Variety (April 1912)

VARIETY SHUBERTS SHOW THEIR BOOKS IN THE "ROBINHOOD" MATTER Agree With^Reginald De Koven to Amicably Settle the Lyric Theatre Accounting. "Wedding Trip*' Case To Be Fought in Courts. "Robin Hood' 9 Salary List $10,000 Weekly The all-Btar revival of "Robin Hood" by Reginald DeKoven, scheduled for the New Amsterdam theatre may 6, next, marks the official transfer of the DeKoven productions from the ShuberU to the "Syndicate." Re- hearsals began Monday. In addition to the cast previously announced in (Variety-., Edwin Stevens has been en- gaged to play the Sheriff of Notting- ham. Walter Hyde, tenor of the Co- vent Garden (London) Opera Com- pany, is on the ocean to Join the or- ganisation. Frank E. Tours will be the musical director and William Ty- roler (of the Metropolitan) will be chorus master. A chorus of sixty has been recruited from the Metropolitan and Chicago Grand Opera companies. The payroll will total close to $10,000 weekly. Two suits contemplated by Mr. De- Koven against the Shuberts, one for ten per cent of the profits of the Lyric theatre and the other for failure to produce "The Wedding Trip" at the Lyric, were to have been coupled. The contemplated action for an accounting of the profits of the Lyric has been compromised by an agreement to per- mit an auditor to examine the books of the theatre in order to determine what portion, if anything, of the $25,- 000 DeKoven claims is due him the composer is really entitled to. One of the items in dispute is said to be the payment by Henry W. Savage of $500 a week for permission to move "Everywoman" from the Herald Square to the Lyric and in which the DeKoven people feel they are entitled to participate. A bond is reported to have been given guaranteeing DeKoven any monies that may be found to be due him. The dispute over "The Wedding Trip" production cannot be amicably adjusted and will, according to pres- ent intention, be submitted to the courts for adjudication. There has been formed a perma- nent DeKoven Opera company for the production of future works of that composer. Mr. DeKoven contemplates becoming a producer on a large scale for "The Syndicate," and will be al lotted a metropolitan theatre for his works. The company financing the opera- tions is composed principally of mem- bers of the Brook Club. An entire floor has been taken in a studio building on Fifth avenue, equipped with a private elevator, valet and bathroom. Mr. DeKoven will make an entirely new production of "The Wedding Trip" next season, rewriting several of the musical numbers. a couple of weeks ago, when he started to burn himself alive while near the corner of Broadway and 42d street. Mr. Belasco was on his way to the railway ticket office, for his ticket home (expecting to leave the follow- ing day) when a box of matches in his trousers pocket ignited. Before Mr. Belasco knew anything unusual had happened, his entire right side from the hip d/own was ablaze. A crowd of one hundred men surround- ed him in a jiffy, but none had the presence of mind to smother the flame, until a woman passing did it with her hat. Mr. Belasco was immediately re- moved to his hotel, and has lain there since, in great agony. He has been improving nicely, however, and by the end of this week it is hoped he will be able to walk about. J. J. Gottlob, also of San Francisco, has been ill for the past five weeks at the Knickerbocker Hotel. He is about again and expects to return west the latter part of the current week. HAD HIM FOR EVERYTHING. Boston, April 3. Robert E. Jones, musical director for Ward and Vokes' show, was sued for divorce in the local divorce court last week by his wife, Grace M. Jones, of Cleveland. She charged him with big- amy, infidelity, non-support and cruel and abusive treatment. She got the divorce. They were married in 1905, having known each other but two weeks. Last June he married Maizie Elliott, a Bos- ton girl, one of the "ponies" with the show. They were married in Nashua, N. H. The first Mrs. Jones saw the an- nouncement of his second marriage in a newspaper. On she came to Boston and had him "pinched." At the di- vorce trial she said that he behaved real well for the first two years of their married life, but then he began to stay out nights, shooting crap and playing cards. He also mixed up with other women; she said. Mr. Jones Is popularly known as "Bobby." JOSEPHINE COHAN'S LOSS. Detroit, April 3. When Josephine Cohan, playing in "The Fortune Hunter," returned to her apartments at the Hotel Ponchar- train Monday night (after the show), she discovered her trunk had been ■ broken open and jewelry to the value of $1,000 was missing. As yet no trace has been found of the thief. No press agent's yarn. The story has been suppressed here. FRED BELASCO RECOVERING. At the Hotel Astor Fred Belasco is recovering from the serious burns suffered by the Pacific Coast manager MAKING ROOM FOR "ROSE MAID/' Eddie Foy in "Over the River" will shortly be switched from the Globe to another New York playhouse, to make room for "The Rose Maid," now being pulled over In Philadelphia into shape for a New York showing in the immediate future. Some changes are being made in the cast. The Foy show moves April 20, "The Maid" entering the Globe, April 22. Werba & Luescher will send their new production on tour for two weeks (after leaving Philly this Sat- urday), up New York State before making the Metropolitan stand. The "No. 2" "3pring Maid" com- pany, headed by Mizzi Hajos and di- rected by Worba ft Luescher, is now on its way to a return engagement In Pacific Coast territory. The show will play the smaller towns it overlooked on the first trip. "LITTLE BOY BLUE" LEAVING. According to present plans, Samuel E. Rork's "Half Way to Paris" show will be the attraction to follow Hen- ry W. Savage's "Little Boy Blue" show at the Lyric, which closes its engage- ment there April 20. The Savage show will play some out of town dates before closing for the summer. If the Rork show opens at the Lyrio it means the Shuberts will permit James T. Powers in "The Two Brides" to make his Broadway premiere at the Casino, following the "Baron Trenck" withdrawal from that playhouse. WISE OUT OF VAUDEVILLE. Chicago, April 3. Tom Wise, who journeyed from Phil- adelphia In order to be on the opening bill of Martin Beck's new Palace Thea- tre will retire from vaudeville this week. Wise sails for Europe some- time next month for a vacation return- ing in time to open early next season at the Lyric, New York in a new play. RICH, BUT INEXPERIENCED. Liebler & Co., through their general stage director, Hugh Ford, are re- cruiting a company to "try out" a new play by a couple of amateur (but wealthy) young authors. The piece is entitled "The Indispen- sable Man." Rehearsals are called for today (Friday). The company is guaranteed but one week's work. WHITNEY O. H. SHOW. Chicago, April 3. "The Divorce?" opens here at the Whitney Opera House April 20, writ- ten by William Anthony Magulre, and will be produced by Rowland & Clif- ford. Cast includes Frank Losee, now with "The Gamblers," Sheldon Lewis, now with the Drama Players; Edward 10m- ery, Virginia Pearson. The piece rocs into rehearsal next week. Maguire is the author of "Tin* Devil, the Servant and thu Man" and "The Poolroom," two vaudeville sketches. ETHEL OREEN. The dainty Ingenue who Is headlining the bill at th» Colonial. Norfolk. Va., this \v«-. k, and who Is to appear at the Percy Williams' Colonial theatre. New Vork. next week (April 8) Miss Green la considering several offers for musical comedy for next season, und if suited, will bid farewell to vaudeville for a while. NOT SIGNED AS TEAM. Montgomery and Stone have s i ^: j * * c I a n«'w contract with Charles H, Dilling- ham, but engaged themselves as indi- viduals, and not as a team. They will however, play together, as heretofore