The Billboard 1925-01-17: Vol 37 Iss 3 (1925-01-17)

~ Pane The Billboard igi VAUDEVILLE BY M.H. SHAPIRO (Communications to 1493 Broadway, New York, N. Y.) HOUSE ORCHESTRAS ON MORE EFFICIENT BASIS PLANNED Steps Will Be Taken To Obtain Better Co-Operation With Acts in Keith-Albee Vaudeville---Song’and Dance Turns Mostly To EW YORK, Jan. 12.—By ville steps will be taken ficient basis so that acts 5 that source. S. W. Lawton, above mentioned, time in musica! settings, places the blame @Girectly upon the acts for the most part, stating that they fail to have proper or General chestrations of their song, dance or in‘ cidental music. Citing “the Hippodrome’s 20-piece or chestra as an instance, Lawton explained that an assistant musical director at HA, that house was assigned specially to confer with artistes every Monday morning, we going over their instrumentation parts ; and filling in gaps in order to make : a complete orchestration. This was true in particular of native acts, while foreign offerings usually were equipped / P with full parts for no matter what size a) orchestra. As the new Albee Theater in ‘ yi Brooklyn will also have a 20-piece or* chestra, brushing up on the artistes’ ; ; music was deemed imperative. i : Lawton also pointed out that the sucecess of the average motion picture in big houses was due to the music, considered : i an important feature of the program. } i Such settings, he said, had made great 2 £ strides in the past few years. Again he placed the blame on the artistes, because he believed they themselves were responsible for not keeping enough parts in their orchestrations and then complained of the music being “thin” when two or three house musicians had nothing from which to play. They should take more interest in this end of their work, he thought. All this idleness on the part of musicians after special efforts were made by the circuit to increase the size of many house combinations. Proper arrangement of an orchestration for ten men can be made to sound like fifteen, and as is generally known, says Lawton, an orchestra can do much to put an act over if given half a chance. For the guidance of vaudeville offerings Mr. i Lewton sent out the following sugges tions, which he consideres of value to the house musicians as well: “The orchestration should be as complete as possible. Every act should carry additional parts to the regular small orchestration for oboe, saxophone, bassoon, horns and extra part for the first violin, as it frequently occurs that three or four violinists try to read from one violin part. All music covers should bear the name of the act and the instrument. A torn cover . is often responsible for the loss of parts ; from the orchestrations. “The manuscripts should not be torn, marked or written upon, except for the cues. The notes should be very legible and the staves should not be crowded on the page. Torn, soiled music sheets with notes indistinct, also dozens of cues and arrows on the pages with bars crossed out and marked ‘good’, and then crossed out again with musical expressions hardly distinguishable, hinder the musician from playing his part with enthusiasm or doing justice to it. “Cues should be written legibly at the top of the page. Instructions should come at the beginning and not in the middle or at the bottom of the page. The order in which the numbers are played should be marked and they should follow in rotation. Turning back and forth trying to find the next number only delays matters. Complicated systems of folding the music should be avoided. “With regard to the personal aspect of W the relations of the actor and musician, no remarks or directions should be passed across the footlights. Signs of irritation should be controlled. All trouble should be adjusted before or after the performance and not over the footlights. “Manuscripts should not be marked un 2 necessarily by musicians nor are comments to be put on same. Any cues and changes ordered by the artiste should be made neatly and briefly. “The best musical effect desired can only be effected if every musician in the orchestra has his complete part and the music cues and notations are legible. This makes it possible for the musician to i Blame, However, Says General Musical Director Lawton way of improving the shows in Keith-Albee vaudeto place the average house orchestra on a more efwill get the maximum amount of co-operation from Musical Director for the affiliated circuits in defending vaudeville’s apparent lag in keeping up with the work up the music to an extent which could never be attained otherwise. Thereby the enthusiasm of the artiste inspired by the orchestra spreads to the audience.” Edwin Franko Goldman To Conduct at Moss Houses New York, Jan. 12.—Edwin Franko Goldman, symphony musical director, has been booked for a _ series of personal appearances at B. S. Moss’ houses, where he will be an added attraction, conducting an orchestra at two performances daily for a full week. Goldman is now directing the house orchestra at the recently opened Colony, a Moss house, playing pictures. He opens in vaudeville houses January 19 at the Coliseum and plays the Regent the week following. He will change his program on Thursdays, when the last-half vaudeville show comes in. Other Moss dates will follow with Goldman as an added attraction. Weber and Fields Open New Orpheum in Oakland New York, Jan. 12.—The Orpheum Circuit’s recently acquired theater in Oakland, Calif., formerly called the Fox. is opening February 13 with Weber and Fields featured in the first bill. In order to have the famed comedians on the opening bill their San Francisco engagement of two weeks was postponed from January 25, as originally booked, to February 1, The new Oakland theater has been remodeled at a cost of $100,000 and will play a combination policy of vaudeville and pictures twice weekly. Allen Wore schauer will be manager of the theater. Fisher Act Disbands New York, Jan. 12.—John Irving Fisher and his orchestra, which has been playing a few dates around New York, showing the new act, disbanded last week after playing the first half at Proctor’s Fifth Avenue Theater. Among the members of the band were several musicians who formerly worked in the orchestra known as the U. S. Bluejacket Band, which went on the rocks out West after the producer left the men fiat and skipped with the money, according to reports. The Government, incidentally, ordered the band not to use the title of U. S. Bluejacket, because it was misleading. Victoria Dupree’s Condition Serious Victoria Dupree, of Victoria and Dupree, has again been removed to the IIlinois Masonic Hospital, Chicago, where her condition is very serious. Three of Chicago’s leading specialists have been called into consultation and are now making desperate efforts to save her life. Miss Dupree was taken ill a few weeks ago after becoming a mother. Orpheum bookings for the act in which she and her ee appeared necessarily were canceled. Weir’s Elephants Held Over New York, Jan. 12.—Weir's Baby Elephants, held over at the Hippodrome, where they opened last week, will remain at the big playhouse several weeks, according to report. Following this engagement Don Darragh, their trainer, will leave for Denver to visit his mother, later on returning to vaudeville with the elephants for additional Keith-Albee Time. The act is booked for the summer at Luna Park, where it opens May 17. Trene Clare, of the dance team, Douglas and Clare, back in the twoa-day in their “Dance Diversions, 1620 to 1924”, having been routed for the balance of the season by the Keith Albee Circuit. The act is out on the popular-priced time, having opened at Bethlehem, Pa., but in all probability will be seen later on in the major houses of the Keith chain. “Blue Bird” in West New York, Jan. 12.—Meyer Golden’s latest offering to vaudeville, The Blue Bird, a pretentious revue in several scenes, Was taken out of the opening bill of the new Albee Theater, Brooklyn, in which it was booked, and left for Chicago last week to open at the Palace Theater there today, starting a tour of the Orpheum Circuit. The act went out with several special cars carrying scenery and effects. New Song and Dance Act New_York, Jan. 12.—Nat Nazzaro, Jr., Kuy Kendal! and a company of two specialty artistes will be seen together in vaudeville shortly in a new song and dance act. Kendall, in addition to playing the piano, staged the piece and contributed most of the dialog. He hails from the musical comedy stage and was associated with Hassard Short, producer of the Rite Revue. Nazzaro has worked in the two-a-day on various occasions, Fay Follies Closes Doors New York, Jan. 8.—Despite the overflowing till of New Year's Eve the Fay Follies, one of the largest night clubs here, closed its doors a failure the other night. Lawrence Fay, proprietor and also owner of the El-Fey Club, paid off all’the outstanding debts, it is said, and decided the place was a flop. The club formerly had a large revue consisting of 25 girls and two men. Lillian Lorraine was starred and Frank Farnum was featured, Orpheum Units Start New York, Jan. 12.—The first of the Orpheum units—shows which will travel over the entire time intact—left here last week and opened today at Cedar Rapids, Ia. Among the acts included in this first unit are Fileen Van Biene and Richard Ford, Howard's Spectacle and the Wright Dancers. The girls in the latter act will appear in the other two, augmenting them. Justine Johnstone in Rehearsal New York, Jan. 12.—Justine Johnstone has finally gotten around to her vaudeville engagement. She is in rehearsal in @ new sketch by Elaine Sterne, the title of which is yet a bit indefinite. Miss Johnstone will be supported by Ed Stanley, and Lewis & Gordon will present the act. — va ny January 17 1925 2) Peek aroerrarPetarers SMALL TIME FOR ORPHEUM, B’KLYN State-Lake Policy Takes Effect January 19---George Nagle New Manager New York, Jan. 12.—With the opening January 19 of the new Albee Theater, Brooklyn's big-time vaudeville landmark for a quarter of century, the Orpheum will change to State-Lake policy, with the usual nine booked, of which seven will play at each of the continuous performances, plus a feature picture. This makes three big-time houses in Greater New York being relegated to the small time in one day, the other two being the Alhambra and Royal theaters, exclusive announcement of which peared in last week's Billboard. The Orpheum was opened to the on New Year's Day, 1900. Since then it has occupied a unique position in bigtime circles. To Brooklyn theatergoers, and many from New York as well, it filled the same position as did the old Hammerstein Victoria, and later on the Palace, in the hearts of local vaudeville patrons. George Nagle, now assistant manager at the Royal Theater, is slated to manage the Orpheum under its new policy, while Manager William B. Kerrigan, of the Orpheum, will take the Albee in hand when it opens on Monday. In the past the Orpheum, which is centrally located as to transportation especially, always did fine business. The new Albee is located but a few minutes’ walk from the Orpheum. acts ap oublic Engaged for Acts _New York, Jan. 10.—Florence Fay, Singer, and Al Moss, dancer, have been laced by Roehm & Richards with owe and Gray’s novelty band. The Ambassadors, which started out this week for a tour over the Pantages Circuit. Roehm & Richards also have signed Betty Schuyler for a new comedy sketch which Walter Hawley and Fanchon Wallace are breaking in. William Carey is another member of this act. Sheila Kemble has been engaged thru Rycroft-Perrin as ingenue in Harry Shea’s sketch, The Truth, which has been Playing since last summer. Don Roberts and Mildred Chandler have been placed by Leslie Morosco with @ new act called Thru the Crystal, being roduced by Ann Burke and Kenneth ceith, and scheduled to open on the Fox Time January 19. Louis Lynch and Frank Howson have been signed thru Morosco for Dorothy Richman’s act, Marriage a la Vaudeville, which has been appearing on the Keith Circuit past year Morosco also has plate George Mitchen with Melville Franklin's act on the Keith Circuit. Now Tenney and Dale New York, Jan, 12.—Harry Tenney and Dorothy Dale, formerty Tenney and White, opened this week in a new singing act on the Poli Time, over which they have been routed. The act is at Poli’s, Worcester, the first half this week, and at Bridgeport, Conn., the last half. Emil Boreo Signed —_—--— New York, Jan, 12.—Contract has been signed by the Keith-Albee Circuit to play Emil Boreo, Russian comedian, who made considerable of a hit here with Chauve Souris and since has been among other things popetae on the radio. The opening date for Boreo is not set as yet. Blue Demons on K.-A. Time New York, Jan. 12.—The Fight Blue Demons, whirling Arabians, are back on the Keith-Albee Circuit after having been away since last July, when they finished their last season’s bookings The act started a route last week (the last half) at Keith's, Toledo. Rooney’s Girl Quartet New York, Jan. 12.—A girl quartet called Past s West, has been product d by Tom Rooney for the two-a-day, and i slated to open this week on Long Island to whip into shape. The girls are Ethe! Brookhurst, Isabel Austin, Celia Brans and Dorothy Whitehead, ao inte The bool star