The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-26
MUSICAL COMEDY TIMES OUT OF
JOINT.
But otto Hsu~rbsch IL willing to
Set Them Right <sain.


Otto Hauerbach, seven of whose prod
ucts are to be seen during the coming
season. says the present blight affecting
musical comedy is due not to any chang
ing taste of the public but rather to
growing paucl;y OF creative musical
comedy directors.
The things now done in the name OF
musical comedy stage direction" says
Mr.. Hauerbach, would ruin a Crpsus
and win the gate forever for its perpe
traitors in almost any other walk Of
artistic or commercial endeavor.
i've known men who profess TO be
authoritative directors OF musical com
ady to do all their editing not from the
manuscript in solitude and reflection but
out on the stage while rehearsals Were
progressing and after the entire produc-
ton had been ordered and delivered
! The result Is that thousands OF dollars
I in scenery and costumes are needessly
lost. SO were weeks, II not months added
| to the period OF rehearsal. That in
creased the hardships of the players,
unpaid for the rehearsal. and generally
Slapped the vitality required for the
early performances.
]
rectors to whom a manager or an author
may nowadays entrust his work for
realization Is narrow. Save for a very
few men I would as soon turn my I'm
ished work over TO an intelligent truck
driver for exposition as to the rank ana
file Of men who to-day make business
| OF putting on the stage musical farcos.
Some OF the tribe have successive fall
Ores to their discredit with the cause
traceable directly to their own inept-
itude. Yet so small is the field OF pro-
ducing directors that these men are able
easily in normal seasons TO get frequent
commissions paying from $1,000 TO
$4,000 each for four or more weeks
work.
Small wonder managers are becom-
ing disheartened. 1t Is the same with
} the librettists. Every one knows that
small fortunes were lost by each OF the
big syndicates last season on certain
musical comedy productions.
THE Judgment OF experts was almost
a unit that the librcttists had furnished
} adequate material for success and that
the disaster had come through the in
ability OF some one to inject into the
pieces at the right moments the incident
: advertisement or situation, an element
that any conscientious, creative pro-
! Queer can bring to any production that
) he agrees to stage.
} but directors all do It. it's their
! right the untried author is told
; soothingly. when he first sees the man
slaughter of his beloved effusion go
: ing on.
, Cast your eye back over last seasons
l table of few musical comedy productions
All 4,
good part OF the blame belongs at the
2 door of the self alleged producer
? know one. still in demand, who has
( scored not less than nine failures within
G the past five years at cost to hi
4 various employers OF good part OF a
}, million dollars.
s ct il to the director In the MAR
that the selection OF the east of the
: production is left. An author ma!
/ suggest and a manager advise, but 1t II
s the director who dominates the tina
d Judgment and whimpers IL his sclec
/ tons aren't made. An author may at
g tempt TO reason until his collar wilt
q that So-and-so or You-know who |
q mean would be the exact approximation
, Of his characters, but the stage pro
Y Queer can continually supercllousl
y wither the poor -the-author wit
a look or "A shrug until 1t Is finally tn
e director who is the big moose of tn
!: job. Also he will domiHeeringly over
rule the authors and the manager
J. taste in costumes scenery and othc
things until he tx the lone pilot.
/ 1t was "A pity he may add. X
II could have told from the outset IA
I thing was hopeless. lie had done In
best he could. And before he get
- through with his solace he has in
J. formed you that he had himself pro
:; yded whatever in the piece was Mt t
10 get the footlghts."
is "And what's the solution, the thin
w do tn bring about reform and r.