The billboard (Sept 1910)

8. ^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^ . SEPTEMBER S, jajo. oming Season in Gotham By FRANK WINCH. OpUmlgm beads tbe call board for the the- atrical season of 1910-11. Erery where maaagers are. bnatllnc to. prepare prodnctions—actors are ■ctaping away , the mental cobwebs that gather dtiriag the Taeation period—there Is an Indica- tion on all aides of antlelpated prosperity.:. In no other line: of endeavor where faUnre ffltts so : teas lagly with snccess .the' sliow game mores "imperturbably on—wln'^uils year—most win next —mns the slogan, and we all believe In it—at least we think we do. In years gone by I had to ask Mesars. Belasco, Bhnbert. Barage, Erlanger. Fiske, or others tor an opinion as to tiie ontlook—this season one : needs bnc glance over tbe llst o£ proposed at- traetloas to get the answer. . Everywhere on Broadway comes the same an- swer:"This will be a big. prodndng season." And Dgnring on these lines. It isn't, dlfflcnlt to deduce , a heavy strain of optimism. There are many reasons for believing 1910 offers mnrh in tlie way oC indncement—attest this by the glofk- Ing report of crops—an off-presidential year— no lenutlonal mind dlvertets like the Hodaon- VnltOD celebration—add to thia a wfaettlns of appetite: for the battle royal that Is expected betweeD the varioas theatrical Interests. A > glance over the list of prodnctions ahows. too. that eveiT taste ;WlIt . be;.catered to, the .entire thespie cycle : will span . anmnd : and some- wbete the pnbllc will Ibid iometlilng. : .'T-lliere is Jnst me word-I wish here—« fore- warning—to that vast horde of theatrically. In- . .dlaed—:Wltli .wiitfnl . eyes .tamed to ';Braadway —with a longing for: Joat one diance: to ahlne ■a a star.:: Tlilnk It: over, twice, before casting your lot in this terrifle theatric pandemonlnm—^no .donbt there Is a chance for every one-^there are hundreds of playing ; parts to be tilled—actors ' are .ln demand—bnt don't : forget that there are tamdreds here now—romping over-Broadway— and besieging manager and booking agent—flrom several of these I. learn that there, will be an abundance of actors returned to other lines of wnk when the last show has gone—take my tip, don't come to Broadway looking for work— get it before yon.come, or don't come. . vacnooa comedies. It means something. It stands for something. . It: Impresses the and- lence with the fact that commercialism has not entirely eradicated the love of art for art's Bake. Plays diange the current.of men's lives as well as the current of their thoughts, and it Is such plays that Uve and endore. This was no doubt true of The Lion and the Honse. and the same holds good with The Third Degree. v"r was prompted In selecting as Elsie Fergu- son's starring vehicle. A Hatter of Honey,. be- cause : fit ustands^' for something, v The ; author -speaks, a strong, .word: for.vthe necessity of. laws that wlU;>.protect children ^'employed In: . manu- faetnring: .establishments.: Believing' ilnoly; as I do .that^the:tIieatre aa an educational medium most not be overlooked^ I am convinced that this play-will aronse pnbllc sentiment to (be extent that, sslatary measures wtU: be exacted tliat will tend: to ameliorate the conditions' of the children of .: the poor, who: are CQmpeHed to labor, at an age when they should be in school. :• ::'..■,■ :•• ■ .. '"One good, strong/, vital play will: 4o more to arouse :lnterest In the theatre thsn a doseu meaningless^ empty prodnctions. Here In Mew Tork managers welcome' snecesses even though -they are not their own. :>:Tbe theatregoer, having tematlonal Cup Bace. the Ballet of; Niagara, and The Earthquake as spectacles, written and produced by B. H. Bamslde. Invrated and scen- ic effects by Arthur Voeghtlin, music 4iy Ifannel Klein: John Fitzpatrlck will be lealdent lionse manager. Ur. Fltspatrick Is one-otr the ablest sod best-liked maaagers In the conntiy.. Mar- celine and "Silvers" Oakley will be.the.prln- clpal clowns. ... Mr. Savage's list for the eomlog seaaan ls- the: most Interesting and .extensive oI.bls;caner..: In addition to the prodnetlona hitherto :apOken; of; he wni have: aBotIier_operetta: br-the .trinntvir-' ate responsible for: Toe .fMerryv^WIdo*. : entli- tied-The Prince's Child: two Berlin-snecesses In- the comedies. Baroo :€ood-for-7Iothlng ::and. The Iieft'nant'B Ward, and Pocdnl's grand opera. The Olrl of the Golden West, an operatic, version of the famous BeUseo drama'of fBe:>asme name. Three strong :companIes:'wlIl tnterpict!tiie aeUT sationally successful drams' of mother-lore, Ma- dame 'X. In all the modaniUatocy ot^tbe New Tork and. Chicago stages,. there has fnever . been an emotional drama: comparable to this by Al- exandre: BIsson ; In.: point of popular appeal and of. dramaturgic.' power.':.. More .than a lialf-mll- llon Americans "have already attended the por- ing list of imported novelties as incidental fea- tures. .. Theodore & Co., a Parisian farce that la atill luUng ooake the sides ot .tbe gay boDlevardlers, after many months of: eontinaaas aseksa In that city, .will: be preaented in aa - adaptatUn:: by Oliver Herford. The farce Is absolately clean, tlieieln bavtaiK a distinct advaiitage: over. Its brother < pieces from that sooree In recent yearn.. . ■' ' Uttle Boy Blue, a romantic ofwretn by Hear ry Bereny, promises to be the prime jfeatnre In Its Held. This Is to be the niece de resBtanee of the coming year in TIenna. where Ita ad- vent Is eagerly awaited. A , mnstcal comedy: by American anthonhlp wlll be TIM Orape Oirl. by Onstav Iimtera.^.eam- poser of The Prince of pilsen; alld : J•met ,UUr• cnee Harvey. It tells a delightful mnalcs] :staQ :; of a-champagne country. The Divorce Fund, by A. E. Thomas. Is a light comedy by an author who hu suddenly achieved rank among the cleverest of out writ-, en for the stag& it aatiilsea most asnnaingly.; the ultra-modern 'Woman, and It'Is at-once ab- ' . sOlotely new and as: trenduntly 'Wltty.: as any- thing by O. Bemud Shaw.. Enpeit Hnghes':' fareleal: cooiedy. i Ezense Me. . Is. another: work..;::oC.. native antbomhlp: that.- atanda-forth with peenlla r prominence as a-likely ]angh-pradoceti.otttbe-Nth power. ..: Kve^rwomaii,;:br..Walter-Browne, gives prom- ise of lieing! a aenaatlon.:. It la .absolutely: : onique—though: Its appeal- and Itssatire alike are simed at all the world—to wit, ereiy wo- The following Is a list of attraetlons to be, preaented by Kredetle Thompson dnrlqc : the season of 1910-11: ansa Mabel Taliaferro In a new play; GlrUea; tay Oeorge Y.' Holmrt,-Harry 'WllUama and' Eg- : bert. Tan Alstrae: The Spendthrift, eaatera.-and western companies^ by Porter' Emerson Browne: My Man. a new play by Fotieat Balaey and. Bdlth Bnis: The Flyers, by Oeo. Bane Mc- Cntcbeoo;. The Other Half,. by Porter Bmeraon Browne; The Fool's Comedy, by Hartley Man- ners; Folly of the OlRus, by Margaret Mayo, and Brewstefe Millions, by 'Wlnehell Smith and Byron Ongley.'.: ,-,.:• :V:'.. I CEettlng hack Xa Vat aeason's. outlook, H^ny ;B. Harris sums It up very ap^ In these re- .marfcsi > ■*The coming theatrical season offers-jnaoy In- dncements to the American pnblie to renew -their Interest Id the theatre as a place of en- .tertalnment. Here In.^New Xotk the season : opens rather earlier^t^thact.. usual, and for the llxst. time In many ye^rf^e.- will see at the very beginning a large - unnib^. of- plays of a light cbaraeter.' iTJimally •thls'-^ are put on at. the tagr end .'Of'the .season, and such has 'been-the-nsoal-policy~al-the Mew York pro-, daelsg managers.. : ': / "Mowadajs^ .with.' the:' :tzemendoas InterefOt shown ltt:.-antomoblllng and other outdoor diver- sions. It Is'hard' at (Int. .to: tease the public back Into r theatregolns. -: Nothing succeeds so well as a-vehlcle-:that.:proieets. and promotes laughter and;merrimen^rand It Is no doubt doe- to this reason that my;:brother;'maBagers and I have decided In'istarting - the.-season witlL com- edies. '..As the days progress and . the . New Torkers'- return ; from seashore; and mountains, a more staple order of plays Twill be on r view. The real solid dramas are . seldom seen'Ini New York until the'latter part of '-October; or the flrat of November; :then: we wUl-ibave-.what tlie press sgents are prone-^-^ callrr^foeb-aiaklng dramas"; In other-.vrordB; It.Is then tliat we see the plays with "a purpose. .- The prodndng' manager feels more real satisfaction In standing sponsor for a play with a purpose, even though tt..s,noi.asJ,.g a bo^-office winner. asJJi^Jlgltf^ visited the theatre snd seen a play that be ad- mires. Is tempted to go again, to some other house. This fact is well known to every man- ager.. Given a season' devoid of big hits wit- nesses a season that Is classed as a bad year in theatricals: New York, with Its many play- honses. needs «wly a half doxen big bits to malce the season generally a good one. Aa Patricia O'Brien In Xlie:Oiams Glrl .expressea It, 'It's always a bad season for. bad plays'—yet from annoaneements that have been made by the pro- dacins' managers of New Tork, 1: am quite sore that this coming season will be; the biggest year in the history of the theatre In America." The Messrs. Shubert iiave fired their first gno. Clara Upman in The Marriage of a Star, a new comedy, is running full blast at the Beckett— Grace.George found favor m Baby Mine, under fhe management, of < Brady- and the; Shnberta, with £ew Fields; they, have Marie Dressier In Time's NIghtmareiand The Snmmer; Widoweis Is a Ug bits. Eddie Foy, vrltb Emma Cams, Is a screeching big hit It Is a trifle; toovearly to secnie a. complete forecast of tlie Shubert pro- dnctions. but word is given out that the attrac- ttona will be more-In numl)er and merit than ever before. Among the many Shnliert stars may lie mentioned Louise Onnning, Sam Ber- nard, James T. Powers, Arthur Byron, Charles Cheny. Florence Boberts. Mrs. Stuart Robioo, Fritzl Scheff. E. H. Sothem, Idurette Taylor, John Mason, Ernest Lambart. and a host of oth- ers. The New Tork Hippodrome, under the Shu- bert mansgement, opens Saturday. Septemlm opens Satn formsuces in the two cities, with the vogue of the play yet in Its xenlth in both. The Merry Widow will again be presented by two organizations, each of the same hl|;b stand- ard of excellence that has hitherto marked the presentations of Leber's deathless melodic mas- terpiece. ' ■■:r:'',':;: >•;: The Prince of : Pilsen, the perennially' popular Fixley-Lnders' musical comedy, win be sent out again this season with a stellar company thst Includes practically all the able pfayors en- gaged in the original cast. This win be one of the most brilliant revivals In recent years, XIss Patsy, the merry cbsraclcr-i^omedy adapted from the Gerxnao by Sewell Collins, will follow Its line .Chicago success by an esrly- advent in New Tork.'Miss l Oertiode Qnlnlsn, whose artistic reputation < bss; been so.i:greafly enhanced.by her.vrorfc In thla prodnetlon,, will, lis the featured number of the .company. .The; Little Damoael, the comedy of Bohemlao life In London, which proved the hit: of the past year In the British espital. will be amoh^ the leading features In the Imported list The play Is by Monckton Hoffe. and among the players engaged for leading roles are May Buckley and Cyril KelghUey.. The Great Name is a comedy of sentiment that comes with the sterling msrk iMTStowcd by the Berlin critics and public. It Is tar Tic-, tor Leon and Leo Feld. snd while not la any. sense a mnsleal niay. It haa a most effective nse of s musical theme. Oliver Bertord's merry farce. The Florist Shop, will appear In the form of mnilcal eomed>. UiiiHiidllttiMllilMIIMilil Cohan and Harris offer a pretentions llst Whieu locludea many well-fcoown atara, also JbdOIaM* Thurston, who goes under their direction for the flrat time this season. Included In tte oOsflnga are. The Fortune Hunter (Eastern), with JTohn Barrymore; The Fortune Hunter (Western):' Mlas Lauretta Taylor In: The Girl In Waiting; The Memlier froms>Osark:^:wlth; Frederick .Bur- ton; Get- Bleb Quick Walllogtotd. by 0«o. ». Cohan: The Aviator with Edward Abeles:. The Penalty with Hilda Spong; J. B. Dodson In The House Next Door;''Baymond Hitchcock In The Man Who Owns Broadway; Oeo. M. Cohan and His Boyal Family In a new musical play, and Adelaide Thurston In Miss Ananlaa, The fol- lowing tbeatres are also under their mana^. ment: . The::Oeo, M. Cohan Theatre, the Oraud Opera House, the Oalety Theatre, the Colonial ; Theatre; :: Akron, O.; and the Park TBeatroi Toungstown, O. ' . 'Kl"w;A Erlanger win open the fall seaion at the N'« Amsterdam Theatre with Madame Sher*. ry, under the managemeot of Woods, Lederer and Frasco, which la now running at tha Colo- nial Theatre. Ohicsgo. Ltna Abnrbaneli heads the east of princioals, which also Includoa Balpli Hers. Jack Gardiner, Elisabeth Murray and a, singing chorus. Madame Sherry will be followed by Fred Ter- ry and Jnlla Nellmn ln The Scarlet Pimpernel and Henry of Navarre, by Devereaux. The Scarlet Pimpernel Is foimited on Baroness Ore- sy'a novel. The dramatisation was made by the Baroness and Montague Bantow. The plar has' Mil