Show World (June 1907)

The lShotit IUorliD THE TWENTIETH CENTURY AMUSEMENT WEEKLY’ Published at 87 .South Clark Street, Chicago, by The iShquj HIorld Publishing. Co. Wa RREN A . Pa TR/CK , General Director, SMART SET APPROVES VAUDEVILLE A jDVANCED vaudeville is the sort that Mr. Keith, of the East, Mr. ■ Kohl of the Central West, and Mr. Beck of the trans-Mississippi re¬ gions, have been giving for years. They have advanced this form of en¬ tertainment from season to season, often doing pioneer work ahead of the demand, and always endeavoring to provide smart, clean and skillful performances at prices within the reach of all. Those who remember the vaude¬ ville, or variety, as it was then known, of twenty years ago and can intelli¬ gently contrast it with the offerings of today in the same field and with the (theaters in which those offerings are | made, need not be told that the advance in form, quality and environ¬ ment has been not only constant, but astonishing. Handicapped at the out¬ set,; and along the road, by the un¬ savory reputation of the old-time va¬ riety which was a synonym for vul¬ garity, progress was for a time slow. Fight for Recognition Strenuous. Well-founded prejudices cannot be broken down without persistent and intelligent efforts and thus for years after the “ten, twenty and thirty” banner appeared, the fight for gen¬ eral recognition was strenuous in the extreme. The masses to whom low prices were something of an object first discovered that the entertain¬ ment offered by the “continuous” was worth their while. Not being under bonds to fashion and preferring gen¬ uine amusement to the shadow of it offered in the average drama, with its padding, verbosity and false pre¬ tense, they learned not only the ar¬ tistic merits, but the recreative con¬ sequence of vaudeville long before their fashionable brethren woke up to the fact that they were paying a lot ®f money to the so-called legiti¬ mate, for mighty little wool. Vaudeville Grows in Favor. But intelligent efforts along popu¬ lar lines could not be resisted and during the past ten years the vegue of vaudeville has increased rapidly. It has quite emerged from under the ban and now is regarded by smart people of all classes as a legitimate and desirable form of entertainment. Even the shrill falsetto of the faddist clamoring for problem plays and dis¬ mal dramas in which the social ul¬ cers and woes of humanity are Placed on view, no longer serves to mislead the intelligent public, anxious to escape its own woes for a time and by no means willing to pay ex- »j»yagant prices for a replica of their Popular Entertainment is Cordially Supported by Best People, and the Excellence of Bills Offered at First Class Theaters Shows Advancement Made in Recent Years. BY LYMAN B. GLOVER trials and tribulations exhibited on a dramatic performance disappoint- the stage. ing, the evening is lost, but in vaude- Vaudeville is frankly recreative. It ville nothing of the kind is possible. has no other purpose than amusement and has not participated in the hum¬ bug of an educational intent which has often made the dramatic stage ridiculous. It ranges from grave to gay, from lively to severe In a well- ordered manner, the purpose being to provide a menu which will include features to suit every respectable taste. If a drama is displeasing or When one feature does not suit some particular taste, the next is likely to make amends. In a modern vaudeville theater one cannot be bored for an entire evening as he often is in the legitimate and that at a much higher price. Of the doz¬ en or more expert acts in every bill, most of them international in fame, he is certain to find several so unique, entertaining and original that the small cost of attendance is more than repaid. Best Artists Employed. The advancement in vaudeville which has won the favor of the most intelligent*classes has led to the em¬ ployment of nearly all the musical and dramatic stars in the world. Only a few grand opera and dra¬ matic artists have resisted the appeal from this big, popular field. Most of them have listened to the call of the vaudeville manager and of the satisfy¬ ing honorarium which he holds out. All departments of the entertainers’ art have contributed to the new vaudeville. Artists with a genuine specialty have been recruited In all parts of the world. Without waiting for the spur of competition and anx¬ ious only to be worthy of the gener¬ ous patronage received, such estab¬ lished managers as Keith, Kohl, and Beck have offered continuously the best of everything. Record One of Advancement. There can be no more advanced vaudeville at this moment than they and their associates have given and are giving. If there were anything better to be had they would have it. Their entire record is one of ad¬ vancement. They have encouraged and developed both refinement and novelty in vaudeville, with so much of liberality towards the artist that the best people have been attracted towards this class of amusement. Not only was the disputed trade¬ mark of “Advanced Vaudeville” orig¬ inated by this long-established, man¬ agement, but the actual fact of con-’ stant advancement was realized be¬ fore any thought of competition dis¬ turbed the ambitious dreams of amusement Alexanders who sigh for new worlds to conquer. Best People Vaudeville Patrons. That this most creditable fact is recognized by the public needs no special proof. In the leading met¬ ropolitan vaudeville houses the aver¬ age audiences are quite equal In qual¬ ity to those in theatres where high prices inadequately cover a multitude of sins. Doctors, lawyers, literary lights, bankers, and representatives of the smart set in general find in vaudeville the little nonsense which we are told is relished by the best of men. And ft is not nonsense alone, hut expert skill, originality and di¬ verse art that attracts them. Only the other day the bankers of Chicago selected the Majestic The¬ ater as the most interesting amuse¬ ment resort in Chicago for their guests, the Texas Bankers’ Associa¬ tion. During the same week the Na¬ tional Credit Men’s ’ Association at¬ tended the Majestic in a body, hav¬ ing reserved the entire theater. With such indorsements as these, vaude¬ ville is well content. It is making no apologies for the sins of its youth which have been fully atoned and Is confident that its mission of recreat¬ ing the public and making the people happy is worthy of commendation.