STAGE SALARIES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 3711, 21 December 1912, Page 4

STAGE SALARIES.

HOW PERFORMERS ARE PAID.

There seems to be scarcely any limit, says the Paris correspondent of the “Standard,’’ to the sums that enterprising managers are prepared to pay the leading favorites of the public, though meanwhile, scores, .if not hundreds, of real artists find it difficult to obtain an engagement. The latest announcement in the French newspapers is that the two music-hall pets, Miles. Gaby Deslys and Rardoni, have just issued contracts for America at the rate of £IOOO a week, which is” an improvement of £4OO per month on the salary of the first-named deigned to accept last year. In Paris itself prices are going up, and one or two of the big halls have engaged for the winter, from two to five “stars” at salaries up to £2O and £24 an evening for minimum of from 50 to 100 performances

It is interesting to compare the sums gained by various artists of the present and past years. Hortensc Schneider, who was a queen of the stage under tho Second Empire, was paid £240 a year at the Palais Royal, and was surprised at her own audacity in asking £BO a month from Offenbach to create his “Belle Helene.” And she was a female Croesus in comparison with artists like Menier, with 16s a night for his immortal “Cour-l-ier de Lyon. ‘” and Gktigny, author and actor, who in 1858 was glad of 0s an evening in “Des Deux Avcugles.” .Even Frederick Lemaitrc, in the zenith of his fame, never received more than £8 a night, and 50 years later we find Coquelin, in 1902, with £240 each time he plaved “Cerano,” and Mme Sarah Bernahrdt with £2OO for tho “Aiglon.”

I CARUSO. Probably the first to initiato the enormous fees that have now become j common was Adelina Patti, who twenI ty-sevon years ago asked £6OO to sing 1 three little songs of five minutes each at the Eden. Concert in Paris* which

works out at £4O a minute. At this period Faure was earning £BO and Nilsson and CiarvaJlio £4O per night. As for Caruso, who has beaten all .records, ho receives. £40,000 a year by contract for singing 80 times. He is not allowed to sing eksewheFe in public without M. Couried’s permission, hut tho phonograph still pays him £BO a record, and this is the minimum for private performances. It is by no means the maximum, however, as was seen when Caruso was present as a spectator, at the Metropolitan of New York. A Mr. Smith offered him £309 to come and sing two songs in his drawing-room. “Impossible,” said the tenor/, “I am here to rest and enjoy myself.” Mr. H. Smith then doubled his offer, and said: “Only a quarter of an hour, and the motor is at the door.’’ Twenty minutes later, in time for the jioxt act, Caruso was hack at the opera with £6OO in his pocket that lie had not exer+ed himself very seriously to earn. Miss Mary Garden can command £10.090 per season in New York M. Remind £B.OOO, and now we see Miles Gaby Deslys and Bordoni with £12,000 for three months. AMERICA SETS THE PACE. The reason for these enormous salaries is the large receipts of American houses compared with those of Europe. The Paris Opera averages about £6so', out of which it is, of course, impossible to pay a tenor £4OO, whereas the Manhattan or cMtropolitan easily make from £2,000 to £2,400 a night.

Mme. Sarah Bernhardt was the first French star to go to America, under them anagement of M. Maurice Grau, who paid her £2OO a night with all expenses, including special trains. The illustrious tragedian made nearly £30,000, and next time she was her own manager, and paid Coquelin 4 a night to play Flambeau. Mme. Rejane followed with £BO a day, and Mme. Jeanne drainer asked and received a good deal more, which entitled her to demand and obtain an engagement in Paris on her return of £32 a night for 100 nights.