The Washington herald., 1912-01-28
Inlpresanos in True Light
Revealed BY Mr.. Lyman
Of Course, Manz Plays
aMinor Part, FoiI-Iike,
but You Haze to Read
1t to Get the Facts.
Manz'S Sketches Help
a Little.
By JAMES FRANK LYMAN.

uClG dl Z III lpl SSdllOS 1ilh lIilpAN
sarios fine, space-filling word, that
word impresario) in and out of
Washington. David Belasco does
wild and cultivated irnpresarioing
in a dozen different ways, and as
David is to drama, NJ. Oscar Ham
merstein is to opera. There are
others, too. Henry Miller and Leo
Detrichstein leap over the garden
wall and are player-Imanagers, while
George NJ. Cohan is a player-man-
ager writer dancer stage hand
scene-painter.
Like Spring Lilies.
But these men, though they are more
or less famed, are the paIest Of spring
lilies beside the Amalgamated and Amel-
iorated Association of Ninth Street I'm
presarios, Ninth street, from to the
Avenue, teens with the A. A. A. o. n.
s. I. You can't drift up this brilliantly
lighted center of nocturnal activity with
out humping into more than one Of the
shining band. Their universal first name
is Versatility, and they are the man
ayers, advertisers, and heaven knows
ture houses and vaudeville theaters that
are gathered there. Versatility, did I
say? More than that. Manz. when he
went en- tour with me, remarked that
they were buster than a Sunday drug
store in a prohibition town. and tlSs is
the only occasion l can recall where
Manz knew what he was talking about
And the remarkable fact about them is
that they try to hide the fact.
The imDreSariOuS of Ninth street do
not seem to toll or spin. Usually you
find them in their offices, unruffied and
smiling. Should you, by mischance,
catCA them unaware and unprepared, as
Manz and I did, you will learn slightly
what their life is. And then you will
agree with Manz that their incessant
activity is more painfully acute than the
efforts of a fat man TO catch street
car on the Fourth Of July.
Not a Serious Thought.
Frankly, neither Manz nor myself was
prepared for the picture Of activity We
came upon when --sye descended upon
Washf~gton's peripatetic picture galleries.
We both knew one or two Of these latter
day impresarios. and We thought lightly
of them They seemed so free, so bird
like, so dissimilar to ourselves who work
nineteen hours a day for a boss whose
didn't make a year OF $50 days, each
forty-eight hours long.
1t was in this spirit that We lighted
upon the Eayly decorated palace where
Abe Mayer operates -Ordinarily-99 cases
out of lO0-we would have found Mayer
seated at his desk signing papers or talk
ing calmly to some one who was listening
no less calmly. Most people who want
to find him call up day ahead and sing,
We're coming. Father Abraham, 10000
strong through the telephone. We
neglected this formality.
Just preceding US, evidently. was the
bill of acts for the coming week. 1t was
a nice, long, satisfying bill, judged from
the Iayman's viewpoint; but from May
cr's viewpoint it was awful We found
him back stage, his coat off, his hair on
end, arguing with thin, dispirited per
son, who shrugged and sniffed.
Look beloved Mayer, three musi-
cal acts coming right after each other.
LeapinS Bucifer! Do they think I've
opened a branch of the Marine Band
around here?"
Resembled a Town Pump.
The thin man wiggled his features like
a nervous rabbit, and shrugged until he
resembled the old town pump.
How are We going to fill this out?'
demanded Mayer.
Pictures said the thin person. tim
idly.
Mayer shook the offending programme
at him. ~
Il WISH he said in a voice Of deep
emotion, that you would occasionally
recall the difference between a vaude-
Vile theater and the COrcoran Art Gal
lery. Will you do that for me?''
''Wire 'em to cut the trombone act
and shoot us a monologist,'' was the
uext suggestion.
Then Manz and addressed Mayer.
Can you be Interviewer" We inquired
together.
THE public is tired Of this cheap talk"
roared Mayer, and 1t tsok me fifteen min
utes TO show MANI he was still talking
10 the thin person. BY the time Manz
had calmed down Mayer had disappeared