The Billboard 1909-03-27: Vol 21 Iss 14 (1909-03-27)

12 The Billboard MARCH 27, 1909. London London Bureau of The Billboard, 179 Temple Chambers, E. ©. Outiook for the Imperial International E xhibition—The Three Musketeers Revived. HE ever-recurring winter legend of The Sleeping Beauty is repeating itself at Shepherd’s Bush. The ‘‘Great White City,’’ at present lonely and deserted, only awaits the coming of May to awaken into life and activity. The task which lies before the organizers of the Imperial International Exhibition is infinitely simpler than that so successfully accomplished in the case of the Franco-British Exhibition. Last year palaces had to be built, roads and paths made, railway stations and tubes con structed; now all these works are completed and attention can be concentrated on the collection and grouping of exhibits. Last . ear, moreover, the White City had to create its public, whereas the Exhibition this year comes into existence in response to a general demand. and the public eagerly await the reopening of the gates. Although the products and manufactures of many nations will be displayed, there will not be that bewildering and fatiguing array of commonplaces which is usually associated with the word, ‘‘International.”’ The Exhibition will have an original and distinctive character of its own. Instead of the endless repetition of ordinary goods, onty special industries which distinguish each country will be selected. It is not intended that the articles shonld be specially manufactured for this purpose. What is desired is a selection of the best specimens from the usual output, and every precaution will be taken to avoid over: lapping. The Commissioner-General has just returned from a continental tour, during which he met many of the infinential men in the chief European cities, aud is greatly gratified at the support which has been universally accorded. Numerous agents and special committees have been appointed to sustain and organize the ac tivity thus created. A leading feature of the Exhibition of special interest to all countries will be a presentment of the herlth and pleasure resorts of the world For this a number of palaces and annexes with more than 150,000 square feet of floor space have been allotted. There wil! be placed as nearly as possible geographical order, much as the traveler ‘d encounter them in a well-conducted tour Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway. Russia, Germany, Austria, land, Italy, Turkey, Greece, Spain, France, United Kingdom and the United States of America. Being thus remembered vill supplement time of the pleasures to those who remain at home. The task of remodeling and the more exacting purposes of the London stage the latest great melodramatic triumph of America has been placed in the hands of Henry Hamilton, whose pen will doubtless give The Devil of Mr. Molnar a chance with his new clientele. For the production next month at the Adelphi Lynn Harding and Alexandra Car in would through ordinary epitome and and easilyof travel Save the in this experience arranged sequence, the lisle have been secured, the former for the role of the Mephistophelean Devil-up-to-date and the iatter for his tempted victim, a kind of married Marguerite, whose Faust will be Vincent Clive. At the moment when revivals are the fash fon, nothing could be more appropriate than Henry Hamilton's version of The Three Musketeers at the Lyric Theatre. Those who re will welcome it with much 1eartiness, while it is well that some later admirers of Lewis Waller should know him in the character of the dashing D’Artagnan, and rexlize what an imposing figure he can make of that personage, dear to all school boys and not a few of older growth. Those who search out the inner meaning of things may discover deep down beneath its eut-throat heroics a self-sacrifice in the a persecuted qneen. the least effective parts of it all. It is when the Musketeers and "Artagnan sWagger on the scene to the accompaniment of a fine march that the imagination is really fired. Lewis Waller’s D’Artagnan has the of humor as well as spirit. and this recital of that wonderful ride to get the diamonds for his he Metropole, ' cause of woman, The Miladi and she incidents are sovereign will ever hold us_ breathless. The new Musketeers are Bassett Roe, Herman Jarman and Shiel Barry, admirable contrasts of each other: A. E. George is the Richelieu, Vincent Clive the Buckingham. A great personal success is scored by Evelyn D’Alroy as the Queen, a part the more diffieult to shine in for its great memories of Kate Rorke. ‘The Miladi of Aurioi Lee strikes a new note of coquetry which is rather pleasing in its wav, and the clever little lady, Madge Titheradge, makes the most of her beaax yeaux as Gabrielle. ‘ There is a great deal to hold the In The Head of the Firm, the new four-act play adapted from the Danish of Hjalmar Rergstrom, by Leslie Faber, and produced by bim at the Vaudeville Theatre on Thursday evening. The whole of the story plays in a sitting rooni of one John Lydford, an ironmaster. living on the outskirts of a large manu facturing town in the Midlands. oniy nine characters in the piece, namely: John Lydford, the wealthy ironmaster; his wife, his son, his daughter his father-in-law, his manager. ais man servant and two others—the widow of one of his former employes and her som. Lydford is a man possessing little force of character, and the story told briefly is concerned with a struggle between his manager, George HUeymann, on the one side, and his wife and danghter on the other. to guide his policy in the management of the great tronworks. and attention | i There are. | Sidney Fairbrother is excellent as the widowed Heymann, a resolute business man, who bends | all wills to his own, wants to turn the con| cern into a limited liability company, and to} join forces with the stecl trust, rather than be crushed by it. For the first two acts we see Heymann the ascendant. Lydford’s wife and son seem unable to shake his position. They fail, too, to recognize that if the threatened strike of the workers takes place that Heymann is the only | man who would know how to act in such a cri| sis. They threaten at last to leave the house | if the works are to cease to be a private con| eern, and Lydford. after a stormy scene with | Heymann, who resigns his position of manager, | takes their side. The strike soon follows, and Lydford’s wife and son take the opportunity to test their foolish doctrine of winning the sympathies of the workers by preaching good | fellowship. The workmen, however, want none | of that; mother and sou are disillusioned, and | at their request Heymann is asked to come back. The story is better than a description would make it appear, for the dialogue is elo| qnent—it carries the play, it has sometbing at sll times to do with illustrating it, and it is crisp. The characters of the widow and her son. Edward Dalby, have, however, little to do with the plot. They are not concerned in it: all the same, they are both vastly entertaining. the nan especially so. This perform ance of Mr. Evelyn RPeerbom (Mr. Tree's nephew) is simply immense, and it is no exag| geration to say that there is no character be| ing played in London at present that can com| pare with that of this young actor’s. Miss in mother. Of the other performances, James Heern as the ironmaster best, «nd comes closest to life: ranks Leslie Faber as Heymann. etta Watson, one Fnglish stage, that of is much the next to him Miss Henri of the best actresses on the has a comparatively small part —small in proportion to her distinctive personality. There was an enthusiastic reception for the play, and the Danish author, Hjalmar Bergstiom, appeared to bow his thanks. As his next production at the St. James, whenever one may be needed, George Alexander has now settled upon a modern comedy of | country life by A. E. W. Mason, M. P., called, | after the character to be played by Alexander | himself, Colonel Smith. For the role of the heroine of this piece, Miss Irene Vanbrugh returns to the St. James company. The Yeoman of the Guard was revived for a four weeks’ run at the Savoy last week. After this revival Mrs. D’Oyly Carte closes her series of revivals. The following is the cast: Sir Richard Chelmondeley ...... Leo Sheffield | Colonel Pairfax ........... ...Henry Herbert Sergeant Meryll ...... -+.+++ Richard Temple | Leonard Meryll ............ Lawrence Legge WOOK NE occu dlsicans tease . H. Workman Wilfred Shadbolt ...... Rutland Berrington OO PIE wie iwi ces estuce Richard Shaw | ae Se eres: «+++. Cecil Curtis | Pe POONER: 6 ov igsckasagusawn W. Davidson | OC: SNR 5 Vibwccdscdanons Fred Hewett Wiret: “QSOS oi 0. «4i5ntine Fred Edgar | )Bocemh CRUG eed sccsc tiene Sidney Ashcroft | Fisie Maynard ..........; Miss Elsie Spain POG FEO. peccus wees Miss Jessie Rose Dame Carruthers .......... Miss Louie Rene DADE: 1S 6 eb sks chs eee Miss Beatrice Boarer Switzer| Portugal, | traveler. as well as supplying ideal | rewriting for | | Jack | inal. The cast differs in several respects, generally ne the better, from that recently seen at the Savoy. _ Rutland Barrington eppears for the first time in the part of Wilfred Shadbolt, so obviously | suited to his unctuous vein of humor. Miss Elsie Spain, always assured of a warm welcome at the Savoy since her fine singing in Pinafore, | made the most of the songs that fall to Elsie Maynard, though her personality is perhaps better suited to ihe less serious of the Gilbertian heroines. Miss Jessie Rose’s Phoebe is on of the best things in the whole performance, while C. H. Workman is as adroit and admirable a Point as ever; it becomes increasingly cifienit to imagine The Yeoman of the Guard without him. The opera, as a whole, wears wonderfully well, though hardly so well as some others of the series It is an enthusiastic house at the first of the revived performances on Monday, and the assid | uous gallery was as vocal as ever. member this adaptition from the first days at | lesson of simple-minded | quality Marie Dressler presents of a plucky woman fighting against adverse fortune. As you know, London critics are rarey favorable to an American play, and her case has been no exception to the rule. After the first night. which went well, she found that the andiences coming to see Philopoena and the Collegettes were gradually becoming fewer, the figure just now and she put this down to the criticisms passed upon the play by the English newspapers. Therenpon, instead of giving up the struggle she determined to have another shot at getting the sapprovel of Londoners. She rewrote balf of Philopoena and cut out The Collegettes altogether, substituting in place some songs and dences of her own I am glad to say that her plucky efforts have been successful. Night by night the theatre has been filling, and when I looked in there last night the piece was being plaved to a crowded end enthusiastic house. Miss Dressler has just been relating some of the troubles she has had to meet with In her initial venture into London theatre management. ‘I put on Philopoena,”’ she says, ‘‘en tirely at my own risk. I have no syndicate, no backer. Play prodnecing costs more in London than in New York, and there is between £7,000 and £8,000 of my own money in this | venture. They are all my savings, and if they) vo I shall have to begin over again. I am | certain, however, that I shall succeed, and I} don’t feel bad about it. “Perhaps a syndicate would have told me what taking a theatre in London means. I pay rent, but I find that I am not sllowed to handle one penny of the revenne derived from the bars, the sale of programs, or from the cloak rooms. To add to the joys of management, there are proprietary seats for which the lessee does not receive the money paid at the hox-office. I suppose I shall have to pay taxes en my losses.”* SEATTLE, WASH. Sullivan and Considine has secured a fifteen rear lease of ground and will erect a vaudeville | theatre to cost $175,000 on the corner of Secend avenne and Spring street. The bnilding | will be four stories, of pressed brick and con crete. That part of the bnilding not nsed by the theatre will be rented for stores and offices The seating capacity will be 1,700. } Another big novelty animal act tops the Pantages’ bill week March 8. The act is imported | from the Barnes Wild Animal Circus, featuring Nero, the riding lien. Others on the bill were Lucy Lucier Trio, Fern and Mack, Marty, the sleepy juggler; Seymour and Dupree, Honsley and Russet] and Arthur Elwell. 3y far the best musical comedy ever seen in Seattle was A Stubborn Cinderella, week 8, at the Moore Theatre. Tom Nawn, known from coast tq coast as a delineator of Irish character, was the headliner at the Orpheum Theatre week of 8. Others on the bill were The Eight Melanis, Four Casting Dunbars. W. E. Whittle, Chase and Ashton, Faye Miller and Weston, Charles Matthews and the Orpheum pictures. Manuel Romaine, the minstrel balladist, sisted by the Palmer Sisters and the Krothers, formerly with Lew Dockstader’s Minstrels, proved a strong card at the Star Theautre week of 8. Others on the bill were Mme. Doherty’s Eighteen Poodles, Joe Flynn. Eddie Roesch, Eva Westcott and Wartenburg Brothers. The Lyceum Theatre (formerly the Shannon) Was opened as a vaudeville house March 8, end hereafter hizh-class vaudeville attractions will be booked. This week's bill included Dr. Hiomer, The Masical Kingsleys. Glenroy, Russell and Co., Joe T. Eagan, The Aerial Wilsons, Marie Wonder. . LEM A. as SHORTRIDGE. BALTIMORE, MD. Baltimore has seen much musical comedy this season, much of which though doing well from Foley | ' T | the box-office standpoint, has been decidedly | mediocre. A real comic opera, therefore, was welcome. Grace Van Studdiford appeared in The Golden Butterfly at the Academy of Music this week. here is some delightful music in the score, and Miss Van Studdiford is superb. Surrounding the star is a good singing company. yay Down East had a very successful week at Ford’s Opera House. The final performance, here, of the Boston Symphony Orchestra at the Lyric, drew a large audience. Its series of five performances, this year, proved a financial and artistic success. Manager Schanberger has for this vaudeville, at the Maryland, Andrew Mack, the well-known star, who makes his debut in vaudeville this week. His playlet, ‘‘Blarney,’’ was very pleasing. Valerie Bergere remained for her second week; and Stuart Barnes, Schrode and Mulvey, The Bounding Gordens, Morrisey week's | | artist and Ayer, Little Sunshine and Moving Pictures | completed the bill. Texas, the Western play, was the week's attraction at the Auditorium, ard pleased. Genaro day Street. ‘“‘How can they do question that is going the rounds concerning the exceptional bills that are presented by the Victoria maragement. ten-cent house is a veritable gold mine. week’s bill includes Marion and Thompson, The Alberts, Herr Roth and his Tigers, Barrett and Scanlon, Beverly and Lee, George Herz, Andy Gilligan, Reilly and Woods, and moving pictures, Lubin’'s and Blaney’s continue to get their share of patronage, which means that they are crowded at all times. The name ‘‘Billy Watson’’ caused a merry little advertising war between local burlesque houses, this week. Both claim to have the origTip-top business was done by both. The Billy Watson, who appeared at the Monumenta', presented Kravusmeyer'’s Alley. The Girls from Happyland was the name of the show with the other Billy Watson at the Gayety, and it was one of the best of the season. Jean Kernan, manager of the Auditorium, has become business manager for Eva Fay, whose husband, John Fay, killed himself on the Pacific Coast several weeks ago. Mrs. Fay is well-known for her ‘‘second sight.’’ Mr. Kerman’s going out into vaudeville does not mean that he will give up the mangement of the Auditorium. The regular season there will close very shortly and the Will Page Stock Company with Willette Kershaw will open at that hous», Easter week. The announcement that Miss Blanche Bates will soon make a tour of the large Eastern cities in The Fighting Hone means that Miss Bates will, in all probability, visit us and be seen at Albaugh’s theatre. It is said that David Warfield will appear at that theatre during the last week of April and the first week of May. The Musie Master will be presented the first half of the fortnight stay, and A Grand Army Man the second week. Mrs. Fiske, Salvation Nell, is also expected some time during April or May. Miss Irene Perry, a young miss of this city, has a voice that gives great promise. It is a contralto of such deep quality that it is closely akin to that of a male baritone. Miss Perry has sung a number of times in public and her work was very favorable commented on. She is, at present. under the instruction of a wellknown vocal teacher of this city, who predicts great things for his charge. Frank Weisman, who was stage ananager of the Academy of Music for 31 years, died during the past week. Treasurer Tomlin, of the Maryland Theatre, is a taagician of no mean ability. gave a public performance of his act and will zo on the road, playing the summer vaudeville houses. The act should prove a winner. it?’’ is the these B. Warner in ‘‘Foreign Booth Tarkington and BMANUEL DANIEL. Exchange, a play by Harry Leon Wilson. TORONTO, ONT. At the Royal Alexandra, capacity houses greeted Mrs. Fiske, the gifted artist, when she presented Salvation Nell. The Witching Hour drew good patronage to the Princess and made good. The Grané had a good attraction in the big spectacle, Top 0° Th’ World. At Shea’s, dainty Alice Lloyd was a tremen dous success and the little lady received an ovation at every performance. At the Majestic Theatre, False Friends or Driven to Bay, did nicely. The Gayety had a good one {n Gay Morning Glories in Zululand and business was large all week. The Hebrew colony will soon boast of a fine theatre of their own and the ) eorpgagaa will book a splendid list of attractions. The Star presented The Rollickers, to satisfactory business. The Board of Aldermen want all the local honses to be under a censorship. The Griffin Amnsement Co. good at their various houses. JOSEPH report business GIMSON. and Bailey did big business at the Holli| in | | India. | at He recently | | by Berlin New Theatre Law Proposed in German Reichstag—Managers and Actors in Controversy. THE REICHSTAG AND THE THEATRE HE recent interpellations in the Reichstag in regard to the conditions of the various stage artists have brought to light facts which expose the misery of the stage artists to a most remarkable degree, and prove that there is something entirely wrong with the law, under which the artists are compelled to work. Of course, the unceasing endeavors of the German Association of Stage Artists have caused some modification of the hardest provisions of said law, but recent investigations have shown that something must be done to lessen the bur den of those who suffer the most, Under present conditions, the theatre man ager enjoys all rights, which further his ad vantages, while the artist under contract has only nominal rights, which only serve to in crease his duties and burdens. One of the main causes for the dissatisfac tion of the artists is the contract of engage ment, which stipulates the pay and time for the engagement, and also mentions the house rules under which the artist will have to work It is chiefly the latter point which is most bit terly ettacked by the artists. The different paragraphs of these rules remind one more of the rules of a house of correction than of an institution of art; while under these rules the is entitled to only two reasons to cancel his engagement, the theatre director can put np dozens of excuses to fire his man. There are a number of other conditions which are more or less hard on the artists, and which are investigated by certain members of the teichstag who are in sympathy with the stage artists. It is evident that something will be done in passing a law which will place the artists in such a position as to secure a humane treatment and better remuneration for his work. RUSSIAN TOURNEE IN BERLIN The entire ensemble of the Imperial Michael Theatre in St. Petersburg. with court actress Madeline Dolley, court actors Cande and An drien at the head of the troupe. played at the New Royal Schauspielhaus on March 19 and 23. The performances, Rostand’s comedy, Cyrane de Bergerac and Feydan’s ferce, The Girl from Maxim’s, were given in French. This is the first time the French Court Ensemble at St. Petersburg was given permission by the Kussian Court Ministry to leave the empire for « starring engagement. Suzanne at present in Paris, will, at the beginning of May, come to Berlin for a Despres, short engagement. It is probable that she will take the leading part in Electra, the latest composition of Richard Strauss. Miss Ottilie Metzger, the splendid first ar tist of the Hamburg City Theatre, will re main at this stage until 1912; a contract with the Court Opera celed to the cerned, CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS AT MONTE CARLO House at Vienna bas been cansatisfaction of all parties con At the Theatre of Monte Carlo, the opera, Christopher Columbus, by Alberto Franchetti. Was given for the first time and was very well received. The first act plays in 1487, at the courtyard of the Monastery of Salamanca. <A crowd of peopl: is waiting for the result of a meeting of the council, who is arguing over the question, whether or not to allow Columbus the means for his expedition to discover the new way to The second act shows the fleet of Columbus at the moment when a mutiny of his followers is abowt to break out, and the mate the masthead cries ‘‘Land! Land!’ The color and light effects of this scene were of marvelous beauty. The thrid act shows Columbus in 1506, forsaken by all, at the grave of his benefactress, Queen Isabella. The music of Franchetti reminds one strongly of Puccini and Mascagni, while in other places a resemblance of Massenet’s style is noticeable. NEW GRAND OPERA AT MADRID The new grand opera, Marguerita la Tornera, by the Spanish composer, Chapi, was so well received at the premiere performance at the Teatro Real in Madrid, Spain, that all music lovers hope same may become the foundation , | Stone for Spanish national opera. George C. Tyler has engaged Miss Percy Has| | well to appear with H. The libretto deals with Juan, the legend of Don who eloped with the doorkeeper of a convent at Palencia, Margarita. In the mean while the Holy Virgin takes the doorkeeper’s place until she returns repentant after she has found out the unfaithfulness of her fickle lover. The material for this opera has been used Maeterlinck in a different form. The music | !s held in the Wagner style, intermingled with manager Charles | national melodies. AMERICAN OPERETTA IN BERLIN The next novelty of the Metropol Theatre this spring will be the American operetta, The So cial Whirl. The composer of the piece is Gus tav Kerke, while Julius Freund arranged the libretto for the German stage. NO MORE “UNCLE TOM” IN ARKANSAS. The General Assembly of the State of Arkansas, last week, passed a bill introduced by Rep resentative McCracken prohibiting the exhibition of any plays or shows based upon the alleged antagonism formerly existing between master and slave which might arouse race hatred and providing a fine of from $100 to $500 and a jail sentence of from one to three months for any violation. The bill passed both branches without an opposing vote. Mr. MeCraken states that the bill is to stop the pro dnetion of The Traitor, The Clansman and Uncle Tom's Cabin in the State.