The Billboard 1909-04-24: Vol 21 Iss 17 (1909-04-24)

an 48 The Billboard APRIL 24, 1909. London Letter (Continued from page 7.) dexterous as himself he presents several new and most amusing tricks, all carried out with wonderful exactitude. The way in which the most cumbersome and curious things are thrown about and caught has the large audiences, Tom B. Davis has engaged an extremely pow |; and Miss Fuller has a lawsuit threatening her | on account of her reported Boston engagement. | lioward PD. Salins, formerly of Chicago, but | | who is now of Berlin, says he had a contract been greatly pleasing erful cast for the new Oriental musical play, A | Persian Princess, and P. J. Barow, and is in active Ruth written by Leedham Bantock with music by rehearsal at the Queen’s Theatre. Vincent plays the title role and in addltion to George Graves, the have been secured: gerald, Clarence Iris, Moore. Sydney Ellison is producing the which is in two acts, and some gorgeous stern scenes and dresses, designed by Percy Anderson, are promised. A remarkable feat has just been performed by a German actress, Miss Emmy Webhlen. She did not know a single word of English in October lest, but she has made so much progress in the language that last week she appeared in The Merry Widow in place of Lily Elsie. Miss Wehlen sang the music with ease and charm, and her pronunciation and accent added considerably to the attraction of her performance. In acting, also, she showed a great deal of individuality and power. Miss Wehler had won a great reputation in Munich and Berlin before coming to England. Yesterday afternoon, Mme. Anita Rio made a most successful debut at Bechstein Hall. Her program was varied and she was musical and pleasing in all styles. She seemed happiest, however, in songs not requiring great passion. Her singing of Schumann’s Auftrage admirable and Strauss’ Standchen was also given in excellent style. At the close she sang The Lass with the Delicate Air, with a good deal of charm. Her reception both at the beginning and end was most enthusiastic and she appeared to have quite captured the hearts of ber audience. Paris Letter (Continued from page 7.) Biakiston, Noel Fleming, Lily many notes—directions for playing the characters, the painting of scenery, dressing the stage and so on—which he was destined not to live to use himself. These notes, however, with the assistance of Mme. Mendes, the Prince Mu rat, de Reske and Count Primoli, were gotten together and the play has worked out beauttfully M. De Max, by the desire of the author of the play, will appear as the Emperor Napoleon, Duquesne, who Ponaparte in Sans-Gene, take the comparatively Count Walewsky.”’ The play is based stepping down to humble role of the in the upon that phase | Sidney Jones | additional numbers by Marie Horne, which | following artists | Horace Mills, Aubrey Fitz| Vivien Tailleur, Ethel Negretti and Carrie | “lay, | created the wonderful | ‘fe of the great warrior when the tremendous | whirl of events took him to Russia and which tt ; been seen before here. its re-establishment has met with a good deal of favor, especially in certain quarters where the teachings of certain forms of socialism are not relished. The play gets its name from the locality to which a certain crowd of people have gone to found a new order of things. There is a school mistress, a doctor and his mistress, a tailor and his wife, an anarchist and some others who need not to be enumerated. The anarchist falls in love with the tailor’s wife, the tailor in love with the school-marm, and so on, the colony breaking up finally in a burst of mighty discord. The authors of La Clariere are Maurice Donnay and Lucien Descaves. The play is being played at the Theatre Antoine. play, ior has + THAT NEW PARK If that new amusement resort at Porte Maillot, Luna Park, fails to make its proprietors richer, I'll miss my guess, for present indications point to a corking big business from the very start. That comes May 1. Gaston Akoun says he’s going to give a mighty lifehke imitation of ‘“‘the exposition that will be ready,”’ and things are shaping up in the way to force one to belleve what he says. The different attractions are practically finished, and within a few days—perhaps by the time this letter reaches the public—the first cars will be shooting around on the scenic railway line. * DRAMATIC NOTES A. B. Labregue the other day sent a manuscript to Lucien Guitry, the actor-managercomedian of the Theatre Renaissance, with this note: “Mon cer ami: I'll bet you ten francs that you will not read the enclosed piece, Yours, “ A. B. LABREGUE.” By the same courier, the comedian-director returned the manuscript with this reply—and ten francs: “Mon cer ami: You win. “LUCIEN GUITRY.” Now all Paris is laughing over the affair. + In the last letter to The Billboard I spoke of the schemes Miss Loie Fuller was going to put into operation at the new Opera in Boston. of which Henry Russell is director. The opera house itself has been dynamited since, La Clariere may not be called strictly a new | But | bronght about his meeting with Marle Ange | Walewska, the countess. Mme. Rejane is the Countess. * AGAINST SOCIALISM with her to stage what is known as the ‘‘orchestration of light and color’’—a dance with light effects. Miss Fuller has broken the contract, and Salins declares he will claim $50,000 | for the breach. | In Le Mariage de Victorine, Worms will make one more appearance at the | Comedie Francaise April 24, the occasion be ing the farewell performance of Mme. Dudlay. Mme. Barretta| The Prefect of the Seine has just sent a | report to the Municipal Council advising the concession to Gabriel Astruc of the privilege of building a Palais Philharmonique in the Champs-Elysee, on the site where the Cirque a’Ete (Summer Circus) formerly stood. He will have the concession for fifty years, and will | bulld a palace for symphonic concerts, dramatic | performances, lyrical attractions and so on. | During a spring thunder storm, the other day, there was a near-panic at the Opera Comiqne. Following an extra loud clap of thunder a woman in one of the upper galleries screamed and half the audience made a dash for the exits. The orchestra burst into the Marseilles, and this, with the help of the cooler heads in the audience, saved the day. Jean Coquelin, son of the late Coquelin aine, is in bad health, and the part of Coupeau, in I’Assommoir, at the Ambigu, has been taken by an understudy. A great deal of interest is felt in Paris over | the production .n Cadiz of a play by the great bull-fighter, Palomares. It used to be that a toreador could scarcely fix his name to his contract. The Theatre Mevisto has reopened with a new bill, whieh inelndes Le Petit Terme, a one-act play by Adrien Vely and Leon Miral; Tell Pere, | Tell Fils, an Opera bouffe in one act by Sacha | Guitry and Tiarko Richepin; Les Ruffiens, a play in two scenes, by Charles Mere, and Jeus a la Coque, a revue, by Willy and in which Mule. Villars appears. Le Poulailler, mentioned some time ago es | a winner in The Billboard, has just closed its 150th performance at +" Theatre Michel. WORDS ABOUT MUSIC | Miss Gail Gardner, a young American singer, | who recently made a very successful debut in Paris, has added triumph after triumph to her record in neighboring cities. + Blair Fairchild’s lyric poem for the orchestra, East and est, opened the program of Fernand de Lery’s concert at the Theatre Marigny a few days ago, and all Paris is talking of the beauty of the work. The composition, which is of strictly American brand, is after a poem by Rudyard Kipling, and is full | of Oriental color. It is said in Paris by those who have heard , are | if the A NEW OPERETTA, THE BABY j The Baby an operetta of three acts, by Richard Heuberger, which received its premiere re cently at the Volks Opera at Vienna, has been accepted by Director Palfi for the New Operet ten Theatre, and will be given at the beginning of the new season. PREMIERE AT WIESBADEN Der Deichgraf, a drama in five acts, by Josef Lauff, was given its premiere at the Court Theatre in Wiesbaden with great success. public followed the course of the play deep interest. Of the actors, Mr. Lettler and Miss Sauten were the main figures, and both played in an accomplished manner As the play is one which appeals to all classes, it Is probable that it will be placed upon the repertolre of other stages in the country. DANTON’S DEATH, LATEST OPERA RICHARD STRAUSS According to rumors it was the general belief that the noted composer, Richard Strauss was oF working on a comic opera, but latest develop ments have shown that the genial master Is preparing a tremendous music drama, which will be a revelation to the musical world. title of the opera will be Danton'’s Death, revised after the drama by Buechner. In con nection with this opera an instrument will be used, such as never has been heard before. It is called the Mastodintophon, and has been invented by Raoul Baron de Rigollot-Fichu, of Brussels, When this marvel of musical to ventions is operated it sounds like six or seven hundred musicians playing at the same time, and it is impossible to bear any human voices The | when this monster is going. A UNIQUE CONCERT TOUR Three well-known and very -popular artists, Mme. Ernestine Schumann-Heink, Mlle. Artot de Padilla, and Professor Heinrich Gruenfeld, touring the residence districts of Berlin in a very unique manner. The trio visit in the afternoons, from three to six o'clock the court yards, and there give little concerts, whereby a considerable amount of money is collected, which goes to a fund for the benefit of poor children. PHILADELPHIA, PA. Theat Lent did have some influence on bustness during the past months was proven by the size of the openings, April 12. Managers rub | bed their hands in glee as they witnessed the | Swarms of people flocking to every show in town. It wag like a holiday night in mid-winter, and every night since then has seen crowds in attendance at every house in town. The Len ten season was the best that Philadelphia has ever en‘oyed, and now that the spring season has started off with such a boom, it looks as round-up was going to be a very good one, after all. Starting off amid depressed times, handicapped by a presidential election and with general business being far from good, theatrical people looked for many a wreck during the season, but happily they were few and far between. All of the big houses show a splendid profit, with a few more weeks of good | business to come. The burlesque houses have all made money; vaudeville has thrived, and the only managers who have cause for com from that capital, that Signor Guardabassi has just made his debut there in Carmen, receiving | unusus! praise. It is remarked that he is the best Don Jose ever heard in the Russian city. + On the same bill with La Vivandiere, at the Lyrique Municipal, the lyric drama, Maguelonne, by Michel Carre and M. Missa, was heard for the first time a day or two ago. + Mile. Lina Cavalieri appears at the Opera, April 19, in Thais. + Mrs. Loretta Tannert, a young American paint are those of the popular price melodramatic houses. Their business on the season bas been bad, but this has been more on account of poor attractions than any other reason. Two of such houses have had a very good season, although very short. Promises sre made that the attractions *o be furnished next season will he of a much higher grade than ever, and an increase in business is therefore looked forward to. With over two hundred thousand of our people journeying to Atlantic City to celebrate Easter Sunday and Monday, the openings on Monday were truly remarkable. Atlantic City was the Mecca for everyone who could get away | from business, and the crowds at the Philadel singer, made her debut in Prague last week, hia theatres were it at the German Theatre. She was recalled ten | aan. The engl y on * ~% times after the mad scene in Lucia di Lam| tendance at the Chestnut Street Opera House mermoor. Alfred Piccaver, another American, | where the Mask and Wig Club of the Univer: sang Edgar to Mrs. Tannert’s Lucia, winning | sity of Pennsylvania gave the first city promuch praise for himself. Miss Gertrude Ren | quction of Merely a Monarch, a musical com nyson, also American, will be seen soon a5 | edy, that was originally produced at Atlantic Aida, and Mr. Flannigan, from Massachusetts, City, Saturday, April 10. It was a big hit has been engaged for baritone roles. PHIL SIMMS. Berlin Letter (Continued from page 7.) RETURNED TO STAGE AFTER SEVENTEEN YEARS After a lapse of seventeen years, Siegward | Friedmann, formerly member of the Dutschen Theatre, appeared a few days ago as Richard III. on the stage of the Royal Playhouse. There | was a great difference in his play from by| gone years and now. and while his power showed bere and there some weakness, his part | was given in a most artistic manner, which | earned him repeated applause. CARMEN AT THE COMIC OPERA | A splendid performance certainly was Car| men, at the Comic Opera, with Miss Eva von cer Osten, of the Dresden Court Opera House, in the title role. Insolent and cooing, full of temper, and cold in ber heart, thus she gave | us Carmen. Carl Armster appeared for the first time as Escamillo, and his beautiful voice made a good impression upon the audience. Miss Aenne Wiegrede would have been a splendid Micaela, if she had not been so shaky in her part, and if she had been able to master the E major Aria. The last act of the opera had been changed at liberty, and lost the effect entirely. i and the house has been entirely sold out for the week. Mrs. Leslie Carter opened in Kassa, and drew well on the opening night, and busi ness has been very good since. May Robson, on the fifth week of her engagement in The Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary, had a very profitable week, and The Three Twins has drawn capacity houses all week, and is in for a long stay at the Forrest Theatre. Robert Edeson aid fairly well with The Call of the North, and George Arliss in the Fiske version of The Devil, attracted large audiences to the Adelphi The atre. David Warfield continued to attract large audiences to the Lyric, with his masterly im| personation of The Music Master. The vaudeville houses all had good business. The Or pheum Stock Company, at the Chestnut Street Theatre, drew big crowds, and all of the bur lesque houses prospered. In commemeration of the 345th anniversary of the birth of Shakespeare, arrangements have been made by the inmates of the Kdwin For rest Hiome, at Springbrook, to appropriately celebrate the day. A request was made in the will of Edwin Forrest that one of Shakespeare's plays or a portion of some of them should be given on that day, so the program will be made up entirely of selections from the works of the immortal Bard, John Jack, his wife, Annie Jack, W. H. Bartholomew, Chas. J, Kate Lytell and other inmates of the will take part in the exercises, which will take place on the afternoon of April 2% Fifty tnvited guests from Philadelphia will be present to witness the performance. After pursuing the same policy for twenty years, of giving continuous vaudeville perform ances, Keith's Chestnut Street Theatre made a slight change, starting April 12, now only giv ing twe performances a day, one in the after Firmin Fyffe, home noon and one In the evening. But littl differ ence was noticed, as the bills were, if any thing, stronger in drawing qualities, slthough not quite as long as formerly. a day performers were cut out, and each turn worked but twice a day. The patronage was good all week, and the same policy will be con tinned during the summer Col. Hopkins, the vaudeville magnate, has been resting In this city for a few days, re newing old acquaintances made some yeurs ago. Mr. Hopkins Is negotiating for many vaudeville acts of a huge kind for the Orpheum Circuit, in which he will be financially interested, and while he is recuperating he is watching try outs of these acts. Delamater has produced Beverly of Grau at the Walnut Street Theatre, April 20. This is a sequel to Graustark, which Mr. Dela mater put on the road this year after it had been played In stock for a number of years. The tour was a wonderful success, and great things are expected of the sequel, which is said to rival its predecessor In romance end comedy. Although the Grand Opera House has been rented for the summer as a vaudeville and moving picture house, it will resume its com bination season early in September, and Stair and Havlin promise that many of the strongest Shubert attractions will play there next sea son. Fred G. Nixon-Nirdlinger, who has been lec. turing on travel pictures one night a week at the People's Theatre, is announcing that he will make a tour of Europe this summer, to gather material for a new series of lectures. The work of excavating the cellar for the new Lubin Theatre on Market street, west of Ninth, shows that the bullding will be a sub stantial structure. It is claimed that the the atre will be as perfect In its appointments as any in the city, and that it will have a seating cepacity of 1,400. All of the Labin the atres are doing well in this city, and will remain open all summer. The moving pictures of Hiawatha, taken by the John Wanamaker store, and exhibited there All of the three only, have been attracting unusual attention. They are very beautiful and historically cor rect. The Films are to be deposited in the Smithsonian Institute, te cords. The Gayety and Bijou theatres will both io stall stock companies upon the conclusion of the ‘“‘wheel’’ season of burlesque, and an effort will be made to keep both of these houses open all summer. Business is very good in the bur lesque iine at present, and, unless there comes « sudden switch, the chances are that the sum mer season will be a success The city anthorities are still making a weekly Investigation of all the moving pictures houses in Philadelphia, and as soon as ther find out anything that is Mable to cause a panic or start a fire, they close the house im mMiiately until the improvements are made. This rigid inspection has stopped the newspaper lamor agaiast irregular houses and those that are fitted up right are heartily in favor of the ection of the authorities. Lancaster, Pa., is to have a series of free bend concerts this summer by the Fourth Regi ment Band and the Iroquois Band Both have volunteered their services for these free con certs The latter band is under the direction of Ad. Stork, who was formerly a minstrel per former, and it was his influence that started the movement for free concerts. The concerts by members of the Philadelphia Orchestra will start in June, and most of them will be given on the City all Plaga. Fifteen thousand dollars has been appropriated by the city to pay for these concerts, and this will be increased next year. It will result in keep ing many of the members of the orchestra in the city all the year, end result in greater pro ficiency when their regular season opens. The Philadelphia Municipal Band and the Fairmount Park Band, both paid for by the city, will also give dally concerts during the summer. Several enterprising speculators, figurin the money to be made by summer theatricals, made preparations to open ‘“‘air-domes’’ and moving picture shows under canvas, but were prevented by the authorities, who will not allow any exhibitions to be held except in buildings that are fireproof The following theatres of Philadelphia will run moving pictures and vaudeville all summer: to be kept as historical oo SAFER THAN ROLL Tic CHEAP AS THE CHeaP | WE ft _._____ ____ a, WRITE FOR SAMPLES AND PRICES LDON, WILLIAMS & LICK FORT SMITH, ARK. _ S02 Freecisco, Cel. SELL WITH ONE HAND, MAKE CHANGE WITH OTHER BOOK STRIP TICKETS THE “ONE-HAND” TICKET AS FAST AS HARD TICKETS KETS est NUMBERING PERFORATING STOCK AND SIZE PERFEC INDEPENDENT CINCIN 214 West Filth Street, We Rent NEW Films Write for OUR SPECIAL PRICES ~All the Feature Productions in Stock ior Shipment ATI FILM EXCHANGE CINCINNATI. OHIO