Variety (October 1915)

VARIETY c CABARETS The Green Room of the Van Cort- land Hotel on West 49th street is being gradually developed into a standard professional rendezvouz by Manager Jimmie Connors who is heading the talent program at the Van Cortland. Nightly gatherings are becoming the custom, the service maintaining until the cafe is entirely vacant Rector's resumed its dance matinees last Saturday, without announcement. Commencing Monday, the afternoon business resembled its former propor- tions. Yahne Flcury, who dances with Ernest Evans evenings in the ballroom, is in charge of the "dansants." Mr. and Mrs. Rowley Downs are also a Rector dance attraction. They were at the Hotel Majestic, New York, during the summer. Brown's Band of five pieces (all brasses) which has been playing at Smiley Corbett's Lamb's Cafe, Chi- cago, reached New York Monday and will likely shortly appear in a Broad- way restaurant. Harry J. Fitzgerald, the agent, brought the boys east. Revues with less clothes may be the cabaret entertainment bid this season in New York. The first of the new flock was put on at Maxim's last week by Percy Eikeles and Julian Alfred. The same coqple are preparing revues for the Martinique and Bustanoby's. The Broadway Rose Garden, long closed, may become a picture place, according to reports that link the name of a prominent picture maker with the former Metropolitan Rink. Churchill's cabaret is using a new dancing team, Sullivan and Lovejoy, with the Williams Brothers in their sixth return date at this place also in the show. A new cabaret bill opened at Fleisch- man's Monday booked by Max Rogers, including Marjorie Dohren, Jack Griffen, Flo Irving, Dolly West, Alma Monreal. The chilly streak of last week kept the cars in the city, and the restau- rants again got some business, with the road houses suffering accordingly. Jim Burke and Ralph Harris last week started an engagement of eight months at the College Inn on 125th street. The Century restaurant and bar privil'-gc have boon leased by Reisen- webei's. George Whiting was very near clos- ing Wednesday for a cabaret on Broad- way. in a pmminent location. A revue wMi 10 people opened Mon- day nig'it at c rlton Terrace, placed by B.II> Curtis. Patsy 8pencer, after six months at the Osworth Hotel, Atlantic City, is in the cabaret at Lorber's. Billy Foster is directing the cabaret at the Parisian on Eighth avenue. He has been there for the past year. Rector's lower floor opened with dancing this week. Stuart and O'Neil in a cake walk are in the Shanley cabaret Arnold and Gannon, with a little Pick, are at the Garden Restaurant. Cincinnati, Sept 29. The dance hall season will begin next Friday, with the opening of the Grand Dansant. Ethel Redmon Moe will be the instructor. Music is to be furnished by Hoffman's Grand Dansant Orchestra—colored. Chicago, Sept. 29. The Hotel La Salle, one of the fash- ionable hostelries of the Windy City, has discontinued its cabaret entertain- ment and is reported contemplating a movement to have the other local ho- tels eliminate their shows. While nothing in this way has been announced it is hardly expected such a move would bear results for the majority of the better grade hotels carrying a vau- deville entertainment are almost solely dependent on it for their restaurant patronage. The United Booking Offices' book- ing of Evelyn Nesbitt extends to July 3, next. Now Playing WHO IS TO BLAME For This SHORT SIGHTEDNESS? WITH THE WOMEN BY MISS RUBY. The Biggest Novelty in Vaudeville HAS OCT. 25 OPEN M. S. BENTUAM Ned Wayburn has put over a won- derful show at the Century. The show is still about 20 minutes too long. The theatre is so big and comfortable the show doesn't drag as it is, but the New York audiences these days denote so plainly they want to make a quick de- parture for the dance palaces during the final scenes, in bobbing up and making for the nearest exits. • The dressing for "Town Topics" shows rare originality. One number was especially well done. It could easily be called a fashion parade. Vera Michelena appears in white tights over which is a flowing gown of white chif- fon. It is embellished with large black designs in jet. Following Miss Michel- ena are girls dressed in every con- ceivable modern fashion. Some of the costumes were exceedingly striking. A gold sequin dress trimmed with ermine, and a steel and black dress and a cloak of orange velvet trimmed in black and white fur were only a few of the marvelous costumes in this scene. Lois Josephine wore an ugly wedding costume but was better in a yellow and orange chiffon dancing frock. Trixie Friganza will find herself much lighter if the continues making home runs through the auditorium of this enor- mous playhouse. Miss Friganza's trouser dress of white satin trimmed with black fur wasn't pretty, but white is certainly her color, for her face never looked prettier than in this costume. When this theatre is running properly and people are familiar with the other parts of the building. New York Is go- ing to be nearer London than it ever has been before. While in Syracuse I heard a great deal about the crusade against bur- lesmie at the Bastahle by the Syracuse Journal. From lay people who attend- ed the Rastabfe the particular week the Journal last selerted to slam that house, I learned the show, which the Jour- nal with Its accustomed stupidity, "panned." for undeanliness, was as wholly clean as a hurlesotie perform- ance can he. The BastaMe manage- ment intends to bring a damage suit against the paper, as it has the sym- pathy of the town which almost turned out en masse after the Journal's tirade to show its resentment. With the closing of the Grand to big time vau- deville up in Syracuse, the Temple, plaving small time, Is turning th*»m away. All the picture houses In the town appear to he doine business. The Grand was closed through being a fire- trap. Tt's probably the most dangerous house in the country In case of fire. The Syracuse people brieve the next Keith theatre there will be a new one. The Empire theatre in Syracuse has a Broadway manager apain this season in Frederic Gape. Mr. Gage knows how to run a theatre, and he makes' Syracuse metropolitan in this respect. The plays at the Empire last week did very well. "The Girl from Utah" drew large audiences but they weren't over- enthusiastic. The production has been sent on the road in its last season's finery and is a year behind therefore. Julia Sanderson was pretty in a few new frocks. The play that pleased Syracuse most was "Daddy Long Legs" with Ruth Chatterton and a few of the New York cast. William Raymond is the juvenile and has dyed his hair red for the part. Henry Miller was an interested spec- tator Saturday night. Miss Chatterton looked charming in a pink taffeta dress trimmed with gray chiffon. A tan summer frock piped with brown was equally becoming. In the last act Mitt Chatterton was lovely in a suit of black velvet and fur. "My Lady's Garter" is being tried out at the Empire this week. The piece as it is won't do. The cast in most instances is inadequate and the inci- dents are too ridiculout. The entire piece teems to be pickings from other playa long tince departed. The Palace bill this week looked very well on paper but it wasn't an easy show to sit through. The bill dragged not through the fault of the arrange- ment, but the acts themselves. Too much time was taken by every turn. Muriel Worth using worn-out idea of dressing before the audience watted several minutes. In chosing her danc- ing frocks Miss Worth has done very well. A lacy ankle length dress wat worn first, followed by a ballet costume made of meline and birds' breasts. An orchid pink had a skirt cut in deep points, each point having a ball of brilliants. Miss Worth's last costume was of pink chiffon made with a tiny hip drapery of taffeta. The bodice wat of foldt of different colored meline. Fritzi Scheff wasn't becomingly gowned. Her costume consisted of a narrow skirt of gold cloth with a band of fur around the bottom. From the waist line a yellow chiffon over-drest was extended on hoops. For years women have been trying to get away from the large hips and along comes a style that accentuates them. It came into vogue in the late spring and a few women are still wearing it. Lillian McNiel (with Frederick V. Bowers) had two dainty dancing frocks. One was of pink chiffon with a small hat. The second was of all the different shades of orchids. A grey old-fashion dress was lovely in texture and style. Helen Cunningham (with the Alexan- der Carr Co.) has chosen a very badly made dress. It is white taffeta with two bands of ribbon. A short drapery forms the back. NOTICE. The regular meeting of the White Rati Actors' Union will be held Tuesday, October 5th, 1915, in the White Rats Building, 227 W. 46th street. New York City. at 11.30 J\ M. sharp.