Variety (September 1907)

VARIETY CHICAGO BECOMING A VAUDEVILLE CENTRE The Big City of the West Will Soon Rank With New York as Headquarters for Artists—Three Variety Theatres There Rumored for Klaw & Erlanger. "Three 'Advanced Vaudeville' theatres for Klaw & Erlanger in Chicago" is the latest rumor, and seems to be founded on some authentic information. The Auditorium in that city, with its seating capacity of 4,000, is listed to open under the vaudeville management of K. & E. on Oct. 13, and this it is authoritatively stated will happen, regardless of the suc- cess met with by "The Girl Rangers,'* since the Geo. W. Lederer production opened the season. Another "Syndicate" variety show will probably be presented at the Colonial in that city, it is said, and perhaps even be- fore the scheduled opening date of the larger house, while another removed from the city's centre will cater to outlying districts with a similar sort of entertain- ment, all of the Klaw & Erlanger brand. Chicago has been regarded as a pro- vincial town as far as vaudeville was con- cerned, until lately, when the activity in the West with this style of amusement commenced to bring the Western metrop- olis to the front. With the Klaw & Erlanger houses to be added to the list of vaudeville theatres in operation, Chicago will soon assume the dignity of a variety centre, rivalling New York in the number of artists who will make that city their home. It will be the starting and closing point of nuin- berless tours, arranged on either the large or small time, and with the circuits in full swing, an act can be an easily routed from the West as from New York. At present the first grade Chicago va- riety theatres are the Majestic, Olympic, Haymarket and Chicago Opera House, the latter having taken the Olympic's place at the time of the fire, and been retained in the route sheet since. It was announced for vaudeville, however, before the mis- hap occurred to the Olympic. These four are controlled by Kohl & Castle, and a Chicago despatch elsewhere in this issue says they will become the nucleus of a K. & C. circuit of eight houses to be formed within a trolley car radius of the Majestic. With the three large theatres expected to be opened by K. & E., Chicago will possess seven of this grade. New York City has but eight in Manhattan Bor- ough: Haminerstein's, Colonial, 23rd Street, Union Square, 58th Street, Al- hambra, 12f>th Street and New York, all but the last named booked by the United Offices. Showmen who have given the Western Hituation some consideration say that within a year under the present condi- tions, there will be as many permanent addresses of variety artists in the "Windy City" as here, and through the smaller circuits operated from there a wider variety of acts. When the Auditorium throws open its doors the seale of admission will not ex- eeed 50 cents for the orchestra chairs, it is said, although the prices have not been finally settled on. Vesta Victoria is believed to have befrn selected for the headliner of the opening show, and may be retained as the Audi- torium drawing attraction for a month. The English singer has never appeared in the West. UNITED NOT PRODUCERS YET. The production company organized by the United Booking Offices has not as yet /commenced operations, although the start may come at any time. Up to date, producers not connected with the booking agency have appeared in such plentiful numbers that it has Hot been considered necessary for a United offering to be attempted. The outside producer takes upon him- self the risk, and makes the investment, placing a production on the vaudeville stage for a verdict, and while the sup- ply keeps up the United will probably allow its scheme to slumber. PROVIDING TIME FOR SIXTY ACTS. In the course of the next six weeks there will be sixty acts added to the booking list of the Morris office, engaged to open on the K. & E. time at different dates within that period., Some are native, and some foreign. Room is expected to be found for the ad- ditional turns by the opening of new houses on the circuit. Two theatres in Chicago, one in St. Louis (American), and the Hippodrome, Cleveland, besides To- ronto, are expected to be in full swing by the first week in November besides unannounced houses. "GIRL FROM YONKERS" IN YONKERS. The anniversary week ol the Doric, Yonkers, commences Monday, and the comedy sketch, "The Girl From Yonkers," played by James S. Devlin and Mae Ell- wood, has been secured for the feature of the anniversary bill. All Yonkers is expected to call at the theatre during the week to see the girl who hails from there on the stage. ONLY THE PICTURE MISSING. Chicago, Sept. 20. "The Stars of Every Nation" is the new caption on the bills of the four Kohl & Castle vaudeville theatres in the news- paper advertisements.. "Advanced Vaudeville" has been in use for some time in connection with the shows. BESSIE WYNN WRITES A SONG. The action of Bessie Wynn in declining seven alluring offers for prominent roles in musical comedies to play out her con- tracts with the United Booking Offices was not without its reward. E. F. Albee has taken the little prima donna under his personal management and large salary increases are in prospect for her when the present vaudeville contracts have been played. Miss Wynn is singing a new song of her own composition this week. It is called "Not for Me." which is not inappropriate, considering the many legitimate offers to star the singer has lately received. FORMER "BELLE" HAS ACT. Through Wesley & Pincus, the agents, EHa Snyder, who won her greatest fame while playing in "The Belle of New York" on the other side, will seek an opening for a new vaudeville act in which she will appear, surrounded by eight men and two women. The piece is named "Commencement Day." HASHIM PLAYS STOCK. Cincinnati, O., Sept. 20. Robinson's opera House under the management of Alex. Hashim, who lately secured the lease, will not play vaude- ville. Arranagements for booking could not be settled with the William Morris of- fice in New York, so the scheme was abandoned. Mr. Hashim has arranged with John C. Fisher for a revival of all the Fisher comic-operas, opening with "Florodora," following with "Silver Slip- per" and the others, for twelve weeks. Popular prices will be charged. It is pretty well understood here that one of the conditions carried with the transfer of the Shubert theatres into the Klaw & Erlanger office was that "Ad- vanced Vaudeville" was to be kept out of Cincinnati and Indianapolis, where Max C. Anderson is interested. Geo. Cox and Jos. Ithinock, who were the Shubert financial sponsors, and forced the "inde- pendents" - into the "Syndicate," are be- lieved to also have an interest in the vaudeville theatres in these cities. "PASSION PLAY" PLAYERS HERE. There arrived this week from Germany seven of the original players of "The Passion Play" at Oberammergau, Bava- ria, where they have presented the piece for the past 23 years. Eighteen others are on their way to this country. "The Passion Play" requires a company of 100, and the additional number nec- essary in case a production is made on this side will be secured in New York. It is proposed to place the Biblical piece in a local theatre, if one can be secured, and failing in that, an offer to give a condensed version in vaudeville will be made. It is said that the play can be shown in 25 minutes. The solemnity of the proceedings, and the dialogue, wholly spoken in German, are expected to operate against a vaude- ville hearing. Charles Eschert, upon whom the foreigners called, suggested that they first see the managers of the German theatres. T. D. FRAWLEY IN SKETCH. From out the West into Eastern vaude- ville enters T. Daniel Frawlev, a. stock favorite in his section and none more so ever changed the play every week. Mr. Krawley, assisted by Lillian Appel, lias been booked by M. S. Bentham in a Comedy playlet flatted "What's the Matter with Jiggerson?" The piece will be sent over the Orpheum Circuit towns first, where the players are the strongest cards. FOREIGN ACTS CAN'T COME. From twelve to fifteen large foreign acts, engaged abroad by Klaw & Erlanger, will be unable to visit these shores, either on account of the emigration laws of the United States or the military regulations of the foreign countries the acts hail from. Russia, Japan, China and Germany are the principal parts where opposition is said to have arisen against certain acts, mostly in uniform, leaving home. From Russia a troupe of Cossacks, wild, rough riders, who have never performed in pub- lic outside that country, was expected' to be on the opening bill of the Auditorium in Chicago, but the Russian Government stepped in and the act will remain at home. A boys' band from (Vermany is also pre- vented from appearing at the same K. & E. theatre through the military regula- tions governing the German males until of a certain age, when an amount of mili- tary duty must have been served before they are free to come and go. It is said the emigration laws of this country had considerably to do with the forced cancellations of Japanese and Chi- nese acts. Persons standing very high 'with the present Administration have vainly exerted efforts to secure admit- tance for some of the yellow race. It is rumored that Japanese and Chinese per- forming troupes will be a thing of the past over here. The laws relating to the importation of Japanese and Chinese make no provision for an actor or performer coming here to exhibit. This is the bar to their appear- ance, although the Chinese Government prevented the exportation of an act en- gaged for the stated reason that during the World's Fair some performers still under a military obligation deserted their troupes while here and have never re- turned. "JAIL BREAKERS" AT PEACE. San Francisco, Sept. 20. Despite the predictions of open warfare when the rival jail breakers (Houdini and Brindamour) came into as close a com- petition as they were last week in this city, the dove of peace reigned supreme over Ellis street, both lock defiers pur- suing the even tenor of their ways as though oblivious of the other's existence. PRINCESS, FRISCO, TWO-A-DAY. San Francisco, Sept. 20. It is stated on good authority that the l'rincess (Western States Vaudeville As- sociation) will change its policy shortly from three to two shows a dav, consid- ered a wise move on the part of the man- agement. With the advertising facilities in working order, well filled houses are the rule at the first evening performances, but a cheerless void is in evidence at the closing shows. An advance in prices will probably ac- company the change. The opening of this new house has had no noticeable effect on the attendance at the adjoining Orpheum, which is still at high tide. "TOD" SLOAN'S SECOND CHANCE. Jack Levy is engineering another vaude- ville tour for Tod Sloan, the American jockey. Sloan played vaudeville a week or so in a monologue somewhat over a year ago. ,