Variety (Nov 1906)

VARIETY RYAN IN INDIANAPOLIS. Cincinnati, Nov. 2. John J. Ryan and associates have suc- ceeded in securing the theatre now being built in Indianapolis, which has one of the best sites in the city, located on Wash- ington avenue opposite Taggart's Hotel. Nearly two stories are now erected, and it will be pushed to completion as fast as the builders are able to proceed. The name of the new theatre has not been de- termined upon, but it will either be the "Olympic" or "Orpheum." Mr. Ryan has also secured a theatre in St. Louis, but it will be operated by a separate corporation of which John J. Ryan and Rudolph K. Hynicka, of Cincin- nati, are the chief stockholders. F. C. Bonsack, S. N. Oppenheimer and Jacob Oppenhciiner, of St. Louis, are associated with Mr. Ryan in the deal. The site secured is the northwest corner of Sixth and Market streets. The build- ing will be a combination hotel and the- atre, the latter having a seating capacity of 2,500. It will be twelve stories high and has already been christened "Or- pheum." These two theatres will be oper- ated in connection with the other Ryan houses, all to be booked through William Morris. This places Ryan in opposition to the Western Vaudeville Association managers in several cities. In Chicago Ryan will have Kohl & Castle to contend with when his new theatre there is built. In St. Louis the opposition will be Tate & Mid- dleton, and in Indianapolis he will further oppose Max C. Anderson, who is fighting Ryan's Olympic in Cincinnati at the pres- ent time. WILL SELL LYCEUM AT AUCTION. London, Oct. 26. There is nothing so uncertain as a "sure thing," and those who thought the Lyceum Theatre to be their "bird in hand," now find it "in the bush." It will after all be sold by judicial process, the whole wide world at liberty to bid. There was a provisional arrangement with the Sims-Shirley Twentieth Century Syndicate, Ltd., subject to the consent of the court, and preliminary soundings showed this deal was likely to go through. The complication came from Colonel Mapleson's cash offer of $600,000, which showed the Lyceum was not such dead property that it could not be galvanized into signs of life. The second debenture holders, doubtless thinking the price might be run up higher by a little spirited bidding, raised objec- tions on sober second thought to prema- ture proceedings, and brought about this judicial ultimatum. So if Percy Williams wants a grand house to anticipate Keith or to compete with him when he opens, let him raise his index finger ere the auc- tioneer's hammer falls. The old Jay Gould idea of buying a good thing when ft is depreciated is not a bad one, and the Lyceum will make good mouey when the right man comes along. MORRIS AFTER TWO. There is reason to believe that William Morris will come into possession of two Shubert houses, one in Newark, N. J., and one in Springfield, Mass. Announcement of the acquisition of other houses to the Morris string may be made before another week has passed. EASTERN GETS BUFFALO. The Eastern Burlesque Wheel will play the (harden Theatre in Buffalo from Mon- day next. That house belonged to M. Shea and has been playing vaudeville in oppo- sition to Mr. Shea's other vaudeville the- atre. The Garden played a good grade of the article at a lesser price than his own oppo- sition, and Mr. Shea discovered he was hurting himself. The Eastern Wheel gladly relieved him of the theatre for its combinations. The burlesque organization to open will be "Paris by Night" next Monday. It is a new show on the circuit, playing for the first time. The Navajo Girls, Swan and Hambard. Ann Goldie, Mildred Stroller and Collins and Golden will be in the company, with "The Girl in Blue" (Millie De Leon) if Hurtig & Seamon's consent to her re- lease can be obtained. The Buffalo time added to the Eastern circuit will replace the vacancy caused by Norfolk having been taken off the list. The routes will be rearranged to have the companies play the Garden after leaving Cleveland. The new Washington house which was expected to take up this open week between Philadelphia and Baltimore will be opened so late in the season that it will reduce the number of "returns" from four to three. Shows will now play Baltimore immediately after leaving Phila- delphia when on that section of the route. Charles E. White, formerly an advance man for Gus Hill, will be the Garden's new manager. "HIP" UNDER OLD MANAGERS? OFFERED WESTERN THE MOHAWK. Although the firm of Weber & Rush, Eastern Burlesque Wheel managers, is de- termined that the Western Wheel shall not have a burlesque theatre in Schenec- tady against its Mohawk Theatre there, now playing vaudeville, the firm has, how- ever, offered to dispose of the Mohawk to the Western at cost. Otherwise the Mobawk will be changed to an Eastern Wheel house at the first active signs by the opposition and Weber & Rush have secured a site in the city where a new vaudeville house, the plans for which are now ready, will be erected. NO BURLESQUE IN PARK THEATRE. The unfounded reports published for the past two weeks that the Park Theatre at 129th street and Third avenue would be leased by the Eastern Burlesque Wheel were not considered worthy of de- nial by the Eastern managers. The Park was for some years called the Olympic and played burlesque. That was in the day before modern theatres and methods on the burlesque circuits made an appearance. Any one knowing the theatre, its location, interior and surround- ings, would realize immediately the idiocy of the rumors. SHUBERTS WANT ALEX. CARR. It was reported this week that ttie Shu- bert Brothers had submitted an offer to Alex Carr to leave the "Wine, Woman and Song" burlesque company for one of their Broadway productions. Mr. Carr has been the burlesque sensa- tion this season with a sketch "The End of the World" and also his impersonation of Dave Warfield. The Shuberts saw Carr when he played last week with the com- pany at the Circle. Thompson & Dundy may again as- sume the direction of the Hippodrome. On all sides one hears vague rumors to this effect, but nothing more definite can be gleaned than that Messrs. Shubert and Anderson are making ready as rapidly as possible the new production for the huge edifice and that if it should not be suc- cessful they will retire from its manage- ment at once. The report further figures that the original managers will regain possession about January 1st. Just what authority any one has for making such assertions can not be learned. Anderson is alleged to have stated to a number of his in- timates that he is tired of the "job" and in the event of the next Hippodrome pro- duction failing to yield suitable returns the Shuberts would probably be glad to retire. Whether they can or not and whether or not Fred Thompson and Elmer Dundy, or either, would care to once more take the reins no one can say with any semblance of authority. The .New York Hippodrome Company, owners of the building, would be com- pelled to make some kind of a deal with the former managing directors of the es- tablishment, in the event of a defection on the 'part of the present lessees. Thompson and Dundy own a sufficient quantity of the stock of the corporation to prevent the levying of any assessments and should there be at any time a deficit there would be no way of making it up without tljeir consent. PHILADELPHIA STILL OPEN. The special dispatch from Cincinnati in Variety last week stating that Philadel- phia, among other cities mentioned, had been assured the sole bookings from the Morris office on Mr. Ryan's assurance that he intended building there was contra- dicted by William Morris this week. Mr. Morris said that the mention of Philadelphia was in error and that no promise had been made to any one for his bookings in that town. Percy G. Williams evaded an answer when asked if he would have a vaudeville theatre in the Quaker City by the open- ing of '07-'08 season. PRICE KEEPS ADA REEVES AWAY. It is a question of money only that prevents Ada Reeves, the English comedi- enne, from signifying her willingness to come over here. Miss Reeves' first open time is January 7, '07, and she asks $2,000 to play in America each week after that. Percy Williams thinks the figure too high, and unless some other manager agrees to it, or Mr. Williams changes his mind, the Englishwoman will not pass any portion of the winter with us. PAYS HALF RECEIPTS FOR DAIZY. Cleveland, Nov. 2. La Belle Daizy, the famous "Red Domi- no," is booked at the Lyric Theatre next week. It is the first time she haa ap- peared here. The terms under which the dancer plays the house are said to be 50 per cent, gross of the weekly receipts as her share. WILL INVOKE ANTI-TRUST LAW. Variety's Chicago Office, 79 S. Clark St. Nov. 2. Suits in the United States Courts under the Anti-Trust laws will soon be started, it is claimed, against the Western Vaude- ville Association. Intimidation and co- ercing of artists and acts will be the basis for the charges. Behind the suit will be the Sullivan- Considine circuit and the International Theatre Company. The name of William Morris is also mentioned, but it is not be- lieved that he is concerned. Great rivalry has been going on for some time over the capture of acts for the cheaper circuits and the smaller houses booked by the association. The latter has used its influence to corral all available acts in sight and to prevent them from playing on the other circuits. As a re- sult, the "ten cent" people have had hard work filling their bills. The matter reached such a pass that the suits have been threatened. Members of the association admit that they have heard some such talk, but re- fuse to discuss it. SEABROOKE AND HALL SEPARATE. The newly organized vaudeville act of Thomas Q. Seabrooke, Pauline Hall and company has dissolved, Miss Hall deciding that she can do better alone. The dis- solution may have been hurried by the fact that the Orpheum circuit decided about the middle of this week that they did not want the Seabrooke-Hall act and gave notice that they would play Miss Hall only if she appeared alone. Miss Hall has recently developed not a little business acumen, as evidenced by her action while playing Hurtig & Sea- mon's last Sunday night, on which oc- casion she refused to go on with the sketch until she was assured the amount of her salary. Jules Hurtig personally guaranteed it. . Vaudeville experts forecasted several weeks ago, when the new sketch played the Keeney house for the fin*t time in the metropolis, that the combination would not last long. It is declared that it would have dissolved after the Brooklyn date had it not been for the special re- quest of the Morris office that they play Springfield for one week in the Shu- bert house there. SOUSA REFUSES $20,000. An offer of $20,000 for a four weeks en- gagement next summer at the "White City" park in Chicago was made for Sousa's band this week by F. M. Barnes, the Chicago agent, while in this city. Sousa refused the offer for the reason that he would play no "ten-cent" park. An admission of ten cents at the gate at "White City" is charged. GUILBERT AND CHEVALIER HIGH. Both factions are in treaty with Yvette Guilbert and Albert Chevalier, when that pair complete their whirlwind concert tour. To all overtures Mme. Guilbert and Mr. Chevalier have thus far replied that they would accept $4,000 weekly for a joint tour, or single salaries at $2,500. Among those who have made tenders are Mark Luescher and William L. Lykens.