Variety (April 1912)

Vol. XXVI. No. 6 NEW YORK CITY, APRIL 13, 1912 PRICE 10 CENTS ROYAL COMMAND PERFORMANCE AT BUTT'S LONDON PALACE King George Selects Classy Hall for the Adjourned Royal Show. June 10 the Date. Director Alfred Butt Delighted. Says It Is Timely Honor for Vaude- ville Profession. (Special Cable to Variety) London, April 10. King George has officially notified that he and'the Queen will be pleased to attend the variety performance at the Palace Music Hall June 10. This performance will take the place of the Edinburgh engagement canceled through the fire in which Lafayette was burned to death. The general opinion was that the Hippodrome or Coliseum, London, would be selected for this Royal Com- mand performance, but there seems to be no doubt the final choice was prompted by the fact that the Palace is considered the classiest music hall in London. Alfred Butt, its managing director, is delighted and has received con- gratulatory messages from all other managers, excepting two. Mr. Butt tells Variety's representa- tive he has selected a novel scheme of decoration and will build a special royal box for the occasion. The program will be three and one- half hours long, with probably twenty turns. Mr. Butt considers it a timely hon- or for the vaudeville profession, which will set it on a new basis in the eyes of the world. The committee selected to assist in the Royal Command performance to be given at the Palace comprises Sir Edward Moss, Alfred Moul, Walter Gibbons, Oswald Stoll, W. H. Clemart, Alfred Butt, Henry Tozer, Walter? Dickson, George Ashton and A. Bocchi. It meets Friday. Harry Lauder, Vesta Til ley, Wilkie Bard. Little Tich and Arthur Prince are considered certainties for the pro- gram. MANN SHOW CLOSING DATE. The Louis Mann show, "Elevating a Husband," at the Criterion, New York, will end its season May 4, rest- ing over the summer, and take up a road tour commencing Sept. 9 at the Grand Opera House, New York. SHEA BUILDING HIP. Buffalo, April 10. The Shea Amusement Co. has pur- chased from B. F. Keith a site on "Main street? and will erect a Hippo- drome, to open next season. It will cost $250,000, and seat 2,500 peo- ple. The same company is now building a theatre adjoining the Gene- see Hotel. This will give it three houses in Buffalo. The Keith site is the best location in town. It was bought by Mr. Keith some years ago, and held as a club over M. Shea to "hold him in line" with the Keith agency for his vaudeville bookings in this city. NOT IIAKKKI) FROM PALACE. Chicago, April 10. It is reported here that Sidney Drew and company, in "The Still Voice," will appear at Martin Beck's Palace in three weeks. He played the Majestic last week. It has been generally understood no acts appearing at the Majestic would receive bookings this season at the Palace. HILL & SCR1BNKR VS. COOLEY. Gus Hill and Sam Scrlbner, owners of the production rights to "Arizona," had Hollis E. Cooley up before a referee Monday to endeavor to effect a settlement. Cooley had control of the tours of Several companies. FRAZEE-WELCH FIRM? Chicago, April 10. Immediately after the production here of "Ready Money," it is said, ne- gotiations were entered into between H. H. Frazee and Jack Welch for the consummation of a partnership be- tween the two which will probably eventuate in the making of a new pro- ducing firm. Welch is general manager for Co- han ft Harris. His employers are said to have been objecting to Welch's in- dividual enterprises. Their general manager "put over" "The Only Son" here after Cohan ft Harris failed with it in New York. JANE OOWL WANTS TO TRY. Jane Cowl, late leading lady of "The Gamblers," 1b seeking a dramatic sketch with which to enter vaudeville. CHAPINE IN VAUDEVILLE. Chapine, late prima donna of John Cort's "The Rose Of Panama/' makes her vaudeville debut April 22 in an American adaptation of Leo Fall's "Bruederlein Fein" by Arthur Gilles- pie. This will be the first time this piece has been exploited here. CAN'T FINISH ROOF. The contractors working on the Shubert theatre and roof garden, which they announce will be called the Palace, served notice Monday that they will not be able to complete their work before next October. They will not go ahead with the roof garden portion of the structure until the theatre proper has been finished. The Shuberts are said to have a half interest with the promoter of the ice palace to be erected back of the pro- posed Winthrop Ames and Shubert houses recently announced for erec- tion on the site originally selected for the New Theatre. MAL T DE ADAMS' VISIT. South Bend, Ind., April 10. Maude Adams made a fl>iug trip from Milwaukee to visit Burt Eberly. aged 71 years, manager of "The Pass- ers-By" company, who is very ill in St. Joseph hospital. The veteran man- ager has known Miss Adams since she was a baby. DRESSLER SELF MANAGED. Next season Marie Dressier expeoU to play at the Broadway theatre (or a Broadway theatre) with her own show, a stupendous production as at present contemplated, according to the story. It is doubtful if Miss Dressier plays vaudeville this season. She may if the Orpheum Circuit will pay her $8,- 000 weekly for five or six weeks be- tween Minneapolis and the Golden Gate. The comedienne does not oars about appearing In the east before her own show is under way. NEVER BOSSED A MEAL. Monday morning Jenie Jacobs re- ceived a cable from her boss, Pat Casey, reading "Arrived. Feeling fine. Never missed a meal." The final sentence was tacked on to de- cide the wagers made on Pat's first trip to the other side. Sunday the New York Herald print- ed a lively interview had with A. L. Erlanger just before the Mauretania sailed with Erlanger and Casey aboard. Throughout the story the chief concern of Erlanger's seemed to be to boost Pat Casey, as "Pat Casey" occurred in nearly every paragraph. The Casey Agency is breathlessly awaiting the arrival from London of a post card picture, showing Casey in a high hat. Upon his arrival in England A. H. Woods cabled that during the voyage over he won the New Amsterdam the- atre from A. L. Erlanger and a con- trolling interest in the Casey Agency from the redoubtable Pat. VINIE DALY AS PRIMA DONNA. The selection of a prima donna for Martin Beck's production of "The Eternal Waltz" has been made, and Vinie Daly gets the plum. Miss Daly has been abroad for two years study- ing. She is expected to shortly re- turn home. "The Eternal Waltz" will be pro- duced in the fall, for Mr. Beck's New York Palace. It is an operottc, lirnt seen at the Hippodrome, London, when the American rights were se- cured. I' will have between 50 and 60 people in the American version.