San Francisco dramatic review (1899)

I 2 THE SAN FRANCISCO DRAMATIC REVIEW April 10, 1909 Guy Smith Introduces a Good Thing in the Opening of the New Broadway Theatre in Oakland One more week and Kolb and Dill will have concluded their engagement at the Macdonough. This week they are playing The Politicians, and will follow with Lonesome Town. As this is the second week of The Politicians the attendance has naturally fallen off. Adele Rafter always comes in for her share of the honors and the chorus at all times have cause to feel satisfied with their treatment. At the Liberty the new leading woman Helen Holmes made her first appearance in The Crisis and in the opinion of everyone she will do. At last Manager Bishop has secured a leading woman who seems to possess every requirement for the position. Her personality is all that could be desired and in the role of Virginia Carvel in The Crisis Miss 1 1. )Imes showed ability. The part calls for devoted love at one stage and for considerable emotional power at another, and Miss Holmes was equal to both occasions. The balance of the company also seemed to enter into the spirit of the play with much more life than usual. Landers Stevens as Stephen Brice was at his best and gave an excellent portrayal of the character. E. L. Bennison played a fiery young Southerner to perfection and George Friend was more than good as the German student. Some fine character work was done by George Webster and Henry Shumer. Walter Whipple was added to the cast this week and showed up well as Eliphalet Hopper. Georgie Cooper was as vivacious and winsome as ever. Many a laugh was created by Lillian Elliott as Nancy the colored woman. The costumes and stage settings were very characteristic of the periods of the civil war and were appropriate in every detail. Willie Collier's clever comedy. Caught in the Rain, will be the next attraction. This week's bill at the Orpheum is a very even one and the attendance has been up to expectations. The Blessings, McDonald and Huntington, and Ray L. Royce are the holdovers, and the other features are as follows': Violet Black and company; Four Poncherry's ; James M. Cullen ; and motion pictures. A new motion picture with Taft in Panama is the principal number of the Bell's program. Don Leno's youngsters, The Great Erric ; Ellsworth and Lindon ; Les Georgrettys ; Ralph W. Snow also present some good numbers and taken all in all the week's entertainment is very satisfactory. The Broadway Theatre, formerly the Novelty, opened Monday night under the management of Guy Smith. The production chosen for the opening attraction is The Fatal Wedding and the company which has been gathered under Mr. Smith's management is one fully capable of giving a good account of themselves. In the roster we find snch well known players as Al H. Hallett, Priscilla Knowles, Jack Bennett, Louis Thompson, Sidney Diamond, Roy Clements, Anita Allen, Claire Sinclair and Georgia Woodthorp. The play was carried out with much smoothness and the settings and scenic effects were very much in keeping with the production. Al H. Hallett as stage director deserves much credit. The attendance was of the standing room order on the opening night and has kept up all week. Norris & Rowe's circus have been performing here the past week. The attendance has been very slight, much to the disappointment of the managers of Fabiola Hospital who were to. receive a benefit of all excess proceeds. The business was so poor that not a cent was realized for the benefit of the hospital. Ossip Gahrilowitsch, the celebrated pianist, gave a concert at the Liberty /th. The house was small but very enthusiastic. Admiral Evans will give a lecture at the Liberty 19th and the Orpheus Club have engaged the theatre for their annual concert the next night. Sunday, the 1 1 th, will mark the reopening of Idora Park. Patrick Conway's band will be the attraction. Dan Sully will open at the Macdonough 19th for a week's engagement and will be followed by Otis Skinner.* Mischa Elman, the Russian violinist will give a concert at the Liberty 23d. Louis Scheeline. Success Attends Opening of Oakland Broadway That wise and exceedingly popular young Oakland manager when he pulled off the Broadway Theatre deal did a clever and, we believe, a very profitable thing for all concerned. The opening last Monday night crowded the house to the doors and business has been immense all week. Mr. Smith knows the Oakland taste — good shows at popular prices — about 50 cents is the Oakland limit except for an attraction of national renown. The Fatal Wedding was the opening bill and the company under Al Hallett's skillful direction showed up exceedingly well. Priscilla Knowles was a dream of beauty and a revelation in an emotional way as the heroine. Anita Allen played the "little mother" with a powerful and finished art and Claire Sinclair was the scheming "heavy" to splendid purpose. Al Hallett. Georgie Woodthorpe, Jack Bennett, Roy Clement, Sydney Diamond, Louis Thompson and Fred Munier established themselves as good actors. Spotlights A series of tangles has entered into the settlement of the estate of Martha A. Brizse. who once supported Edwin Booth. Modjeska and Mary Anderson under the stage name of Martha Pennoyer. Mrs. Brizse died in Boston, Sunday, April 4, leaving an estate estimated to be worth $75,000. A third THE BROADWAY OAKLAND, CAL. FORMERLY NOVELTY GUY C. SMITH, Manager Monday, April 12 New to Oakland Heart of the Blue Ridge Evenings: 15c, 25c, 35c, 50c. Wednesday and Saturday Matinees: 10c and 25c of the property was left in trust, the income to be paid a relative, James S. Drew, of St. Louis, and at his death to go to The Dramatic Fund of New York. Advices received show that Drew is dead and also that there is no such society as The Dramatic Fund of Xew York. The Raymond Teal company left by the City of Topeka for Eureka yesterday morning, where they will play a two weeks' engagement at the Margarita Theatre. This is the initial at-" traction of the Great W estern Theatrical Circuit in this house and will be followed by many more high class shows that have been contracted for. Reno, March 31. — Arguments in the case of Mrs. E. II. Sothern, whose stage name is Virginia Harned, against her actor-husband, occupied the attention of two judges to-day. Neither principal was present, and only depositions formed the evidence. The attorneys for Mrs. Sothern contend that service on the husband is all that was necessary. The case is regarded as a test of the Nevada divorce law, which is expected to go eventually to the Supreme Court. The complete roster of the company which will support Selma Herman during her long stock season at Seattle, beginning next week, includes Robert Vaughn, Henry W. Otto, Rollins Holden, Raymond S. Paine, Harry McFayden, Irving Lancaster, Harry J. Russell, Fred E. Wright, Ruth Vaughn, Dorothy Stanton, Minnie Williams, Catherine Collins and Maurice James Fitzgerald. Sullivan & Considine are to retain the name of Majestic for their new theatre at Second and Spring. The Valencia Theatre will remain closed until Easter Sunday afternoon, when, after weeks of careful rehearsal and, painstaking preparation, Peter Pan, J. M. Barrie's delightful fantasy, will be presented for the first time in San Francisco by a stock company. Peter Pan will serve to introduce the Valencia's new leading lady, Harriet Worthington, who will appear in the titular role. Little Rena Kiefe. a child actress, will appear, and the three Walter children, who have just concluded an engagement in the Los .Angeles presentation of the play, have been brought to San Francisco for the production which the Valencia management promises to be of the highest order of excellence possible. Herman I Idler and his orchestra, which will be augmented for the occasion, will play all of the music from the original score and the incidental numbers will be appropriate and very interesting. The Gleason-McGlynn play. Might's Right, that sees its first performance at the American Theatre, April 15, went into rehearsal this week. The company will be composed of Thomas McLarnie, who has been specially engaged to play the lead; Frank Mc( il ynn, Lansing Rowan, Maybelle Thompson, Ora Harris, Elaine Davis, Charles Place, Edmund W. Bracht, Emmet Sarsfield, Thomas Caulfield, Ralph Bell, Norman Phillips, Howard Nugent and Franklyn Murray. If I Were King, the romantic drama in which E. H. Southern scored so successfully, will follow Peter Pan at the Valencia Theatre and will serve to introduce the new leading man, Paul McAllister, to San Francisco audiences. Many other new faces, well known to the theatrical world, will be seen in the production, which will be on a most lavish scale. Barbara Freitchie, Clyde Fitch's intensely interesting drama of the Civil War, will be the bill at the Valencia Theatre the week in May in which Decoration Day falls. WILL, OPKN APRIL 15th Hart's New Theatre, San Mateo A NEW, MODERN HOUSE The Only Good One-Night Stand hetween San Francisco and San Jose. Excellent Sunday Night Stand Capacity. 600. Write for Open Time CHAS. E. EAST, Manager Andrews Opera Chairs ( Icnerai Seating UmM'j School— Church— Bank Mff-.f,: Office and Steel Kod aii' Furniture ^^Btv^t ■ -A Purchase direct from Ji manufacturer jijSjj THE A. H. ANDREWS CO. ^r"S Pacific Bldg.. San frantltto l)lta<10. New York. lacoau SCENERY The Chas. F. Rosa Scenic Studio Undersell any studio or Individual in America. Write for a "special" estimate. Studio, Van Ness Theatre, S. P. Hotel St. James. Van Ness Ave., at Fulton St., San Francisco MISS E. MATTINGLY Official Stenographer and Typewriter to Theatrical Agents and Managers Theatrical Typewriting Plays and manuscripts copied. Press work and mimeographing. J. B. REIGHLEY Theatrical Hauling Promptly Attended To Telephone Market 1601 660 Guerrero Street, Bet. 18th and 19th Opera, Folding and Assembly Chairs Full Line See Samples at 770-776 Mission St. ; Bet. 3d and 4th Sta. SAN FRANCl&CO I The * Whitaker & Ray Co. No Pirating OF Morrison's Faust As I have secured the rights to Morrison's Faust, and will present it with an elaborate production in the West next season, I hereby warn all stock or road managers against producing this play. W. C. GORMAN. Do you contemplate going to HONOLULU? If so. communicate with J. C. COHEN PROMOTER OF AMUSEMENT ENTERPRISES Managing HAWAIIAN OPERA HOUSE and ORPHEUM THEATRE. Honolulu. H. T. Both houses thoroughly equipped and stage capable of handling any show.