Variety (March 1912)

Vol. XXV. No. 13 MARCH 2, 1912 PRICE 10 CENTS DE KOVEN-SHUBERT PARTING OVER "W EDDING T RIP" RUMOR Composer Said to be Aggrieved at Removal From Broadway Theatre. Contemplates an All-Star Revi- val of "Robin Hood" at Klaw & Erlanger's Amsterdam. It is reported about town that Reginald DeKoven and the Shuberta are very near a parting of the way and that in future all the productions fathered by the composer will be played in the "Syndicate" houses. The "break" is said to have been occasioned through the withdrawal of the composer's recent opera "The Wedding Trip" from the Broadway theatre to make room for "Weber and Field's Jubilee." The DeKoven piece had been run- ning along to only moderately good business in New York and DeKoven felt that if permitted to remain it would steadily improve. In a recent newspaper Interview in Philadelphia DeKoven referred to the Lyric theatre in that city, a Shubert house, as "a rotten old theatre," and is credited with having made similar remarks about the Shuberta and their business methods. DeKoven contemplates an all-star revival of "Robin Hood" in the im- mediate future, which will probably be done at the New Amsterdam tht- atre (Klaw & Erlanger) in the spring and has already opened negotiations with several well known musical com- edy stars. This has long been a pet hobby of the composer's, who feels that revived under proper auspices his most successful opera would meet with a cordial reception at the hands of both press and public. Just what effect the composer's present feelings toward the Shuberts will have on the future of the Lyric theatre is not common knowledge. The theatre was built by the Potter Bros., for DeKoven (whose name ap- pears on the program as owner), with the understanding that he was to se- cure a responsible tenant. The house was leased to the Shuberts before erection on a long lease, under the terms of which DeKoven was to re- ceive twenty per cent, of the profits and an additional agreement on the part of the lessees to produce one new opera by DeKoven each year. The an- nual DeKoven productions have not seen the light of day (or night) as originally planned, either for the rea- son that they have not proved ac- ceptable to the Shuberts, or have not been forthcoming by the composer. It is not known whether the original terms of the lease are still in force. PIXLEY AND LUDERS REUNION. Pixley and Luders, the old musical comedy writing duo, are back on the job again, being at work on a new opera at Pasadena, Cal., which they expect to have produced next season by a New York manager. JAKE SHUBERT GOING ABROAD. Jake Shubert, his wife and child, will sail for Europe March 12 on the Kronprinz Wilhelm. The trip for Mr. Shubert will be one of business and pleasure. His brother, Lee, returned from abroad last Saturday. ALONZO GOING TO MARRY. New Haven, Conn., Feb. 28. Though no date has been set for the wedding, the announcement has been made that P. Alonzo and Rose Verdi are contracted to wed. Mr. Alonzo is the general booking manager for the Poll Circuit. Miss Verdi is a non-professional, the sister of Dr. Verdi, of thiB city. The marriage bells may ring dur- ing the summer, or anytime Alonzo find* he hnr* ?q open week. SOMETHING FOR THE BIJOU. There Is a show on the horizon for the Bijou, New York, but just which one of the two that appear no one apparently knows. The Bijou is the Sires house. There is a Sire play now out. That is "The Curious Conduct of Judge LaGarde," produced last week at Atlantic City, with Wilton Lackaye in the title role. It is along "Jekyl and Hyde" lines, with a "Becky Sharp" atmosphere. The introduction of the piece to New York may be made with a view to prevent Belasco's "Becky" beating the Lackaye show in, though Mr. Belasco was first in the field. Lack of en- thusiasm over Lackaye's latest may stop Its Metropolitan entry, unless re- built to stand; a better chance of con- quering Broadway. The other Bijou possibility is a dra- matization of "The Yoke." DALY BACK IN VAUDEVILLE. Arnold Daly is returning to vaude- ville, sometime this month. His opening engagement may be at the Fifth Avenue theatre. TOM RYLEY'S OPERETTA. Thos. W. Ryley has placed "The Lady From Abroad," an operetta, into rehearsal. The piece will have only principals. No chorus will be carried. It is Mr. Ryley's idea to Inaugurate a short road tour with the company in about three weeks, and if the pro- duction shapes up for a Broadway value, it will be brought into town. LARRY, THE CIGARETTE EATER. Boston, Feb. 28. At Austin & Stones this week, the leading freak in the curio hall, is Larry, the cigarette flend. Larry now weighs about 75 pounds. Before he got the habit he weighed 175. He has a steady "yen-yen" and almost eats the "coffin nails." At the rate at which he is losing flesh, there may be nothing left to send out (o fill (he time booked. BELASCO DRAMATIZED STORY. The next production to be made by David Belasco at the Republic theatre is said to be a dramatization of a short story entitled "Secret Chambers." ON "SYNDICATE" ROUTE. When Weber and Fields conclude their metropolitan engagement at the Broadway theatre they will make a short spring tour of the principal cities of the east, playing "Syndicate" thea- tres. Time is being held for the big attraction at the Boston theatre and other houses of large capacity booked by Klaw ft Erlanger. This has been accomplished in the face of the close business relations existing betw an the Shuberts and Lew Fields. Indications were that something of the kind had been arranged before the show opened in New York from the fact that Rennold Wolf personally re- viewed the entertainment on the ope i- ing night and wrote a favorable notice about it, and the appearance In the ad- vertising columns of the Telegraph daily of the entertainment at the Broadway. The house, which Is a Shubert one (Fields, Felix Isman and Lee Shubert, proprietors), does not share in the cost of the advertisements. CHILD LAW IN MISSISSIPPI. New Orleans, Feb. 28. The Mississippi Legislature, in con- vention at Jackson at present, passed a child labor law, similar in its effect to that prevailing in Louisiana, which provides that stage employment •« work, and therefore comes under Its Jurisdiction. The legislation was accomplished at the Mississippi session without any undue publicity by the child labor pre- vention people, as it was in Lousiana. It is not improbable that stage chil- dren will be prevented from appearing in Mississippi, commencing with the next theatrical season. OFFER FOR BEATRICE HERFORD. Vaudeville wants the society enter- tainer, Beatrice Herford. Miss Iler- ford isn't averse to the proposition, setting $1,500 as her weekly figure for twice daily shows The managers think $1,000 should »>«• sufficient for a starter, and tmrv the matter hinges. If negotiation* are closutl MIhh Her- ford will probably open in New York March IX. prolmbly at the Fifth Ave- nuo.