Variety (January 1911)

10 VARIETY LONDON NOTES VARIETY'S LONDON OFFICE 411 Mall for Americana and Europeans In Europe, above will be promptly forwarded. If addressed care VARIETY as London, Dec. 28. For the start of the year many changes will develop over here in the vaudeville world. The event will, of course, be the big Moss-Stoll split. The Moss Tour will be run about the same way as before, excepting the dis- trict managers will likely be located in London, nearly all the time. Four district managers will be kept on the job. No announcement has been made regarding the Stoll side, or the plans of Mr. Stoll. With the Raladium there are three halls in London that play matinees daily. The Paladium is a gamble and a much talked about one at that. It is a big house and the bill for the opening week is an expensive one. Also the bookings that follow are said to be of the biggest. The prices will range from sixpence (12 cts.) to five shillings ($1.25), practically the same as in the Coli- seum. The building has been com- pared to the Coliseum, but to be truthful one must admit that the mar- ble finish of the Coliseum has a little something on the Paladium. An- other important feature of the new year is the inauguration of first class vaudeville into the provinces by Al- fred Butt at the new Alhambra, Glas- gow. Though nothing has been said in regard to higher class vaudeville in the Provinces, it is safe to predict that should Qlasgow take kindly to Lon- don Palace shows, the experiment will be tried in other big cities. Moran and Tingley opened last week at the Alhambra. Though the dancers were handed the toughest spot that could have been found, they came away great. The boys were put on Monday night at almost eleven, after a long ballet. They stay at the Alhambra for four more weeks and then go for a trip around the Barras- ford-Defrece time. "Sumurum," a curtain raiser at the Deutches, Berlin, is reported to have been booked at the Coliseum early in the year. "The Affinity," which John Lawson produced at the Palace, Manchester, opened at Hammersmith this week. The story is taken from Mr. Lawson's novelette in three chapters, which is entitled "Unripe Fruit." There is a "No. 2" company out on the Mac- naghten Circuit. This seems to be a Lawson week about, for his protege, Vera Vaunders is at the Tivoll and Pavilion, Mrs. Cissle Lawson is at the Oxford in "Salley In Our Alley," and Lucille Sianey, (Mr. Lawson's leading lady), is at the Empire in "Continen- tal Women." The wife of J. W Jackson, man- ager of the Jackson Troupe of dan- cers (at present in the revue at the Follie Bergere, Paris), has Just pre- sented her husband with a boy. She will remain in London for several weeks. 11. G. Peiissier is a clever fellow or he would not be so successful with his Follies Company which is working the year around, but when the Al- hambra engaged him to put a review together he must have been in bad shape. The one he put over is very poor and then some. A review (spell- ed revue) is usually supposed to be a travesty on current events, and there should be a laugh a minute, but there are long waits between laughs here. One scene is a section of a theatre with the stage showing and Strauss's "Electra" being killed. The general idea of the "Revue" which is called "All Change Here," is not bad. It is the turning back of the clock a year and having 1910 live over again. But then Peiissier should not be judged too harshly, as others have tried revues in London but none ever seemed to amount to much, and this time the arranger was at least original. The Victoria Palace, when it opens, will be another hall to play matinees. It will book with the Varieties Con- trolling Co. Contracts are now out calling for next summer engagements there. Marie Schultz, at the Bedford last week, framed up a first class act for herself using a piano player and some special scenery. Having both a fine appearance, excellent voice and the proper material, Miss Schultz has a winner in her new act. Al Wiser of Moran and Wiser is reported engaged to one of the Amati Sisters. W. G. Fields, the juggler, is in Lon- don, playing Stoll time until Dec. 31, when he leaves for Vienna to play a month at the Apollo. Herbert Lloyd deputised for Zena Dare at the Palace, Leicester, last week. Meier and Mora are playing their first weeks in England since returning from the States. Arthur Prince is again at the Palace after quite a long time away. In closing the show the ventriloquist is going as big as ever. Mile. Silotta in a posing act, was at the Canterbury last week. In dif- ferent poses the woman dressed in not much, uses a horse, a fine looking white steed, standing quite still out- side of a twitching of the ears at times. The act fails in as much as the lighting is very bad and until the Paris, Dec. 27. Margaret Haney, who has been out of the Folies Bergere revue for ten days on account of ill health, is rap- idly improving. It is anticipated, with no relapse, that she will return early in January. Gaby Deslys, whose ill- ness was perhaps less real, and who is at present on the banks of the Thames for Christmas, is due in Paris soon to rehearse for her roles in the revue. Jacques Charles has had his first general meeting of friends who are backing him for his enterprise at the Olympia. M. Carmona, a Parisian banker, is said to be the prime mover. Andre Chariot, late with Sherek & Braff, has opened his own office in Paris, at 29 Rue d'Argenteuil, as im- presario. • The Folies Bergere has been crowd- ed nightly since the revue commenc- ed, the taking often reaching $2,400, proper equipment of spots is carried, the act will not be of much avail. Last week (before Christmas) the halls were given an awful jolt. How- ever, the Coliseum did capacity, with Lafayette and James Welch as the chief attractions. At the Palace, busi- ness was very good, with Anna Held as the draw. Dort and Leanarg at the Canter- bury, can be given credit for having one of the funniest and best of "rough- house" acts. The MacNaughtons, who started too late to be in the pantomime running this year, have been engaged for the Grand, Glasgow, for the Moss panto next season. Wilkie Bard has also been grabbed up by this Glasgow man- agement. The Oxford Xmas program, included Little Tich, Joe Elvin, George Formby and Gertie Gitana. The Tivoli had Marie Lloyd, George Formby and Bransby Williams. This is said to be a true story. An agent In London, went out of town to see an act. He saw the act and liked it. The agent came back and practically booked it at a very small figure "just for a showing" in Lon- don. Upon going up to the office to secure the contract he was told the act had been booked through another agent and at a very fair salary. The agent who almost booked the act wants to know if this is according to Hoyle. This week at Newcastle the Hippo- drome bill contains the following Americans, Friend and Downing, Paul Barnes. Lawrence Crane and Rinaldo. and the receipts for the first month will probably attain $67,000. P. L. Flers and E. Heros have already been charged with preparing the Folies Ber- gere revue for 1912. The Theatre des Nouveautes, on the Boulevard des Italiens, will be demol- ished in July for city improvements, it Is proposed to cut a street through the site where the old theatre now stands. At the Etoile Palace, always a straight vaudeville show, Colette Wil- ly has been engaged for Jan. 13, in a sketch. M. Combes also proposes to put on a small ballet with the Papurello troupe. The management offered a supper to all artists in Paris who cared to accept, on Christmas eve. Fully 150 were present at this friendly gathering, which was follow- ed by the traditional speeches and a dance. Among the continental acts engag- ed by Manager Jesse L. La sky for the opening of the New York Folies Bergere, are the Three Robertys, Four Oyra-Oyra troupe, and Simone de Beryl. "Rhodope," a comic opera by Louis Ganne, has just been produced at the Casino opera house, Monte Carlo. Variett, is on file regularly in the superb reading room of the Casino at Monte Carlo. At the Cigale a new revue by Paul Ardot and Laroche is due middle of January. This will be followed by a similar show by G. Arnauld, Domin- ique Bonnaud and Numa Bles (the latter two being Montmartre chan- sonniers). The summer revue will be by G. Nanteuil and H. de Gorsse. Fregoli is due at the Olympia Jan. I. During the last week of "Vive Paris" we have Cleo de Merode. A Revue by C. Quinel and E. Joul- lot is being rehearsed at the Moulin Rouge for presentation early in Jan- uary—in spite of the advertised suc- cess of "Claudine." It ran about eight weeks. Mile. Yrven, of the Pal- ais Royal, is engaged by J. Fabert for the new Moulin Rouge production. At Marseilles Dec. 15 a demonstra- tion of the most violent description took place at the Municipal Opera, during the performance of "Slguard.' When a tenor, M. Luscas, who was objected to, appeared on the stage he was pelted amid the uproar with articles of all kinds. The perform- ance had to be stopped. Back numbers of Variety are on sale in Paris at the Librarle Etran- gere, 37 Rue St. Augustin (Place de l'Opera). Current numbers will be found at the principal newspaper kls- oques on the grand boulevards.