The Billboard 1911-03-25: Vol 23 Iss 12 (1911-03-25)

| CARP AE, *s. r me The Billboard MARCH 25, 1911. BIG ALBANY, N. Y. | The stage of Harmanus Bleecker Hall was | busy the week of March 13 during hours when the Aborn Grand Opera Company was not using it with rehearsals of the Lytell Vaughan Stock Company, which opens for the spring and summer, March 20. Mr.-Lytell was greeted by his many Albany friends and received the welcome news from Manager Gilbert Gordon that a sold-out week awaits his opening and a subscription sale for the season which exceeds last year’s demand. Many of Mr. Lytell’s plays will require extra people and he has promised Albanians that any of these extra people who prove satisfactory and wish to acquire dramatic training will be given small parts during the season as occasion offers. Plans for the coming scason at Maple Beach Park are now under way. Its location in the Hudson River between Albany and Troy makes it necessary to wait till the ice moves out of the river before any work can be done. This year the freshet proved a slight affair and little damage was done to the park property. Manager John J. Carlin says that the park has completely outgrown itself. so this season everything will be built on a larger scale than before. The shows—fifty or more—will all have better facilities for entertaining the public. A big feature will be the Rigamarole, a fun-device, which is very popular in other parks. The Funny House was so profitable last year that it is to be enlarged. For the Divin Girls, another new show, a mammoth tank {Is being installed. There will be 3.000 new seats in the open air theatre, which is free to the public and where high-class comic opera and vandeville will be given. Gartland’s Tenth Regiment Band a_ local organization, will furnish music all summer. All the big picnics of Albany and Troy will make Maple Beach Park headquarters. Every day is practically a picnic day. since the management admit women and children free every “afternoon except Saturday and Sunday. The traffic facilities for reaching the park include boat trips every fifteen minutes from Albany and Troy on the spacious steamers of the Albany and Troy Steamboat Company: the cars of the United Traction Company, which land passengers within a short distance of the park, and a brilliantly-lighted board-walk brings you there in short order. With Mr. Carlin’s well-known abilities as a hustling manager the park looks forward to a prosperous season. WILLIAM H. HASKELL. BALTIMORE, MD. Thousands of merchants come to this city twice a year from all parts of Dixieland to replenish their season’s stock of merchandise. They come in the spring and they come in the fall and when they do come they are always entertained by the Travelers’ and Merchants’ Asseclation. When they come in the spring they are entertained at the theatres and when they come in the fall they are in time to enjoy the summer parks. March 6 was the Merchante’ week as usual and on the evening of March 3 2.500 visiting merchants agsembled at the Mavyland Theatre to witness the vaudeville show. The wives and daughters of the merchants were also present. Lester Groves, twenty years old. residing st 2326 East Fayette street, was arrested March 11, charged with assaulting Miss Beulah MceCauley. during the performance at the Victeria Theatre. The house was darkened at the time and the young lady was annoyed by bis actions. At the hearing before Justice Grannan in the Central Police Station next morning, Groves was held for a further hearing in default cf $1,000 bail. Charles P. Zorbach, better known in the theatrical world as Charles B. Watson, died March 11, after a lingering illness at the home of his brother, Geoerge W. Zorbach at Overlea, Belair Road. He was buried in Mount Carmel Ceme— a 14 from St. Anthonr’s Cathoiic urch. J. E. Laferty ts preparing plans for a moving picture theatre and office building to be erected at 911 ep street, Hampton, for Chas A. Hicks. e theatre will be on the first floor. It will have an ornamental facade of metal and the upner floors will be used offices. The cost will be about $5,500. Plans are being prepared for a handsome structure that will be used for a moving picture theatre at 1724-1728 Harford avenue. The building will be erected for Loritz Brothers. The house will include all the latest theatrical appliances. F. E. Beall is drawing plans for a moving picture theatre at 1531 East Monument street for Julius Requart. The building will be one story high with an ornamental facade of metal and onyx. The lot ts 22 feet front and 46 feet The construction work will commence at once. Messrs. Abram and Leuls Benesch, who are having plans prepared for their new theatre at 1358-1360 West North avenue will spare neither expense nor trouble on the attractiveness of the building and the most complete details for comford and convenience thronghout the interior. The fittings and appointments which will be modern in every detail, have been given serious consideration and fire-proof materials will be used throughout the building. “To be or not to be is the question,”’ as Shakespeare expressed {ft and the same idea prevails in the minds of the many music lovers who like grand opera. The powers that control the Chicago Grand Onera Company held a starchamber session in Philadelphia last week and as much mystery surrounds the meeting noth| ing definite con be ascertained In regards to the rrospects of giving grand opera in the East nex Season. The citizens in the Onaker City have not been over zealons in the patronage this season thus there is a deficit and this condition has caused the powers to do some hard thinking and that means that the silver-voiced songbirds will rematin In their aviary in the Windy City for an ndefinite period This state of affairs has SH =H SUP EUESTDACPE CEEOL EEE TOWN elven lecal opera lovers much worry and = the | future visits of the Chicago Grand Opera Com pany are as yet in doubt, ropage has been excellent, Miss Percy Haswell was with us again last week and sne played in a vaudeville sketch for the first time in her career at the Maryland Theatre. Some years ago she appeared at Al bangh’s Theatre with the George Fawcett Stock Company and for several seasons she was the idol of the matinee girls in the capacity of leading woman. Since then she visits here for a week's stay and it may be said that as the matinee girls have grown older and some of them may have children of their own they still “ling to the memory of their idol and flock to the theatre when she comes to town. The Fraternal Order of Eagles was granted the privilege of holding an industrial exposition in the Fifth Regiment Armory next fall. The Wholesale Grocers’ Association is also interested in the show. SYLVAN SCHENTHAL. BROOKLYN, N. Y. William J. Buttling, ex-sheriff of Kings County and one of the most prominent Elks in the country, died of heart failure on March 12. Mr. Buttling was a well-known amusement man, being interested in several Brooklyn thea tres. He was at one time manager of Dream land, Coney Island. Caroline Franklin, although the pat leading woman of Percy G. Williams’ Crescent Stock Company. has felt the call of vaudeville, and will seon be seen in a dramatic sketch, Blanche, on the Vaudeville stage. Percy G. Williams was first to procure the roducing rights of The Battle for stock. and t will be presented by the Crescent Stock Company, week of 20. Percy G. Williams’ chain of theatres in Brooklyn is doing a tremendous business in spite of Lent. Wells Hawkes, the director of publicity at Greater Dreamland last season, has recently been engaged as general publicity promoter for the Keith & Proctor enterprises. Paper will soon be put up announcing Barnum & Railey’s Greatest Show on Earth, which will appear in Brooklyn week of April 24. Charles L. Breed, the new manager of the Majestic Theatre. is gaining much popularity in Brooklyn with the Majestic patrons and managers of attractions playing there. Frank Girard, who is Perey G. Williams’ treasurer at the Orpheum Theatre, and one of the best known young theatrical men in Brooklyn, will likely be connected with some of the big attractions at Brighton Beach or Coney Island during the summer. Mr. Girard has acted as treasurer of several Brooklyn theatres: also of Brighton Beach Music Hall. and is very popular with the patrons of vaudeville theatres and the vaudeville profession. The LL. A. Thompson Scenic Railroad Co. has all its scenic roads at Coney Island ready to open. is enterprising concern is withour question leaders in the scenic railroad line. and its roads at Coney Island are more attractive than ever. . George ©. Tilyou’.. Steeplechase Park at Coney Island will soon be ready to onen. Mr. Ti!you has many new novelties to offer and Steeple chase will no doubt be more popular than ever. GEORGE Tl. HAKES. PITTSBURG, PA. The City Beautifiers are again trying to abolish billboards in this city. An ordinance has been prepared and is soon to be presented to the City Councils. prohibiting billboard advertising, and compelling property owners to remove all existing billboards. This question has been brought up several times in the past. but has never got as far as a hearing. I believe the same fate awaits this measure. Plans have been prepared and work has starteed on a new theatre in Wilkinsburg, a suburb of Pittsburg. to cost $125,000. It is reported that the Colonial, which is now playing vande ville and pictures, will run pictures only. next seasen. And the new house. named, will run vaudeville and pictures at 10. 20 and 30 cents. Geo. A. Gardener, former high-diver, was a caller at the T. M. A. Club last week. George. at the present time, is located in Pittsburg. and is operating a picture machine at a local theatre. Mrs. Fiske and her company were busily en gaged, between performances, at the Nixon last week. rehearsing Harry James Smith's comedy, Mrs. Rumpted Leigh, which will be put on during the forthcoming New York engagement. William Jennings Brran lectured te a fairsized andience at Carnegie Musie Hall on March 14. Newman gave his last illustrated lecture of the season on March 15, at the same place. speaking on India. WASHINGTON, D. C. 10, M. Jules Layolle’s French Opera Company of New Orleans, will fill an engagement at the Belasco Theatre. Last spring, for the first time, they left che Crescent City on a tour of ten weeks and took in Washington among the cities selected, for brief engagements. The venture proved a financial success and hence the return. William Faversham is forming a stock company which will have an engagement at the Belasco immediately following the regular season. His stage manager, Lionel Belmore, is at present in New York, engaging the members of the company. William Pruette will have a prominent place in the cast of Doctor de Luxe, in which Ralph Herz is to star. Mr. Pruette is a native of this city and started with the Emma Abbott Onera Company. Lola May, also a native of Washington, i« a member of An Old New Yorker Company which played at the Belasco last week. Her father i« employed in the post-office department. One of the last acts of the late Congress was to enact into law a bill imposing a severe Commencing April which is yet un TTT penalty on any manager of a theatre or other ' amusement in the District of Columbia who refuses to admit a soldier, sailor or marine because of his uniform. ti | ED. WYNN COLUMBUS, O. The theatrical season for this city, at least among the legitimate houses, is fast drawing to a close. Barring an attraction here and there, by April 1 it can be said that the season of 1910-1911 is past and gone. The two first-class houses, namely, the Southern anu the Colonial, have both had fair seasons, but the competition has been keen and it would | be a hard matter to really determine which house hau the best of the battle. The South| ern, playing the K. & E. shows, I suspect can show more of a profit than the Colonial with the attractions playing under the Shubert ban | ner. It has been rumored here among theatrica! folk that ere another season rolls around there will be a settlement of the differences existing among the two factions and that one theatre will house attractions from both booking agencives. Mr. Boda, the general manager of the Valentine cireuit, has announced that at his mew Hart man Theatre, now in course of construction, will play the coming season new attractions under the management of men who this season have been affiliated with the Shuberts alone. Speaking of the new house that Mr. Boda and Mr. Dunmeyer will have charge of, the Ilartman, it can be safely said that no other house west of New York wil! surpass it In point of completeness in detail. Nothing, from what I am toN, will be overlooked to make the house a gem not only from the audience side of the curtain but from back of the curtain as well. Mana Prosser will run his usual good bills just oo lene as the public ‘will buy,”’ and so far has announced no closing date. The B. F. Keith management are to be congratulated in possessing at this end such an able resident mana as Mr. Prosser. He is liked here by both press and public. It is hie intention to play summer vaudeville at a price of 10 cents when the regular season is over. While here with Mr. Wilton Lackaye, Harry 0. Stubbs, who with Mr. Chas. I. Wilson so ably directed the destinies of the Stubbs Wilson players at Olentangy Park last summer, announced that his company would open at the park Mav 29 in The Girl I Left Behind Me. to be fellowed with such bills as Paid in Full, Caught In the Rain, Arizona and The Gentleman from Mississippi Fourth of July week, with Tom Wise in his old role. Franklin Ritchie and Sue Van Duzer are to be leading man and woman respectively. Work on the new Broadway Theatre that will be managed by Messrs. James and Murphy, local men, goes merrily along and will be ready May 1, perhaps before. Sullivan and Considine vandeville will be played. Mr. Al Wiswell. well and favorably known and brother of Lew Wiswell, with Stair and Havlin, came on from New York after a season of sixteen weeks with the Hippodrome show. Mr. Wiswell makes this city his home. He has several good offers for the summer and next seaeon, but has decided nothing definitely as vet. He reports a splendid season for hie attraction. WM. H. CAMPRELL. ST. LOUIS, MO. Althongh the Lenten season is on in earnest, we find that business is good and is showing an improvement over the past few months, con sidering that it is Lent. The weather last | week was cold. vet out at the summer gardens everyone is busy arranging for the openings a month hence. The attractions in the various theatres were mostly new and as a consequence attracted unusual attention. Thos. W. Rankine left St. Louis last week to join the Barnum & Bailey Shows. Hix voice | will be the first heard when the grand entry ix | made on the opening night. Mr. Hugh Morrison arrived last week from Little Rock, Ark., and will take up his task of making extensive improvements In Lansdowne Park, East St. Lonis. The bathing beach will he bedded with sand and some new devices will be installed. It is not yet known what attraction will be put In the theatre. Mr. Frank Priester will help this year operate the park at Grand and Meremac streets, form erly known as Grand Avenne Park. The park at present is torn down, as Mr. Priester will rebuild it almost entirely. Edith Becker, prima donna of The Girl and the Kaiser Company at the Shubert Theatre here, Inst week, was taken fl] Sunday, March 12, and was unable to appear. The performance had to be cancelled. She however, with much effort, was able to appear on Monday. She played the rest of the week under great strain. W. D. Cave, treasurer. and C. FE. Nall, as sistant treasurer of the Century Theatre here, will be tendered their annual benefit, March 26, with The Sweetst Girl in Paris as the at, traction. A visit to Edward Shields, manager of the Fmpress Theatre, East St. Lonis Ill., reveals the fact that this house booked on the Sullivan & Considine Cirenit, has been making great snecess In patronage and has become a permanent part of East St. Louis amusements. Mr. Shields has not only become popular with the patronage of East St. Louis, but. with his em ployees and the performera that play this house, a condition that will at all times have a successful ending. He states that the re ceipts have been steadily climbing. and that on Sundays it is necessary to turn business away. The Wm. O’Brien Troupe are at the present time completing rehearsale on what promises to | at Delmar will | now being installed. be one of the cleverest acrobatic acta of next senson. There are five in the act and the degree of perfection thus far attained promises a revelation for the vendeville houses next winter The Paterson Carnival Company will hold a carnival for the Eegles of East St. Louts during April. The big suecess, financtaliy, of the one last year, shonld make a bigger week this season. AMUSEM TTT It is proposed to install a bathing beach at Delmar Garden this summer and as this is something new for this city, should prove profitable. The new riding device for this season be the roller coaster, which is Owing to the great success attained in reducing the matinee prices to 25 cents at the Princess Theatre here, manager Dan. Fishell has made the best seats 50 cents at the night performances, Manager Leo Reichenbach, of the Standard Theatre here, will tak his annual benefit on March 20. The Brigadiers Burlesquers will furnish the attraction. Mr. Gallo was in the city last week, and entertained overtures for the placing of Fuerulio’s Band in one of our parks here, in the month of May, as the band will come west en route to Salt Lake City, it is possible that they will play this city. WILL J. FARLEY. ST. JOSEPH, MO. L. F. Ingersoll, owner and manager of Lake Contrary Park, arrived here the past week from his home at Tlittsburg, I’a.. where he has been spending the winter months. He in formed the writer that a number of improvements would be made, together with several new concessions added; also that no time would be lost in putting the park in perfect condi tion for an early opening. Fred Cosman, last year’s energetic assistant manager, will again be associated with Mr. Ingersoll in like capacity for the coming season. Unexpectedly, Manager C. U. Philley, of the Lyceum was called to the bedside of his mother in New York. Arrangements are being made for the annual street fair in South St. Joseph early in April. Parker Amusement Company will furnish the attractions. Taken unaware during the performance of the Al. G. Field's Minstrels in this city the past week, Mavor Clayton stepped upon the st and after explaining his mission presented Mr. Field, together with each member of the company, a Boosters’ Club button for 1911. Although the clever minstrel man was for a moment caught napping he responded with a pleasing curtain speech. Mr. Field was made an honorary member of this club during his engagement in this city over a year ago. JESSE J. WAGNER. OMAHA, NEB. The nice weather and the Lenten season have had some effect on the attendance at the theatres, Law ~_— oes not fallen off as much as wou! expected. Wm. P. Byrne. manager of the Orpheum, who has so successfully managed Lake Manawa for the past five years, will not be comnected with the park this season. Bill is one of the hardest working managers in the city and will hereafter devote his summer season to pleasure and rest. W. J. Burgess, manager of the Brandeis, has returned from a six weeks’ trip to Callfornia. Mr. Burgess informs the writer that the business has been very satisfactory at his honse since the first of the year. Fred Stone, of Montgomery and Stone, was the guest of the Omaha Gun Club at a special shoot !n his honor. Mr. Stone, besides being well up in his profession, is some shooter and was high man, breaking targets. Mr. McQuarrie, the new leading man of the Woodward Stock Company. has become popular with Boyd audiences from the start, and promises a good successor to Mr. Lynch, who has associated himself with an Eastern stock company. Mr. Barnet, the new manager of the Lake Manawa resort, writes that he will soon be ip Omaha, and commence improvements on this park. White Rats held a ‘‘scamper” at the Krug Theatre March 10, It was the first assembly of its kind ever held among the theatrical people here. Speeches by the players and a banquet, were beld on the stage. Several players appearing at the different theatres contributed to the entertainment. Col. Wm. McCune, of the Buffalo Bill Show. who has been confined in a hospital for some time, is reported as improving in health, which his many friends in the business will be glad to learn. MeCune has always been a personal friend of Col. Cody and asseciated with him ever since the show first scarted ont from Omaha years ago. H. J. ROOT. KANSAS CITY, MO. Frederic Shipman, manager for Lilian Nordica, who is to be heard in concert at Convention Hall. the evening of March 29, telegraphed her consent to donate fifty per cent. of is concert for the benefit of The Girls’ Hotel, @ charitable project in which the women of t city are Interested. They desire to raise $75,000 with which to build a girls’ hotel for working girls who come to the city and need room and board until they can secure employment. Nordica immediately consented. Some one robbed the office of the Theatrical Mechanics’ Renevolent Association at the Northeast corner of Eleventh and Central streets, Sunday, March 5, but no report was made to the police until March 7. There was nothing to show how the robber got Into the room or the desk, from which forty dollars were taken. The desk as well as the room were found locked when the theft was discovered. WILLIAM W. SHELLEY. A complete list of attractions appearing in the cities mentioned en this page is given in the department beginning on page 22.