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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (April 21, 1912)
2 THE WtJXDAY OKKGO.MAX. TORTLAND, AriUL 31. ltia. ,,.---JJ, ' - .- i ; " ; 1 V;1 V ' v I if Xl ' VI : - 7. 1 1 1 -V.:: ;.:, A! .... ofc " BT LEON'B CASS BAER. VEKILT the week which has Just (on from our mld.it was a full , one and entertainingly full sc far a the theaters were concerned. El ite Janl. In "The Slim Princess," was bar none the mot delightful young person who ever orouitht a musical comedy for our delecta tion. Then came that eminent actor William Faversham this time as an exponent of ComeJy In "The Fiun." At the Baker that splendid play. "The Witching Hour." Invariably a drawlng eard. did not belle Its potency and be came a jiiost Interesting entertainment la Its handling by tho fine organiza tion of players who go to make, up the stock company. Tonight May Hobson. presented by the 1. S. Sire management, who have seen to It that .the comedienne has an excellent supporting cast, opens at the Helllg.ln "A Night Out." Tomorrow night. Tuesday and Thursday nights and ag.Un on Saturday night and at a matinee Miss Robson will present "A Muht Out." while on Wednesday and Krlday nlchts and at the Wednesday matinee the actress will be seen tn ner delUhtf ul comedy of last season. "The Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary." Faye Cuslck. a Portland girl. Is In Miss Rob son's company. On Sunday night. April IS. the Swed ish Dramatic Society, of Seattle, will give. In Swedish, the comedy with mus'c. "The 1'llkTlst tlrl." Locai Swedish people are taking much In terest In the event, which promisee to be a notable one. ' On Monday night. April 2S. the Apollo Club concert Is to bo given at the Hetllg. "The Campus Mouser." a comedy with specialities or a vaudeville nature In terpolated. Is calendared for the night of April 3i. and the afternoon of May 1. The proceeds from the entertainment are to r toward the benefit fund of the Fruit and Flower Mission. On Friday and Saturday night May S and 4. with a Saturday matinee. Mar garet Anglln pias ".een Stockings." Keeping np the color scheme, 'The Pink Lady" arrives next, staying for a week at the liellig. beginning on Sun day. May &. "The Spoilers," dramatised from the novel of that name by Ilex Heach. Is to open at the Baker Theater today. Tbls thrilling play of the Northlands Is probably the most vividly told stage tory of Its kind. Olven the presenta tion of which the Baker Stork people sure so capable, with the splendid scenic equipment Manager Baker Invariably Invests In his productions, and the treat promised Is delightful to antici pate. Following "The Spoilers" Is "The Srlgn of the Cross," the great religious drama, dealing with the beginning ef the Christian era. Headlining the Orpheura l Aid Overton Walker.' with her 19 negro entertainers In songs and dances. In an act called "A Uay With a Minstrel Show." The Empress bills as Its big noise Fred Karnoi. comedians. In "A Night In an English Music Hail." one of the big laugh producers of vaudeville, with Charles Chaplin as the warbling In ebriate and 20 other comedians. "The Soul Kiss." which Is needless to ay a tabloid version of the well-known musical comedy of the same name, heads the bill at Pantages. with a score of singers. Keating and Flood present "The Belle of Chinatown." a farce comedy that Is new In Portland, with the Ed. A Allen Company as sponsors. MAY ROBSOX DEVELOPS TYPE In Character of "Cranmum" Sh Drpk-ti Modem Womanhood. ' May Robson, one of the most charm In ir actresses of the present day. has developed a type of character new to the stage. The conventional old lady of the farce with traditional manner Isms of her predecessors Is assent from the work of Miss Robson, since she of fers a distinctive type of the good natured, generous woman of today. Combining the ability to express naturally pathos and humor, her man ner of expression sways her audience to laughter. While there is a wide aw-ope for the Introduction of "horse play" It Is carefully avoided, and the movement of the action kept well wi'hln the legitimate bounds. The play Is well constructed and very funny. Miss Robson's charactcri-i ant ion of "Granmum" Is exceptionally clever, and she has the widest ran no for emotional work from which she n a.y change to the ludicrous and then Wl Csrx , -i i i i is c arV7 aT r a. tviuj j- so 'quietly and so thoroughly at her esse that it does not Jar. but Is con vincing to the last degree. There Is In the background a cer tain amount of philosophy, which oc casionally glimmers In the lines. The theme of the play In brief Is based upon the absorbing love of an elder ly woman for her grandsons and the results of their Influence over her. She Is curious to know what the attrac tion Is In the city that draws the young men from their home at ulght- Th!s curiosity Is not satisfied until "Granmum" visits a well-known resort In New York with "the boys. Every thtng Is apparently proper until a visit from the police changes her opinion and u rises her Immediate departure. The arrival home In the small house finding the house fastened, the climb ing up the Ivy. the crushed and di lapidated appearance of "Granmum." all a most laughable Incident, one of the many In this funny play, which Miss Robson will present at the Helll? Theater tonight for one week, except ing Wednesday matinee'. Wednesday night and Friday ninht. when she will present "The Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary." The story centers about an eccentric old maid who Is surrounded by a group of college boys. Her nephew, John Watkins. Jr., Is one of them, and Is continually getting In trouble, among other things he shoots the arm of a cook, then hits a cabman producing "concuss" of the brains, then he gets sued for a breach of promise, and has measles In New York. Aunt Mary goes to New York when he Is most "measley afflicted," as she says, and while there the college boys show her the town In an automobile. What they do with Aunt Mary Is almost a sin. She becomes so Infatuated with the auto that when she went back to the farm, she had rollers put on her bed, a. man hired to push It back and forth while she "guides" It with a creak of an Ice cream freexer. May Rohson as "Aunt Mary" Is a "scream." Her im personations of the eccentric old maid, who says funny things and does odd things In a peculiar way. Is clever. Her expressions of face and manner Isms amuse all her listeners. Tin-: SPOILERS" IS BlLt Baker Company to Produce Famous Hex Beach Story. At Inst Portland to havo a superb production of the thrilling Rex Beach tale of Alaska. "The Spoilers." In dra matic form, as the Baker stock company will present It all week starting this afternoon. The previous offerings of this play In the hands of Inferior companies gave one no Idea of Its real merit and beauty. "The Spoilers." however, was produced In New York by both Fro li ma n and Charles Blaney and enjoyed a long, prosperous run. notwithstanding the fact that New Yorkers have small sympathy for the big open life depicted In Its scenes. It also duplicated this success In Chicago, and from the Inter est taken In the forthcoming produc tion at the Baker will doubtless play to packed houses the entire week. Men like the play because, as one writer has said: "It la real, manly and depicts the unconquerable spirit of the typical American." and women like It because the principal feminine characters show what the real American woman can do when she Is put to the snprerae test What Intensifies and Interests the play-goer especially Is the remarkable Ingenuity with which Rex Beach has woven the p'ot and created the char acters. Just when he Is thought to have reached the climax he veers off and attains another climax and another ) i m m . until his resourcefulness soems with out end. The story concerns a deeply-laid plot by Eastern swindlers to gain unlawful possession of the rich Midas mine, owned by Roy Olenster and Joe Daxtvn and mixed up In It are Helen Chester, niece of Judge SUllman. and Cherry Mallotte, a well-known character In Beach's 'novela. and one of the moat original heroines ever created. One of the most sensational scenes Is the Interior of a dance hall at Nome, with Its gambling games In full blast, the dance hall girls, music and general assmbly of rough-looking miners In search of pleasure such as this wild life affords. The ending Is a terrific fight, in which everything In the place wrecked. Other scenes follow In quick succession, and while "The Spoilers" Is not of the cheap, herolo form of melodrama. It Is a play In which there are many thrills and much genuine excitement. Tomor row la bargain night, and there will be a matinee Saturday. XEGRO STAR WILL HEAD BILL Alda Overton Walker Company of Ten to Shine All Week at Orpheam. Alda Overton Walker, widow of George Walker, the world's most cele brated, negro comedian, will headline the bill to open at the Orpheum with a matinee tomorrow. Alda Overton Walker Is accompanied by eight dusky chorus girls and a negro comedian. They will appear In a melange of songs, mimicry and dances. Lester, America's premier ventrilo quist. 1 second on the new bill. No ventriloquist equals Lester In extract ing comedy from a dummy, and he throws bis voice while drinking and smoking without the slightest move ment of Ms Hps be lug noticed. Brand-new daring and comedy on a . v. : v . ivy . ; . ,n . r. .. a tight wire will be exhibited by the four Holloways, who are on their firyt tour of the United States. The Holloways perform on the tight wire with the ease of- other gymnasts who have a solid stage Moor to Inspire confidence. Critics all along the Orpheum circuit have expressed great wonder over the performance of the HoTloways three men and a woman, who Is the equal of her sterner stagemates in daring and oxpertnesa. "Fear" Is the vehicle of four actors to appear on the new bill, and the ab sence of a woman In the little company adds power to the tiny vaudeville sketch. The plot deals with the tempta tion of a doctor to steal a fortune. "Fear" Is the dramatization of a story that appeared recently in the Saturday Evening Post. Rosa Roma, beautiful violin virtuoso, will return to the Portland Orpheum to entertain with her picturesque act In which she sings to her. own violin" ac companiment. Bogart snd Nelson will be seen and heard In "A Day With a Minstrel Show." and Wentworth, Vesta and Teddy are novel gymnasts. Teddy being a dog billed as the champion ca nine athlete. - Katherlne Grey, tragedienne, will close her engagement at the Orpheum in "Above the Law" tonight. PAXTAGES BILL IS STROXG "The Soul Kiss" Promises to Be Vaudeville Hit of Season. What Dromlsea to be the dramatic hit of the present vaudeville season will be offered at Pantages for one week only commencing with the Monday matinee, April 22, ,when the reigning New York musical success "The Soul Kiss" is presented. " The noted com poser Maurice Levi Is responsible for the score or more scintillating musical numbers, while Harry B. Smith, author of "Robin Hood" and many other comic operas, .wrote the brilliant book and lyrics. The vaudeville version was ar ranged by Henry Myers and special dancing numbers have been prepared by George H. Ford. Under the personal direction of Mr.'C. R. Roberts, an aug mented orchestra will be introduced. The cast will Include many notables. Miss Diana Bonnar topping the list. Miss Bonnar la one of the prettiest and cleverest of musical comedy stars and was especially engaged for the princi pal feminine role in "The Soul Kiss." The Seven Musical Belles, noted in every amusement center of the world, will also be seen. In addition to these stars others who will appear are Miss Vivian Whitman. Joseph Reynolds, Lew Harris, and a blue ribbon chorus of 20 sprightly singers and dancers. None of the stupendous scenic effects have been spoiled by the adaption of "The Soul Kiss" to vaudeville. The famous scene In the Bal Taberln. Paris; New York 'by night from the tower of the Singer building, and the scene aboard the ocean liner Lusltania are all faithfully reproduced. The costumes are magni ficent and the act Is without duplicate In vaudeville. Happy indeed is the method which Murray" Bennett has adopted to enter tain. His rare jests, his clever parodies and his rich Baritone voice aid him in scoring one of the biggest hits on the programme. Figaro Is a Juggler of the new school and his feats are without duplicate. -He works rapidly and several of his turns seem more like delusions tnan actuali ties, so fast does he perform them. Direct from great successes on the Continent come the Carros Brothers, who were recently the hit of the Par isian amusement srardens. Richard Pit- rot, the European representative of Pantages, witnessed them iri action and immediately booked them for an exclu sive tour of Pantages time. Delightful players are Brooke and Harris, who will be seen in the fasci nating little play "A Mild Flirtation." 'me scene is laid in a Japanese garden and the action Is fast and furious. Miss Harris is a most delightful comedienne I .w i .... ... & m nihn'l. win nnmiljvr H uvbv ic(jiuuiai, uio.'.wua - , t approval. The Pantagescope will offer new ani mated events. Mme. Chambellan, the noted prima donna of the Paris Grand Opera Com pany, will make her farewell appear ances at Pantages this afternoon and evening. The engagement has been most successful and thousands of music lovers took advantage of her engage ment to hear one of the lyric stars of the century. FUX TO ni'X RIOT AT EMPRESS Fred Karno's Comedians Headliners at Popular Playhouse. , Fun in a riot will be turned loose at the Empress, beginning Monday after noon. Heading the new bill the Em press will have one of the best laugh-tii-nrfurlnir acts In vaudeville. ' Fred Karno's comedians are returning in "A , Night in an Erfglish Music Hall." This j act 'was imported from England two J vonrn mro for a brief engagement in America, but the act was such a sensa tion and such a laughing hit that it has remained in the United States ever since. Several months ago this head line came to the Empress and was the cyclonic success of the week. .The act Is now making a limited tour of the Sullivan & Considine circuit before go ing back to London. Charles Chaplin will be seen again as the "souse," and all the rest of the cast of 20 comedians will be on deck. A team of popular players from mu sical comedy are J. Hunter Wilson and Eftie Pearson. Recently they appeared with "The Three Twins." Now they are making a tour In vaudeville with a skit called "At the Reception." This Is amusing and entertaining. From the Palace Theater, London, comes the Royal Zanetto Troupe, the lightning Juggling marvels. This is the nrst American visit of these Jug glers. ' "A Woman's Way" is a polite society satire In which- will be seen those ver satile players. Miss Selma Walters and Herbert Frank. The sketch Is original In Idea and treatment and is well acted. Miss Rae Eleanor Ball, the fascinat ing virtuoso of vaudeville, is listed on the programme for an artistic and classy specialty of high grade. Mr. and Mrs. Sydney Reynolds have some polite patter and handle merri ment in a good-natured manner. Sun day's performances will be the last of the present bill. ' ALLEX RETCRXS TO LYRIC Popular Comedian- to Be Fanmaker in Elaborate Production. At the Lyric Theater, commmencing with tomorrow's matinee. Keating & Flood will present their popular com pany In an entire new change of bill, under the personal direction of Allen Curtis. From a scenic, and artistic standpoint, the production will eclipse anything heretofore presented at this cosy playhouse. The new production, entitled "The Belle of Chinatown," will be the latest In the musical comedy line, and as produced by that master Seetze from. "SZe f&noi'Zer- j " of producers, Allen Curtis, should be one of the big hits of the seasln. Ed S. Allen, the talented and popular comedian, will be seen In the comedy role. and. Judging from past perform ances, his act will be a scream. As a good cure for the dumps, he will be well worth seeing, for every move dur ing the evening should produce a laugh. The scene of the new play Is laid tn Chinatown, New York, and the settings will be the finest ever at tempted at the Lyric. The piece opens with a scene depicting Chinese New , Year, with a party of society people taking In the sights. They have formed a slumming party, and tne aeveiop ment of the story hinges on the ad ventures that befall them. Allen impersonates a mam who makes love tq everyone he sees. Harry Bur gess will play opposite Allen, and as leaded of the "moral brigade," who later falls from grace, will be a strong funmaker. Ralph BeVan will be the man about town, who puts all kinds of obstacles In the way of his father, who Is leader of the moral brigade. Miss Jeanle Fletcher, prima donna of the company, will appear as Queen of Comic Opera and give a clever presen tation of a "Quee,n of Song." Pretty, dainty Eugenie L'e Blanc will be the Salvation Army Lassie, and In her own petite way wiil win new admirers. The tloney Girl chorus will be aug mented with some-new girls. The elec trified hair. New York's latest society fad. will be introduced during the pro duction. This Is the newest in stage effects and will be presented for the first time west of New York at the Lyric this week. There will be the usual night performances, with a mat inee during the week, and the -chorus girls' contest on Friday night after the performance. OAKS TO OFFER REAL THRILL Amusement Park Plans Preliminary Opening Xe.xt Sunday. While .the official grand opening of the Oaks Park will not be until May 25, John F. Cordray. manager, has de cided to have a preliminary season of four Sundays prior to the opening date. The park will be opened next Sunday for the first time this season, but will be closed during the balance of the week. The feature act which has been en gaged for the opening season is La Belle Hurley and "Dare Devil" Hurley in the thrilling glide that was the QUARTET WHICH WILL PLAY AT THE HEILIG THEATER, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1. V', " c X : 1 - l FLONZALEY STRING ftUAHTET, It has been said that the most subtly enchanting music in the worli today in Its delicate, fairy-like play of nuance and color. Is that pro duced by the Flonzaley String Quartet. The news that Lois Steers Wynn Coman have succeded In obtaining a Portland date for this organization, whose music Is a revelation of art in Its highest, most soul-witching form, will b received with delight. They will play at the Heilig Theater, Wednesday evening. May 1. ' Modern musical history offers no more striking example of a rise from artistic obscurity to world-wide recognition than that presented by this organization. A few years ago only a.i elect few knew that rare pleasure was being given by a little coterie of talented players whom E. J. Coppe-t, a wealthy art patron, had ' anded together to play at his villa on Lake Geneva, Switzerland, and his New York resi dence. The fame of the soirees given for a favored fe-w spread rapidly, and the adoption of a public career led In -i surprisingly short ' time to a reputation extending throughout the musical world. In Europe first, and later In America, the quartet has outstripped its older rivals. Its playing being accepted everywhere today as the high est standard of art yet evolved in string music. The Flonzaley Quartet Is the only European string quartet ever brought to America. Its lofty aims are shown in a mutual agreeme.it not to teach, play In orchestra, or accept individual engagements. The instruments played by the four artists are a Stradivarius, two Guadagninls and a Testorl of priceless value. "The Flonraley Quartet unquestionably Is the first organization of Its kind now existing," says the Leipzig Nuoste Naci ichten. And Henry T. Finck, dean of American music critics, says of them in the New York Evening Post: "They are masters of rhythmic ol'fegt, beau tiful phrasing, precision, balance and emotional nuance." The name "Flonzaley" is derived from the villa of Mr. Coppet in Switzerland, where the organization had its birth. The four players are: Adolfo Bettl, first violin; Alfred Pochon, second violin; Ugo Ara, viola; Iwan D'Archamaeau, violoncello. " sensation of the New York Hippo drome's Winter season. On a tiny car Miss Hurley is hauled up a sharp incline for approximately 100 feet. The car is released and with its rider dashes to the foot of the slope, where tho track curls sufficiently to hurt girl and car into the air. As Miss Hurley flies through the air she Is caught by Hurley, hanging head down from a steel trapeze frame. The act produces real thrills. The whole trail will be opened with many new attractions, at the head of which Is the Blue Glide, an amusement device which replaces the old "figure eight." The new ride Is more than half a mile long, the dips are steep and exciting, while the jars and jerks have been eliminated. The bandstand will be occupied and It la planned to have moving pictures in the auditorium. RELIGIOUS PLAY IS . COMIXG "The Sign of the Cross" to Be Pro educed Xext Week. Wilson Barrett's gorgeous religious production, "The Sign of the Cross." will be the offering of Baker stock com pany for all week starling next dun day matinee. On the same lines as "Quo Vadis," "The Holy City," etc., "The Sign of the Cross" has been declared by the press and mi. .stry to be the greatest religious play ever written. It is a splendid scenic production and the ac tion takes place during the reign of Nero and the beginning of the Christian era. It tells the story of a young friend of Nero, named Marcus Super-, bus, who takes a young and love-' ly Christian girl during a raid upon a little band of them by the soldiers of the tyrant, and carries her to his palace where she is made to live among the voluptuous men and women of Rome. Here he pursues, her in the vain hope of winning her love as the word was used In those days. He Is constantly defeated In his purpose just at the critical moment by the mysterious sign and finally during one powerfully dra matic scene the girl Mercedes gains another power over him and shows him the true light. In the end they both go into the arena to the wild beasts, but not until many thrilling scenes have been enacted. A large cast is necessary for the production, which (Concluded on Page 3.) 2 ir
