Variety (June 1912)

VARIETY 11 SHOW MANAGERS WILL PASS ON MUSICA L UNION 'S DEMANDS Musicians Adopt Scale Increasing Weekly Wage at All Theatres. Qoes Into Effect July 1. Managers Await- ing Return of President Burnham to Secretly Consider the Scale. The Musical Protective Union of New York and Brooklyn baa voted for the following increase in the weekly salary of theatre musicians: Variety and Burlesque booses (with Sunday shows), from $80 to $86. Dramatic Shows, from $22.60 to $24. Musical Comedy Attractions, from $24 to $80. Picture houses, from $26 to $80. Burlesque (without Sunday shows), from $26 to $28. Grand Opera, from $7 a Performance to $8. At a meeting of the Musical Pro- tective Union at its headquarters, 210 East 86th street, June 13, about 800 members of that body voted for the adoption of tho proposed raise in the weekly salary scale paid by the differ- ent theatrical managers to their musi- cians as recommended by a committee of five specially appointed for that purpose. The new scale goes into ef- fect July 1. President M. J. Kerngood had charge of the meeting. Nearly all of the time was given to the committee's report and its subsequent adoption. This new scale will affect both New York and Bropklyn houses as the Musical Protective Union has juris- diction over the union musicians of both boroughs. The average increase in the musi- cians' salary ranges from 10 to 25 per cent, with the general tilt at 15 per cent. President Kerngood told a Variety representative he had little doubt but that the managers would agree to pay the increase asked as it was wholly within reason inasmuch as the musi- cians worked hard and received in- sufficient remuneration for their serv- ices. The increase asked is classified as follows: vaudeville and burlesque house with Sunday shows, from $30 to $35 a week; dramatic shows, $22.50 to $24; grand opera, from $7 a performance to $8; musical comedy attractions, $24 to $30; pic- ture shows, $25 to $30; for burlesque without any Sunday shows, $26 to $28, weekly. Theatre managers in New York were loath to discuss the demand of the musical union for an increase in salaries, but are understood to have in view a hurry call of the theatre managers association, of which Charles Burnham is president, for the purpose of arriving at a definite plan of campaign. Burnham is out of town at present. Nothing will be done un- til his return, when they will meet in secret conclave and decide whether to accede to the demand of the union or fight the thing to a finish. Meantime they have been visiting the Century theatre, where there has been installed the Hope-Jones Unit Orchestra, a mechanical instrument designed to take the place of from ten to twenty-five musicians, played by one man. Some who have heard demonstra- tions of the Unit Orchestra claim that the effect is altogether too mechanical, and while suitable for a restaurant or kindred purposes, lacks the individual charm of music performed by musi- cians. In describing it, a manager said: "It sounds altogether too churchy. You momentarily expect to hear the announcement that 'Deacon Scroggs will now pass the plate for the foreign church mission,' or 'On Friday evening there will be the usuil prayer meeting.'" Others declare, but with little show of genuine belief, that it will solve the problem to a nicety. The main objection to the Unit Or- chestra is its enormous initial instal- lation expense. The cost of such an instrument is In the neighborhood of $15,000, though arrangements can be made for its payment in installments. Theodore A. Liebler has sent out per- sonal letters to all the managers in New York notifying them that the mechanical orchestra is being demon- strated daily. It is worthy of note that when the question of making the demand for a wage increase was referred to a com- mittee of officers of the Musical Union they refused to assume responsibility, and put It up to a vote of the indi- vidual members, and that the feeling of the rank and file was practically unanimous for the demand. WOODS HAS GRANVILLE. Bernard Granville has been signed by A. H. Woods for five years, to be starred in a new musical piece to be specially written for him. The contract will not go into effect until Sept., 1913. Up to that date. Granville is under contract to F. Ziegfeld, who is not over happy at Woods getting the dancer for the longer term. NEW WINTER GARDEN SHOW. A new Winter Garden show may bo opened July 8 or 15. It will have mostly vaudeville people in the prin- cipal characters. So far Trlxie Frigania. Chas. J. Ross and the Dolly Sisters have been engaged. Howard and Howard remain at the Garden for the new show. The summer show will remain at the Garden, according to present plans, until Sept. 1, when the Ger- trude Hoffman revue goes in. staying there while the present Winter Gar- den company, headed by Al Jolsoif, is en the road. The Jolson troupe will return to the Broadway house New Year's, when the Hoffman show takes to the wilds. It is likely the mid-summer aggre- gation. If successful, will be sent to out-of-town Shubert houses at the opening of next season. The Jolson company will be given a vacation before reassembling for the road tour. The company now at the Winter Garden concludes its run June 29. This Saturday night after the per- formance Al Jolson will start on a trip to San Francisco In his Packard car. It will take about thirty days. Mr. Jolson refused this week an offer of' $1,000 to appear in vaudeville at Dave Robinson's Brighton theatre for the week of June 24. The new summer entertainment will be a combination of a review called "The Passing Show of 1912" and "The Ballet of 1830." The latter ran for a long time at the Alhambra Music Hall, London. The principal dancers of the original English ballet production will be imported for this engagement. CORT BUYS "MAMA'S BABY BOY. 1 * John Cort has purchased the pro- duction of "Mama's Baby Boy" from the Shuberts and will send it out next season over his western circuit. George W. Lederer, who owns fifty per cent, of the stock in the cor- poration making the production was not aware of the sale to Cort, but declared that his end of it could be secured very reasonably. COHAN * HARRIS NEXT, UPTOWN. Cohan & Harris are considering the taking on of another uptown play- house. The site is the northwest corner of Eighth avenue and 124th street, 150x100, with an entrance running through to 125th street. It is the site of the present Colonial Motel, the proprietor of which has leased the entire block from the Astor estate. The ground rental asked is $30,000 a year, the lessee to erect his own theatre. The plot will permit of a theatre seating 2,500. WALLER'S CHOICE OF THREE. For his return New York engage- ment at Daly's theatre in September, Lewis Waller has the choice of three plays he is now reading in England. STATE RIGHTS CURRENT B'WAY SHOW, ON SALE TODAY. BUM PAGE t. WOODS* THREE STARS. Of the many shows A. H. Woods will send out next season, and there will be around thirty-five, but three actors will be starred. The trio are Julian Eltinge, Will- iam and Dustin Farnum. The most capable of players will also be en- gaged for the remaining productions, but with the starring privilege re- served to the management. I. A. T. 8. E. CONVENTION. The annual convention of the Inter- national Alliance Theatrical Stage Em- ployees of the United States and Canada will be held in Peoria, 111., be- ginning Monday, July 8. The executive board convenes at the Hotel Fey, Peoria, from July 1 to 6, all business as far as that board is concerned being closed on the Satur- day night preceding opening of con- vention on the following Monday at 10 a. m. Matters coming in after that time will be taken up on convention floor. The roster will carry from 360 to 400 delegates. It is planned to com- plete the convention in one week with night sessions a possibility in order to finish all business before the I. A. T. 8. B. Aside from the New Orleans trou- ble, which Is still pending settlement, between now and the regular season's opening next fall there Is little thea- trical labor matters scheduled for dis cussion. It is reported that every effort will be made on the part of the convention delegates to effect better relations be- tween the managers and employes through the adoption of the I. A. T. 8. B. contract. President Charles C. Shay and other New York delegates will leave for Peoria next Wednesday. PAUL SOOTT A8K8 $00,000. $50,000 is the damage sustained by Paul Scott, according to his own statement through Marie Doran libel- ing him by claiming he (Scott) played "Lena Rivers" without her authority. Miss Doran backed up the claim at one time with a warrant, but Mr. Scott was discharged. The damage thing is In the nature of a legal suit. August Dreyer Is attorney for Mr. Scott. He located Miss Doran and had her served with the summons as she was appearing against one Billy Burke for Infringing upon "Tempest and Sunshine," a play Miss Doran al- so alleges belongs to her all alone. DIXEY SUES SAVAGE. Henry E. Dlxey has begun an ac- tion in the Supreme Court against* Henry W. Savage to recover $13,600 for alleged breach of contract. The actor and manager entered Into an agreement in 1908 by which Dixey was to be starred in "The Devil" and to receive ten per cent, of the gross receipts, with a guarantee of $500 a week. This continued for one year, when it was renewed. Dixey alleges that on Nov. 13, 1909, he was discharged, in violation of the agreement. At the time of the severance of re- lations between Dixey and his man- ager a story was current that Dixey was playing somewhere in the vicini- ty of Denver when the manager of the show Informed him that the com- pany was headed for the Coast. Dixey promptly wired to Savage in New York, according to the tale, that he would not go further west; where- upon the company closed without any further discussion and\ was brought back to New York. ?