Evening star., 1924-08-03
Big Business In the Theater

production, necessitating Ave large
cars Of scenery and live stock, reach
ed an average Of $4,000 a week.
Montgomery and Stone in Wizard
of Or played one week In Washington
to gross receipts Of s1S,50o. ten weeks
This included Sunday night perform
ances. In Boston they played for over
10 weeks to over $4,000.
Robert Hilliard during the several
seasons that he was seen in "A Fool
There Was averaged over $11, 1000 per
week. The Merry Widow was an
other attraction to play to big figures.
sterdam in New York and averaged
over $2s.000 each week.
Several of Henry w. Sayage's pro-
ductions played through unusually
large business. The big revival Of
'Parsifar played one week at the
but this was at advanced prices. This
same attraction played one night at
Des Moines. Iowa to over $500,
rather a remarkable record for a
single performance in SO small a
town.
Henry Irving during one of his
tours of America played to over $780,
900 in six weeks. and Sara Bernhard
equaled these figures for the same
time, but please remember that they
did not get the prices that the pres
ent day stars and attractions are re-
ceiving.
Probably the most remarkable
achievement that the theatrical busi-
ness has ever known Is the phenom-
email success of Ben Hur' 1t has
been before the public for over 20
years and is still playing to wonder
full business.
These are only few Of the reg
ular attractions that have reached
what must be considered very big
receipts.
The vaudeville end of the business
is responsible for some extraordinary
receipts, notably in the case Of Harry
Lauder, who. during one Of his nu-
merous American tours. played at the
American Theater in New York to
s3s 900 advanced prices.
probably holds the record for re-
ceipts for vaudeville entertainment.
There are fourteen performances
given each week and 1t is a very rare
occasion when people are not turned
away from its doors.
Receipts for grand opera cannot
be taken into consideration in this
article to any extent, as the prices
paid by the subscribers and the gen.
eral public are much higher than the
regular dramatic attractions charge.
Il myself have played to some very
large receipts during my long career
on the stage. but you will pardon me
If | do not go any further into this.
Taking these figures into constd-
eration-and they are not overesti-
mated-you can readily understand
that the life and activities of hu-
man being who in theory at least can
be assessed at 100000 are likely to
be pretty carefully supervised. and
that this human being is by no means
creation. He or she is not allowed
to spend health or energy according
to his or her own sweet will, and II
they have not enough common sense
to govern their lives carefully. there
are many people in an encourage who
will try to do it for them.
IF you think a woman or a man
who goes through this ordeal six
nights and two matfnees every week
with additional matinees at times
has much energy left for the mad,
gay world of life, you should see
them as they leave the theater at
midnight-too weary to enjoy any
thing but a quick supper and a long
sleep, and hence too Indifferent to
care whether there is social life and
adulation in store for them or not"