THE MANAGEMENT OF STARS.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 426, 7 December 1889, Page 3

THE MANAGEMENT OF STARS.

A corukspondknt of- the ♦Philadelphia Press' gives «» account of the way great stars are secured. Ib ia no easy matter to engage and manage a great actor, actress, or singer, either in the old or the new world. Caution, liberality in money matters, patience, and diplomacy are required of all men who successfully control high-class stars. Mdme. Patti, the first of all etare, now the easiest of all the great artists to get on with, before and atter engagement. During her first toura in America she had an agent who made a fortune by her. Ever since she married Nicoliui.she ha&'attended to herown business", and has had no trouble. Patti is very careful as to her business aOaiis. When she gives her word, it is as good as her bond, and she nevor raisos foolish objections about small mattoi s. In dealing with her Mr Abboy finds her an exception to many other artiefce. She prefers to share with \\irn to taking a certainty. For instance, on hot* present tour she gets a certain percentage of tho gross receipts, with a guarantee that her share Bha.ll not be less than £1,000 a performance. She will sing twice a week, .but for thirty appearances Mr' Abbey gauij-an- • tees her £31,500, and it is proHblo that her 'additional per entage" over the Cl.OOO^a night will increase her earnings to at least £37,000 for her short season in America. The company which has been engaged to support her is .tho- strongest ever seen or heard in the United States, the weekly expenses reaching as, high aa £9,000. £[knry lit v ing When Mr'lrv-ingjfirsfc came to the United State* Mr/ Abbey "was his manager. The ,Bnglislractor took a share of the gross re'e6ipt& w'ifchoufc any* guarantee, but hi«< profits jjwere over £50,000,- and all the outlay he •lrad was to pay his company, . business jmanager, writer to tell tha story of his trip 'ta.Ktto-lish papers; and two private pecret tarios. Mr Abbey paid Miss Terry out of his^profk-a and yet made money. i 'MI^S'LvN^TKY, S.UAIXr, Br,KMI\KDT. ] ■ When Mrs Langtx-y made her first visit to America she took a share of the erross roceiptS without guarantee,, and her first season" netted over 1'25;000. ' As a"'rule, 'Mary Anderson shares insfcdad of taking a certainty, Mr Salvini is a very caieful financier^ i He takes a percentage, with a guarantee that Ins profit shall not fall below a certain amount, and he usually gets all tho fat. Mdme. Bernhardt, who is to play with Mr Abbey for the next two year?, take? a share of the profits without truarantee, but her share is a large one, and her income £37,000 a season. WUEKi: IS THE PKOKIT ? I'atti is of course the great card, and carries tho bulk ot the money. It is a mystery to a novice to even imagine how Mr Abbey is going: to make any money out of this venture. An expenditure of £9,000 a week for an amusement enterprise would naturally seem-a very risky business. But this, daring speculator in high-class amusements feels confident that the Patti season will not only pay, but leave him a handsome profit. He lias spent very nearly the whole summer in engaging a company to support her, and it has been no liMle trouble, for the other great singers that ho ha* engaged are not easily captured. There are^a hundred questions to be talked over and settled with everyone, and tho envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary is not called upon for a higher exercise of subtle powor in all tho finer phases of business and social life than is the theatrical manager who handles high-priced artist?. Wit EX TilK "DlHN'l LTILS BI.CIV. After the engagement of any groat aitist, the real 'complications begin, and the 'Successful manager is Mje one who gets over clitHoultied intruded 'upon him without friction. No matter how well everything goss, little complications are constantly aijiaing which the star is very apt to magnify, unless his or her buggestions are complied with. The manager who loses his temper and arbitrarily says ' No ' to an artist is sure to be constantly in trouble ; but the one ytfaot graciously admits the lighteousness of his star's suggestions, and then does as he pleases in the end^as-they usually" dp— is sC(6oes3fui;"J have talked itover with' a dozen leading managers upon 'this subject, and they admit that the ea^ie&t way is to ugV-ee'fcd ■'everything and all.the time be liberal with their attraction. If they do that, tintl then afterwards do as they please, tho- ehanoes are a hundred to one that the artiste Sox get all about their demands, and nothing more is said üboujb ! it.