Variety (Feb 1906)

VARIETY XT WILLIAM MORRIS TO MOVE. The announcement that William Morris will remove from his present offices at 6 West Twenty-eighth street created no surprise to those knowing that the rapidly increasing magnitude of Mr. Morris's busi- ness necessitated some change being made which would afford more room than the present space gives. Mr. Morris's choice has fallen upon the old offices of Klaw & Erlanger in the Holland Building, at 1440 Broadway, where twelve offices will be devoted to his vaudeville bookings after the first of May. William Morris is now booking for most of the prominent vaudeville managers in the country, and has lately increased his list to include the new International The- atre in Chicago. The latter is the most important house of the Sullivan-Considine circuit, and presages possibly that the larger of the "t«n-ceni M houses will soon be booked through his office. It is understood that the Sullivan-Oon- sidine combination will increase the ad- mission price to the houses booked by William Morris, ranging up to fifty cents. Bills costing from $2,000 to $2,500 will be installed and the increase is compul- sory for maintenance. This will bring the Sullivan-Considine and allied circuits into direct competi- tion with the Orpheum string of vaude- ville theatres in the West, the Western people now usually booking through the Keith Agency. Messrs. Meyerfeld, Beck, Kohl & Castle, et al., while not having outwardly declared definitely for the Keith* circuit, will be placed in the position of having to come out for either side, the declaration of war between the Keith and Morris people being no longer possible of secrecy. Should the Orpheum circuit book through the Morris office, it will leave the Keith agency with about fourteen weeks to offer, and strengthen the cheaper cir- cuit, eliminating all talk of opposition west of Chicago. That the new deal is an important mat- ter to the Orpheum company is made ap- parent through the fact that should the Sullivan-Considine circuits decide actively oppose the Orpheum in the larger Western cities, a route may be arranged which will give a decided advantage over that now offered by the Western Vaude- ville Association. In any event, William Morris continues to grow, onward and upward, reaching the top notch by his individual efforts and integrity. DE RESZKE FOR HAMMERSTEIN. Through cable on Thursday Oscar Ham- merstein received confirmation of the ap pearance of Jean De Reszke. the soulful grand opera tenor, at the Drury Lane Theatre, Hammerstein's handsome new- opera house, which will open for the first time next October. This engagement in- sures the success of the operatic season at the Drurv Lane. NOW COMES FOY. At the close of the season of "The Earl and the Girl" in May, Eddie Foy will re- turn to vaudeville under the guidance of M. S. Bentham. He will have an entirely new act, one said to be far better suited to vaudeville needs than his previous offer- B. F. KEITH IS SCARED. It was noted in Variety some weeks ago that ,r B. F. Keith is frightened." Last week Variety reported a meeting of the managers connected with what is called the Keith circuit. The meeting was held at the old association's offices in the St. James building, and B. F. Keith attended in person. There remains no question that Mr. Keith views with growing alarm the rap- idly increasing influence of the vaudeville interests which book through the office of William Morris". The latest acquisition to the Morris fold has been the Sullivan- Considine circuit, circulating throughout the West, and giving a scope for booking the Keith Agency can never hope to at- tain. The crisis approaching demanded Mr. Keith's presence in New York, and he has been here for ten days, and will probably remain about three weeks longer until he can locate where he is at. J. K. Burk and A. Paul Keith (son of B. F.) have been instructed to scour the country to obtain available sites for vaudeville houses or secure the leases of any theatres obtainable so that the Keith circuit may be increased again to one of importance. The Keith circuit as now constituted is very wabbly. It is rumored that the out of town managers who were lfterally forced into the agency some time ago, like Harry Davis of Pittsburg, M. S. Shea of Buffalo and Toronto, and J. H. Moore of Rochester and Detroit, besides smaller houses, are tiring of their bargains. The bills put in the out of town houses follow the Keith policy in its own theatres, and do not attract in sufficient numbers to appease the managers. It is said that should there be a defec- tion in the Keith ranks, like a flock of sheep the rest will follow until B. F. Keith will stand on the battleground sur- veying the ruins much as Napoleon over- looked the field of Austerlitz. THE CLIPPER'S ANNIVERSARY. Instead of the eustomary Christmas number, the Clipper saves up for its an- niversary, and the issue of February 24 marks the commencement of the fifty- fourth year by the presentation of a sixty- page paper with a handsome cover in colors, and a dozen pages, in tint, of por- traits of leading members of the profes- sion. It is an improvement over last year's anniversary number, and an issue to be proud of. VESTA TILLEY COMING. Vesta Tilley comes to the Williams houses on April 16 for six weeks. The engagement is exclusive, as after playing this time Miss Tilley will proceed to Australia to fill engagements there. She Will not be seen at other American houses for some time after that. Mr. Williams is to be congratulated upon ob- taining for his exclusive use one of the most profitable attractions in modern vaudeville. lug. The new cafe and rathskeller to be opened about March 1 in the Alhambra Theatre Building in Harlem will be con- ducted by OToole Brothers, who have been successful with their Eighth avenue restaurant. BALTIMORE'S BIJOU TO CLOSE. (Special to Variety.) Baltimore, Feb. 23. The Western WTieel burlesque house here, the Bijou, will close to-morrow night after a short life in that sphere of the- atricals. Poor business is the reason. It will cause a loss of one week for com- ]winies playing the Unique in Brooklyn and London and Miner houses in New York, which were booked jointly with it. LOGANSPORT A STORM CENTER. Logansport, Ind., Feb. 23. A representative of the Western Vaude- ville Association at Chicago was in town securing the lease of the Dowling Opera House, which will open in March in con- junction with that circuit. A new theatre for vaudeville will be built here by local capital. It will be called the Lyric, and modeled after the Crystal, which is under the management of Ammons & Dubois. That firm is building new houses at Lafayette, Ind., Elwood and Toledo, O. All will open by April 15. They will have a compact circuit com- posed of eleven theatres. CITY GIRLS NO MORE. In all probability the engagement of Cherry Simpson and her City Girls from "The Prince of Pilsen," at Proctor's Fifty- eighth Street Theatre this week will be their last. It is likelv that thev will dis- band after to-night. The understanding is that some trouble with the Western booking of the act, and the difficulty of filling a period of five weeks or so, that were depended upon to fill in several long jumps, caused the can- celling of the Western time altogether. Cherry will go back to her old act with the piano solos, which has been booked up to June. MARINELLI TO MOVE. The H. B. Marinelli Agency, in the St. James Building, will remove from their present suite, the space now occupied having become too small. No definite lo- cation has been decided upon, but it is likely that offices will be taken within easy distance of those to be occupied by William Morris in the Holland Building. BOOKED BEFORE A SHOWING. Arrangement has been made between Myers & Keller and Weber & Rush for a breaking in date for May Dixie and her Fourteen Artillery Girls at their Baltimore house. They will be first seen there March 12; following that appearance they will be seen in Wilmington, and week of March 26 they will come to the Imperial, Brooklyn. The act is composed of a sabre drill by the girls, with the leader. May Dixie, mounted upon a warlike charger. MAY BELFORT WILL SHOW 'EM. May Belfort will appear at the Colonial for the second time March 5 with a col- lection of new songs and a quantity of fresh talk. Miss Belfort guarantees that Ida Rene will have no opporf unity this time to stand up before the assembled multitudes and scream. Following the Colonial week and the run around the Percy O. Williams one mile track Miss Belfort will be seen at Hammerstein's. KERNAN RED HOT. Kernan in Baltimore, who now operates two burlesque houses as a spoke in the Western Wheel (Empire Amusement Com- pany), threatens to buy the city, if neces- sary, to force the evacuation of his latest opposition, the new Gayety, operated by the Columbia Amusement Company (Eastern Wheel). Mr. Kernan has enjoyed a monopoly in the Monumental City for such a length of time in all branches of theatricals that he did not give the subject of "opposi- tion" serious thought when first apprised of the new house, simply opening the Bijou as a counter attraction, giving him two burlesque theatres as against one for the other wheel. Sim Williams' Ideals played the Bijou for the opening week, when the Gayety also first raised the curtain. At the ending of that engagement Mr. Ker- nan discovered that he had really started a competitor to his other house with the Bijou, and the weekly receipts the Ideals played to is reported to have been only $400. The rumor about town was that the Gayety had during the same time taken in $6,200, and Kernan grew furious. The second week showed $5,800, and the Chesa peake manager turned the air blue. He has a site selected, and vows that he will have a burlesque house large enough to seat all Baltimore, outdoing the Gay ety, which will make it quite ;iii expensive building if this is done. NOVELTY REOPENS. Percy G. Williams' Novelty Theatre re opened after having been closed the great er part of the season. The house has been done over in light tints, with the result that it is not only much lighter and more cheerful, but suggests an increase in size. Fire escapes have been added and changes made in the dressing rooms to add to the comfort of the artists. There was a large attendance in the afternoon, and a crowded house at night, from which it would appear—^that the patrons are still loyal to the pioneer house. "THE DAILY TURNIP." At Hammerstein's Victoria Theatre much interest is shown by the "wise" ele- ment over a daily newspaper edited by Bert Leslie, Robert Dailey and James ,1. Morton. The sheet is called "The Daily Turnip" and recites the flippant possibili ties of the day to the intense amusement of the professional brethren behind the scenes at Hammerstein's, who fully ap preciate the contents. The paper is hand printed, and reflects credit on its editors. ED ROGERS A MUSIC PUBLISHER. A new music publisher soon will be Ed Rogers, who has located at 53 West Twenty-eighth street. Mr. Rogers has financial backing of unlimited amount and his influence on the music trade will soon be felt, it is said, Mr. Rogers having had previous experience in this line. $1,200 FOR MISS VON STUDDIF0RD. Grace Von Studdiford has been booked ;»f $1,200 weekly for several weeks. Al exander Steiner, the prima donna's man :i<_ r er. says she will not play for less and that the price will elevate itself <<> $l.. r >00 very shortly.