New York Clipper (Feb 1923)

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.Ee6ruaiy7,-1923 ^MEr l«£W:t YORKv CtlFPiER ^JSO TOP FOR MUSICAL SHOWS PROH TABLE FOR PRODUCERS Henry Savage Idea Resulting in $18,000 Weddy for 'Clinging Vine" at Knickerbocker Prompts Hammerstein and Can- tor to Adopt Low Top-^uUic Welcomes Price The back to normalcy campaign in thea- tre prices which was snccessfuUy lannched by Henry W. Savage when he brought his production of "The Clinging Vine" to the Knickerbocker Theatre several weeks ago, is being utilized by other producers of musical shows and bids fair to set a stan- dard of $2.50 top for musical productions, other than expensive revues. The Savage show, which has been Iterating at the Knickerbocker under a $2.50 top price for orchestra seats at all performances and charging $1 and $1.50 for . balcony scats, has proven both a popular and profitable expenraenL The show came in without the usual agency buy and has ' been tipping the scales to the tune of $18,- 000 weekly. Moreover, it has revived an interest in the balcony section that has materially added to its weekly gross. Lew Cantor has followed suit with his production of the Harry Delf musical 'comedyi "Sun Showers," at the Astor, <-hile Arthur Hammerstein is only asking a $2.S0 top for "Wild Flower." which ' opt. 'ed at the Casino la^t Wednesday night Tht^ scales, however, do not incorporate ' a reduction in the balcony prices but never- theless will operate on^the reduced figure for the lower section qf the house. Sev- eral other musical productions have also demonstrated an ability to operate on a profit at the reduced rate. Chiefly among ■ the latter' ■ are "The Gingham Girl" and "Sally, Irene and Mary'' which moved from the Casino to the Forty-fourth Street Theatre last Monday night Both of these shows have enjoyed long runs and are con- tinuing to attract shoppers for popular ' priced entertainment. The futility of a .producer swamping himself with heavy production costs has been brought home to Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr., producer of the "Ziegfeld Follies," who has already placed himself upon record that he will not produce another "Follies" car- rying as great an overhead 7S the past two of the scries. The current edition has been getting a good slice of money at the New Amsterdam, but whether it would have done equally as well in other cities is a matter of conjecture. New Yorkers have shown a tendency to pay a high price for one or two attractions, but when $4 and $4.50 scales became common re^rdless of the production outlay the majonty became skeptical and insisted upon full return for their money. The tilting of prices has killed i>racti- cally all of the upper floor business in the loc^ theatres. Theatregoers are none too eager to pay $3 and $2.50 to view a per- formance from the balconies, but prefer to wait until it plays the "subway circuit" and view it from the orchestra at $1.50 or $2. Managerial wiseacres were literally laughing up their sleeves when the an- nouncement of the Savage plan for "The Qinging Vine" was first announced. Even since the opening some of the managers have attempted to convince Savage that he was deliberately tossing several thousand dollars windward weekly bv offering the balcony at cut prices.. But this did not de- ter him frim continuing the policy which has been a money maker and will un- doubtedly keep "The Dinging Vine" in the money-making class for weeks to come. The retrenchment in theatre prices on the part of the above mentioned producers will undoubtedly prompt many others to follow suit. It has demonstrated that there is a greater market for an entertaiiiing musical play at a reasonable scale of prices than for the elaborate revues which are presumably conceived for the more sophis- ticated theatregoer. While the musical shows have shown a tendency to bring' theatre' prices back to normalcy, the dramatic shows have not lowered their scale. An authoritative reader of the public pulse believes that if dramatic shows were offered at a $2 scale and musical shows offered at $2.50, the producers would get a better break than they have been getting, even at the inflated scale now in vogue. '■NOW AND THEN" GETTING MONEY According to reports emanating from the Pacific Coast, Kolb and Dill have a real money getter in their new starring vehicle, "Now and Then," the new comedy by Aaron Hoffman. The piece has just closed a four weeks' run at the Curran Theatre, San Francisco, and did $75,000 on the run with a $2 top scale. An eastern presentation of the piece is to be made here by Hoffman and Max Marcin. when its title will be changed to "Light Wines and Beer.V CAN'T BEAT "FATHER SHOW" Despite the fact that a John Brown re- vival was opposition in Chattanooga. Tcnn., and Billy Sunday was against them in 'Knoxville, Tcnn., Gus Hill's southern com- pany of "Bringing Up Father" played two performances in each city, turned away patrons at each performance and grossed $5,246 in four performances at a $1 top, last week. ACTOR PRIEST MADE DEAN New Haven, Cfc, Feb. 5.—The Rev. Father Charles Cirver, of this city and until four years ago actor in the Foli Stock Company at the Hyperion Theatre here, was last week appointed dean of All Saints Episcopal Church of Albany. He became curate of Christ Church, New Haven, upon his retirement from the stage. •TAKE A CHANCE" CLOSING "Take a Chance," the new Phillips- Orlob musical comedy, which opened in Wilmington last week, will close m Stam- ford next week. The piece will be brought in for revision and several changes in cast. "LOLA IN LOVE" FOR DRESDEN A. P. Waxman, with two associates, pur- chased the production rights of "Lola in I.OVC" from F. C. Coppicus and will pre- sent the play as the opening attraction on the New Amsterdam Roof theatre, which will be known as the Dresden theatre, on Monday, Feb. 19th. "Lola in Love" was tried out on the road Christmas week and brought in to be re- written. Wjlliam_ Morris rewrote the play and staged it again with its original cast, headed by Fay Marbe. The show will open out of town next Tuesday and play several one night stands. There are only six people in the cast of the play. The Dresden Theatre will be completed by the end of this week. It will seat 850 persons on the main floor and balcony. A $2.50 top is to be charged for the attraction. TENT SHOW REHEARSALS At the last meeting of the Council of the Actors' Equity Association, it was de- cided that a two weeks' free, rehearsal period be allowed for Ttnt and Repor- torie shows. If further rehearsals are deemed necessary by the management half salary is to be paid for the rest of the re- hearsal period. CORTLAND THEATRES SOLD Sysacuse, Feb. 5.—John S. Gay, shoe manufacturer of this city, and associates have acquired the Temple and Cortland theatres of that city. Plans are under way to remodel the Cortland, the oldest of the two, into a modem playhouse. James S. Burnham, former owner of the theatres, had possession of the Temple for ten years and the Cortland for three. ARRESTED ON^ BIGAMT CHARGE Howard Bruce Healy, a musician of El- mira. New York, was arrested on a charge of bigamy, as he was entering the Lyric Theatre, Hoboken, N". J., o_n_ January 27, while on the way to visit Catherine Rubega, who was playing in a vaudeville sketch entitled VToll Bridge," and who claims to be wife number two^ Miss Rubega told the grand jury of Hud- son Cbunty that she met Healy in Wash- ington, where she was playing in a show, and after a courtship of several months married him at the home of her parents in West Hoboken. The ceremony was per- formed by Mayor William G. Welter. The couple went to Elmlra to live and Miss Rubega subsequently vslomed of Healy's first wife, with whom hi^ had not been living for some time. Upon investi- gation. Miss Rubega told the authorities, she learned that Miss Vema Dickerson was married to Healy in 1917 in Lewiston, Idaho. EDGAR SELWYN'S NEW PLAY OPENS "Anything Might Happen," a comedy in three acts, written and staged by Edgar Selwyn, was presented by the Selwyns at the Stamford Theatre, Stamford.. Conn., last night and will repeat again tonight. Roland Young and Estelle Winwood are the featured members of the cast, and others in the company are Lucia Moore, Ruth Findley, Isabd Garrison, Helen Cromwell, Montague Rutherford, Leslie Howard, Haviland Oiappell, Arthur Lubin, Florence Clark, George LeSoir, Joan Treffry and others. The Selwyns are endeavoring to find a house in New York in order to bring thb show iii during the week, but if they are not successful the show will be brought in at the earliest opportunity, probably early next week. NO THEATRE FOR COURT ST. As a result of the objections raised by residents of the neighborhood, the Board of Standards and Appeals in the Municipal Building, denied the request of Joseph Paiascandola. to build a motion picture theatre at 292 Court street, Brooklyn. More than 100 residents living in Tom- kins place, appeared before the board and said that the site of the proposed theatre extended through to Tomkins place which was a restricted zone. It was argued that the building of the theatre would harm the value of the property in the vicinity. "GABETTE" NEW MUSICAL SHOW The Community Players, Inc., of which Joseph Byron Tottcn is managing director, will shortly produce a new musical comedy, "febette," with book by Sidney Lazarus and Frank Martin, lyrics and music by Stanley Royce. The piece will go into rehearsal the latter (»rt of the month. Qiarlotta Irwin, who closed in "The Egotist" last Saturday night, will have one of the principal roles. "SPICE OF LIFE" CLOSING "Hie Spice of Life," tiie Al Jones- Mom's Green unit will drop off the Affil- iated Circuit at the end of the week, closing at the Garrick, Chicaga Several of featured members will jump right over to die Rayrnond Hitchcock show, "Hitdiy Koo of 1923," which opens tn Kalamazoo, February 13. Among them are the Hickqr Brothers and the London Tivoli girls. WEBER SUING SHERMAN Isaac N. Weber, better known as "Ike" Weber, burlesque man, filed suit in the Municipal Court last week against Hal Sherman, dancer, for $500. Kendler and Goldstein are attorneys for Weber. According to the complaint filed by Weber's counsel, the action is to recover money due the burlesque producer under the terms of a contract. "THE BLACKMAILERS" CLOSE Wifaner and Vincent closed their initial production, "The Bladcmailers" in Buffalo last Saturday night. The piece has been brought in for revision and dianges in cast. It will make a fresh start at the Apollo Theatre, Atlantic City, on Feb- ruary 12. y MUSICAL SHOWS GET fHIL. H<^«T. . PbiLadelpbia, Feb. 5.^LMii«tte' lf^- lor in the dramatizatioa of Fannie Hiirst's story, "Htuioresque," and the' return of two light nmsical offerin^gs of established popularity, furnished a lively evening for the theatregoers here. To be sure, the main interest centered in Uiss Tayloi^s premiere in "Humoresque," which at- tracted a large and fashionable audience to the Broad Street Theatre. Those who viewed her performance were unanimous in adding her delineation of Sarah Kantor. the beloved mother, to her list of previous successes. The role, which is totally dif- ferent from anything previously attempted by this actress, gives her exceptional op- portunity for ^ood acting, which she meas- ures up to with artistry and forcefulness. The revival of "Maytime," which came to the Shubert, also attracted a capacity audience that was every whit as enthu- siastic as a premiere assemblage. Marion Green acquitted himself exceptionally well in the former John Charles Thomas role, while Nancy Gibbs also won the approba- tion of the audience in the leading feminine role. The surrounding company was equally enjoyable in their respective tolta. The molodies, haunting as ever, brought numerous encores, all of which would seem to indicate that "Maytime" will en- joy a popular vogue during its run here. "Molly Darling,", another musical piece which had gained considerable popularity at a previous showing here, returned to the Forrest Theatre tonight and was the recipient of a worthy welcome. Jack Donahue's funTmaking proclivities was again the outstanding feature of the show, which, was interpreted by practically the same cast that ajqieared with it at the Garrick Theatre on its previous showmg here. "Blossom Time," at the Lyric, has shat- tered all previous records on longevity at that house and seems to have set out to establish a new one. It has entered upon its sixteenth week, 'with its popularity increasing each succeeding wedc In the early weeks of the nn this piece had tough sledding, but after weathering the storm it came back with a vengeance and has been getting big money ever since. George Lederer's mosical show, "Peaches," has entered upon its. final week at the Garridc and will be supplanted next week by a non-musical piece, "Six Cylin- der Love.' "Kempy" wiU also withdraw from the Walnut at the end of the week to make way for George Arliss in "The Green Goddess." THIEVES GET VOSBURGH'S CLOTHES Oklahoma Cmr, Feb. 5.—Harold Vos- burgh, appearing here last week at the Cohseum with Walker Whiteside in "The Hindu," was the victim of dressing room thieves, who cleaned him out of every bit of wearing apparel and jewelry valned at several hundred dollars. The robbery took place while Vosburgh was on the stage playing his part. Upon his return to the dressing room he found that even his street clothes, shirt, collar and tie bad been made away with. Consequently he was ma- rooned in the dressing room until clothing had been dispatched to him from bis hoteL He reported the robbery to the kxal police. No arrest has been made as yet. AUTO USED TO UGHT STAGE Columbus, 0., Feb. 5.—When the lights at the Lyceum Theatre here went out on Friday night of last week due to the fire at the Gay street plant. Manager Emerich drove his touring car around to the stage entrance, drove it into the wings and the show went on in the glare of the auto's headlights. Candles were used in the orchestra pit and for the exists lights to comply with tne fire laws. UBLANG AT PALM BEACH Joe Le Blang, head of the "cut-rate" ticker agency, is at Palm Beach for a three- wedc vacation with his family. It is said no meetings for formulation of plans for the Central Ticket oGEce will be held by the Producing Managers' Association im- til Le Blang returns to New York.