This is a study of a ticket agent, his business methods and his contributions to the Broadway theatre. It contains elements of biography, economic history of the American stage and insights into the relationship between Broadway producers and the people who sold the tickets to their attractions. The book recounts a number of then-famous battles between powerful producers and the ticket agencies. It set the scene for readers not familiar with the period by giving ample background and then traces Read more...

He was a burly Dutch tenor, And I patiently trailed him in his waking and sleeping hours That I might not lose a story,-- But his life was commonplace and unimaginative-- Air raids and abdications kept his activities, (A game of bridge yesterday, a ride to Tarrytown), Out of the papers. I watchfully waited, Yearning a coup that would place him on the Musical map. A coup, such as kissing a Marshal Joffre, Aeroplaning over the bay, Diving with Annette Kellerman. Then for three days I quit the city Read more...