knight for a
Day was produced on Broadway and was
one Of the big successes OF the season 1t
was the same musical comedy which had
failed three times previously under differ
ent titles. With the drama and the comedy
the case is different. In these plot and sit
uation are vital and, as they are the foun-
dalton Of the entertainment, the changes
which can be made are usually OF a super
fetal character. so that the task Of re-
generating an unsuccessful play is generally
hopeless proposition.
Before a theatrical entertainment can
prove a profitable venture in the smaller
cities OF the country 1t must have had a
| New York hearing and must bear the
stamp Broadway success" Plays which
visit cities adjacent TO New York before
/ their metropolitan run are disregarded The
same plays returning to these cities after g
six months engagement on Broadway do a
land office business. 1t Is essential TO the
manager, therefore, that his play should
go into New York under the most favorable
I auspices. Hence the custom of trying II
on the dog" that is. giving a few tria
performances in the smaller communities
so that author and stage manager may
see what points may be strengthened. what
lines eliminated, what actors replaced
l Weeks before the opening on Broadway tn,
! billboaTds and the newspapers OF New Yorl
ANNOUNCE the coming attraction. Anywher,
from 81 900 TO 500 is spent on advertising
a play before its first performance in New
York. After the first night, IL the materia
seems promising and the need for an initia
impetus is discovered. a manager will spen,
as much as 1900 Tor a page writeup In 1
single New York newspaper.
In the preparation Of a dramatic offer