87% Failure

New Year's Day for show business is Aug. 1. Looking over the 1930-31 prospects last week as the new year was catching its stride, show folk detected a bullish note. Some 250 productions were scheduled to open on Broadway, some 70 productions were routed to play the provinces --an increase of 30 over last year. The Theatre Guild announced that it would present its repertory in ten cities* --three more than the 1929 tour. And although Walter Hampden made known that he would not go on the road as in previous years because of poor business conditions, Funnyman Ed Wynn thought prospects were bright enough to buy Simple Simon (last season's Ziegfeld show in which he appeared) to take on tour.

In retrospect, Billboard, theatrical weekly, released elaborate statistics on the 1929-30 season. Findings: 72 theatres with seating capacity for 75,314 people had housed 286 productions. There were 62 musicomedies, 195 legitimate attractions, 29 repertory plays. Based on the theory that 100 performances signifies a hit, 87% of the legitimate shows failed, a mortality rate 2% higher than the previous season. Of musicomedies, 69% failed, 10% more than the year before.

It took 5,719 actors, 255 authors, 55 librettists, 101 composers, 86 lyric writers, 54 sketch writers, 202 stage directors, 36 dance directors, 93 scenic designers and 72 scenic executors to present the year's shows. Records:

Most prolific player: Eva Le Gallienne, who appeared in 15 productions.

Most prolific producers: Lee & Jake Shubert, who offered eight productions from their own offices, were associated with 27 others.

Most prolific playwright: William Shakespeare, ten plays of his having been revived during the year.

Most prolific composer: Victor Herbert, who contributed music to seven shows.

* Baltimore, Boston, Washington, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis.

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