The billboard (Sept 1911)

9EPTEWBER 16, 1911. Ttie Billboard 17 Cantlon U the keynote ol tbe cnrrent tbeatrl- ul seaam In Chicago and Middle Weat. Tbe leason ot 1810-lBll was itlfled and wilted be- fore it reached its normal fruition by a verita- ble alroceo, an nnprecedentedly early apell of keat Eren In early June, when Broadway atlU retained Ita flannela and Intereat In Indoor imaaements, Chicago waa aweltering onder a hot wind from the aoDtbweatem prairies, which the bniTeat effort of the bke MlcDlBan xepbyra coold aot dispel. Aa a resalt, all of tlM theatre* of the West- ern metropolis, with only a tew conapicnons exceptions, closed down for an all-anmmer period <t desnetnde. Only tbe whimsical Tlrlllty of Get-Rlch-Qnlek WaUlngford, the amnslng In- anity of Uttle Mlaa FIz-It, and the noelodlous More of Tbe Beartbreakera, made It possible for tbe Olympic, tbe Chicago Opera Bouse and the PrIaCess, respectlTely. to breast the ' torrldlty. Their ranks were later Joined by Dear Old Billy at the Whitney, which under Charles Bawtrey's lenlna as farcenr, baa kept that bouse comfort- ably filled all summer. These attractions, to- gether with high-class vaudeTlUe at the Majes- tic, constltnted practically the entire theatrical Srorender all summer. Tbe home product satls- ed itself with the aummer parks and outdoor amnaements, leaving to the stranger within tbe fates the privilege -of mixing their theatrv- (olng with Goptona perspiring. Naturally, the theatre managera, who nearly alwaya proceed with a conserratlam thought torelgs to the "ahow bnslneaa." have delayed the re-opening of their honsea ontn all pnwpect •t extreme torridlty has paased. Thia auper- tantlonsnesa has cost the loanegers a eraislder- able amount that they might hare garnered dur- big the ATlatlon Meet.- At that time the stranrp ipectade waa presented of tbe largest number of naitlng strangers that hare been In Chicago at any one time since tbe World'a Colnmblan Exposition, being absolutely with **no place to go." The Cort Theatre was the first of the Chicago theatres to re-<Hien, the new Owen Davia comedy. An Everyday Man, with Thomas W. Boss a» star, bel'— tbe Teblelc that has broken all box <ace records .for this taonte for single consecn- On performance* alnee the bonse was built. It looks now as though thi* plav and star wUl •core a long nm In Chicago. McVteker's. tbe Uatorle plsyboaae on Madison street, resumed Its seaasa with The Seep Purple OB August 28, aad ever since has been packed to capacity with highly appreciatlTe patrons. The aame happy state of airatrs Is to be chron- icled for the Chicago Opera Bouse, which opennl en September 1, with Dnstln and William Far- Bmn, In The Uttlest Rebel: tbe Oarrlck. with Holbrook Bltnn, In The Boss: the Grand, with William Bodee, in The Man From Borne; the Angelas, with a revlTal of comic and light opera, under the management of Col. William nompaon, on September 2; the La Salle Opera Boose, with Louisiana Lou, and the Olympic, with John Barrymore and Thomas Wise, In "u Si-ptember 3. and the Colonial. •Ith Zlegfeld'a Fbllles, on September 4. There la not a theatre In Chlcage but what Is Ming a comfortable bnslness, while many ot the loop section bonae* are "turning then> away.** The answer la dae to the fact that Father oearbom, havlnK been starred^ laiwtrlcally '{'"king, all summer, is hungry for amiisempnt or this character. The coming of :he crisp, o^ki Ughts, snd tbe presence at this sesson of Ih- nir or an imraenae merchant and iiBrIenltur«i oa«», drawn to CIilciEo to lay In the new sea- was stock, and to dispose of their cattle auil train and other commodities. Insures a contln- aance of the good patronage, at least until nianksglTlng. CQEMN" me i MADRID ^■SSRJlSfilOJ/ Or Mess Alrartcs^ MoTlng pictures ot Dante's Inferno occupy the Princess until tbe new attraction comes in at tbe end of tbe month. The Lyric, the third Bhubert theatre In Cblcago, opens with Gertrude Holfman's Russian Dancers on September II. On September 16, Jelferson De Angelis. in Tbe Ladles* Lion, will begin the new seanon at the Illinois. On September 18. the new Blackstone Will reanma wltb James K. Backett In Tbe Grain of Dust, and on the same night. Powers' will inaugurate the fall period with the appearane* of Kyrle Bellew. in The (UoUuse. .With tte opening of tbe Stndebaker on September 24. with Elsie Janla In The Slim Princess, and the resumption of business at tbe end of the month at the American Music Ball, with a aerlea of reviews by Lew Fields, every Loop district house wUl be under way again. Recent ablfta ln the managerial. kaleidoscope have made Col. William Roche a leading factor In the amnsement of Chicago,. especially aa coik : cems the outlying houses. This veteran Show-> man either owns or controls interests Inr the.' Academy, Bljoa. Haymarket, Alhamlmi and Marlowe, in the two latter twaaea belnc asso- ciated with Mr. Charles B. Marvin. Interest in stock, which reached its periodical high-water mark last season^ baa waned aome- what, and the Imperial, which waa devoted to that policy last year, has resumed ita place as a combination house. This leaves tbe Marlowe in Englewood and the College on the North Side as the sole present representatives ot that form of theatrics. The College, imder the manage- ment of T. 0. Gleason, who gnldea It* deitmles last season, opened on August 28, with the per- sonnel of its stock n>mpany practically im- changed from last aeaaon. The leading peovla are: Marie Ndsim and Bodney Banom, wUle at the Marlowe. Albert FblUip* zemain* 13ie lead- ing man. The National in Englewood, the Crown in tbe Northwestern seetltHi. and tbe Criterion on the North Side, will contlnne as combination iianaee. The Auditorium will open late In September with tbe annual lienefit for the Policemen's Ben- evolent-Association, which this year will be the musical comedy. The Sweetest Girl in Paria. A fortnight will be devoted to -this, then tbe various purposes to which this theatre is dedi- cated will have their course until November 22. when the Chicago-Philadelphia Grand Opera Com- pany will begin its season under the general management of Andreaa Dlppel. ~ Among the artists who will constitute tbe personnel of. the company this year are: Mmes. Tetraxainl. Uary Garden, GervtUe-Beache, White, Berat, Zeppilll and Miss Maggie Teyte, tbe Irish soprano: Messrs. Dalmores, Dufranne, Buberdeau, Orabhe. Bassl, Sanmarco, Scott. Novelty is promised In tbe repertoire by Massenet's Cendrillon, which mil lie iiiTfomiMl for tbe first time In CSiICBgD on November 27. Another amusement pro.*ect that promises to appeal strongly to dilettante Chlesf-*). Is tbe ten- weeks* season that is schediibMl for the Lyrlr Theatre In February, tmder tbe ansplces of the Cblcaso Theatre Sov-lety. This movement. wblCB nnmbers many of the leading literary and soclsl lights of Chicago among Its patnuis, stand* ftnr ■ tbe encorragcmrnt of art In tbe drama, and to that end have sponsored the orsanlcatlon known as the Cblcago Drama Flayers. Xbey will un- dertake to cover the more mrattmlous aa well as the lesser known works of the great classic- ists of tbe stage in the period aBotted them at thi> Lyric. The season has opened prosperously for tbe vnndevllle and burlesque houses of Chicago, of which there are over a score, playing the best attractions, with possibly half as many mor* under constructiim or about to be opened. With the exception of MeVicker's. tbe attrac- tions there being arranged npon an inunntable schedule, practlcaliT aU tbe attiactlooa now on the boards In the Loop section are on for mns. At the Grand Opera Bouse, Tbe Altaic at thi- Barracks will succeed the encasement of WlillaxB Hodge, elving way la torn to Bebelllon by Joseph Medlll Patterson, a gifted Chicago play- wright. Miss Gertrude Elliott will star In R*- (Continued on page 73.) PROMINENT PRODUCING MANAGERS. Marc Klaw Benry B. Barrla A, L. Erianger Daniel Frohman Joseph M. Weber Barrlaon Grey Flske A. H. Wood* Sam B. Harri* B, C. Whitney Henry Savage