Variety (Sep 1939)

RO VARIETY LEGITIMATES-CONCERT Wednesday, Soploniber 27, 1939 Fleischmaim Donates $250,000 to World Arts, Ballet Russe Producer Julius Fleischmann, of the yeast clan, has contributed a sum under- Stood to be $250,000 to World Arts, Inc., producing company ior the Monte Carlo Ballet Russe. Similar gift to the ballet was passed out by Fleischmann once before. He Is ex- pected to arrive In New York from his home in Cincinnati today (Wednesday) to make the formal presentation of the coin. American ballets are burning at Fleischmann'j tremendous philan- thropies to a foreign company. They feel it makes it almost impossible for them to compete,. Ballet com- panies, . ordinarily, with a good break, can just about come out even on operating expenses. Fleischmann coin, however, will help a good many American terp- ers this year, particularly men. Many of the Ballet Russe's stellar European figures have been called to their countries' color?, or for other reasons are unable to appear in America. Leonide Masslne, Russe director, last week held duditioiu at th« Met Opera Houve, N, Y., for American dancers. American ballets a're also squawk- ing about pressure on them from the American Guild of Musical Artists, to which dancers belong, while foreign ballets are not or- ganized. They claim AGMA is push- ing up costs to such a degree that it is necessary to curtail tours. Ballet Caravan, which formerly had a tour before Christmas and an- other later in the winter, will com- press its sked into one fall trip. It can't guarantee cast enough work during the second portion bt the season to be granted a layoff by AGMA during the holiday period. 1938-CELEBRATING OUR FIRST YEAR-1939 Messrs. Shubert, Harry Kaufman. Olsen and Johnson and the following CORDIALLY INVITE WALTER WINCHELL otnd His Colleagues of the CRITICS' CmCLE To Their First Anniversary Party Backstage After the 454th Performance This Eve- ning, Wednesday, Sept. 27, 1939 -Jii.jA-lft%i'-iriiJ*J. Inside Stuff-Legit The Empire Is claimed to be the only legit theatre on Broadway that is self-sustaining, regardless of the number of weeks the house is success- fully operated during the year. Most lucrative adjunct to the house itself is the store adjoining the entrance, occupied by a shoe concern which pays $30,000 annual rent. Idea of financially protecting the property was Al Hayman's, who built the theatre and who, with his brother Alf, and Charles Frohman. headquartered in the offices upstairs, which also provide reve- nue. These showmen, all deceased, were prominent in the former Klaw 8c Erlanger 'syndicate.' Property is owned by the Hayman heirs, with Lester Myers the manager. Arthur Hammerstein, in building the Hammerstein theatre at 53d and Broadway, now used for broadcasts, erected an office building which wa.i figured to more than carry the theatre, but a slump in realty forced him out. Fortune Gallo, too, biiilt a theatre-olfice building, now called tha New Yorker, nearby, and was similarly unfortunate. Though still billed in the Alvin, N. Y., program, Raymond Middleton is out of 'Scandals.' Baritone's principal assignment, 'Tin Pan Alley," which is the first act finale, is being handled by Craig Mathues, new to legit Mathues warbled at a Pennsylvania resort during the summer and. after auditioning, received a five-year contract from George White revue's producer. I The Knight Sisters were out of the show last week, one having injur.vl her shoulder so badly that it was placed in a plaster cast. Few changes I have been made in the routine since the show's debut. I A sudden decision of Brock Pemberton not to tour 'Kiss the Boys Good- j bye' again, and a subsequent release of stock righu to Clare Bootha ■ comedy, has brought switch in Pittsburgh Playhouse's opening plans and I local community theatre will get under way Oct. 24 with 'Kiss' instead I of 'Boy Meets Girl,' as pre.viously announced. Fred Burleigh, who took I pver direction of South Shore Players at Cohasset, Mass., alone upon } death of Alexander Dean. Is back again for his third season as Playhouse's i director, landing a new contract with pay tilt as resuU of successful ia38-39. H-,v'?9?rlf"iih°''il^°'w,"^'^''°'' "'^ performance at Hartford Satur- day (23) of The Man Who Came to Dinner,' the acting version of the Pen picture of himself, written by his pals. George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart Former critic was to have played the lead, but elected instead to go on a lecture tour this fall, the part going to Monty Woolley 'Dinner' is a laugh show and was highly touted after a private perform- nn» V^k" J?"'"' S""^.^- ^ - Attraction is currently in Boston Due at the Music Box in two weeks. I u"^""'? Gallienne. 82-year-old mother of Eva. is due in New York I ^ih?^! f . Manhattan and may remain for the duration of the war. ' ^n;J ,n 7^^'' a ^number of Ibsen plays in which her daughter appe^re and up to departure from London, whore she resides, was still actively and poef'"'''"'" ' '""^ *° ^'"""'"'^ Callilnne, au hoc abed io;^,hn?t •■ '^'1^ Francisco realtor and showman, has been abed for about six weeks, recuperating from a heart ailment Writitiir humorously to a friend in Ne«' York, ha said that af?e threa doctors c°gars a daj° reduced to 2" Lurie is due east soon to rest indefinitely from business routine. frn^'^i'n ^'"'°^i' '7' <^3"ehter of producer George Abbott Is recovering wr.n^»f?^''"'i^^*°"'^ "» Rochester, N. Y., after which s « ha chan^d hirT" °' ^rts in New Yo k I a has changed her mind since two years ago, when she scorned a theatrical career, saying the theatre did not thrill her a bit. "'""^"^•^ "»"ti ical Bartletfs Frisco Date Marks Opera Debut Michael Bartlett, musical comedy and picture singer, will make his operatic debut, Oct. 21, with the San Francisco Opera Co. in 'Don Paa- quale.' He'll subsequently sing 'Manon' with the same outfit. He'll give his first New York re- cital in December at Town Hall. St. Loo Aud. $26,000 In the Red in '38-39 St. Louis, Sept. 26. The $7,000,000 Municipal Audito- rium-was-operated-at-a—deficit of more than $26,000 during the fiscal year of 1938-39, according to a report made by James E. Darst, manager. This is the largest annual deficit in- curred since the building was opened about 10 years ago. One of the reasons attributed by the Auditorium Commission for the red Ink Is the increased number of' cuflfo events hold in tl>e structure. 'AIDA' OPENS SEASON OCT. 14, ST. LOUIS St. Louis, Sept. 20. The fall season of the St. Louis Grand Opera Assn., a non-profit or- ganization, will get under way Oct. 14 with Verdi's 'Aida' as the first of five operas to be presented in tha Municipal Auditorium opera house. Others to follow are 'La Boheme,* 'Pagliacci,' first St. Louis presenta- tation of 'Amelia Goes to tha Ball* and 'Siegfried.' Initial ertort of tli« assn. was made last spring. Management has announced that a guarantee fund has been obtained to cover any deficit during the fall sea- son and that of next spring. Guar" antors of the first try received back all but 8% of the $25,000 provided, it's reported. The admish scale to all performances will be scaled from $1 to $5. New York Met singers will be engaged for lead roles, namely Nino Martini, Bruna Castagna, Fred- erick Jagel, Carlo Morelli, John Gurney and Bidu Sayao. ENDOWES N.O. MUSIC Mrs. E. G. Rogers Paying All Ex- penses for Free Concerts New Orleans, Sept. 28. This city has a 'fairy godmother." She is Mrs. Edgar G. Rogers, of Dal- las and New Orleans, and she has big plans and the money to carry them out. She is giving this city good music and concerts by noted artists, all out of her own pocket- book. No admish fea Is charged. The concerts are being held in the Municipal auditorium. 'Some people like to build hospi- tals, or churches, or schools to make people happy,' she says. 'I myself have donated to such causes. But I think the world needs music, especi- ally now.' The first concert went on the boards at tha auditorium Sunday (24), with Ola Windingstad, Nor- wegian composer, directing a symph, with Paul van Katwijk, pianist, and Philip Williams, violinist, as soloists. Indpls. Opens Oct. 23 Indianapolis, Sept. 2fl. Concert bookings, starting Oct. 23 and running through April 8, are sot for the English theatres. Those due for local appearances are Bidu Sayao, Vronsky and Babiii, Fritz Kreisler, Vladimir Horowitz, Jooss Ballet, Rose Bampton and Nino Martini. Tickets for all six concerta go at $13.20 top.