Variety (September 1913)

10 VARIETY ZIEQFELD REVUE FOR LONDON WITH BEST ^TOLL IES" MATTER Producer of *'The Follies** Series Contemplates Putting Production Together for London House. Has Choice of Many. Ethel Levey Under Engagement to Him. The handiwork of Flo Ziegfeld, Jr., in a musical ooincdy way may be shown Loud >iitown hefore this season has very far advanced. Mr: Ziegfeld has been importuned to give London a production, to vie with their native "revues" and may select the best ma- terial from the many "Follies" he has put upon the sta^c over here. .\ number of Kn^lish theatres have been placed at /iejijfeld's disposal, it is said, for this purposjL\ No choice has yet been made by him. With the London production in mind, however, the engagement of Ethel Levey by Ziegfeld for the other side has been made, according to the story. Mr. Ziegfeld has a contract with her, following any engagement she is now obligated to with an Eng- lish manager. Miss Levey was to have returned to the other side to go out with the road show of "Hello Ragtime," that suc- cessful revue having left the Hippo- drome, London. The unfortunate auto accident to her daughter, Georgette, will hold the mother here for a couple of months more, the physicians fixing that length of time as necessary for Georgette's complete recovery. Mr. Ziegfeld also has Jose Collins under his personal management. Miss Collins is now with the Ziegfeld's "Fol- lies," playing in Philadelphia. His con- tract with her includes an option for another season. This will be exercised likely when the current season of "The Follies" closes, Ziegfeld then placing Miss Collins as the star of a new pro- duction he will put on over here. The reports of a forthcoming re- marriage between Ziegfeld and Anna Held, while not entirely correct, are not without the bounds of credibility, ac- cording to Ziegfeld's intimates. Miss Held left New York Sunday for a tour of the country under the management of John Cort. A route of 28 weeks has been laid out for the Anna Held Road Show, with mostly one-nighters to the Coast where week stands will be played. CASTIXO "HELP WANTED." The Jack Lait play, "Help Wanted," is being cast for the New York en- gagement by T. Daniel Frawley, act- ing for Oliver Morosco. The piece is to be produced here Dec. 29 or 30, at either the 39th Street. Elliott or Com- edy theatre. "Help Wanted" huiiK up a record in Los Angeles for a run. FLAYING FOR POLICE. Boston, ^cpt. 24. Friday night at twelve a special pri- vate performance of "The Conspiracy" will be given at the Park with the Boston police department and the Bos- ton Press club as guests. The cast is made up of the western company which 's uoiiig to the Pacific Coast Saturday. John Emerson, who plays the lead- ing role in the first company, has been rehearsing the H company for the past, ^two weeks in the forenoons and ^yith the remainder of the Eastern troupe will watch the performance from the boxes. RIGHTS TO "MIDNIGHT GIRL." The Shuberts have secured from Adolf Philipp the English production rights to "The Midnight Girl," now running at the 57th Street theatre. It is a three-act farce with music, by Paul Hervc, music by Jean Briquet and Adolf Philipp (the same authorship as "Adele"). The Shubert production is due about the holidays. LAST MOMENT CHANGES. Boston, Sept. 24. When Jos. M. Gaites* "Purple Road" opened Monday evening at the Shu- bert the management issued a notice to the critics stating Eleanor Gordon, who had been heavily advertised as booked to play Empress Josephine, could not appear because of "illness" and that Norma Winslow, who created the role, would play instead. The real reason is ascribed as different and Miss Wins- low is expected to continue in the role. .•\nother eleventh hour change came in the substitution of Raymond Crane in place of Leslie Gage in the juvenile role of Pappi. P. W. L.*S DOINGS. The regular monthly "social meet- ing" of the Professional Women's League was held Monday and was well attended. An entertainment was given and refreshments served. An old-fashioned rummage sale will be held at the rooms of the League next Monday, to replenish the ward- robe needed by the League to help the needy members who may require ward- robe to aid in securing engagements. A costume ball is on for Oct. 3L Preparations are also being made for a public entertainment, in which a min- strel first part will be a special fea- ture. FIRST TIME HERE. For the first time since the show was produced, "The Newly Weds and Their P.aby" is to play New York and Brooklyn at popular prices. The Leff- ler-Bratton show is booked for the Prospect Oct. 13, and the Gayety, Brooklyn, the following week. OPENING IN BOSTON. Bo^on, Sept. 24. Openings next week are "Joseph and His Brethren," at the Boston. Zieg- feld's "Follies" at the Tremont, "The Five Frankforters" at . the Majestic, "Disraeli" at the Plymouth. George Co- han in "Broadway Jones" at the Col- onial and "The Butterfly on the Wheel" at the Castle Square. BROAD ST. LEASED. Philadelphia, Sept. 24. The lease of the Broad Street the- atre to Samuel F. Nixon, Marc Klaw and \. L. Erlanger was recorded this week. Joseph M. Fox, the owner, will receive an annual rental of $24,500 for five years. The lessees will also pay the taxes, 17,500 a year, as well as other assessments and repairs, which will bring the amount to 135,000 a year. A clause of the lease provides that Mr. Fox is to have the use of a certain box four nights each week as well aS for all matinees. He also gets four seats each Monday night and they arc to be sent to any address he may name. Another clause gives the lessees an option on three additional years after 1918. CONCERTS FOR McCORMACK*S. John McCormack is too valuable a singing star to be placed' in a play, says his manager, Charles L. Wagner. A report said Mr. Wagner would pre- sent the tenor in an Irish piece. Quite on the contrary, remarks the manager, McCormack, who has never pjaycd to less than $3,900 at a con- cert, will continue on bookings made over here from March 15 next. On that date McCormack will appear at the Hippodrome, New York, direct from his visit to Australia, where he is at present. It is not unusual, says Mr. Wagner, for his star to appear before an audi- ence representing $7,000 at the box of- fice in an evening's entertainment. WRITING ''ROBINSON CRUSOE.** Gene Buck and Dave Sampter are preparing the words and music for the Klaw & Erlanger production of "Rob- inson Crusoe," in which Bert Williams is to appear. Glen MacDonough is furnishing the book for the piece, due to go into rehearsal Oct. 15. CRITIC WRITES FARCE. William \. Brady is about to place in rehearsal a farce by Robert Housum, dramatic critic of the Cleveland Lead- er. Housum succeeded to his present post with the demise of William Sage. THEATRE WITH NO POLICY. The theatre on West 63d street, east of Broadway, first announced as the "Davenport theatre," is ncaring com- pletion. The scaffolding from in front has been removed. No policy has yet been announced for the house, which is next to the Century theatre. The new house will seat about 400 people. "MODERN EVE" LEASED. Chicago, Sept. 24. "A Modern Eve," which played a record engagement at the Garrick last season, has been leased by Mort H. S:nger to Lecomptc & Fecher. The show opened in Gary, Ind., Sept. 17, and played to $1,059.75. The piece will tour the middle west. A second company will be formed shortly to play one-night stands in the east. Thr great Mg lauKhinff hit of the Heaiion Is ■Htlnir nearer and nearer to New York. It will be Heen at a metropolitan vaufievllie theatre In another fortnlnht. Wateh ont for the biff blow-off. '*FAIR PLAT"* A HOMER. Atlantic City, Sept. 24 Selwyn & Co. made a home run with their "Fair Play," a show of "romance and base ball," at the Apollo Monday night. The comedy opened without the batting averages of the players be- ing boosted, but almost from the first curtain, the story was interesting and as it unfolded, the interest increased. "Fair Play" is typically American. There are many base ball expressions, no doubt, supplied by Christie Mat- thewson, the co-author, but to Rida Johnson Young belongs the credit for supplying as enjoyable a piece as "Brown of Havard," which she also wrote. There is a bit too much of the melo- dramatic in one or two spots, notably in the third act, which is to be rewrit- ten. In this same act there is a bit of illusion—that of the last half of the ninth innings of a game to decide the pcnant—that makes one picture the ex- citement of a real contest. "William Courtney leads an excellent cast with lone McGrane playing the leading feminine role nicely. Frank Craven did finely. George Fawcett, excellent characterization of a magnate not on the level. Wallace Owen cut the plate with his type of "has been" pitcher. Lola Fisher was clever as the souvenir collecting girl, a "fat" part and deserved a better fielding average. Marion Ballou did better as "Miss Squibbs." "Fair Play" is given in four innings, there being two halves to the third ses- sion. F^orty-two people are in the com- pany, and it seemed worth while. The first nighters liked "Fair Play" in no uncertain way, and it looks like a slice of world's series money for the spon- sors. ATTACHES WOODRUFF*S SALARY. Chicago, Sept. 24. While Henry Woodruff was playing a. the Majestic last week his money was garnisheed by representatives of Mort H. Singer. It appears Woodruff and Singer were interested in "The Genius," in which the former played. It would also ap- pear that the play did not make money and an attempt is being made to get Mr. Woodruff to pay his share of the loss, which amounted to about $1,100. "MOON MAIDEN** CAST. "The Moon Maiden" is scheduled to open at the Colonial, Pittsfield, Mass.. Oct. 4 and after about three weeks of one, two and three night stands will move west to Chicago where it is ex- pected to open about Nov. 15. Mabel Wilbur will play the title role Charles P. Morrison, Henrietta Lcc. Doris Marvin, Elsa Burt, Helen I'-vcr- ett, Maude Le Roy, Robert Millikin, Hudson Freeborn, Walter Wills (stage director), John Mayon. Donald Bu- chanan, with Charles Bcrton, musical director, are the others. I DALY IN JOHN REGAN. Chicago, Sept. 24. i /\rnold Daly closed here with "The |. Double Cross" Saturday night and left | for New York to begin rehearsals with ? "General John Regan." ,