Variety (Jan 1906)

■V. VARIETY. GRACE VON 8TUDDIF0RD GONE. ' Grace Von Studdiford, the comic opera prima donna, who approached several managers with an offer to go into vaude ville, left for Berlin Thursday morning on the Kaiser William der Grosse. Several reasons hastened her depart ure, but the most important was the on* which obliged her to seek booking in vaudeville. / '- Miss Von Studdiford was under the management of the Shubert Brothers, and sang the principal role in "The Red Feather." Upon Lillian Russell leaving "Lady Teazle" and the Shubert manage- ment, Miss Von Studdiford was shifted to the latter company. *■ Nothing seemed destined to mar tlie peaceful way of the prima donna until she noticed that the Lillian Russell pa- per was being used throughout the route of the opera. Miss Von Studdiford objected. While she cast no aspersions on Miss Russel), as she stated to one of the Shuberts, she thought it only consistent with her posi- tion that pictures of Grace Von Studdi- ford be displayed while she sang the role, and not the lithographs of a "has been." - ^ ' The Shuberts failing to grasp her point of view, she retired, and made overtures for vaudeville, asking from $1,200 to $1,500 weekly, which caused all the managers to wear ear-muffs. Later she reduced her figure—in dol- lars—without effect, and about this time rumors of impending trouble with the Shuberts reached her. Injunctions, at tachments and the like were mentioned, and Miss Von Studdiford determined upon a hurried trip across the pond. Ai»pealing to Alexander Steiner, who LcckeJ her cut West some years ago at $200 a week, he suggested ways and niea.is cui of the difilLulty. also handing lier a letter addressed to his brother, the manager of the Wintergarten in Berlin, from whence, no doubt, news wiii shortly arrive of the diva's appearance. ^ NOVELTY TO REOPEN. The Novelty Theatre in the Eastern district in Brooklyn is expected to open a::ain as a vaudeville house before the snow disappears—if it ever arrives. Closing through orders of the munici- pal authorities in the fall, it was not in- tended that it should onco more noid "bills," through an arrangement or un- ders anding entered into between Percy Williams, manager of the Novelty, and William T. Grover, manager of the Am- phlon. in the same section. When Mr. Grover acquired the old Montauk, it was agreed that if he would book through the office of William Mor- ris for the Amphion, and not run vaude- ville in his new theatre in opposition to Williams' Orpheum, the Novelty would stay out of the variety field. Whether Mr. Grover absolutely agreed is not certain, although he stated before the opening of the Montauk as his house that he would play only stock there. He gave vaudeville, however, and did not book through Morris. Mr. Williams in retaliation will compete with the Am- phion through the Novelty at the ear- lif'st possible moment. This will make the fifth house on the Williams* Greater New York Circuit— Orpheum, Alhambra. Colonial, Gotham and Novelty. THE CIRCLE AGAIN. So perplexed is Percy Williams over the peculiar conditions existing with his Circle and Colonial theatres that changes in plans are of daily occurrence. The latest is that the Colonial will be leased for next season, or at any rate, will be given up for vaudeville, which will return to the former favorite haunt of the upper West Side, the Circle. During the latter term of Williams' tenancy as a vaudeville manager at the Circle it was a steady money maker. Busiuess averaged $6,500 to $7,000 weekly, with a small capacity in com- parison to the Colonial, which, for some reason, does not seem to draw, regard- less of what billa nro given, the weekly receipts runing from $3,000 to $4,500, varying continually, without showing a healthy growth. Mr. Williams is now in the predica- ment of retumlQg to the Circle and ca- tering for a high grade patronage, which it formerly had, after the house has en- dured a season of burlesque. Whether the clientele will return or not is an open question., M ■ . ,: v WEBER AND RUSH'S NEW HOUSES. The Weber and Rush theatrical con- cern, whose offices are In the Knicker- boclver Theatre Building, are spreading out over the landscape rapidly these (lays. The new Gaiety Theatre in pro- cess of construction in Baltimore will be under their direction, and now comes word that they have just about com- pleted plans for the construction of a fine burlesque house in Schenectady, where they already control one house, the Mohawk. "Work on the new Schenectady thea- tre will be begun early in the spring," said a member of the flrm.^ ^'Wr-jAve an option on a site in the best partfof the city, and architects are busy ^ow with the plans for the building. We propose to make the^ building one of. the finest and most commodious iti the Bk^i. It will cost—that is. the building itself —upwards of $75,000. Besides the thiea- tre proper it will contain an elaborate rathskeller and the basement will *be given over to a ^ne bowling alley." ' The firm would not make public the name of the architects who were driw- ing the plans, but it was deflniti&ly stated that the new house would be opened on September 1 of this year. The Gaiety in Baltimore is to * be thrown open the first of next month.' It is said that the construction of the new playhouse makes a record. Ground was broken only two months ago. The thM- tre is the property of the Columbia; Amusement Company, but Weber Rush are the directors. '_.■■■■ FEIBER IN A HURRY. H. H. Peiber, who does the European booking for the Keith Circuit, will sail in about two weeks. As a rule he re- mains in ttda country until late in the spring, but there is need of acts for K»ith consumption, and Feiber will h.irry across. ■.■ j: - rV ;• /■ S-..I Alice Way, wife of Charles E. Colby and well known from her connection with Colby & Way as "The Dancing Doll," died New Year's Day, after a lin- gering illness. Her death was incorrect- ly reported earlier. • R. ft. ROBERTS MftV STAR Richard Arthur Roberts, Englishman. Yhat would be the city directory style of describing R. A. Roberts, who has gained immediate recoi^nition from pub- lic and press since his appearance in American vaudeville through the artistic interpretation of five different charac- ters in the one-man play, "Dick Turpin." While the artistic side of the presen- tation could be depended upon alone, there are also the lightning changes which are made from one character to another to add to Mr. Roberts' reputa- tion as a protean artist, in both senses of the phrase, and the recognition of his merit has been immediate by all thus far fortunate enough to view his per- formance. R. A. Roberts dispenses that selfsame indefinable quality often termed "per- sonality" or "magnetism" off as well as on the stage, and is a clever conver satlonalist, having a strong, modulated voice which carries each word distinctly. In speech he is the typical Englishman, but In looks very much "Yankee." Mr. Roberts said: "I suppose, of course, you expect my impression of the American audiences as I have found them and in com- parison with the English. My con elusions are that they are quick to catch the point, Intense, and when interested, attentive; when not, uneasy, which Is shown by moving In their seats. 1 like them and like to play before them. "My early career was on the legiti- mate stage In England, I having spent three years with Wilson Barrett, taking five charac.ers in 'Llght^ O' London,' then giving some time to concert work with a musical monologue. From the concert platform I entered your vaude ville thi'ough the music halls of Britain's great city, first producing 'Luclnda's EJlopement,' which I may fairly say es- tablished me in the hearts of London playgoers. I then produced 'Dick Turpin.* which you have seen, and I have another one- man play In readiness for production, involving eight characters, all of which I play myself, and it has been named •Ringing the Changes.' Rather appro- priate, don't you.think? I was not quite certain whether the expression would be fully understood over here. All my plays are written by myself. "At the Coliseum in London I con- sider I gave a much better production of 'Turpin' than Is possible here through the size of the stage. There Is a re- volving platform or stage over there, and where now my finale Is the escape of Dick through a window. I gained bet- ter effect at the Coliseum by having a band of soldiers below, whom I routed l)y striking, pushing and kicking, mounted my horse and again appeared in my proper person as the other half of the stage appeared before the audience. It was very effective, I assure you, and my horse would come around rubbing its nose against my shoulder, which the people In front seemed always to enjoy very much. . -^ "There has been some talk. I know, since I appeared over here as to why I close In or demand the stage be left to me alone when 'Turpin' Is given. The (xplanatlon Is not Intricate. Through my negligence In the old country of not insisting upon that condition I have suf- f rid a dislocated shoulder blade, broken my arm. blackened my eyes sev- eral times and other bruises, all through curiosity-impelled persons standing in the way when every fraction of a second to me In my changes meant a great deal. "I must do \U and for no other reason than not to risk injury. Once in Lon- don, at a time when I invited a commit- tee from the audience to come up on the Ktage to watch my changes, the late Clement Scott asked permission, which I gladly gave. After my performance 1 asked Mr. Scott what he would say, and he replied: 'Nothing, absolutely noth- ing; there is nothing to say. Bverjrthlng speaks for itself.; 1 can say no more.' "Again, at the Metropolitan one night* Sally's knife, which is run across the fingers by the Yorkshire farmer, was mislaid by accident. The 'prop' knife is blunted, and one of my assistants, in the hurry to secure another in time, found one which had not been dulled. When I, as the farmer, drew it across my fingers it cut a very deep gash which bled profusely and continuously through all the succeeding characters, soaking my clothing, which the audience could not but help notice. My assistant remarked to me, as he bound up the wounds, *HI say, Mr. Roberts, you ought to do this hevery night, you know.' **My wife, who is an English lady, is- my main assistant directly behind the Htttlng, and I have three others, one to simulate the coach arriving, another for the horse and the third to cart away the debris. "I like the United States so well, as far as I have traveled It, which means New York and Brooklyn, that, could I make the suitable arrangements, it Is highly possible I would present my three one-man plays as an evening's en- tertainment. I trust you will not con- sider It boastful when I say that I can present the nineteen characters neces- sary wl.hout duplicating the voice once. "I have already received a proposition from a prominent manager here to ex- tend 'Dick Turpin' into a three-act play, having the first and third acts as an epilogue and prologue respectively, with myf present presentation of the playlet - as the second act. v.--, "But In England contratis are steel clad. I am engaged there until March, 1908, and It Is problematical whether I can secure a release. I hope so, how- ever. But In any event, I do not intend to give either of the other plays during my present engagement." 8ime J. Silverman.