Variety (June 1912)

VARIETY BARNUM-BAILEY CIRCUS MAY VISIT E NGLAND ONCE MORE John Ringling Reported Having Decided to Send "The Big Show" Across the Water, to Open at the Olympia in London During December. (Special Cable to Variety.) London, May 29. It Is well reported the Ringling Brothers will send their Barnum & Bailey Circus to this side late In December, either at Earl's Court or the Olympia. Either place has plenty of room and is large enough 10 hold the Madison Square Garden inside. The Olympia is said to have been settled upon. The Barnum & Bailey Circus was last brought over here, by James A. Bailey, in 1897. The show remained on this side until 1903, during which time it collected a nice aggregation of English stockholder, whose influence was considerable in placing the circus on a paying basis after it reached England. Later these Englishmen were "frozen out" and after the circus re- turned to America, the Ringlings se- cured control of it. At present there is no tent show in tnis country outside of a small troupe under the Bostock management, and a couple of very small circuses. When Mr. Bailey came over with his big company, England would not let him parade at first. To bring hi3 wagons and equipment to the atten- tion of the English people, Mr. BaJJey would order an eight-horse team hitched to the band wagon, with tbe band inside, and send the outfit down to the town for a keg of nails. Boston, May 29. While in Boston last week, John Ringling stated he expected to tak? the Barnum-Bailey show over to Lon- d<M this fall, opening about Christ- mas time. The business of the circus rj far on the road has been so very good Mr. Ringling believes he has a show that will capture the English people. GOING TO LONDON ALHAMBRA. Capecial Cable to Variety.) Berlin, May 29. Josef Grampietro, for years princi- pal comedian of the Metropole thea- tre, has been engaged for a summer stay at the Alhambra, London, at a salary of 5,000 marks ($l,2t>0) a week. PRODUCING TRAGEDY. (Special Cable to Variety,) Berlin, May 29. Algeron Charles Swinburne's trag- edy, "Chastelard," has been accepted for production at the Deutsches thea- tre here next fall. ADELPHI HAS HIT. (Special Cable to Variety.) London, May 29. "Autumn Manoeuvres," produced at the Adelphl May 18, is a certain Jilt, due to Huntley ^Vright as tbe chief member of the cast, fine staging and general production. It is up to George Edwardes' high- est standard. Gracie Leigh is excel- lent. Other principals in the cast are Robert Evett, L. Mackinder, Hilda An- thony. The first act is laid at Ambermere Park and the second at Ambermere House. BELGIAN COMPOSER DEAD. (Special Cable to Variety.) Paris, May 29. Jan Blocked, Belgian, composer o" "Princess Auberge," died at Antwerp May 26, aged 61. WH1T8UN HOLIDAYS. (Special Cable to Variety.) Paris, May 29. Large crowds are present in Paris for the Whitsun holidays. The weather is beautiful. Vaudeville business is splendid, tho legitimate houses doing only fairly. SHIFT IN THEATRE HOLDINGS. (Special Cable to Variety.) Paris, May z9. Alphonse Franck is reported as having taken a lease of the Theatre dee Bouffes Parisiens, probab.y dis- posing of his partial interests in the Gymnase and Apollo to Montchar- mont, director of the Celestins the- tre, Lyons. WITHIN RESTRICTED LIMITS. (Special Cable to Variety.) London, May z9. Karno's vaudeville season at the Marlborough theatre, opening with "Hydro Top," is threatened with in- junction proceedings by the Moss Empires, because the Finsbury Park Empire is but a quarter of a mile dis- tant. It will be alleged that the Marlbor- ough is a disorderly house, without a singing or dancing license. The Karnos opened to good business. SHAW'S "PROFESSION" REVIVED. (Special Cable to Variety.) London; May zd. George Bernard Shaw's play, **Mrs. Warren's Profession," was revived here June 16 by the Pioneer Players as originally done in America in 1905. VERY DULL SHOW. (Special Cable to Variety.) London, May 29. "Guide Four, Paris," anglicised from "La Vie Parisienne," produced at the Alhambra, is badly written dialog and very dull. It is a costly production and a fine cast, but a comic writer is badly needed. Grossmith fails. TOO TOUGH, CLAIMS OSCAR. (Special Cable to Variety*.) London, May 29. Josef Holbrook, an English com- poser, who did the music for Lord Howard de Walden's "The Children of Don," has attacked the directors of Covent Garden- in the Daily Mall, on the ground that only foreign material is encouraged to the exclusion of native talent, and that he and other British composers have had to go to Hammerstein for a hearing. Ham- merstein will do the Wagnerian "Ring" in English in the fall, if he is here then. Hammerstein has had, he says, a terrible fight to keep afloat—too ter- rible for one man to battle with, and declares that it is problematical if he will continue to present grand opera in London after the present season. He has received numerous offers for his house for rcutal as a music hall. FIRST HEBREW AT PALACE. (Special Cable to Variety.) London, May 29. An offer has been cabled to Joe Welch, the Hebrew impersonator to appear at the Palace, London, dur- ing the summer. If Mr. Welch ac- cepts, he will be the first Heorew monologist in character make-up to play that hall. MARIE TEMPEST, STRONG CARD. (Special Cable to Variety.) London, May 29. Despite its mediocrity, "Pray at the Barn," at the Princess of Wa'es', is doing great business, which is direct- ly attributable to the drawing powers of Marie Tempest. "8UMURUN" PUT ON IN PARIS. (Special Cable to Variety.) Paris, May 29. Freska's famous Oriental panto- mime "Sumurun," as produced by Max Reinhardt, was given at the Vaudeville theatre May 26. Filly Tortola Valencia appeared as the Hindoo danseuse and did nicely. Mme. Leopold Constantin is again seen as the dancer and was also suc- cessful. Felix Hollaender, the German writer^ prepared the production in Paris for Reinhardt. The music by Victor Hollaender was well received. The Vaudeville theatre nab been taken for this production, which is essentially German, and differs a little from the version given in Lon- don. New scenery and costumes have been specially made for the Paris show. Alexander Moissi, of the Deutsche theatre, Berlin, plays the part of the merchant, Nur-al-Din; Maria Carmi (who appeared as the Madonna in Reinhardt's "The Miracle" in Lon- don) holding the title role. Paul Wegener (also of Berlin) is the Sheikh; Lia Rosen, the dwarf. WALTER GIBBONS RETIRING. (Special Cable to Variety.) London, May 29. Walter Gibbons 1b retiring from the London Theatres of Varieties, and is replaced by Charles Gulliver, who represents a small syndicate, having heavy Interests in the circuit. WHAT ARTHUR COLLINS SAY&. (Special Cable to Variety.) London, May 29. • "Everywoman" has been fixed as the autumn attraction at the Drury Lane. Arthur Collins says a de- parture from melodrama is necessary as "Ben Hur" is not attracting. Next September is fixed for "Everywoman," by arrangement with Henry W. Sav- age. Collins is going to America in Oc- tober to superintend the productions there of "The Whip" and "Hop O' My Thumb," last year's Drury Lane pan- tomime. GERMAN MANAGER DIES. (Special Cable to Variety.) Berlin, May 28. Joseph Grauag, formerly director of the Thalia, Elberfleld, died suddenly yesterday. LEONCAVALLO'S OPERA SOON. (Special Cable to Variety.) London, May 29. London and New York wni soon see Leoncavallo's new operetta "Regl- netta Delle Rose," or "Little Queen of the Roses." It is in three acts. The heroine is a pretty London flower girl. The music is said to be the finest Leoncavallo has ever written. The book is by Senor Gloacchino Forzano. BARD'S "NIGHT WATCHMAN." (Special Cable to Variety.) London, May 29. Wllkie Bard has a new song at the Tivoli, called "The Night Watchman.' It is a fine comic characterization. SICILIANS "OLD STUFF." (Special Cable to Variety.) London, May 29. Grasso and Sicilians at the Hippo- drome are fine, but it is feared that the act 1b no longer an attraction as a draw. ISADORA DUNCAN NOT DRAWING. (Special Cable to Variety.) London, May 29. Isadora Duncan, her brother and a reciter of Walt Whitman's poems, are giving matinees at the Court theatre to poor patronage. COMEDY NOT STRONG. (Special Cable to Variety.) London, May 29. Morris and Allen opened at tho Shoreditch Empire Monday and went fine, but must strengthen their com- edy before they will be thoroughly effective here. PICKERING GOING TO AFRICA. (Special Cable to Variety.) London, May'29. Pickering, house manager of the Alhambra, leaves June 29 for South Africa to take charge of Wheeler'B Theatre Circuit there. TOO LATE AT 12.30. (Special Cable to Variety.) London, May 29. Bissett and Weston opened at Hol- born Empire Monday and were placed in closing position at 12.30. They quit Tuesday for that reason.