The Billboard 1906-03-17: Vol 18 Iss 11 (1906-03-17)

18 The Billboard MARCH 17, 1906. , ‘ a The Building ' and 4 } \ 3 Operation OP ccccces rm -Parks ee y, By Elwood Salsbury. (Written for The Billboard.) HH building and operation of the modern type ef amusement park has beceme a business of tremendous scope in the United States. Great playgrounds, costing millions of dollars, have mul‘tiplied with bewildering rapidity, and the exsion ef this upbuilding is apparently but in ts infaney. The amusement park of to-day wth its paletial bwildimgs and varied features is a peculiarly evelved affair, and it is interesting to trace the influences that have contributed fragmentary parts to its make-up. It Is a patchwork of tke things that have served to thrill, perplex, amuse and dazzle generations of men. The Werld's Fairs and Expositions of recent years undoubiediy furnished the central idea of a blend ef novel architecture, landscape gardens, lageens and Oriental types as a setting for thimgs more familiar. In its atmosphere ene sees the phantom shadow of the old-time carnival gathering—the gladiator, the knight in joust, the spangled bull fighter; across its plazas ome almost sees the ghostly silhouette of the gilt and tinsel pageantry stalk in fantastic majesty inte nothingness. It has the remantic glamour of the circus and the memory ef the eld county fair hangs like a mirage over the paddle wheel, peanut stand and merrygo-reund. In its entirety it is a new creation. It has pushed its way in every direction. In the land of the Montezumas, Frederick Ingersoll, of Pittsburg, is now building the great ‘Mexidreme’’ im the City of Mexico. Up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, another great park, ‘‘Happyland,”’ is being censtructed. Magnificent new parks will be opened this season in Scranton, Pa., and Washington, D. C. And there are many other great amusement resorts now being bullt im various American cities. HAVE SEARCHED EUROPE prospectors have crosshatched England and the populous centers of Contimeatal Europe in search of available loeations. But over there are numerous obstacles. The scarcity of choice sites is not the only discouraging aspect. The rigid building regulations in the municipal laws of the greater number of foreign cities are almost insurmountable barriers to the invaders. It is extremely impracticable to apply them to the economic practices in amusement park construction. In many desirable communities the transportation facilities are inadequate and other minor ebstacles are numerous. Australia and New Zealand have already surrendered to the American amusement park builder, and some of the South American cities are regarded as promising prospects. But these have serious drawbacks. The inferior character of the native labor necessitates the importation of skilled artisans. The cost of building materials and other adverse conditions, peculiar to that country, are discouraging phases. The extension of the amusement park is not confined solely to the larger cities in this country. Its web-like ramifications extend into the emaller cities and towns. Sectional features are being widely censtructed on a modest scale, and eventually the Figure Bight, Scenic Railway aud other familiar amusement devices will come into open competition with the general store for the nickels of the interurbanite. SELECTION OF ATTRACTIONS Park managers are beginning to realize the vital importance of entertainment and direction in park affairs. The variety, character and quality of its attractions are weighed in a finer balance each season, and their value judged with greater accuracy. With permanent features covering acres of ground it is patent that special transient attractions, or “free acts,’’ necessarily out-of-doors, are an absolute necessity. The pressure of competition from correlative angles—summer theatres, baseball, circuses, etc.—has led to the introduction of the great concert bands and the cream of acrobatic, aerial, equestrian and animal acts and the imported sensations to attract the public. This practice is gradually evolving a more pretentious scheme of entertainment. Last season Frederick Ingersoll as an experimental measure introduced great openalr ballets in his Pittsburg park with splendid success, and the innovation will lead to even more elaborate productions. The presentation of ballets and even spectacular performances in conjunction with concert bands will be an event of the coming season. This is a daring step in view of the expense necessarily entailed, Hawk-eyed park but still greater attractions in point of ont| lay and magnitude will be attempted insofar as the staging facilities will permit. In this manner the permanent features have been skillfully sketched in the background, yet presenttng a formidable front for the attack of the patronage. The stellar magnitude of the transient features in parks will unquestionably create the necessity for the combination of the larger park interests in this country in erder to minimize the heavy financial outlay incidental to the tation. Its advantages are obvious. ugh a central booking arrangement the coset of acts can be materially reduced by contracting with the transient bands and acts for an extended number of weeks. The booking agent thus becomes a direct representative of the park, insuring a uniformity of price and a more honest, conscientious service to both actor and menager. The organization of the excursion, publicity and business department of the modern park is of paramount importance. Nowhere is skilled business method needed the greater. In the process of elimination the old-time fake is giving way to good, wholesome amusement: capable business men have improved ticket and accounting systems, thus insuring the safety of earnings; the picturesque, but unreliable old park man has slouched into the passing throng to make room for the new industry and its new men—men who know the incalculable value of honesty to their employers and the immeas urable earning capacity of courtesy to the public. FORWARD “‘Well,’’ replied the up-to-date manager, after a moment’s thought, ‘I don’t see why we shouldn’t be ready to open in two weeks. Another rehearsal or two will give our star a good grip on her new mannerism, and after that there’s nothing left but to write a play around it. Two weeks, I should say, at the eutside.’’ MAUDE ADAMS No American actress enjoys a wider popularity among the higher class of theatregoers than does Maude Adams, who is this year appearing in the title role of J. M. Barrie's elaborate fairy spectacle, Peter Pan. Her success in The Little Minister, in which she scored her greatest hit, will forever link her name with that play, giving her a singular distinction VIOLA ALLEN Viola Allen is this season repeating her personal triumphs in a Fitch play, The Toast of the Town. Though she inherited from her father a particular liking for Shakespearean roles, besides Twelfth Night and A Winter’s Tale, her name has been linked with such successes as The Christian, In the Palace of the King and The Eternal City. She is descendant from a good old Boston family of actors, her father being C. Leslie Allen, the well known character actor. HENRIETTA CROSMAN Henrietta Crosman is this season starring in the Presbrey comedy, Mary, Mary. Quite Con trary, which promises to rival her great success of last year, Sweet Kitty Bellairs, by many considered her greatest success. Miss Crosman comes from an histrionic family which has given to the stage a long list of stars. Her engagement in New York will be one of the ; most important events of the season. SCHUMANN-HEINK Mme. Schumann-Heink, the well-known German singer, closed her engagement in Love's Lottery, Dec. 2, and signed for a tour in concert, oratoria and grand opera. However, she suddenly decided upon a European tour and sailed for London. She is one of eur best known singers, and she scored heavily last year | in Love’s Lottery under Mr. Whitney’s management. CHARLES T. TAYLOR Charles T. Taylor, pictured above, 1s an al)round amusement man. During the winter months he manages the Capital Theatre, Lit | tle Rock, Ark., and the summer time he manages Forrest Park near that eity. Mr. Taylor has a t many friends in the pro grea fession, and he is well liked by everybody. BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF LUNA PARK, CLEVELAND, OHIO. WILLIAM GILLETTE William Gillette is scoring considerable of a success in his own production of Clarice. The engagement is indefinite and from reports he will probably have a long run in the British capital. Mr. Gillette scored his greatest triumpb in Sherlock Holmes several seasons ago. MABEL TALIAFERRO Mabel Taliaferro is reciving very high praise for her work in In the Bishop’s Carriage, in which she appears as Nance Olden. Her most attractive personality engages the audience upon her first appearance, and this, combined with her natural talent, holds one after this very favorable impression has been created. Miss Taliaferro is one of the most promising of our younger generation of actresses. WILLIAM COLLIER William Collier continues to play Clarice on the road, and his New York engagement has been deferred until the first of next season. Mr. Collier is one of the younger Frohman Stars, but he is one of the most versatile and popular. ADA REHAN Ada Rehan, the eminent interpreter of Shakespeare, will not be seen on the stage this season because of illness from which she has not completely recovered and compelled her physicians to order for her a good long rest. She will and is planning to appear next season under Mr. Frohman’s management. WILTON LACKAYE Wilton Lackaye has been duplicating in the West the triumphs of a year ago in the east in the role of Curtis Jadwin in Wm. A. Brady’s production of The Pit. He has also revived Trilby. His season opened August 11 in Duluth and ends in Chicago with the third appearance of the Norris story. Mr. Lackaye will shortly be seen in New York in his own dramatization of Victor Hugo’s masterpiece, Les Miserables. Just what the play will be called has not yet been determined, but it will either be Jean Valjean or From Darkness to Dawn. Incidentally it may be mentioned that The Pit has coined a large fortune for the star and his manager, Wm. A. Brady. SARAH BERNHARDT Probably no foreign actress enjoys a greater prestige with the American theatregoing public than does Sarah Bernhardt. Mme. Bernhardt fs this season touring this country with her own company from the Theatre Sarah Bernhardt of Paris. Her repertoire includes Victor Hugo’s Angelo and her own version of Adrienne Lecouveur, both new to American audiences, and revivals of LaTosca, Camille and The rceress. : EDWARD MORGAN Edward Morgan, one of our best known dram atic actors, began the season by a very impressive portrayal of the strong, unselfish, Honhearted Magnus in The Prodigal Son. He has since been seen in prominent roles. Mr. Morgan probably scored his greatest hit in The Eternal City. ANOTHER SHAW STORY Herbert Corey tells the following story: One is reminded of the old query anent an irresistible force and an immovable post, when one hears the story of the conflict between George Bernard Shaw, the sensational playwright, and George 8. Tyler, the Ohio man, who is a power in theatricals hereabouts. For a long time it appeared that Mr. Tyler was the only person having a sufficient understanding of the Shaw idosyncracies te get along with the author. Other managers emerged from brief dealings with the brilliant Irishman with tempers in tatters, but Tyler managed to eat from the same dish without much difficulty. Finally he agreed to produce a new Shaw play with Miss Amy Robson in the leading role. Miss Robson was at the time on the Pacific coast in a most profitable tour. One day Tyler received a letter from Shaw. ‘Send Miss Robson and her company to London,’’ he wrote. ‘Il wish her to play two matinees a week for three weeks at the Court Theatre, in my new play. Then she cap tour the United States with it.” Tyler's hair stood on end when he thought of stopping a most profitable tour, take the company to Europe, for six performances only in three weeks, In a little band-box of a house, and all that the king might see the new Shaw play. ‘‘Have some one examine your head,” he cabled back. ‘‘You're either crazy or kidding.” But it appeared that Shaw was not joking. He hurled a few lines of hot language back at Tyler by cable, and diplomatic relations were abruptly dissolved. That is the true reasen why Tyler made his recent hurried visit to Europe, and secured the promise of a new play from Edmond Rostand. It is an illustration ef Shaw's peculiarities.