Stars & Bars

Among the pleasures of playgoing in Europe is the privilege of buying a drink at a theater bar during the interval. In the U.S., theater patrons have to quench intermission thirst with a wax-enriched fruit drink, or else dash out to a neighborhood bar, there to fret about missing the second-act curtain. In an attempt to get around the New York law prohibiting the sale of liquor where no food is served, a Manhattan theater last year decided to give free drinks to its patrons. This largesse was quickly stopped by the State Liquor Authority.

Then the New York legislature finally relented last April. For a $1,700 annual fee, theaters will be able to operate their own bars. The new law will not go into effect until Oct. 1. This was a little awkward for Arthur Cantor, producer of a revue called The Committee that opens next week. His solution: guests will be served drinks in "unlimited rounds" on the house before the curtain and during the 20-minute intermission during the two weeks before bar-opening time. "No exotic cocktails," says Cantor, "just hard liquor and beer."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.