The Billboard 1909-02-20: Vol 21 Iss 8 (1909-02-20)

pT ROIT pee FEBRUARY 20, 1909. San t 4 The Billboara OUT TO STAY Says Mme. Sembrich of Grand Opera Blanche Walsh’s Illness Necessitates her Retiring for Balance of Season— Shea Rejoins Cohan and Harris “My decision to quit opera for good is irrevocable. am sorry to leave so many good friends, but I am going away for good.’ That was Mme, Marcella Sembrich’s farewell as she sailed of tbe Cunarder Campania with her husband, Prof. Stengel, February 10. “All the public singing that I shall do henceforth,”’ she continued, ‘‘will be in a series of concerts in European cities until May and in this country next fall, when I will return for a long eoncert tour in America, opening in Chieago on October 4."’ Asked why she is giving up grand opera now, the prima donna said: “Is it not better for me to leave it now than later, when my ability may be much less than aow?’’ Mme. Sembrich wept genuine womanly tears in bidding good-bye to Andreas Dippel, who presented her with a big bunch of flowers and a letter of farewell signed by all his colleagues of the Metropolitan. ust as the ship’s whistle sounded for the visitors to go ashore a messenger arrived with a canary from Signor Campanint. Another gift was a diamond-studded watch and fob from Mrs. George Gould. BLANCHE WALSH WILL RETIRE FOR THE SEASON. In all probability Blanche Walsh, who is condned at the University Hospital, Mo., suffering with a severe attack of stomach trouble, will not be seen on the stage again this season. Physicians at the hospital have reported her condition as still alarming. The members of Miss Walsh's company left for New York, February 11. Miss Walsh's St. Louis and Kansas City engagements have been canceled. THOMAS E. SHEA BACK WITH COHAN & HARRIS. After a season of fifteen weeks in vaudeville, Thomas E. Shea has been re-engaged by Cohan & Harris to appear in three great plays: The Counsel for the Defense, The Belle, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The former play is sald to be a great production as was evidenced on its try-out last Christmas week, under the stage direction of Geo. M. Cohan. It is handsomely mounted and Mr. Shea will be surrounded by a strong supporting company. The above productions will be seen at Detroit, Mich., week of February 14, NEW NATIONAL THEATRE, CAGO CHI rhe side of street Caco, National Theatre, located Halsted street, between Sixty-second and Sixty-second place, Englewood, Chiis a model of modern theatrical construc tion. The owners, the Englewood Stock Company, consisting of prominent local capitalists, when cCetermining upon the improvement, de cided to have the best obtainable. As a result, this splendid edifice has been brought into existenee, than which none of its kind in ——_ or elsewhere is superior. This is proved by the cost, which totals $150,000. the size of the structure, more money could not have been expended without lavish waste. Fireproof materials only entered into its making. Steel and reinforced concrete have been used for structural work, placed upon solid foundations. The front of the building is of glazed white,terra cotta. Interior fittings are in marble, mosaic, plaster, ete. woodwork is employed than is absolutely necessaryy It is fireproof throughout. Cossidering Kansas City, . at the East No more, | high order, maintained throughout the entire | season. Their quality may be judged of when it is known that they are the same as those presented at the Great Northern Theatre, Chicago. Possessing a perfect theatre, both as to stage meng as well as auditorium, Manager Clifford has determined that every production shall be an event notable in the amusement calendar of the city as a whole. The National | has become known to and is patronized by the public at large as well as the residents of the district in which it is centrally located. Popu lar prices prevail. JIM BLACKES GETS APPOINTMENT. Jim Blackes, of the team of Blackes and Leslie, has been appointed general manager of | George H. Webster's Circuit of Vaudeville Theatres, with headquarters in Chicago, Ill., and can offer forty consecutive weeks to vaudeville artists In Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Montana and Canada. These houses run the year round never closing. Mr. Blackes expects to take up his work on or about February 24. WILL SHOWMAN HANS WAGNER PLAY BALL. A report from Pittsburg credits Burney Dreyfuss, president of the Pittsburg National League Baseball Team, with the statement that Hans Wagner will be in his old position as short stop of the Pittsburg Club the coming baseball season “Wagner has given me his solemn promise to play for us this year.’’ said Mr. Dreyfuss, ‘‘and I haven’t a doubt in the world that he will keep it, although he has not signed a contract yet.’’ GANTON AND CO. APPROVED AT OPENING IN BALTIMORE J. Hartley Manners’ Dramatization Pleasing C. Emerson Cook, General Manager for David Belasco, Branches Out as Theatre Manager on His Own Ac count---lra W. Jackson Leases Bridgeport Playhouse. ACADEMY OF MUSIC—Baltimore—Ganton & Co., a dramatization in four acts, of Arthur J. Eddy’s story, by J. Hartley Maauers. THE CAST: Lm eT err ee A. Van Buren Allan Borlan ........... Jack Webster Laurence Delaney .............6 -Edward Emere ROWONIE acc cic abic citadecdsec dese Frederick Burton Pe errr ee Lucius Henderson ear err W. H. Sadler Dr: Hs 0 éttincd. «Ue cds crdenotene Geo. Morgan Secretary of Golf Club...H. Frederick Millerton GE cientcn che cetinitckeinintideen Jack Barnes Ba re R. A. Bresee eI et Jack Leslie Mea: BOOS 6 Cre tchcscecedencs Lauretta Taylor ( Be JAMES PATTERSON Owner and Manager the Great Patterson Show. Be 4 . The ground area comprises 85 feet of front— age “7s street, with a ee ; &., eet. of this is covered by the building, Bie, BO WEEE 6 ccc cccccsncesese Jane Peyton with the exception of two passage spaces, for GEORGE EVANS UNDERGOES AN Miss Seoter Ganten ................ Mary Cecil ‘ight. alr and ingress and egress, on either side Stenographe wu aseeneteerd ae y ong fellow of the inner portion. About two-thirds of the OPERATION. Sours, : Suaeden da taeda worm yo area is devoted to the theatre, stage, auditorium, ma , SE GO 0.0. 66 bbc ccdcantieoen George Fawcett foyer and lobby, the remainder being devoted George Evans, the minstrel, while playing in Ganton and Co., dramatized by J. Hartley to the office section. Utica, N. Y., was taken ill with appendicitis \).iners from Arthur J. Eddy’s story of the J. E. O. Pridmore is the architect. He was after the performance February 10, and hei = same name was given its premiere ‘February selected as one who had made a success of the | operated upon February 11. His condition is Q a the “somatic ef Sunke Baltimere Ma — —— — Bush Temple of owe. reported to be favorable. The story of the “king of the stockyards” is re main floor of the auditorium is on the » that. airly well known : : > street level. Through “various entrances (six aad — a Oe eS ont Oh ew 8 {n number), patrons of the theatre will ap” old Tot Ga t af or “ t had Geor . Faweee aisles that are three feet, four inches A NEW “WORLD SONG SUCCESS. cost heen > aa <a the book was Soritten, balcony ian eet Oth hd ee = pean iam could not have been built to suit him better. A constructed of reinforced concrete on the cantilever principle. From every seat In the house the view of the stage is clear and nnobstructed. There are eight private boxes. Patrons of the theatre will find comfortable seats 22 inches ‘n width, with a distance of 84 inches from sack to back. Heating and ventilating facili ‘les are of the very best. The To the End of the World with You, fs the latest world song to be offered to the public by that trio of song writers, par excellence, Ernest R. Ball. Dave Reed and George Graff. Jr., authors of Love Me and the World is Mine, and As Long as the World Rolls On. lighting system is made an important part of the decoration. Electric globes ore arLURAY, VA., OPERA HOUSE. pir — and in clusters, on brackets —— with art glass shades. From the ceili of | ne the auditorium colored light ae. feue . A beautiful new opera house has yom tees entral skylight of art glass. The prevalent | completed at Luray, Va. It is one of the a decorative tints are old ivories, greens and gold equipped theatres in the state, having steam alls ( are of these tints, as are the other flat surfaces, The stage is capacious enough to admit of ~pectacular productions. It is of the approved “ize of a house of 1,200 seating capacity, as Is this theatre. The width of the proscenium opening is 32 feet, the depth of stage from ootlights to back wall is 30 feet, and the height to proscentum arch is 26 feet. There sre eleven dressing rooms under the stage. The freproof curtain is of steel plates, backed with heat, electric lights and other modern convenfences. The theatre is under the management of Mr. J. C. Strole. ODDS AND ENDS. Wehmeyer’s Big Electric and Vaudeville Shows are working through Louisiana this winter, and report big business. The vaudeville asbestos, hill is headed by the Musical Wilmaths. Frank _The lessee of the National Theatre, is the | Dannis fs managing the advance while Karl in a Theatre Company, of which Edwin Clif| Wehmeyer is handling the managerial reins. ord is the president and manager, PS Stair and aviin provide the attractions, which are of The Wehmeyer Company consists of eight people. very acceptable cast and scenic investiture are given the play by the Messrs. Shubert. ~ Miss Lauretta Taylor's work came in for special commendation and she shared the honors with Mr. Faweett. LEASES HARTFORD THEATRE. Charles Emerson Cook, general manager for David Belasco, has leased the Hartford Opera House at Hartford, Conn., which will hereafter be known as the Hartford Theatre, and will install a permanent stock company there on February 15. The new company, which will be known as the Cook Players, will be headed by Rebecea Warren. Zaza will be the opening bill. Girls will act as ushers and a quartette will sing between the acts. The new venture has every prospect of being a big success. LEASES BRIDGEPORT PLAYHOUSE Through an arrangement consummated February 6, Smith’s Theatre, Bridgeport, hay passed from the control of Edward 8. Smith fo Ira W. Jackson, of New London, Conn. In taking over the Bridgeport Theatre the number of houses under Mr. Jackson's control was inereased to five. Mr. Jackson's beadquarters will be at Bridgeport. The staff at the Smith will remain practically the same as during Mr. Smith’s regime, but A. E. Culver, who was buslhess manager of the house under Mr. Smith will be pronmioted to resident manager. Mr. Smith will go abroad for a year or two to take a complete rest. CLAIMS COPYRIGHT. Hibbing, Minn., Feb. 5, 3 The Billboard. m . 7. _Gentlemen:—It has been brought to my atten tion that someone is appearing in a pleee called In Wyoming. Now, I happen to have exelusive rights to that title, having, according to an uct of Congress, at Washington, January 23, ‘O07, copyrighted an original melodrama written by myself, under that title. Number of my title or copyright is 9,897, class-D, XXC. Play and title emanated from my brain, I surely have right to my own property. If you will make this matter public 1 will appreciate it. The gentleman may be using the title innocently, in which case it surely need only be brought to his attention, to be rectified. ith thanks in advance, I am, Yours sincerely, GRACE HUNTINGTON, Bijou Theatre, Superior, Wis., week Feb. 8 ARCHIE EUGENE ROBINSON. Archie Eugene Robinson, a young actor whose home was at Minneapolis, Minn., died of tuberculosis, January 20, at the residence of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. F. N. Robinson, of 3308 Elliott avenue, that city. Mr. Robinson was but 28 years of age and did his initial work in dramatic with Mme. De Tourney, the fall of 1901, in Mary, Queen of Scots. After being with her three seasons, he was for three seasons featured as Tom Howe in My Friend from Arkansas, with the DeVoss Repertoire Company. He had been a member of the Kansas City Stock Company, Wade’s Beggar Prince Opera Company, Gilmore’s Players, The Paul Little Minister Company, and Louis’ Big Show. He was also manager, for a time, of the Electric Park, at Gas City, and was organizer of the Robin son Stock Company. His wife, who was Miss Ruth Woedell, of Topeka, Kan., survives him. S. CAHN & MACK’S ACTIVITIES. Two prominent theatrical promoters, Cahn and Mack, from San Francisco, have negotiated for twelve plays which include musical comedies and melodramas equipped with special lithograph printing and complete scenery with eacb company on the following plays under copyright: The Isle of Nippon, The Jolly Vassar Girls, Brownie in Toyland, The Pupil and the Gay Musician, Honeymooners in Happyland, A Jolly Wedding, The Royal Comic Opera Singers, Robin Hood Merrymakers, The Wolf at the Door, The Telephone Messenger, The Girl Detective, The Girl and the Governor, Our Village Minister and The Saleslady. The booking and routing will be in the hands of Sherbert and Rostell. The offices of Cahn & Mack will be located at 604 Chicago Opera House Bullding. THE PROTEST UNHEEDED. Oscar Hammerstein was, on February 11, con fronted with a protest from the city’s society women against the production of Salome at the Philadelphia Opera House that night. In @ last desperate effort, more than 60 women, all of them prominent in exclusive social circles and well known as patrons of music and the arts generally, signed a petition calling for the suppression of the opera and pledging themselves to attend the performance. Not only was the list of signatures impressive nu merically, but in it were the names of women who have heretofore been identified with those who have supported Hammerstein's Opera House. Salome was given as per program. VIOLA ALLEN—PREMIERE OF THE WHITE SISTER. Viola Allen’s new play, The White Sister. had its premiere at Binghamton, N. Y., February 8, 1909, playing to an audience that taxed the capacity of Stone Opera House. The perform ance proved very successful, the curtain calls being numerous and applause generous. Miss Allen’s work was above criticism and her sup porting company is excellent. The stage set tings were beautiful, careful attention having been given to every detail. After a_ short road tour the play will be presented In Chicago and later in New York. THEATRE COMPANY INCORPORATE The Elite Theatre Co. has been incorporated and papers filed with the county recorder at Davenport, Ia. The capital stock of the organization is placed at $10,000, all of which is pald up. ~The officers elected were Chas. Berkell, president and manager; P Philliber, vwicepresident, and R. Berkell, secretary and treasurer. E. F. ALBEE RECOVERED. Mr. E. F. Albee. who has been confined to the Albany (N. Y.) Hospital since November, a8 the result of an automobile accident, left that institution, cured, on February 6. a abs tee nn eee lal ~~ aw eet SP Ga. alll cet ae aoe Lid Wn SE Piieie >