Variety (April 1912)

VARI ETY COLONIAL, CHICAGO, "DARK" FOR FI RST TIM E IN YEARS "Pink Lady" Closed There Saturday, With Nothing Booked in Until "Pearl Maiden" Opens, for a Summer Run May 12. Other Chicago Changes Chicago, April 24. For the first time in years during a regular season the Colonial is "dark." "The Pink Lady" closed its season and house Saturday night. Nothing is booked into the theatre until May 12, when "The Pearl Maiden" starts off on a summer run. "The Pearl Maiden" will be re- vived for a summer run, with Jack Slavin heading the cast. It is the piece which showed at the New York theatre after a successful engage- ment at Philadelphia, with a profit- able road tour to its record. Besides Mr. Slavin will be Oswald Searle, Lora Leib, Mona Desmond, DaiBy Leon, Aaron's "Dancing Dolls" and other members of the original company. Kales & Anthony, the proprietors, will direct the show. Through the retirement of "The Pink Lady" and "The Chocolate Sol- dier" from Chicago theatres, Mort ftinger practically has the musical comedy field alone for his "The Mod- ern Eve," which opens this week at the Garrick.' Harry Askin, his former partner, is the only active competitor this season with "Louisiana Lou/' which continues to big business at the La Salle. Incidentally with the closing of the Lyric and the Music Hall, the Shuberts are represented here with only the Garrick. Power's theatre will be the scene of the three-act play by Joseph Noel, "The Marriage—Not." The piece will open next week. As suggested by the title, it deals with the marriage prob- lem. In the cast are listed Oza Wal- drop, Robert Drouet, Sybilla Pope and Albert Howson. - At the same time, Anthony McGuire is giving another view on the question at Whitney's in his new play "The Divorce," under the management of Rowland & Clifford. Among the La Salle changes in cast comes the name of Bessie De Vole, who succeeds Eleonore Sutter in the title role of "Louisiana Lou." Miss Sutter steps out of the musical hit to enter vaudeville. This week marks the closing of the Blackstone for the summer. The house will remain dark until sometime in September when Gertrude Elliott will return to Chicago with "Preserving Mrs. Panmure." When the Auditorium reopens for next season the attraction will be 'The Garden of Allah." It was thought the piece would arrive in Chicago this season, but a complica- tion of bookings made it impossible. Cohan's Grand Opera House will have "The Little Millionaire" for its opening attraction for next seasoq while at the Princess "Bought and Paid For" is expected to succeed "Within the Law." At the Garrick "The Bird of Paradise" will be next and at the other Shubert house (Ly- ric) "The Blue Bird" is announced. The Bijou winds up April 30. Mrs. C. E. Kohl will not renew her lease on that theatre, nor will the Kohl in- terests be represented on the West Side next season other than at the Academy, which closes June 1. It will be entirely reconstructed before next season, reopening in August with "pop" vaudeville at first, same as at present. The house will be renamed Kohl's Academy of Varieties. The Bijou has been playing every- thing from melodrama to "Yiddish" stock, losing on each venture. A number of closings occurred last Saturday. "When it Comes Home," the Augustus Thomas piece, stopped at the Illinois. At the Lyric "The Best People" suddenly shut down. Cyril Scott, at the house for the past two weeks, has returned to New York to rehearse in "Patience," due at the Lyric (New York) May 6. "The Best People" will reopen in New York, at the Maxine Elliott, Aug. 10. The American Music Hall is also dark, "The Chocolate Soldier" having closed the house and season there Saturday night. During the week Gaskell & McVitty's "Servant In the House" quit, going from Bluffton, Ind., to the storehouse. "The Fortune Hunter" went down at Glen Falls, N. Y., and Merl Morton's western company of "Casey Jones" gave up the running at Des Moines. LEDEKER SHOW AT SHUBERT'S. Philadelphia, April 24. George W. Lederer's production of "Mama's Baby Girl" will open next Monday at the Lyric, a Shubert theatre. In addition to the cast announced in Variety, some weeks ago, Elizabeth Murray has been engaged as a special feature. Willard Spenser's "The Wild Goose" opera will be moved from the Lyric to the Adelphi. "MODERN EVE" HITS IT. Chicago, April 24. "Modern Eve" now at the Gar- rick seems to have struck the happy strike expected, and Manager Mort Singer announces his intention of keeping the Berlin operetta there for a summer run. Next season a com- pany will be sent to New York, prob- ably the original cast going with it, while still another will take to the road. "Within the Law," the W. A. Brady melodrama, is doing exceptionally well at the Princess, the other Singer house, and looks good for a lengthy stay. SHUBERT PROMISES. New Orleans, April 24. The Shuberts are assuring mana- gers booking through them of a list of attractions for next season. Henry Green wall, manager of the Dauphlne in tMs city, which receives its shows from the Independents, has received a list of fourteen produc- tions. Among them are "A Butter- fly on the Wheel," "Bought and Paid For," "Everywoman," "Over Night," "Baby Mine," "Bunty Pulls the Strings," "The Blue Bird," "Sumu- run" and "Little Boy Blue." Some cf the stars promised are Sothern and Marlowe, Forbes Rob- ertson and Robert B. Mantell. STERN & CO. NOT "ANGELS." Joseph W. Stern & Co. issued a statement this week denying a report they were financially interested in "The Rose Maid" production at the Globe theatre. They said: "Messrs. Werba & Luescher have never given us an opportunity to be- come interested In any of their thea- trical enterprises. It is quite proba- ble, however, that we would gladly avail ourselves of the chance to be associated with these gentlemen, should they make us an offer in the future. Up to the present time, we have never invested one dollar in any production, having confined ourselves to the music publishing business ex- clusively." The initial cost of producing "The Rose Maid" was between $30,000 and $35,0o o. On the second night there was over $1,800 in the Globe, and a healthv advance sale. "QUAKER GIRL" GOING WEST. It is reported "The Quaker Girl" upon leaving the Park, New York, will head for Illinois, Chicago, now dark. Chicago, April 24. No one knows anything about "The Quaker Girl" going into the Illinois. The house is closed for the summer. "GOYY8 LADY" NEXT WEEK. The new production ("The Gov- ernor's Lady"), to be presented by William Elliott and David Be- lasco, will open at the Broad Street theatre, Philadelphia, April 30. The piece Is out for a preliminary canter only, and is the show scheduled to open next season at the Republic, New York. "The Woman" closed at the Republic Saturday, leaving the house dark for the remainder of this season, although the stage there this week is occupied by the new show, fully set. The other Belasco piece David War- field is playing at the Belasco is bound for the road with the fall coming on. The '12-'13 opening attraction there has not been settled upon. The billing matter of "The Gover- nor's Lady," which gives Mr. Elliott's name precedence ovtor that of his father-in-law's, is said to be due to a bit of sentiment in connection with the production. The vaudeville sketch Mr. Elliott is interested in with Mr. Belasco, "The Drums of Oude," will have two drum- mers, natives, imported from India. They will not be seen during the action, playing the instrument* off stage. The story dwells in part upon the Sepoy rebellion. Mr. Belasco in his research for detail sent to India without telling his press agent. The drummers will arrive in New York May 4. The last act of "The Lady" is laid in a Child's restaurant, and is said to be a remarkable reproduction of a "Deanery." THREE NEW PRODUCTIONS. Philadelphia, April 24. Three new shows opened this week. Willard Spenser's "A Wild Goose" had its initial presentation at the Lyric to a big house. It was well re- ceived, but will need a lot of drilling and clipping to get it into running or- der, it is pronounced as promising. Ethel Jackson, Mabel Weeks, Will Philbrick and David Reese are among the principals. James iK. Hackett in "The Grain of Dust," a play of modern social life opened well at the Chestnut Street Opera House. The show was warmly greeted and the press notices favor- able. "The Avalanche" with Robert Hll- liard was given at the Broad. It is a melodrama. There is much to be done with the piece. It is by Mr. Hil- liard and W. A. Tremayne. The John E. Kellerd Players op- ened at the Walnut to light busi- ness. "The Merchant of Venice" waf the presentation. AMOROS SISTERS (THOSE FHKNCH UIFtLSi Meeting with hucosm tliin week Aci. P. O. Williams' Colonial, N.-w \ •)) „ ,\|.n 2», Orpheum, Hmoklyn- May •".. Aiii:imbr;i. New York. Muiiag.-iiii-nt TONY WILSON. Direction. PAUL DURAND. WILLIE WILKEN'S STORY. When fire broke out at Clarksburg, W. Va., while William L. Wilken was there, the firemen discovered upon their arrival at the flame scene thry had forgotten the hose. That Is the story told b\ V r \v\\. ken, a survivor, who pilo'ed t«w KaHtiTii company of "T!;<- \. o,h weds" this season The slmw rinses Saturday night at !\i'»'i son. \. .J. Mr. Wilken savs his show got m»iiey notwithstanding the tough go- ing on tlie one-nighters, but then, Mr. Wilken also told about the firemen.