New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-12
STAGING A BIG ''SHOW'
Where Do the Ideas for Grouping
and Novelties Come From?
.. milan Mitchell, Producer of "a Winsome
Widow"


frequently have been asked, as ! sup
.a.s everybody in my line has. where I
cot nv ideas" 1t is a question l have
s,,.or been able to answer. l cannot ever
r.rember using an idea that a librettist
"a offered during the rehearsal Of a play,
I'd vet the majority Of them. l suppose,
ne from them. Usually everything that
a in conjunction with a musical number
.ha ,nsboot from the words in the lyric.
Uouever | frequently have encountered
- ont OF which | could get absolutely
,4ea I refer TO songs such as bring 10
-, historical information and the like,
.bicb usually enlighten the audience on
,,,bisct they are thoroughly familiar with.
e. instance. the first line Of a song | re-
lily had to devise a chorus feature for
80 christopher Columbus discovered
,.,orics." In cases of this kind fall back
~, knowledge of dancing, using steps
". .acr 10 III the rhythm OF the music
,riacting as much action as Circum-
.,ances will permit.
More or less praise was given me for the
,a5,,rq Of the Saskatchewan number Of
.Tbo pink Lady" and yet, in reality, |
ovraI IL all 10 !. M' =. MNl''''dh' '''
usr.,,ist I recognized an idea in this song
18th he himself possibly did not see when
=. nenned it. In fact, he was good enough
. Gov rs much to me after he had Wit
..sssd what I had done with this number
al rehearsal
:. saer,s 10 me that the efforts OF the
49,. director should be to try to keep
- .ba.atr1osphcre which Hhrettist and com
nosar are trying to produce. l make TINS
r., in A Winsome Widow for the en-
,rarca Of the widow. and again in 'Dao
rats After Every Girl, while Take After
nd 10 not mean that the dancing
AZ the girls has any bearing upon what
willie Grow sings. but il indicates irl\o!-
az firtatious spirit and the inability
:. the hoy to resist the fascination Of the
.,Is II IS difficult for the stage director
- an entertainment Ike a Winsome
widow" to keep in the atmosphere Tor
,bsre Is more frivolity in that work than
.bsra is in The Pink Lady All OF the
,,r,cs Of the latter are the outgrowth OF
Situations. They practically continue the
dialogue and in no way interrupt the
story; therefore, the stage manager "'IN'
from nv point Of view. is much easier IN
THE Pink Lady than in frivolous enter
,ainuent Ike a WinsoUe Widow where
songs are introduced irrespective Of wheth-
or they have bearing upon the situation
or not Costumes are changed for almost
every new musical number. The producer
idea seems 10 be that each costume sholId
excel the other. We have finale IN act
second that seems 10 please, Judging from
the amount OF applause II nightly receives
and vet Il has no bearing upon the hnes
that precede IL or the situation that toI-
lows. The music IS good, and the move
ment Of the chorus is always animated
that, in conjunction with the effort OF the
Dolly twins Miss Kelley and Mr. Enrol
makes II an enjoyable episode, II not
dramatic musical climax.
For the opening Of the third act l have
tried TO convey the idea that at the mas
ouerade ball prize is offered for the best
set Of dancers The opportunity here -
better for the chorus. for it gives them, in
diy1dually, a greater opportunity TO show
their capability as dancers. The dancing is
varied When one takes into consideration
that this is all done without the assistance
of q principal. II reflects great credit upon
the chorus Of the Moulin Rouge company.
i DO not IOlNh lHN dAIA'l'N' 800
i,to consideration how versatile chorus
grl has to be in a production IKE "A
WInsoue Widow" In addition 70 their
singing. more than half Of them must De
exceptionally fine dancers, capable OF 90
ing fancy step and buck and wing dancing
In conjunction with this, they are called
upon to skate. Quite a few Of them are
excellent pantomirnists, and in the past
have frequently assigned them important
parts. Many are understudies for the Irln-
cipals. ready, eager, TO jump on at a MN
utes notice.
While all of this is splendid, yet there
is a danger in having so many clever
girls. The thing that I have 20 contend
with more than anything else Is indiVid-
uaIty. l have about twelve young women
that think dance as we'll as any young
women in the chorus world, and yet TO
get these. twelve maidens 10 dance eX-
actlv alike seems to be impossible. For
the first several rehearsals they move al
most as one person, but before the play Is
produced they distort and twist the steps
assigned TO them 30 that harmony and &C
ton are out Of the question. win the
original pony ballet brought 70 this country
by George Lederer, the effort or these
young women was TO move alike. Iney re-
hearsed daily in order 70 get a c!ockhhe
precision Such a chorus as / nave VIII
not do this. They do not like TO rehearse'
only when it is necessary.
Recently I made a production in Ne"
York in which four little girls dressed as
maids had 70 stand on a porch ana sway
their bodies in a childish manner during
one OF the musical numbers. They were
told not 20 raise their feet more than three
or four inches from the floor. l was SUD
denly called 20 Europe. on my return SIX
weeks later, / was asked 10 SIT. through
this performance. ! found these four young
women I'm this particular number kickIns
90 high that the flowers above their headS
we're in danger II they knew what motive
prompted me In giving them the slight
swaying. childish movement in the begin
ing they either forgot or made up their
minds that I was wrong. TO me 1t was
ridlculous-to them q decided improvement
Personality rules the world. / do not
know whether my ideas are correct or not
l simply know that am governed by cir
cumstances-impulses that practically de-
serve no credit for. We are all predisposed
10 pat ourselves on the back for good
things that get into our productions and
yet equally anxious 70 duck the response
blity Of mistakes.
Producing musical play is guessing
contest et the best. Some Of US guess
little better than others. am going 10
Continue guessing as long as there Is
manager courageous enough 30 let me
guess at his expense.