Variety (February 1913)

0 VARIETY NEW KIND OF ENTERTAINMENT IN MARI E DRES SLER'S SHOW Company Forming to Have James T. Powers and Perhaps Blanche Bates, According to Rumor. Eva Tanguay Engages Bill For Travelling Show Though United Booking Offices Places "Blacklist" Upon "Tanguay Acts." Marie Dressier, who has organized a company of her own, to be known as Dressler's Players, has started rehear- sals and expects to open with her troupe at New Haven Feb. 15. Miss Dressier and company may come into New York as soon as the show has been whipped into shape on the road. Three Broadway theatres have been placed at her disposal, it is claimed, but she is not prepared to state just yet which house she will select. Miss Dressier makes emphatic denial that she is or will be in any way asso- ciated in the enterprise with Felix Is- man. Furthermore, she claims her show will not be a vaudeville affair, but will be what she will bill it as " a new- style of entertainment." James T. Powers, who recently closed a starring tour in "Two Little Brides," is understood to be one of the principal members engaged, while Miss Dressier is said to be angling for Blanche Bates to join before the New York opening. Miss Dressier says the nature of her show will be kept a secret until the opening performance. She claims it's something new and original, away from the usual run of vaudeville and wholly different from the present musi- cal comedy idea. One of the features of the Dressier show will be the presentation of the fourth and fifth acts of ' Camille," in which Miss Dressier will be seen as Prudence. Madame Yorska, a pupil of Sarah Bernhardt's and who was on tour with her last season, will play Camille, while Robert Dronet has been engaged for Armand. Miss Dressier intends to combine high class musical features with com- edy, the best dancers obtainable and a lot of legitimate material. She will carry her own orchestra. Of the singers Mary Desmond, the English contralto, formerly of the Manhattan Opera Co.. and Frederic Hastings, formerly with Tettrazini and Nordica, have been signed. Among the dancers will be Conchita. The Eva Tanguay Road Show has been gotten together by Arthur Klein. Mr. Klein experienced no difficulty in obtaining the acts desired although the United Booking Offices is said to have sent out a warning late last week that all acts playing in the Tanguay in- dependent aggregation would be "blacklisted." Bookings for Miss Tanguay have been secured in both Klaw & Erlanger, Shuberf and independent houses. Harry Fulton is two weeks ahead of the com- pany, with Eddie Garvcy one week be- hind. Mr. Klein will travel with the show. Tt opens Monday at Bridge- port. The Tanguay company is scheduled to leave New York for Bridgeport Sat- urday, where it will have a final rehear- sal before opening there next Monday. From Bridgeport the show goes to Hartford, Tuesday, Holyoke, Wednes- day, and will play Worcester the last three days. Further routing will be determined later. Miss Tanguay is to be surrounded by a coterie of vaudeville acts. She will offer her own variety turn and in the closing feature will be the central figure in a big dancing number on the "Salome" order. Harry Rough, who recently closed with the Adeline Genee show, will be stage manager and he will build many of the effects. With Rough back stage will be Tony Ford, electrician, and William Bush, property man. McNAUGHTON AND WALSH PAIRED The new Christie MacDonald musi- cal comedy Werba and Luescher are putting out will have Tom McNaugh- ton and Lionel Walsh, both English- men, as principal comedians. The piece, with music by Victor Herbert, has not yet been named. "The May Queen" has been suggested. GRAND OPERA IN ENGLISH. At last a permanent grand opera in English in New York is as- sured, according to the plans formu- lated by Milton and Sargent Aborn. A $100,000 company is being in- corporated. One-half will be sub- scribed by the Messrs. Aborn. The other half is to be sold to subscribers for tickets at $25 a share. For each share of stock the purchaser will re- ceive a book of orders for seats to the value of $25, which may be used within a period of 25 weeks. Felix Isman is to build a theatre to house the permanent English opera or- ganization, to seat 2,500 people, located on one of the side streets just off Times Square. The Messrs. Aborn will be the managing directors and make all productions, which will comprise 25 operas, with the Wagner Ring (first time in English in America), presented during the Lenten period. There will be 40 men in the orches- tra and a company, including a ballet, of 150. Edward P. Temple will probably be engaged as stage director. The librettos are to be rewritten on account of the difficulty in singing the literal translation of the foreign books. The theatre is expected to be ready for opening by Oct. 1 next. "ATTACK" HAS CHARLOTTE IVES. Chicago, Feb. 6. Charlotte Ives joined "The Attack" here and has gone on the road with it. Martha Hedman, who gained much favorable notice remains leading woman. THE LIBERTY THEATRE "PITTSBURGH'S PERFECT PLAYHOUSE." Thla strictly fireproof place of amusement will open during the early part of March. playing refined vaudeville and selected motion pictures at popular prices. It will be under the sole management of J. H. McCARRON, who for many years waa well and favorably known In connection with the Keith enterprises In Boston and elsewhere. The booking of the houses will be done Independently of any and all circuits. Acts desiring to break their Jumps eaat or west should address the manager dlreot at tbe Liberty theatre, Pittsburgh. BRINGING TWO SHOWS BACK. Two shows that were launched and restored to cold storage a little while ago may be brought back by the Shu- berts, who first did them. One is "The Five Frankforters." That is likely to shortly go in rehearsal for another try. It Will be almost en- tirely recasted with new people. The second is called "Turandot." Given up as about hopeless when last put out, the piece was produced at the St. James, London, last month and en- thusiastically received by the English reviewers. . This has led the Shuberts to believe there is something in it after all. Both shows originally haled from Berlin. SAM HARRIS TOURING. Sam H. Harris left New York last week for Chicago. He will be gone about two weeks and will visit all the Cohan & Harris attractions. NICOLAI IN BERMUDA. George H. Nicolai, general manager of the Stair & Havlin offices, has gone to Bermuda for two weeks. "ROBIN HOOD** DRAWING. St. Paul, Feb. 6. The all-star "Robin Hood" opera company opened here Sunday night to $1,000, played to $1,700 Monday night, and had a sell-out for the remainder of the half week. Minneapolis, Feb. 6. "Robin Hood," due to open here to- night, is virtually sold out in advance for the three days booked here. Be- tween this town and St. Paul the com- pany will do over $15,000 on the week. "HANKY PANKY" MISHAPS. Buffalo, Feb. 6. The "Hanky Panky" troupe pulled into Buffalo Sunday somewhat dis- abled. While entering a taxi Chrijtine Neilson slipped onto her right elbow, but it didn't interfere with her sing- ing voice at the Teck Monday night. Billy Montgomery brought Ed. L. Bloom, Florence Moore and Miss Evans to Buffalo from Rochester, in an auto. The car was making 50 miles when it struck a decline the road maps failed to show. Mr. Bloom's face is covered by plaster and the job made a very large order. Miss Evans was hurt the most, receiving a gash over the eye. Mr. Montgomery swore at the machine. While Minnie Miller, the ingenue of the company, was telling a porter how to handle her trunk to keep the for- eign labels on the outside, he let the trunk go, aiming one end of it at Miss Miller's left loot. The porter (who is the best trunk sharpshooter in town) has now a slight gash in Minnie's in- step to his credit. SNITZ EDWARDS HAS A SHOW. Rehearsals are going on for "The Man Who Stood Still," the former Louis Mann show which is going to start south Feb. 15 at Richmond, with Snitz Moore in the principal role. Mr. Mann in "Elevating a Husband" is also going south, to Texas, this month. He will work down there through Kansas and Oklahoma.