New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-29

entire L. B. O. He will be all but un-
able TO obtain acts. II is a fight which
has occasionally been made, but it is
~ best a losing struggle
The theatre managers booking rep
resentative lives in New York and has
a desk in the L. B. O. Frequently, 10
reduce expenses, a number Of indie
pendent managers-men who operate
only one or two houses each-will join
hands and appoint a single booking
representative. A circuit Of houses
which is operated by one company or
individual naturally has a single New
York representative. The largest Of
these circuits is the Orpheum, which
comprises about thirty houses west OF
Chicago. The head of this circuit.
Martin Beck, is in New York almost
constantly, and does his own booking
The Keith theatres in the East are
under single head, as are the Inter
state theatres, scattered through the
Southwest, and the Southern, in the
Southeast. The last named circuit is
booked by a woman.
The booking representative, Of course,
must be an expert in vaudeville. He
knows exactly how much the theatre
manager is willing to spend for a
weeks programme, and it is his bust
ness to acquire tic best bill that he
can for that money. Generally he
needs nine acts, which must, of course,
be diversified in character and in stage
demands. For example, it would never
do for a theatre to find itself with five
or six acts requiring the full stage for
their proper presentation; It is neces-
sary to have a certain number of acts
ain one" before a drop curtain) in or
der TO provide time to change the
scenery in back Of it.
The average out-of-town theatre
manager authorizes his booking rep
rcscntative TO spend $1,000 or $4,000 a
week for acts. At certain seasons Of
the year, of course, they are justified
in exceeding this, and at other times
they must retrench. This limit neces-
sarily makes it impossible for these
theatres to obtain many high priced
acts acts which would al one fell
swoop devour their entire weekly ap-
preparation. An example is the Ger
trude Hoffman, revue, which, by rea-
son Of the fact that IT receives $4,000
weekly. is automatically restricted to a
few Of the larger cities.
The problem Of selection is delicate
one and the responsibility Of the book
ing representative is great. A moot
question among the booking men to-
day, even after their long experience,
is whether it pays best TO invest
goodly portion Of their appropriation
in a big headliner, with the certainty
that the remainder Of the programme
will be vastly inferior, or to acquire
number Of middlng acts at about the
same price. This problem enters to IA
considerably lesser degree into the
calculations OF the booking men for
New York houses. The Palace, with
its large seating capacity and in
creased prices. has not infrequcntly
spent $1,000 or $4,000 for a weeks
programme, and the neighboring
houses do not fall far short Of this
figure. Sarah Bernhard, during her
three weeks engagement at the Pal
ace a few years ago, was paid
81 900 in gold nightly, and in addition
her company received some three or
four thousand dollars a week. Need
less 10 say. the Palace did not turn in
profit during those weeks. Sub
seouently Martin Beck booked Nine.
Bernhardt over the 0rpheum Circuit
at a similar figure, but purely as an
advertising venture and with no OK
pectation of immediate profit.
Now as 20 the other side Of the