RUNNING A STAR’ SINGER.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VIII, Issue 26, 27 June 1891, Page 106

RUNNING A STAR’ SINGER.

The way it is done is this. A person connected with the musical profession—perhaps an ex singer, or teacher, or music seller—gets hold of"a little capital and determines to run a series of concerts. He approaches a star performer—generally a lady—and comes to terms with her. Then he engages three or four other singers and an instrumentalist or two to make up the party. The professional standing of the other performers is in inverse ratio to that of the star, partly on account of the expense, and partly because stars are like Montrose—their thoughts do evermore disdain a rival anywhere near their throne —and if anyone else, even the instrumentalist, £ets too much applause things are apt to become unpleasant. The business may be carried out on a small or on a grand scale, and involves a proportionate risk. When so great a star as Madame Patti is in question the scale is, of course, of the grandest, and the risk very large. The trouble is also great. Dates have to be arranged rooms engaged, and all the local business of advertising, printing, and so forth attended to. The places more usually selected for the operations of this sort of agent are out-of-the-way parts of Europe, the Americas, and the colonies. Occasionally, however, he will flash through the European capitals ; but, in that case, he has probably not got a concert-party, but a ‘ prodigy ’ or a ‘ virtuoso ’ to exhibit.

‘ I think we shall have to try again,’ remarked the photographer, as he critically examined the negative; ‘the expression is too stern and forbidding.’ ‘ The negative is all right,’ said the customer, picking up his hat, ‘all I wanted was a portrait to send to my wife’s aunt. She is thinking of visiting us this summer.’