Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1939)

Page 16 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW June 3, 1939 WORLD'S LARGEST "FAMILY" Come With Us For A Glimpse Of the Music Hairs Personnel This Side of the Great Stage By RALPH COKAIN ALTHOUGH the old lady in the shoe is said to have had so many children she didn't know what to do, there are no authoritative figures on the exact number of youngsters that crowded into the old piece of cast-off footwear. All about which we are fairly certain is that the old lady had an exceptionally large family. She held the record until, shortlv after Christmas in 1932, the doors of Radio City Music Hall opened in Rockefeller Center. Then and there the old lady had to take a back seat. For with the opening of the 6,200-seat theatre occupj'ing the entire block between 50th and 51st streets and extending halfway from Sixth to Fifth Avenue, came into being what easily can be considered the world's largest family; in other words, the largest theatrical f^ersonnel under one roof. Today there are 584 employes who directly or indirectly cater to the millions of patrons who crowd the Music Hall annually from every section of the United States and Canada and from many foreign countries. Five hundred and eighty-four persons — cashiers, ushers, doormen, projectionists, stagehands, soundmen, musicians, designer.^, electricians, the world famous Rockettes, the Corps de Ballet, the Glee Club and ever so many others — that is, indeed, a large family. You may think that the men and women working under your direction in your own theatre constitute a fairly large number of employes ; but it is safe to say that, including the sign-changer and the young chap who helps tack up window cards, your entire personnel is even less than the number of ushers or stagehands required to keep things functioning smoothly at the Music Hall. Naturally, a theatre which is unique in its position as an American showplace and international institution must have an increased per W. G. Van Schmus Benign and kindly managing director, who guides the destiny of the nation's showplace. With the razing of the "el" came the raising of the camera — click.' — to record this striking view of the Music Hall. sonnel; but basically, every one of those employes face the same problems, take the same pride in their work and in the theatre of which they are a part as your own personnel have been trained to do, except that they must do it on a much larger scale. Let's concern ourselves with the operation of the Music Hall this side of the footlights. Let's get an insight into the requirements and duties of members of the service stafT. Perhaps, when this has been done, you will be in possession of salient information to guide you in making any necessary improvements in your own house staf¥. For, as the world's largest family goes about its daily routine in the interests of the general public, so should, comparatively, go your own charges. Every family has its paternal guide — the one under whose influence and direction each individual member performs his assignment— the one whose sage advice and wisdom place him in a position to maintain hapiness and harmony completely devoid of disputes and dissensions among those who look up to him for guidance. That paternal guide at the Music Hall is kindly, benign, respected W. G. Van Schmus, who stands at the helm of the ship guiding the policies and operation of the world's largest theatre. His theories on serving the public, on making his theatre a citadel to which patrons will return time after time, are in all probability very much like your own. But, whereas the tastes to which you cater are com|;aratively simple and emanate principally from the population in your own community, those to which Mr. Van Schmus must cater are widely divergent, for all kinds of people from all over the world make up every audience that watches a performance in his theatre. Because of this, the rules governing members of the service staff must of necessity be a little more rigid and bind ing in their scope than those to which your own employes adhere. Take a typical morning at the Music Hall. The 36-girl precision dance group and a trained group of ballet dancers have been going through their paces under the tutelage of their own directors — Russell Markert, producer and director of the Rockettes, and Florence Rogge, associate producer and ballet director. Suddenly a bugle blares in the foyer. It is 11 o'clock, and patrons are waiting in line outside. Every usher and page boy springs to atention at his allotted position. The cashiers push back the box office curtains and soon waiting patrons are entering the theatre, many of them for the first time. Having encountered the cashier, the patron next meets, in order, the doorman, and an usher who guides him to his seat. He then settles down to watch a performance for which projectionists, electricians, musicians, and others behind the scenes are responsible, although he mav never stop to realize this. Twenty-five attractive, courteous girls make up the box office staff at the Music Hall under the direction of Arthur J. Clary, box office treasurer. Each girl has four changes of uniform. When a hopeful has been weeded out from a list of applicants, she is trained for two week's, with pay, in the rules and regulations governing her position. Above everything, she is taught to be courteous and well-mannered, alert, well 1 III ii JULLHbH m Recreation On the Rooftop All work and no play would make a member of the Music Hall service staff a very dull boy. So. here on the theatre's landscaped roof garden the ushers go through ca/isthenic drills and indulge in sports to keep themselves physically alert.