Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-10-13
GIVES FUTURE
Of VAUDEVILLE
History and Outlook Told
by r r. Proctor.

In speaking about vaudeville now,
6 decided distinction must be noted
and kept in mind. There are two
kinds OF vaudeville and they are
commonly termed the big and the
small time. A statement about one
might appear ridiculous If applied
to the other, for while In essentials
they are the same and may both be
properly elassed under the term
vaudeville, in many particulars they
are very different and their develop
ment and future lie along entirely
different lines.
s. Generally speaking, vaudeville has
as much development before 1t as it
has behind 1t. IL it Is the newest
form Of theatrical amusement, it has
also the most prolific OF change and
development, and the most spectacu-
lar and interesting part of its devel-
opment is still to come. There can
be no doubt as to the firm foundaa
ton of vaudeville In the popular es-
timation. The taste for vaudeville
does not change-it Is staple; but
vaudeville lends itself so admirably
to adaptation and reflection of ephe-
neral taste and the latest sensation
of the day, that 1T has an advantage
over all other lines OF amusement
~sndeavor. When Shakespeare is pop
ular only In the one night stands
and music comedy has merged itself
into musical variety, we Will still
have VAUDEVILLE with US. Its future
Is assured.
The high class or big time yaude-
Vile, shows several tendencies which
are interesting but which are not
entirely new or suntried In this
try. The causes operating against
their previous success / Will endeavor
to explain later.
This season has shown more con-
clusfveIy than ever that we are tend
ing toward the English Music Hall
Idea In vaudeville and fer higher
prices and higher salaries. No London
music hall audience would sit pa
tiently in its seat through a whole
performance; it. walks around,
Smokes, visits, shows OF the elegant
at Of it's clothes and makes itself
generally comfortable without dts
turbing its neighbors or bothering
to listen to that part OF the program
which fails to hold out a special at
traction for 1t. This Is a new coun
! &ry, but for all that 1t Is %conserva-
tive; 1t does not adopt ideas quickly,
and 1t may be five years before such
a scene will be usual in our own
vaudeville theatres. But In my opin-
ion 1t is bound to ONE. The vaude-
vile theatres which are being built
for high class vaudeville will have
big foyers for promenades, many
boxes, large asles, seats easy to get
Elm and out of, dining table seats and
other continental convenienees.
In the new house ] am planning
In Newark, all these adjuncts will be
/ found. / intend to make 1t the fin
est and most up-to-date vaudeville
theatre In the world. 1t will have
q roof garden which has never been
approached in New York or In Amer
tca.-wftn an elevator service 70 tno
roof garden and the three balconies
' IT will have an e~levatorback stage By
which a whole production AN be
taken up on the roof in fifteen min
utes. Many Of the new Western
houses have features along lines
which are not to be seen in any yau-
deyille house iii the metropolis.
Within the last year or two, New
York has become familiar with sew
.eral continental ideas in vaudeville
entertainment which have at last
been absorbed and which have, =
think, come to stay, though perhaps
Ia modified form. But though the