Variety (March 1912)

VARIETY MASCAQNl SCORES TRIUMPH AT L ONDON H IPPODROME Gives "Cavallerla Rusticana" With Orchestra of 65 and Company of 50. Company Changed at Each Performance. Most Notable Vaudeville Engagement. $7 9 000 Weekly Salary. (Special Cable to Variety,) London, Feb. 28. Pletro Mascagni, In the director's seat, his drchestra of sixty-five and company of fifty, presented a con- densed version of the composer's mas- terpiece "Cavallerla Rusticana" at the Hippodrome, Monday, to a packed house, which accorded the Italian maestro a most frantic reception. It was a magnificent performance throughout, Mascagni scoring so big a personal triumph as to put all other conductors in the shade. The cast is changed at every per- formance through the employment of what are practically three complete companies. The consensus of opinion is that it is the most notable vaudeville engage- ment ever made. The reputed salary is $7,000 a week. SUNSHINE GIRL** LIKED. (Special Cable to Varibtt,.) London, Feb. 28. "The Sunshine Girl" at the Gaiety, deals with life at the Port Sunlight Soap Works. Phyllis Dare has the chief part. A newcomer named Violet Essex, re- vealed a fine voice. The piece is regarded as a success. "THE GEISHA** OUT OF DATE. (Special Cable to Variety, ) London, Feb. 28. A condensed version of "The Gei- sha," produced at the Palace Monday night, was beautifully mounted, but provides final proof of the futility of resurrecting out of date books for the music halls. TREE'S DAUGHTER MARRYING. (Special Cable to Varibttv) London, Feb. 28. Viola Tree, daughter of Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree, is engaged to be mar- ried in two months to Allan Leonard Romaine Parsons, son of the Vicar of Tunbrldge. She will continue her musical studies without interruption in the ultimate hope of realizing grand opera ambitions. In this she is being en- couraged by both her father and pros- pective husband. BOOKING UP WITH DANCERS. (Special Cable to Variety) Paris, Feb. 28. Gaby Deslys and Harry Pilcer are booked to play at the Apollo, Vienna, in April. La Petite Adelaide and Hughes are booked for the same pro- gram. Both are dancing acts. AUTHORSHIP A SECRET. (Special Cable to Variety) London, Feb. 28. The story of Robert Lorraine's new piece at the Criterion is rather un- usual. It tells of a wealthy man's pursuit of an artistic woman and his ingenious method of getting her In marriage—practically a reversal of the "Man and Superman" idea. Much secrecy surrounds the author- ship of the piece. It is suspected the American playwright, Chester Bailey Fernald, author of "The Cat and the Cherub" is responsible for it, while others allege it is our own George Bernard Shaw. MOFFATT PLAY PLACED. (Special Cable to Vajubtt*.) London, Feb. 28. Werba ft Luescher have contracted with Graham Moffatt, author of "Bun- ty Pulls the Strings," for the author's latest piece, "The Scrape of a Pen," to be produced in New York .next October. The Shuberts were anxious to secure the piece and Walter Hast, Moffatt's representative, went to America a couple of months ago to negotiate for the American rights with the Shu- berts, but returned without definitely arranging with them. Werba ft Luescher are Klaw ft Er- langer adherents. PICKS MONTE CARLO TO REST. (Special Cable to Varibtt.) London, Feb. 28. F. F. Proctor, Sr., accompanied by some friends, has gone to Monte Carlo for a few days' rest. FRAGSON RETURNS TO PARIS. (Special Cable to Varibtt.) Paris, Feb. 28. Marthe Lenclud is booked at the Scala here for the month of April; Max Dearly has been engaged for the Cigale revue commencing June 15; Fragson returns to the Alhambra (Paris), March 1. FAIRLY WELL OPENING. (Special Cable to Varibtt) London, Feb. 28. Dugan and Raymond opened at the Metropolitan, Monday, doing fairly well. CHILD DANCER IN REVUE. (Special Cable to Varibtt,) Paris, Feb. 28. Elsie -Craven, the child danseuse, has been engaged for the new revue at the Folies Bergere, commencing in April. GUARANTEED $40,000 YEARLY. .(Special Cable to Varibtt) London, Feb. 28. Martin Beck has secured the services of Cecilia Loftus absolutely for the next three years, her English and Aus- tralian engagements having been can- celled. Beck guarantees her a minimum of $40,000 per annum for American en- gagements during the period covering the contract. BORDONI AT ALHAMBRA. (Special Cable to Varibtt) Paris, Feb. 28. Irene Bordoni, French vaudeville chanteuse, has been engaged for the London Alhambra for July; she is also negotiating with the Shuberts to go to New York in September. REINHARDT COMING OVER. (Special Cable to Variety) London, Feb. 28. Max Relnhardt, producer of "The Miracle," has practically concluded negotiations for the huge spectacle to tour the principal cities of the United States, under rather unique condi- tions. He leaves shortly for New York to complete the arrangements. The Shuberts will have nothing to do with the tour. T. ROY BARNES BEFORE. HIRED REHEARSED ALL IN RIG HIT AND THREE WEEKS. BARNES AND*CRAWFORD. Return to Vaudeville Mar. n, 1912. Direction, JAMES E AFTER. FIRED OANGEUED THREE YEARS. (Special Cable to Vajubtt ) London, Feb. 28. Anna Chandler left England, hav- ing cancelled three years' contracts with the Moss Empires circuit owing to personal quarrels. Miss Chandler is in New York at present, arranging a tour of United time. MORRIS ABOUT TO SAIIi. The sailing date for William Mor- ris will be either March 16 or 20. How long he will remain abroad de- pends upon circumstances. Morris' "Yiddish" star, Sirota, re- turns home March 16, to wait until next season before coming back for another American tour. This Sunday at the Hippodrome, Sirota will appear at a night concert, with the best or- chestra chairs costing $3. At that scale the Hippodrome won't hold over $16,000, with the big majority of the space not disposed of. Max Rabinoff and Mr. Morris, who manage the Rus- sian, have appointed a guard for him until he leaves. They don't want him to know too much about the English language or figures. FAIRBANKS SAVES TROUBLE. • By leaving vaudeville to appear in the "No. 2" "Officer 666'" company at Chicago, Douglas Fairbanks saved some trouble to the Putnam Building booking men. Arthur Klein, M. S. Bentham and Albee, Weber A Evans are said to have claimed Fairbanks and his sketch for their own, though Albee, Weber ft Evans were not as insistent upon it as the other two. Opening suc- cessfully at the Fifth Avenue last week, Mr. Fairbanks became in big demand, but Cohan ft Harris, who have the actor under contract, or- dered him west, breaking up the con- templated vaudeville tour. BALK AT LONG LEASES. Agents in the Putnam Building are balking at the prospect of having to sign leases In that building for a three year term commencing May 1. The real estate men handling the property have informed tenants with leases expiring May 1 next that the future agreements must read for three years or not at all. Several <>f tiw ; vaudeville commis- sion men with Buitts are in a quan- dary, due to their impression thru upon the completion of the new Pal- ace th'atr*. Now York, the Ornheum Circuit wi.^ remove it. 1 pookiug offices to the Martin henk edifice. Some of the agents have been trying to glean whether offices will be let in the Pal ace building. PLUNKETT. TOM EDWARD'S DIVORCE. Tom Edwards, the English ventrilo- quist, has instituted suit for divorce from his wife, Kitty Edwards, nee Flora Katherine Bramwell, through Attorneys Bloomberg & Bloomberg, naming Julian Bonhair (E. F. Yuil- ieng) as correspondent. flolnf Away — Let Me Fix II! For any place in the world HARRY LEONHARDT McCANN'S TOURS. Marhrldge B1dg\. New York. Call 123 Greeley.