Los Angeles herald., 1910-10-02

the theatrical world.
There was time not so very long
ago when tho church choir was COM
posed of few volunteers who met once
a week at the home of one of the num-
Der, practiced few hymns and on'Sun-
day opened and closed the church SER
vice in more or less acceptable man
ner.
Today the choir is a most important
factor in the church. Most of the sing
ers arc paid and they have regular
hours for practice. Many of the organ
izations are most creditable, and a few
of them give birth to singers who climb
from the choir loft to the topmost rung
in the ladder of theatrical fame.
Managers of musical productions
have begun to take notice of this fact.
When a musical show requiring a
trained chorus is produced an attempt
is made to secure the singers from the
various choirmasters.
Oscar Hammerstein, when he pre-
sented the Opera Comique" at the
Manhattan opera house in New York,
recruited the entire chorus from church
choirs, and not a better voiced ensem-
BILE has been heard in many a day.
Managers who have been too busy to
sit through endless sermons now drift
into church. 1t is not a matter of re-
form altogether, for there is the hope
that somewhere at some time new
voice will be dscovered-even a new
prima donna.
Unlikely as this may sound, some Of
our present stars in musical comedy,
and even in grand opera, began In a
church choir. and a few of them In
unpaid choirs in small towns
Donald Brian, who is singing the
principal role in 1.-THE Dollar Princess"
is one of this number. Mr.. Brian today
is considered foremost in his profession
and next year is to become a star under
Mr. Frohmans managerial wing. His
success as Prince Danilo in "The Mer-
ry Widow" and in "The Dollar Prin-
cess" is now a. matter of record. He
first sang in public in a little choir or
an unpretentious church at st. Johns,
N. f. When adversely sent him forth
into the world to do for himself he
went to Boston and secured a position
in the choir of the Gate-to- Heaven
church, and it was while singing there
that he came to the notice of theatri-
cal manager who saw in him future.
Alice Nelson. who has not only
reached the top in musical comedy, but
has won marked success in grand OPP
era, was a choir singer in Salt Lake
City 1t was said that she sang in the
Mormon tabernacle, but this report has
never been confirmed. Alice Fischer,
who is particularly we'll known in Chi
cago, began her career as a church
singer.
In grand opera Edith Helena was
church singer. as was also ELENA Reta.
A most striking incident is that of
viii ]. Davis, manager of the illinois
theater of Chicago. A number or years
ago Mr.. Davis organized and had on
tour a company playing "Pinafore,"
and every member of the company,
both principals and chorus, was taken
from local church choirs.
The company was a huge success and
dramatic reviewers all over the coun-
try declared that never had they
known so many voices in one company.
The dispute as to whether Chicago
is one of the poorest "show towns OF
its size in the country, as William A.
Brady has said. or one of the best, as
George Cohan, manager, actor, song
writer and other things, maintains, mas
grown to pyrotechnic power. Cohan
has backed up his assertion by hand-
ing New York's discrimination in mat
ters theratrical genial slap this wise:
''New York, despite it's greatness, is In
clined to be insular and shut-in. chi
cago gets inspiration from the entire
continent Wires, rails and streams
link it to the nation" In defense OF
Chicago's patronage of things dramatic
Cohan said: "You can take it from me
that there is no better show town in
the world than Chicago. l ought to
know. Its playgoers have always sup
ported me and my attractions. The
cities is aggressively and militantly
American. Anything that has merit
will get you a run for your money in
Chicago" But that wasn't what Brady
said "Chicago, once the greatest
show town. bar none. on earth, now
suppo-.s the theater less than any
other important city on this continent"
was Bradys lament. Automobiles,
moving picture shows and ticket scalp
ing were blamed by him as the ap-
parent causes for Chicago's degener-
acv as a show town. That beyond these
there are hidden causes for the city's
neglect of the theater lurking in the
mental makeup of the population he
asserted II am president of the Pro-
ducing Managers association, pledged
to kill this graft We are not going
to ask any legislation for this said
Mr.. Brady. 1--WE don't need any leg
islation. We can attend to this our
selves, and we will. But at the bottom
of the whole thing" Mr.. Brady con-
cluded, there is a difference in the
people here. The people here seem to
have no artistic appreciation. They
certainly get the attractions. Every
thing that is produced-the best in
Europe and the best in America
comes here. Yes, sir, they come here
and they lose money"