Variety (May 1907)

VARIETY ANOTHER BROOKLYN HOUSE FOR TH E EASTE RN WHEEL Hyde and Behman's Adams Street Theatre Becomes a Burlesque Institution. Two More Houses Planned for New York City. Hyde & Behman's Adams Street Theatre in Brooklyn closes its regular vaudeville season to-night, and commencing Monday next will become an Eastern Burlesque Wheel house. The first attraction will be Weber & Rush's "Parisian Widows," which plays there next week. The house may be kept open for a few weeks during the remainder of this sea- son, and next fall will be entered on the eastern's route sheet. This gives Hyde ft Behman four bur- lesque theatres, all connected with the Eastern Wheel. The Adams Street Theatre is a short distance removed from the same firm's Star Theatre on Jay street, which also plays burlesque shows, and in the routes to be arranged for next season either one of these houses will be played after all the other eastern cities, including the other Brooklyn houses, have been visited to avoid too quick a return. Two houses in the Borough of Manhat- tan are planned by the eastern people as additions to their circuit. They now have the Murray Hill and 125th Street Music Hall. A prominent eastern manager stated this week that an announcement would shortly be forthcoming with the names, but at the present time no infor- mation would be given out. With the theatre which will be oper- ated in Louisville by the Eastern Wheel, this will give the circuit 36 theatres to play and 36 weeks of time, with only one open week, that between New Orleans and Kansas City. This is likely to be closed before the fall by the annexing of a the- atre at Memphis, Tenn., to break the jump. Hereafter Eastern Wheel shows will be billed under the caption, "Advanced Bur- lesque." DAVENPORT WANTS BURLESQUE. Davenport, la., May 3. Davenport's Mayor has received a reply to his communication to the Eastern Burlesque Wheel managers in New York City asking them to play their shows in the Orpheon theatre here. The offer was declined by the Eastern Wheel, and it may be submitted to the Western, which has a house in Dubuque in this State. WESTERN GETS WHEELING. Wheeling, W. Va., May 3. It is announced here that the Gayety theatre will open next season as a West- ern Burlesque Wheel house. CLINT WILSON FOR ALDERMAN. Kansas City, May 3. An effort is being made to get George Bothner, the New York wrestler, to come on here for a match with Max Lutbegg, a Kansas City mat expert who is considered a whirlwind. Kansas City will back its favorite, and if Bothner wins he can take away a lot of local money. Clint Wilson, manager of the Columbia Amusement Com- pany's house, is engineering the deal. Wil- son has been re-engaged for the manager- ship of the Majestic and is a probable candidate for alderman from a strong Democratic ward. MILWAUKEE'S OPENING POSTPONED. Chicago, May 3. The Star Theatre, Milwaukee, ended its career as a Western Wheel burlesque house on April 30, the lease expiring on that date. The final performance was given by the "Merry Makers" last Satur- day. The Empire Circuit Company had hoped that the new theatre would be available for the remaining shows coming from Chicago, commencing this week, but the playhouse is not yet in condition to permit its opening and as a result the "Briga- diers," scheduled to inaugurate the new theatre Sunday, are idle this week. "The Jolly Girls" at the Folly, Chicago, this week, it is said, will be the opening attraction at the New Milwaukee Theatre next Sunday (May 5). STARTING IN MONTREAL. Montreal, May 3. Excavation is going on for the new Eastern Burlesque Wheel theatre in this city. It will be located on St. Catherine street, directly opposite Bennett's new vaudeville house. NEW STAIR HOUSE EXPENSIVE. Toronto, May 3. The estimated cost of the new Stair Theatre (Star, Western Wheel) in this city is $125,000. That is considered a lib- eral amount by builders. MARION'S "EASY MONEY." "Some years ago," says Sam Rice, who is with his "Merry Maidens" company at Montreal this week, "Dave Marion and I played in a company under the manage- ment of Maurice Jacobs. You all know how keen Maurice is for a game of chance, so when Dave proposed a small wager on his ability to call within $3 of the gross receipts of any performance, why Maurice cinched the bet right away. "Well. Dave's first guess was $284.75, and he won, because we had $283.50; his second attempt was equally successful. We had $191.50 and he guessed $188.75. After losing several more bets Jacobs acknowledged Marion a marvel and gave up. "Dave and I were very friendly, and when I implored him to impart the secret of his skill he smiled and said T ask the treasurer and he tells me.'" Frank Damsell, at present with Clark's "Runaway Girls," will star in a three-act musical comedy, written by himself, next season under the management of H. L. Lawrence. EMPIRE COMPANY MEETING. Cincinnati, May 3. The meeting of the stockholders und board of directors of the Empire Circuit Company has been in session here two days. A dividend of 25 per cent, was de- clared on the stock, and it was decided to build houses in six new towns, not includ- ing Brooklyn. All the old officers were re-elected with the single exception of Hubert Heuck as vice-president. George W. Rife, of Baltimore; Harry Fehr and H. Gay Miner, of New York, were added to the executive board. BURLESQUE CHANGES IN PHILADEL- PHIA. Philadelphia, May 3. The present week marks the close of the Lyceum's career as a home for regu- lar wheel burlesque shows. Beginning next week stock burlesque will be given under the direction of John G. Jermon and after the summer season the Lyceum will be operated as a "Family" vaudeville theatre. The Eastern Wheel shows will next season go into the theatre now known as Bon Ton, and operated as a low price vaudeville house. The name of the Bon Ton will be changed to Gayety and nu- merous improvements will be made. The regular season at the Bijou (Wes- tern Wheel) will close next Saturday and with the advent of the Summer season shows will come a change in the manage- ment. W. V. Jennings, who acted as manager all season, will quit to assume charge of three or four parks in Pennsyl- vania, booking vaudeville through various agents. Jennings enjoyed popularity and the respect of his patrons the past sea- son and the house has prospered under his management. Colonel Gus Dawson who managed the theatre last season and had charge during the Summer will come back from Baltimore to handle the coming sea- son of stock burlesque. The stock com- pany will not open until June 17, regular wheel shows playing return dates mean- while. Stock burlesque will open May 13 in the Trocadero and the Casino will be turned over to the'Adler Stock Company with a scries of Yiddish plays after the regular burlesque season closes May 18. BURKHARDT RECEIVES OFFERS. Charles J. Burkhardt, the Hebrew char- acter comedian, has received offers from three leading managers to play for each next season in a production. Mr. Burkhardt is undecided. He has concluded not to again travel with bur- lesque, and his brother, Addison, has written a one-act play for him available for vaudeville purposes. "THE EARLY BIRDS" NEW TITLE. Alf G. Herrington's "Yankee Doodle Girls" will be known as "The Early Birds" next season. Mr. Herrington will strengthen the show, carrying many members of the present company. The H. B. Marinelli agency is now in its new location on the eighth floor of the St. James Building. LOOKING FOR NEWARK. A Western Burlesque Wheel house may be located in Newark next season if cer- tain western managers who are attempt- ing to promote the enterprise are success- ful in enlisting outside capital. One or two people have been approached with the proposition, but thus far nothing has resulted. The Eastern Wheel plays its shows at Waldman's in that town, L- GENERAL STAGE MANAGER SUGGESTED. The Empire Circuit Company (Western Burlesque Wheel) heads are considering the feasibility of employing a general stage director to work under the direction of its "Censor Committee." The plan is to have this official, employed at an an- nual salary, stage as many of the bur- lesque shows as possible during the late summer, and after the opening of the season, to have him in readiness to direct the improvement of such shows as fail to satisfy the committee in the matter of musical numbers, dressing and general stage appearance. The general stage di- rector will be required to hold himself in readiness to jump to any town on the circuit where a show is in need of his services. The scheme has not yet been decided upon, it being one of the matters that Harry Martell, a member of the Censor Committee, promised to bring before the Cincinnati meeting. The idea was advanced by Dan Doty, and should the Board of Directors act favorably upon it it is probable that he will secure the post. GRIEVES BUSY WITH STOCK. Sam Devere's show (Western Wheel) closes its season at the Columbia, Boston, this week. The Columbia is being rec- ognized as the "falling-off place" of the season this year, owing to the circum- stance of the Empire Circuit's Worcester house closing and leaving an open week just at this time. The week following is Miner's Bowery. The Columbia will qlose the end of next week to the regular Wheel shows, being given over to a spring stock season of two weeks under the management of John Grieves. Mr. Grieves will also put in a two weeks' stock engagement at Miner's Bow- ery Theatre, from May 13 to 27. Grieves has already placed in rehearsal his sum- mer stock burlesque company, which is to hold forth in Buffalo the coming warm weather. CHANGES IN "THOROUGHBREDS." At the beginning of next season Frank B. Carr's "Thoroughbreds," playing West- ern Burlesque Wheel time, will be accom- panied by Bennett Mitchell, of the Dancinj? Mitchells, who will also play his act in the olio. Mr. Mitchell will probably have the management of the show on the road. Harry LeClair has been engaged as a permanent feature of the organization. The Orpheum Theatre, Boston, ma\ re- main open all summer. The Buckingham Theatre, playing West- ern Wheel companies in Louisville, closes it? season May 11. John J. Murdock returned on Wednes- day from a short Chicago trip.