New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-15
GROWTH OF VAUDEVILLE
Changes Twenty.seven Years
Have Brought to Business
of B. +. Keith.


vaudeville manager.
The expansion Of interests on tho ma,
Of this pioneer Snowman has aroused
widespread speculation among those IN.
terestcd I'm the vaudeville form OF then,,.
Gals. Are the varieties about 10 beoon.
rivals of tho regular theatres In srtistie
achievement az we'll as In box Office ~.
ceipts9 Are there plans nfoot 20 mar.
an appeal TO more varied type OF an.
dcnce than has been patronzlnR IN.
vaudeville theatres until now? Are peo'
pie who want something moro than I,
show OF mn entertainment 10 be catered
to at last by tho varieties?
I These questions as yet have no deanI,,
answer. An Inference, however. may n.
drawn by glanolng AZ the outline OF N,
growth OF present day vaudeville during
the twenty or thirty years of It's exIst.
enoe, an given 10 Tho Tribune recently
by T.. +. Albee. tho general manager Of
the Keith theatres and OF the United
Booking once.
Twcnty-seven years ago Mr. Albee took
post under b, +, Keith as general utility
man at Sl2 n week. Mr. Keith had An
idea-a difficult idea 70 develop, but worth
doing II possible. II was 10 OFFER family
entertainment at an admission fee OF 10
cents At the time, l0-cent shows were
thick i'm the land--yarieties, burlesques
and the like. They were not the kind
OF entertainment, however. that a man
would take his wife and children to.
There were plenty OF theatrioals suitable
for family enjoyment 10 be had at
dollar or two, but, as comparatively fey
families were so fortunate as 20 be able
TO indulge very often in pleasure at that
price. the majority had 10 be content 10
sit at home.
The field for popular price amusemens
was obviously lying ready 10 be titled.
But, as usual. the first efforts made to
All an obvious need were met with
universal distrust and disapproval Mr..
Keith hired a little theatre In Boston, thS
entrance-way or lobby OF which he lined
with monkeys. parrots and other obj
iects OF curious interest'-the usual fur
nshings OF what was known in thoss
days as a museum In the theatrs
he arranged for a continuous perform
ance Of polite varieties. Admission to
all this pleasure was ten cents
In spite OF wholesale advertising 10
the effect that the museum was respect-
able. people lowered around the outside.
looking longingly and curiously at II, but
not venturing in. The stigma OF the
ten cent show" was upon IT,
The little playhouse hung on for
time, but there was very little money
behind the enterprise. and a waiting
game meant a losing one.
Mr. Albee. who is natural psychol6-
gist, then suggested that some means 5s
adopted of forming new association for
the theatre I'm the minds OF the people.
He proposed assembling little stock
company, and giving operettas for
while.
How much could you do IL for?' asked
Mr.. Keith.
About five hundred dollars csiciiated
his general utility man.
After consideration-for 500 meant more
TO Mr.. Keith in those days than the
s., 900 900 he paid for the Williams theatres
last spring means TO him now-the project
was decided upon and carried out. The
monkeys. parrots stuffed figures and the
like which lined the museum entrance
were cleared away, and japanese par
Tor effect was arranged, with, as MY
Albee explained, "a handsome white and
gold fireplace in the corner, thick red
carpet on the floor. some chairs here and
there and a number OF japanese screens
around the walls!
The company, although gathered u
haste, was not repented OF at leisure. for
Il turned out 20 be as popular as the Oh
bert and Sullivan company, which was
singing at 81 a head down the street
Whether IL was the Japanese parlor o. |
feet or the announcement Of the come
popera "Billee Taylor" that won pno~
confidence. or both. the little playhouss
at once became so favored of the peeps
that ten performances a day we're soeh
given. No han of fame offers q corner
any of the singers who waroled '6ilss
Taylor ten timss day. But pGhAps
halls Of fame were intended to shs!tef
only the sxoucs. on the theory thaf No
SAmsons can take care Of themssavaa
Two years OF refined music gave ApA
Keith's enterprise such an cir or ~
speotability that 81 was thought peu
possible and prudent to 90 back 10 vauoS
Vile. A new theatre, holding five hun
dred people, was bought This was tns
Bijou, which stood on part OF the prop
erty now occupied by the Adams Hous~
The worst difficulty Of the varies
business was now encountered. Inv
public was won, but where TO get tns
performers? Most Of the variety turn
were on the lowest plane. They "c''
studiously vulgar and coarse Tnes
were just few players to be found who
understood this line Of business ana "n0
at the same time knew how to entertain
politely. Among these were Weber a"s
Fields, Dave Warfleld and Jerry Cohan'
Warfield was slated as rotten the nrs'
time he appeared, but that was not De
cause he was poor so much as because
he was so bashful that he had to "
pushed on the stage. Weber and tieio'
received, as near as memory can ser'"
about SIS week apiece for their Turn
But Jerry Cohan. who later on de'e''
oped himself into the Four CohanS "
introducing his wife and children INV
theatricals, soon became the stando! y,
the house. He devised and put on '"s
stage little one-aet affairs called 'a''e'
pieces" which served as grand h"S'.
to the variety bill. These pieces "s,'
always immensely popular and deserve,
ly so, for although crude and unds'e'
oped they all had the germ of real dfa'"-
in them. Many OF them have since pee"