Variety (May 1912)

VARIETY AMERICAN, CHICAGO, SHUBERTS' WESTE RN WIN TER GARDEN Productions at the New York House Will Transfer to Windy City. Present Winter Garden Piece May Open There in September. Shuberts Engaging Vaudeville Acts for Summer Show in New York, With Sam Bernard at the Head Chicago, May 1. The American Music Hall, now closed, will reopen next season as the western branch of the Shuberts, Win- ter Garden, New York. The produc- tions from the Broadway house will be transferred to the American. No official announcement has been made nor is it known at what scale of ad- mission the American will play the New York product. It is probable the first Winter Gar- den show here will be the present one in New York, with perhaps Gaby Deslys in the lead on her return en- gagement under the Shuberts' man- agement. The company will remain here six weeks, it is said, before re- turning to New York for the formal commencement of the season at the Garden there. The name of the American may be altered to Winter Garden. "The Society Whirl" at the Win- ter Garden, New York, will close June 1. The Shuberts will have a sup- plementary season of variety, with a light book to carry the vaudeville acts through a piece designed for a sum- mer run at the Garden. Sam Bernard is to be the star. This show will shortly follow the current one, if present plans do not fall by the way- side meanwhile. Several vaudeville turns of late have been approached with offers of Shubert contracts for from twenty to thirty weeks next season. These are supposed to cover the requirements of the managers for their Winter Garden productions, also the new Shu- bert Music Hall on West 43d street, due to open by October 1. One story says the Shuberts will have under engagement before the fall comes around between fifty and sixty acts. Of these some may be foreign turns, but mostly American turns are being sought. Hardly a week passes that either Lee, J. J. Shubert or a representative does not inspect some local vaudeville program in the quest for available talent for their future productions. Several of the people with the piece at the Garden have been offered en- gagements in the new show, for over the summer, if a cut in salary for the hot spell is agreed to. LAWRENCE'S SKETCH SERIES. Walter N. Lawrence will follow the Minnie Dupree sketch, "Live Wires" (5th Avenue this week), with a ser- ies of vaudeville presentments. He al- ready has in rehearsal "In Wrong," by the same author, Ivy Ash ton Root, and will follow that with a sketch featuring Dorothy Dorr, wherein Miss Dorr will sing and play the piano. Lionel E. Lawrence is now asso- ciated with his brother in the vaude- ville ventures. DIGBY BELL REOPENS. Syracuse, N. Y... May 1. "It Happened in Topeka" is the title of the latest vaudeville sketch Digby Bell appears in. He opened at the Grand Monday, and was well liked. George V. Hobart wrote the skit and came here to watch its debut. GEO. PRIMROSE INJURED. Cincinnati, May 1. While on the Carolina Special of the Queen & Crescent on his way from Atlanta to Mt. Clemens, George Primrose, the minstrel, was injured in the side when the train became a wreck at Crittenden, Ky. About a dozen passengers in all were hurt upon the cars leaving the rails. MAY HAVE LILLIAN LORRAINE. With the rainy weather upon us, Lillian Lorraine is thinking of vaude- ville. Her first quest in search of twice-daily employment brought her in touch with the Max Hart office. Miss Lorraine has worked for Flo Ziegfeld, Jr. WOULDN'T STAND CUT. Harry LaPearl, principal clown with the Barnum & Bailey circus, is In New York figuring on joining another white top outfit. John Ringling wanted LaPearl to accept a twenty-five per cent, cut on the road. LaPearl declined and quit the show. WATER ROUTE TO ATLANTIC. Atlantic City, May 1. The Atlantic City Transportation Co. will place in commission this month a new boat named "Atlantic City." It will ply between'here and New York City, carrying freight and passengers. Sleeping accommodations for 100 passengers have been provided. The speed will be about eighteen miles an hour. HAZARD-DUPREZ. The wedding engagement is re- ported, without a denial, of Grace Hazard and Fred Duprez, both in vaudeville. KLEIN IN WITH STEGER. Arthur Klein has purchased from Julius Steger, an interest in "The Master of the House." The show is to be sent on tour again next fall, with Steger in the principal role. JACK SHEA'S WEAK HEART. Next Sunday at the Columbia thea- tre is the big testimonial perform- ance, winding up the Feiber ft Shea Sunday vaudeville season there. The benefit is for Jack Shea, who runs the stage. Jack has been arranging the mon- ster program. He says each of the fifteen acts that will appear is a headliner. Among the turns selected by Mr. Shea is Rutan's "Song Birds," containing a couple of youngsters un- der the Gerry age limit. To ensure their appearance Jack called at the City Hall, asking permission for the kids to play one night only. "What kind of a show is this?" the official wanted to know. "It's a charity benefit," replied Jack. "Benefit for who?" was asked. "For me," said he. "What's the matter with you?" the man behind queried. "Oh, mister, I have a weak heart," replied Jack. CONDENSED "PINAFORE." Max Hart's condensed version of "Pinafore" with a cast made up of twenty-five juvenile performers opens in Yonkers next Thursday. The principal performers will be the child appearing all season with David Warfleld in "The Return of Peter Grimm," and Ruth Wells, recruited from the juvenile "Disraeli" cast. LANCASTER THREE-A-DAY. Lancaster, Pa., May 1. Commencing May 6 the new Colon- ial theatre, which has been having its troubles as a first-class vaudeville house, will take on a three-perforni- ance-a-day policy. Four turns weekly will be employed. They will be booked by Mr. Blondell of the Family Department, United Booking Offices, New York. Admission prices will be lowered accordingly. OUT OF ARLINGTON FOUR. Chicago, May 1. George Lee, the comedian, with the Arlington Four, will leave the act next week. He has been with tho quartet for eight years. Lee will reappear as a "single." The ne; luartet member has not been selected as yet. SUNDAY PERMIT REFUSED. Cincinnati, May 1. Permission for the Two Bills' "Wild West" to show In Cincinnati some Sunday during June has been refused by the Mayor. He says local amuse- ments are entitled to protection against outside attractions on that day. If the "Wild West" wants to play here on a week day it can do so upon the payment of $100 license fee. PICTURES IN HIPPODROME. Cleveland, May 1. The Hippodrome, Harry Daniels manager, has adopted a picture policy for the summer, opening Monday with a "movie" show. JOE SULLIVAN'S PARTNER. A new name appeared on the office windows of the Putnam building Monday. It was that of William Long's linked with Joe Sullivan, the agent. The full title of the newly associated twain is Sullivan ft Long. They occupy the suite formerly used by Sullivan ft Kraus. Mr. Long is reputed to be a man of money, with a hankering for a closer connection with the show busi- ness than he has received heretofore through merely being a stockholder In theatrical corporations. Among the certificates Mr. Long possesses are some of the Riverside and Nemo thea- tres, properties on the William Fox "small time" vaudeville circuit. CREATORS IN NEW YORK. Francesco Creatore and his band of 25 musicians have been engaged for Hammerstejn's Roof for twelve weeks this summer, beginning June 3. In addition to their stage work one- half the band will alternate in fur- nishing the music for the ice skaters during intermission. NEW PUBLISHING FIRM. The music publishing business is to have another firm. The sign will read Wenrich ft Howard. It will be made up of Percy Wenrich and Homer Howard. ALB1NP8 ROAD SHOW. For next season Albinl, The Great, will head a road show of which the hyphenated title will be the Alblnl- Avolo Star Vaudeville Co. The magician and the Musical Avolos, who will head the company, have had a route laid out over the John Cort circuit of legitimate thea- tres in the west. TWO NEW COMBINATIONS. The next vaudeville combination in the form of a "two-act" will be Billy Gaston and Grace Leigh. They are under the direction of Fred Ward. George White and Minerva Cover- dale, another recent vaudeville com- bination will open in June at the Ma- jestic, Chicago, for a tour of the Or- pheum Circuit. PARK'S NEW THEATRE. New Haven, May 1. Commencing May 20, the Savin Rock Park new vaudeville theatre, named the Orpheum, will give a vaudeville show twice daily. The house seats 1,200. Lester D. Mayne of the Fam. Dept, United Booking Offices, when here re- cently told Dr. De Waltoff, the owner that the Orpheum was a "bower of beauty." The Doctor fell for that right away. Among the features of the opening program Mr. Mayne will book in are: Willard's "Temple of Music," J. Warren Travers and Co., Gracie Emmett and Co., Doan, Lind- say and Doan. Memorial Services for Henry Harris were held at the Hudson theatre last Sunday night. COMMISSIONER'S REPORT. The annual report of Herman Robinson, Commissioner of Licenses, will be issued in a few weeks. The booking agents' licenses ex- pire May 7. The commissioner has already received quite a number of applications for renewals.