Variety (Dec 1905)

VARIETY. A REAL MUSIC HALL FOR NEW YORK. Ted D. Marks, who is an integral part of Upper Broadway, and understands the wants of the public thoroughly, has decided the time is now ripe for a Music Hall in the neighborhood of Forty-sec- ond street to be conducted on similar lines to the old Koster & Bial house. Mr. Marks has the requisite financial backing, and Is seeking a site around Times Square, preferring one on the "theatre block" in Forty-s^uud street if one there is obtainable. "* It Is the consensus of opinion that such a venture at the present time will prove a decided success. There has been no approach to it since the days of Hammerstein's Olympia. The only fault in that enterprise was that Mr. Hatnmerstein was years ahead of the times. To-day in the cosmopolitan city of New York there is no place of amuse- ment which a man can make his even- ing headquarters. The Victoria is the nearest approach, but that is not popu- lar in the music hall sense, as it caters to a family patronage, and is strictly vaudeville in tone. The policy of Koster & Bial's was to have lots of girls on the stage and give free entree to those known as "good spenders." As a result, the boxes were always full with jolly parties, which brought sufficient income into the coffers without regard to the prices of admis- sion. Mr. Marks is very sanguine, and has been encouraged by all to whom he has broached the subject THE CIRCLE'S FUTURE. Percy G. Williams' Circle Theatre, now devoted to burlesque, is likely to again change its policy, according to current report. After having been successful as a vaudeville house, it was abandoned as such upon Mr. Williams acquiring the Colonial. At the commencement of this season it opened for the first time as a burlesque house. Business was bad from the start, and an "amateur" night each week had to be installed to boost it. Now the house is paying expenses, but Mr. Williams is not altogther satisfied. He has under consideration the feasi- bility of installing next season a musi- cal and comedy stock company there at popular prices, something after the La Salle in Chicago and the Tivoli in San Francisco. "BOB" GRAU'S LATE8T. Robert is himself again for the fram- ing up of schemes, and the "only Bob's" last one is stupendous. He is going to assist the artists to establish an agency of their own, thus "doing away with the managerial agencies," as he terms it. Ninety-nine headliiiers have already been entered in his mind, and only one more is needed to open operations. When all is in readiness Robert will deign to steer the new enterprise to success, and may possibly—just possi- bly, though—allow a few agents to help him out. After the full swing has been started, the remainder of the artists will be taken in. Perhaps a few more agents, too—but just "perhaps." "Bob" holds the destinies of the vaudeville world in the hollow of his little finger, to do with as he likes. Meanwhile, during all this engineer- ing, Robert will run off a few Christmas "bills." ily of animals and will use this as his training school. EDWARD PREV08T ILL. "Eddie" Prevost, of Prevost and Pre- vost, returned to this country this week. He was met at the steamer by his brother, Howard Prevost, of Rice and Prevost, and taken to his home. He is suffering from enlargement of the heart, brought on by his hard wOfk on the stage, and will not be able to work again. He was one of the first, if not the first, to develop the double somersault with- out the springboard and was one of the best acrobats in American vaude- ville. His loss to the stage will be felt. GILLETTE A PUP PROMOTER. Not content with handling his own act, Edward Gillette will shortly come before the variety world as a manager. It is his intention to put out several ani- mal acts of different sorts under his management, employing others to work the troupes and training the animals himself. Mr. Gillette has been remarkably suc- cessful with his own offering and feels that there is room for more good acts of a somewhat similar sort. He has permanent quarters near Bos- ton, where he can care for a large fam- HAD 8TAGE FRIGHT. There was trouble at Dockstader's Garrick Theatre in Wilmington on Mon- day, where Rhoda Royal was to have ex- hibited her white stallion' Chesterfield. At the matinee performance the horse, which was on a stage for the first time, became frightened at the footlights, and in spite of the endeavors of his rider, walked into the piano which serves as an orchestra. There was some disturbance in the gallery and Manager Dockstader came on the stage and reproved the Crowd for the demonstration. The horse was a feature of the Ringling show last Slim- mer and will be schooled to the foot- lights before opening in Trenton next week. MORRIS WILL HUSTLE. No one will be appointed to the place in the Morris office left vacant by the resignation of Edward S. Keller. In- stead William Morris will give more of his personal attention to the business and will handle most of the places for- merly booked by Keller. NOTHING LIKE IT. The rumor that Robert Grau has ar- ranged with Charles Frohman to give Sunday concerts at the Empire Theatre is absolutely without foundation. George M. Young, of the Philadelphia Ledger, was in New York Friday look- ing over the Casino Girls at the Gotham. THE EX-HEflDUNER I dropped into Hammerstein's Sunday night to see Ray Bailey, of Generao and Bailey. Whenever I feel the need of money from home, I go to see Ray Bai- ley. She has just about the same ef- fect. Heaven knows what tonic she bottles up in that smile of hers, but it's always on tap. (You may see it on the front page, small circle.) And if ever there is a time when I need the Bailey brand of tonic it is just be- fore Christmas, when my list of friends looks like a three hundred dollar note and my bank account like thirty cents. But let's get back to Ray Bailey. She has been laying off all week (they open at the Howard, in Boston, on Monday) and hasn't she made some of the New York shopkeepers glad? Well, rather! It wasn't all Christmas presents she bought, either, but a brand new set of stage frocks to dazzle us when she plays New York again. The new dancing dress is to be all black, with bodice of spangles, black lingerie, hosiery, shoes, hat and gloves. The gown for her first entrance is to be violet—and I don't blame her. It isn't every woman who can wear violet without causing unfav- orable comment, and the woman who can ought to Indulge. By the way, Ray is dressing her hair a la Lillian Russell, and since she has taken to thousand dollar gowns she is showing the ex- musical comedy queen a hot foot. Speaking of violet, why does Violet Allen wear a blue silk petticoat under h^r lingerie skirts with her new violet colored street dress? I saw their act. "The New Reporter," at the Colonial, Tuesday night, and I forgot everything about it, except that peculiar combina- tion—a vivid silk petticoat under a col- lection of lace and lawn tucks that made you think of a Mahler window, and then atop that a vivid violet broadcloth gown. Since when has it been the thing to mix silk and lawn lingerie? 1 had a letter from Eva Williams Tucker the other day. You know she has a wonderful recipe for making plum pudding, English style, and I had reached the point where canned plum pudding would not go. You usually do feel that way along about Christmas week. Well, she sent jthe recipe, which has been handed down through heaven knows how many generations, and the finish of her letter was characteristic: "Don't forget the sprig of holly and the burning brandy at serving time. Yes, we'll be eating one of these pud- dings at home on Christmas day, and as there is lots of snow on the ground, green things in the woods, open fire- places in the house and wood in the cel- lar, we ought to make a Merrie Christ- inas." Now, isn't it a shame that folks like Jack Tucker and Eva Williams have to "troup"? Some misguided multi-mil- lionaire ought to turn his attention from chorus girls to setting this couple up in the financial estate consistent with their ^artistic tastes. Their home at Ar- lington Heights, Mass., is one of the prettiest in the business, and Mr. Tuck- er is forever building quaint furnishings for it. * • * By the way, Gertrude Mansfield is adding some stunning pieces of mission furniture to her cozy little flat near Morningside Park, and they are all made by her husband, Caryl Wilbur. He draws all his own designs, fashions the pieces, and then stains them, and in the end they make you think of the "arts and crafts" department of a fashionable shop. Their new buffet is simply great. The Wilburs will spend Christmas week in town, and take to the road again the second week in January. * • * The Christmas guest of honor at the home of Mr. and Mrs. James J. Corbett, at Bayside, L. I., will be Master Allen Davis, the jolly four-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Hal Davis (Inez Macauley). The Davises will be playing in Greater New York for the next month and Mas- ter Allen is lording it over the Corbett household while his mother and father are doing two a day. * • # What do you expect to find in your stocking Monday morning? That's the worst of being grown up. Hateful but well meaning friends ask you outright whether you'd rather have a gold mesh purse or an ermine set. I wish after it is all over and your stocking is empty once more, rnd you have recovered from your ill-humor over having to play on Christmas, you'd write and tell me what I he afore-mentioned stocking contained. Next to the pleasure of receiving gifts is the joy of telling others what you got. We may try to be very blase, but honestly, it breaks our hearts if the other women don't come into our dress- ing rooms to see what Santa Claus brought us. For goodness sake, don't hide your sunburst or sealskin coat un- der a bushel measure. Write to me about it—and in next week's Variety we'll com?are notes. • * • This !s to be our very own corner— for the girls in vaudeville, and no man gets a line in this department, except as a husband or a hero. Masculine per- sonalities are barred. But you girls can help me to make this corner go. If you change your act, write and tell me. If you have a funny experience, let me hear about it. Just direct your let ter to the Ex-Headliner, care of Variety. When the editor turned this department over to me, he said it was just as well if you did not know me too well. He wanted it to make good. You girls needn't think that he hands you all the left-handed compliments. So here's a Merrie Christmas, whether you are working or laying off, and a New Year rich in desirable bookings. THE EX-HEADLINER.