Variety (September 1907)

VARIETY WESTERN'S CHANGES AND ADDI- TIONS. It is the understanding among the bur- lesque people that the People's Theatre in New York will operate next season as a Western Wheel burlesque house. The People's is on the Bowery, near Miner's Bowery theatre. It likewise is a Miner estate property. There was some talk of this arrange- ment last season, but nothing came of it. The Miner people favor the scheme. The People's is now being used as a Hebrew theatre. The advantage of it for bur- lesque lies in its large seating capacity, almost half as large again as that of the Bowery. Another addition to the Empire Circuit holdings spoken of for next year is a house in Rochester. This stand is designed to split the week with Schenectady. The Western house in the latter city is not yet completed, but the work is being hur- ried and it is hoped that, it will be ready to route in the Wheel by the first of the year. At the same time it is supposed the Western Wheel's Newark (N. J.) house will be ready for opening. Geo. Rife is to have a new house in Wilkes Barre, Pa., and Frank B. Carr is dickering for a site in Wheeling, W. Va., but these two will not be definitely arranged for this season, in all probability. SAYS THERE'LL BE BURLESQUE. Youngstown, O., Sept. 20. Joseph Wess, manager of Avon Park, declares that he will be the manager of a house in Youngstown to play burlesque. Nothing more definite is contained in Mr. Wess' statement and it is not known whether he will play the "Wheel" shows of one circuit or the other or independent burlesque bookings of the "turkey" variety. MAY REBUILD WESTERN HOUSES. There is talk of the Western Burlesque Wheel being represented in Minneapolis and Duluth by entirely new theatres by the opening of next season. They already have houses in both cities, but they are a bit old style, and it is said the Schlitz Brewing Company will undertake to finance the two new houses, which will be held under lease and oper- ated by Fehr & Marshall, the Empire Circuit managers. THE ASTRELLAS The Astrella Sisters, whose portraits are reproduced on the front page this week, form an attractive pair of singers and dancers and are members of the trio know r n as "The Astrellas." They came to this country recently from Vienna, Austria, on a venture and almost imme- diately received booking on the United Booking Office's time. The act will be kept busy this season entirely in the East, visiting the West only for an engagement in Chicago. This is their first American tour. After finish- ing the Eastern circuits the pair will be- gin next season on the Orpheum. George Hanscomb, manager at Sheedy's Fall River house, has left that position and will manage a chain of moving pic- ture and illustrated song shows in West- ern Massachusetts, with headquarters in Springfield, Mass. GOOD BURLESQUE BUSINESS The burlesque business on both wheels is holding up remarkably under the warm weather. One show is reported to have made $700 more on last week's gross than on its visit to the same house last season in the middle of the year. The (iayety, the Columbia Amusement Comjuuiy's new house in Washington, is giving a good account of itself. The open- ing week showed receipts of $4,100, the following week $3,000 and last week $3,800. The (iayety in Philadelphia last week did $3,600. "BEHMAN SHOW" OPENS SCRANT0N. "The Behman Show" will open the new Columbia Amusement Company's (East- ern Burlesque Wheel) (Jayety Theatre at Scranton on Sept. 30, playing three days in that city. The house starts its burlesque future with an evening performance, the man- agement paying Jack Singer, manager of the show,. $150 for the loss of the usual matinee. Scribner's "Big Show," routed for the date, will change places with "The Beh- man Show" for the week, playing the first three days at the Bijou, Reading, instead. WILBUR "LET IN." A. R. Wilbur, partner with Stair & Havlin and the Shuberts in Boston and New York, is said to have been admitted to participation in the profits of the "Wine, Woman and Song" companies, of which there are two, now playing or about to play both those legitimate cir- cuits. As recited in Variety some time ago Mortimer M. Thiese entered into a ver- bal agreement with Wilbur that if he (Wilbur) would secure Stair & Havlin time for the "Wine, Woman and Song" show, he would receive a share in the profits. This was while the show was in the Western Burlesque Wheel. Its sudden success at the Circle Theatre, New York, shortly after and its long run in that house, postponed the carrying out of the agreement for a time, but when the show received its "legitimate" time this sea- son Wilbur was declared in on the profits. The No. 1 company goes into Chicago for a ten weeks' run tomorrow (Sunday) and the No. 2 company opens its season Monday. SHUBERT CLOSES THIS WEEK. This is the final week of "Advanced Vaudeville" in the Shubert, Brooklyn. S. Lubin, the Philadelphia film manufac- turer, has purchased the lease of the the- atre, and will convert it into a moving picture place, adding it to his similar houses in Philadelphia and Baltimore. The Shubert showed no indications of activity for vaudeville since first opened, and Klaw & Erlanger rated the house so poorly that their name did not appear in connection with it. The Western Burlesque Wheel wanted the theatre, but due to some arrange- ment with Hyde & Behman, who own the Grand Opera House, the other K. & E. theatre in the same borough, the offer, a liberal one, was declined, as its accept- ance would have brought the Shubert into opposition with H. & B.'s Olympic, now playing Eastern Wheel's attractions. THOUGHT $5,000 A GIFT. St. Joseph, Mo., Sept. 20. The name of Mamie Lamb, a burlesquer, recently with Watson's "Oriental Bur- lesquers," has been brought into the sepa- ration suit instituted by Mrs. Johanna D'Arcy against George D'Arcy. Mrs. D'Arcy declares that her husband bought a house for the Lamb girl and the couple lived there. A curious document offered in evidence by the defense was a receipt for $5,000 signed by the wife in which she gave up all claims upon her husband. Mrs. D'Arcy now says that she did not know the text of this instrument when she signed it and supposed it was merely a simple receipt for $5,000 which her hus- band had given her. Mamie Lamb's real name is said to be Mrs. Charles Spaulding ami she comes from Brooklyn. 0PPENHEIMER BARS DOGS. ^ Chicago, Sept. 20. "Keep off the dogs" is the latest edict issued by Joe Oppenheimer, of the "Fay Foster" Company. Mr. Oppenheimer says if any more of the canines are carried with the company he'll fight them himself rather than to have a strange mastiff be- come entangled in a doggy row. At Evansville, Ind., when the show played there, an apparently "dear little thing" belonging to one of the girls "mixed it up" with a local pup hanging around the stage door, keeping his master company. Oppenheimer tried to stop the fight by kicking the dog; the owner of the "local" tried to kick Oppenheimer. The latter's aim was more direct on the back kick and the judge asked Mr. Oppenheimer to con- tribute $10 toward the support of the town. Had not the magistrate and the man- ager been wearing the same lodge em- blem Evansville might have held the show for the assault. It's a serious offense in Indiana to whip a dog and his owner on the same day. LYCEUM TO BE REBUILT. Boston, Sept. 20. After the close of the present season, the Lyceum theatre now playing East- ern Burlesque Wheel attractions will be torn down, and a new edifice erected, which will continue to be known as "The Ly- ceum," and will also book the Eastern shows. SIGNS EX-PUGILISTS. "Jake" Kilrain, one time champion heavy weight pugilist, will be John L. Sullivan's partner this year. Kilrain is one of the last of the rough and tumble fighters and fell before the mighty "John L." in the old days. The pair joined "The Golden Crook" in Washington Monday. They are under contract to the firm of Jacobs & Jermon and will be shifted about among that concern's different companies during the season. The two heavyweights are said to receive $1,000 beside a percentage ar- rangement and their contract runs to the closing of the season. NO BONUS WITHOUT BAND. There is some question as to the future of Campbell & Drew's big production with the "Colonial Belles." It is said the scheme to carry a large female orchestra with the organization and use it in a daily street parade has been abandoned and the company cut down to a very much reduced roster. When the show started out it carried over 00 persons and there was an agree- ment between Campbell & Drew and the managers of the circuit that the house played should pay a bonus of $800 in addi- tion to the customary terms in considera- tion of the unusual cost of the show. There was a slip, however, and the woman's band could not be secured. A male organization was substituted. When it came to settling day at the Columbia, Boston, week before last, the house man- agement contended that Campbell & Drew had not carried out its agreement and declined to pay the bonus. Following this Providence took the same position. There were telephone conversations be- tween the New England cities and the New York headquarters of the Empire Circuit Company and the reduction of the tast followed. If a female band can be secured later the plan may be resumed. TORONTO CAUSES NEW SHOW. The opening of the Columbia Amuse- ment Company's new theatre in Toronto the last week in October will usher in a new Eastern burlesque show. It will be the property of Campbell & Reeves, both managers in the Eastern Wheel, and called "The Mardi Gras Girls." For its first tour there will be given a revised edition of "A Pair of Pinks," used some time ago by Ward and Vokes. The introduction of the "new show into the wheel will not disturb the present routing. All companies playing stands up to Toronto will be set back a week and after that the wheel will revolve as before. SYDELL MANAGER NEW SHOW. Chicago, Sept. 20. C. E. Relyea will not be the manager of the new Eastern Burlesque Wheel show to be organized by W. S. Campbell and Al Reeves. Jack Sydell has received the appoint- ment. COLUMBIA'S HOUSES NEARLY READY. The local syndicate which is building the Princess Theatre in Montreal to be used for Eastern Burlesque Wheel shows has reported to the Columbia Amusement Company, which takes the house over on a lease, that the building will be com- pleted and ready for occupancy by the end of December this year. The last girder has been buckled into place on the Columbia Company's new theatre in Toronto and this house is promised for the last week in October. Vesta Victoria and Eva Tanguay are opposition headliners next week, the for- mer appearing at the New York and the latter at Hammerstein's. K. & E. RUMORS IN WASHINGTON. Washington, Sept. 20. A rumor, with no tangible informa- tion supporting it, says that Klaw & Erlanger may soon open a vaudeville house in this city. Conjecture does not even point to the theatre.