Variety (June 1911)

10 VARIETY HEAL OPERA FOR "VAUD." What will be the most important operatic production presented to vaudeville is that contemplated for next fall by Werba & Luescher and Andreas Dippel, managers and pro- ducers of "The Spring Maid." Messrs. Mark A. Luescher and Louis F. Werba know as much about vaudeville as there is to find out. With Mr. Dippel, they have concluded to place a one- act operetta in the variety field. The music will be by the composer of "The Spring Maid." Mr. Dippel, while in Europe this summer, will engage the four singers necessary to interpret the light score. DID WELL IN ENGLAND. (Special Cable to Variety) London, June 7. Brlce and King opened at the Tivoli Monday, and scored an instantaneous success despite a poor position and a very light attendance. Marie Fenton made her debut at the Palace the same night. Although appearing before nine o'clock, she did passably. Noblett, a quick change artist, be- tween Hymack and Fregoli, was a hit at the Coliseum. CONTROL PASSES ON MA RIG NY. (Special Cable to Variety.) Paris, June 7. Mr. Bonheur has purchased 600 shares in the Folies Marigny, securing the controlling interest. Mr. Borney, manager of the house, is quite ill. Leon Poget will probably manage the the- atre in 1912. Bonheur represents a syndicate. His control commences July 1. BRENNAN BILL DEFEATED. Albany, N. Y., Jun e 7. The Brennan Bill was defeated in th e legislature today. It amended cer- tain sections of the present Employ- ment Agency Law. ASKED TO AFFILIATE. At the annual business meeting of the Actors' Society Thursday, the or- ganization discussed the proposition from the White Rats Actors' Union to affiliate with the latter body. The women connected with the So- ciety had previously discussed the mat- ter and the Society itself was given the opportunity to become closely allied with the union. There is opposition in the Actors' Society to the proposed af- filiation. The Society elected officers and transacted other business. BERT LESLIE'S NEW SKETCH. Bert Leslie is getting a new sketch ready with four people. William Ly- kens is after vaudeville time for it. Leslie will probably have another slangy skit on the order of his former hits. MIDGET COMEDIAN. Ad Newberger has a new prodigy in Little Lord Robert, a midget come- dian, twenty-two inches tall ami weighing fourteen pounds. Mr. Xewborger expects to show the diminutive one around New York within tin? next four weeks. THE BEEHLERS SETTLING. Chicago, June 7. Returning home after a ten-day visit to New York, Charles and Dave Beehler have decided to re-enter vau- deville in the guise of promoters. The Beehlers will open offices here shortly for the purpose of promoting, produc- ing and managing vaudeville acts. Both boys have been schooled under Martin Beck, Charles Beehler having been Chicago manager of the Orpheum Circuit for the past Ave years, and was private secretary to Henry W. Savage, previously. Dave has been for some time private secretary to the late C. E. Kohl and spent several months inau- gurating the Orpheum Circuit system in some of their smaller cities. Arrangements have been made with the booking departments of the "big time'' in both the east and west where- by the Beehlers will be able to place any act that can pass Inspection. They are at present endeavoring to secure a "tryout" house here, where they can show their goods to the various mana- gers booking out of Chicago. The Beehlers will open offices here in the course of a few days. The advance notices of the Dave Beehler-Florence E. Frey marriage, in the form of invitations, are being dis- tributed around Chicago by Mr. Beeh- ler. The ceremony takes place in Evansville, June 19. Why Mr. Beehler selected Evans- ville is puzzling his friends, especially since the couple could have easily made the jump to Ozark or better still to Elgin. The Beehlers will set- tle in Chicago after the excitement blows over. STRANDS IN OHIO. Marysville, O., June 7. The John W. Vogel Minstrels played the last performance of the season her e Sunday night. After the show there were twelve members of the company left in the town without funds to pro- ceed further. There had been no pay received by the members of the company for the past two weeks and the show has been "wild-catting." When the season closed here the actors signed receipts to the manager as having received their salaries in full. But, instead of receiving as they believed envelopes containing their full pay for two weeks, they found a neatly typed note on opening the outer wrapping. The notes were written in the same vein throughout; they read: "I owe you $ , but under circumstances and having hard luck, I am unable to set- tle with you at this time, but hope to do so in the near future." The notes were unsigned and the police of this c ity to whom the strand- ed actors appealed, could render no as- sistance. GASTON'S NEW PARTNER. Hazel Swanson, formerly of Car- tor and Swanson, is to be the new partner of Billy Gaston, the team to i><> known as Gaston and Swanson. In s.-v»»-!Mher Miss Swanson will go to 1 >> «n open at the Folies Bergere al PROTECTS ONLY MEMBERS. Only members of the Vaudeville Managers' Protective Association are entitled to the protection of the asso- ciation, said an officer of it. "The impression seems to be out that we shall look after all managers who find themselves In trouble," he remarked to a Variety; representative. "That is not so. We give attention to only our own people, and in speak- ing of that I want to say that L. Schindler of Chicago, does not belong to the V. M. P. A." Variety, has also been informed that the Association will not indiscriminate- ly take in new members, but exercises a full discretion from applications made. TOM GILLEN Known from Coast to Coast as "FINNEGANS FRIEND"—Now planning a tour of the world. "EMPRESS," S-C UNIFORM NAME. Seattle, June 7. John Considine has decided the names of all theatres on the Sullivan & Considine Circuit shall be the same after July 1. "Empress" has been selected. Mr. Considine says the various names now used often confuses the traveling public. Mr. and Mrs. Earl Flynn (Nettle Mc- Laughlin) have been the parents of a girl since June 3. "THREE TREES" TORN UP AGAIN. The "Three Trees" of recitation fame, was torn up again this week, when Luescher & Werba notified the White Rats that any attempt by an officer of the organization to rent the "bit" out for vaudeville or other stage purposes would be legally resisted by the firm. Mark A. Luescher, in commenting on the matter this week, said that when dickering for the American stage rights to the recitation, several let- ters passed between his firm and the Rats official. The letters clearly con- vey the title of the recitation as far as the American stage rights go to Werba & Luescher upon the payment of around $250, which was paid for the account of Albert Whelan, a for- eign artist who claimed to have held the sole rights over here from Mark Sheridan, an Englishman, and the original owner. Upon purchasing the "Three Trees," it was made the center of a brief scene in Werba & Luescher's "Spring Maid," where it has since remained. Lately the "Trees" recitation has been adver- tised for vaudeville rental. Upon in- quiry Mr. Luescher was instructed to look at his last receipt for payment, if he wished to know where his Arm stood in the matter. Looking up the receipt, Mr. Luescher found that it limited the use of the recitation to the production. —• Smiling at the flimsy device, Mr. Luescher forwarded the original let- ters to his attorneys, with instruc- tions to go the limit. RICKEL AND WATSON PART. George Bickel and Harry Watson, the co-partners in the vaudeville firm of Bickel and Watson, have dissolved their union. The separation came with the closing of the season for "The Follies of 1910." Mr. Watson, of the former firm, will appear in the new "Follies of 1911." Bickel and Watson have been a "team" for sixteen years. SEYMOUR AND HILL AGAIN? Chicago, June 7. It is not unlikely that next season will see Frank Seymour and his for- mer wife, Emma Hill, working to- gether again. Since receiving this de- cree of divorce Seymour has been working with Grace Robinson. Miss Robinson's marriage to Billy Van leaves the acrobat without a partner. Close friends of the couple declare that next season will And them to- gether once more. Up to a few weeks ago Miss Hill had been doing a single. ELOISE MATTHEWS. The pictures on the front page this week are of Eloise Matthews, engaged for the principal female role next sea- son with Frank Wiesberg's "Star and Garter Show," on the Columbia Amusement Co. circuit. Miss Matthews did not publicly ap- pear last season, having temporarily retired to further cultivate her voice. She is a young woman of pleasing ap- pearance, much personality and con- siderable ability. Laddie Cliff has been offered the principal comedy role in next season's Drury Lane pantomime, London. Harry Taft sails for England next week to fulfill contracts for the next twelve months.