Variety (Jan 1906)

» VARIETY SUMMER PARKS "StarhiMcl I'juk," Muntroal, cliod a-horn- iii;;. Tho hackiTs have 4nit tlio tield and liav«> It'll the DoMiiMidii Ck>inpai)y iu sole l»nss(>>sioii. Tlii^ will do away with a perhaps ruinous competition, but it will n«»t result in tlio lessenin;; «tf the attract- iveness of the other olFerin^. for tlie Do- minion {M'oph' fully realize that to gain any a<lvanta;:e from hein;.' the lir**! in the uvw held, they will have to set a pace it will be dillicult for others to follow, and they will ;;ive Montreal a park worthy the importance of the city. Indianapolis is to have a '\Miite City" next summer. Plans are now being made for a place of im|)ortance and the prompt- era announce that included in the attrac- tions will bo all of the hi;; features which have been successes at other parks as well as one or two new ideas. There is room for a really important park in Indianap- olis, and if the present plans go through there should be no (piestion as to the success of the new enterprise. Tlie Galveston Hood, which last season was one of the tjuarter attractions at Coney Island, will he pushed this coming season as a ten-cent show. It has the ad- vanta;;e of a ^ood location and at the more popular price should more than treble its drawing power. There is a singular lack of definite in- fornuition as to the plans for the Coney Island Dreamland. There are rumors in profusion, but no authoritative news has been given out, and it would appear that the management of the resort is itself somewhat in the dark as to just what is to be done. It is said that no changes have been definitely decided upon as yet. A number of buildings at Luna Park, Coney Island, have been ra/ed. 1 ut no an- nouncement has as vet 1 een tnade as to the attractions to occupy the space, al- though the work is being pushed with a steadiness that shows that something biir IS f(uniing up. ■ '" n 'J'he Wliite ( itv is the name <Mven this year to the park operat»'<l by the Rosen Hei^dits Street C-»ir Company at Fort Worth, Texas. It is announced to open the last week in April with a dramatic company, but will be dev<»ted to both vaudeville and melodrama. Plans have not been announced for the c<Mning seasoti as t<» the policy of cither the Arlington Heights park or the Ifand- ley resort. •Ml three of the abitNc place-; are oper ated by (»pposing traction companies, and if they all persist in running them there will l;e a big war on l.efore the end of the season. # There will be jtlenty <loiii<r in the park line at Minneapfdis this (tdning summer. The street railwav ••oiiii.;iiiv is investinji heavily in a picnic park on Big Island. Lake Minuetonka, reaclie(l bv a fortv- minute tndlev and ten-minute st«'amboat ride, ^^'ondtrland, which did well last season in the face of the tlenest kind of weather, will reopen about May .'10. and Lake Harriet, under the management of the Itoard of Park Commissioners, will have nine weeks of band concerts—Ober- holVer's band taking live weeks beginning in the latter part of dune, and Liberatti linishiui; (df with four weeks. Oberhoflfer (local) will do one a day except on Sun- days, and Liberatti will have two a day. Kach lea<ler will furnish forty-three iiien. ter of a million dollar park on Lake Wash- ington. The Ingersoll Construction Com- pany will put up the attractions, which will include chutes, a iigure eight, scenic river, a circle swing aind other kindretl amusements ; . : The citv of M«»\ico has hui"' been with- out a park feature, though one wouM sup]M)se such a place would be plentifully provided. Fred In^ers«dl, 11. L. Creer and A. C. (Jillespie have taken a fifteen-year lease of a ten-acre site on one of the fa- mous drives and will open a "Mexidrome" ch)se to the summer residence of the Pres- ident of the Rt'public. More than a dozen buildings are to be ere«'ted and some $200,- 000 are to be laid out. All of the familiar park features are to be included. Many of the patks this season will in stall a Hale's Tour of the \V(»rld. This illusion consists of an observaticm car platform or other conveyance to which the suggestion of motion is ^iven while the spectator views motion pictures of uuiuy parts of the world.* HIanket jmt- ents on the combination of i<lens have been taken out and there will be no in- fringements tolerated. Revere Heach, near Boston, is to have a Wonderland Park which will include Fighting the Flames, a scenic railway, a toboggan slide, a Hell Cate, a launch course, the circle swings, baby incubat(»rs, and a vaudeville theatre. The Wonder- land Company has been inc(>rporated with a capital of $400,(MM>. with ollices at iW State street. Boston. The Borderland \Miite City Company, of Seattle, has broken groun<l for a <[uar- C»»ilahan ami Mack, who have been very sucwssful in vautleville with their sketch "The Old Neighborhood," will star next season in a piece of the same title, which is to be written for them by Dan Hart, who wrote the "Parish Priest" for Dan Sully; "Land of Cotton," "Marching Through Ceorgia" and "Rocky Iload to Dublin" now being used by Barney Gil- more. Be^'inning with the middle of April Thil- adelphia will be (dlered a series of circus performances une<jualled in a number of years. The Ringling Bros,' show will arrive about April 15 for tw«> weeks. Hagen- back's nu'uagerie will follow two weeks later, and almut the middle of May, Paw- nee Hill's show is scheduled. This will atl'ord a prettv livelv season under "the I * » tents." Melville a!id Shultheiser will commence this summer to install "Figure 8" Toboggan Slides in their parks. A« the firm will manufai turt the slides themselves, they will al.so I'.'nt out to other parks on royalty. NEW LOUISVILLE VAUDEVILLE EX- CHANGE. The Majestic Amusement Exchange at Louisville, under the management of 0. .1. I Vising, has recn- tly been opened at 411 Fourth avenue in that city. Arthur Stuart, Variety's correspondent in Ix)uis- ville. will make his head(piarters at the Kxchan<:e, which will also be the Southern Bureau of Variety. VARIETY THEATRES OF GREATER NEW YORK MANHATTAN. •VTLANTIC GARDEN Concert 8. P. M. ALHAMBRA Vaudeville 2and8P,M, CIRCLE^^ . rvrrrTTT; ..;.; ;..... V7. Burlesque r.-. .2 and 8 P. M. (.X>U>NIA1 Vaudeville 2and8 P. M. DKWEV Burlesque 2 and 8 P. M. FAMILY Vaudeville 2 and 8 P. M, (;(/niAM Burlesque 2 and 8 P. M. HCRTIG & SKAMO.N'S Vaudeville 2::iOand 8:30 P. M. HAMMKRSTEiX'S Vaudeville 2 and 8 P. M. HUBER'S .Museum Continuous. HIPPODROME Variety 2and8P.M. KFITH'S Vaudeville Continuous. LONDON Burlescpie 2 and 8 P. M. MIXER'S BOW ERY Burlesipie 2 and 8 P, M. .MINER'S 8TH AVE Burlesque 2and8P.M. PALACE Vaudeville 2and8P.M. PASTOR'S \audeville Continuous. PROCrOR'S .^STll SIR LET ^. Vaudeville 2:15 and 8:15 P, M. PIKKVroR'S SM) STREET '. Vaudeville 2:15 and 8:15 P. M. f'. AMPHIOX ALCAZAR Burlesque . (^^ARDEN Concert . . (JAIKTY Burlesque . (JOTHAM Vaudeville HYDE & BEHMAX Vaudeville IMPERIAL Vaudeville KEEXEY'S Vaudeville XASS.UT Burlesque . ORPIIEUM Vaudeville STAR Burlesque . UNIQUE Burlesque . BROOKLYN. Vaudeville 2:15 and 8:15 P. M. ,2 and 8 P.M. .2 and 8 P.M. .2 and 8 P.M. - .2 and 8 P.M. .2 and 8 P.M. .2 and 8 P.M. .2:15 and 8:15 P.M. .2 and 8 P.M. .2:15and8:15P.M. .2 and 8 P.M. .2 and8 P.M. CORRESPONDENCE Philadelphia, Pa. 'Hie K|M-liiKllk(' \vt*utlu>r wlilcU hua been turueU luuve oil us duriiiK tlic |»ihI week Heeuis to have liiid little or no ill efTertH upon liuslnesH in tti«* various houses, in furt, tlie attention of the pollcit uutiioritiett huH been called to the overcrowding of Honie of the houses and rigid orders have been IsHueii to "keep within the fire laws." Kiorrirs tir. T. Jonlau, mgr.).—The week's ofTi'iiu^ incluiled several novelties, and although tilt' bill generally did not cIuhs with that of the pi-evi«»us week, it prov'ed a capital one. The Wol- |ieit 'lYio will be found reviewed In the New Act depiirtment. Of the others, the sketch "The .siu'ilff," played bv Edmund Da.v, Patrice Winston I Mrs. Ony) and Kobert Watson, probably earne<l the bulk of the honors, which were pretty well distributed. Tlie sketch has been given here be- fore, out ill cruder form, and, smootheil out, it la a ideasing piece. Day, in the title role, flts the part, and willi the exception of the dressing of the part, Tatrice Winston is a satisfactory assist- ant. Watson also does well enough to please, Tlie sketch "Making an Actress," which might as well be called uiiythlng else, presented by Annie aii«l .fetinie Veanians, furnlsiied little except the novelty of a wouian uf 70 doiuK n song and dance with almost the sprightliness of a woman of less than half her age, and in acknowledging this the audlen«'e applauded everything worthy in the net. Iturton and Hrooks offer ntucli the same old act. Viola Dale scored with her imitations, de- spite the fact that she has too much voice for the ciiaracters slie has selected to impersonate, and only her mannerisms were creditable. Will Kogers. in a "roping" act, proved a decided novel- ty, and besides his clever liaudling of a lasso he has a sense of humor and style which aided In makinK his act a success, not to mention his lir«»iieh(». Luigi D«rciro and his armonipede went liettor than on his tlrst visit here. He is a capital musician, and Ills act deserves praise for its orig- inality. Cal Stewart changed his rube monologue into a sort of a sketch with a human interest flu- ish. in whicli lie Is assisted by Mrs. Cal Stewart, who was billed early in the week as simply "and wife." The offering was new here and received all the rec»>gnitlon It deserved. The Messenger Hoys' Trio and Kddie Mack repeated their familiar <«pecialtles. and tlie Gillette Sisters and Davey and Phillips also appeared. Iloudini continued as the "feature" act with no lack of enthusiasm being siiown by the audience. The kinetograpli pictures were on as usual. CASINO (Kllas, Koenig and Lederer, mgrs.).— Tlie Rose Hill Folly Company proved one of the l>est entertalniiients of its kind seen here this se.ison. The absence of the usual "rough-house" metho*ls In the bin lesque numbers commends them to favor, and tlie chcjj-us is composed of well- shape<l aii'l g;HMt-l(Miking women. The neatness and clei'.iiliness of the coslumes wa.** admired. "The Knights of the Red (Jarter," in three acts, proved ainusiiiK. One or two more musical numbers would Improve it The various characters were ably por- tray ed, parti<-ularly that of Dr. Jenks, by Harry Kvans. The olio was goo<l. Idylla Vyner, fair; lUanche Newcoinbi*, very neat; Cain, Kvans and Wheeler, in a sketch, "A Terrible Night," very funny; Sisters Lane, pleased as usual; Bison City (JiiartPtte. better timn the majority; Van Broth- ers, music and comedy, the music good. Living pictures, well posed. Business big. niJiU («:e(»rKe W. Ulfe. ingr.).— .May Howard and h'*r coiupaiiy drew crowded houses. "Mile. Klfi" and "Tlie Houiidcrs" furnished opportunities whicii were in the major taken advantage of. 'Hie sprightly and fairly good-loolging chorus showetl want of rehearsing for business. One par- ticularly strenuous member on the end of the line helpe<l to .••poll the numbers by paying more atten- tion to the audience than to her work. May How- ard dcK's not exert herself, but with one or two eonieilians to assist Edward Morris, he would pull the comedy through. Ruby Marion and Amy Tiiomps<ni liitnMliice<l cornet duets with varied suc- «-ess. Cunning, a "liandcuff king," doing many of lioudini's tricks, was featured, being an added attraction. Crimes and Gallagher were also added, but notliiiig tliey dhl would strengthen any show. Kussel and r.<<)cke, the Musical Cralgs, Brooks Brothers and Lavelle and Grant appeared in the cdlo. The latter act was particularly worthy of prai.se. TROCADERO (Fred Willson, mgr.).—The Dainty I'aree Burlesqiiers furnished the bill with "A .Merry Bachelor" ond "The Marriage of Birdie" as tlie biniestjue numbers. The company is large and capable enough to do better work thon was offered to tlie cap;iclty business which was played to during the week. Brown and Booth. Ai)stln Walsh. West and Hughes, Montgomery and Can- ter ami Biirney Williams appeared In the olio, and there were the usual musical numbers iutrodaced during the action of the burles«iues. lACEIM (,r. G. Jermon, mgr.).—Tlie Cracker- Jacks have maiie no ehange In their offering which was Seen lu're earlier In the season, and they managed to please. Ruby Leonl and Lillian Held continue as the inincipal figures in the burlesques, with Bob Van Osten pleasing as usual. The olio ■ included Ilenning, Lewis and Henning, Clemenso Brothers, Lillian Held, The ttloekers and Sheppard Camp. BON TON (Miss Lilly 1>8<«1, mgr.).—The bill this w«»«'k included The Four .Mbions, Esterbrooks, De Groff Sisters, Howard and Cameron, Tom Gil- Ian and the tisual comedy sketch by the stock com pany. NOTES. —It Is reported that Stair & Havlin are aftf^r the lease of the Bon Ton.—Clyde Darrow has quit the nielo<lramntlc field and will return to bur lesque. Joining Robie's Knickerbockers next week. —The ('lilnes«> New Year's «'elehratlon attracted crowds of theatrical folks to Chinatown, which is situated In the center of tho burlesque house ter- ritory.—Edmund Day announces that he Is arrang ing for the production of his sketch, "The Sheriff," In the shape of a three-act piece under unolher iiame, and that he will soon quit acting. KINKS. Ghioafo. MAJESTIC (John M. Draper, mgr. for Kohl A Castle).—An unusually raried bill of excellence prevails at this beautiful playhouse this week. Beatrice Mackenzie & Co. presented for the first