March 8, 1923
MUSICAL COURIER
64
AMUSEMENTS
B’way at 51st St. “Subway to Door” EDW. BOWES, Mng. Dir.
CAPITOL
World's Largest and foremost Motion Picture Palace
Beginning Sunday, March 11th
MAE MURRAY
in “Jazzmania”
A Metro Picture
CAPITOL GRAND ORCHESTRA
Erno Rapee, Conductor Presentations by S. L. ROTHAFEL
spotlights were thrown on the president, all this an expression of congratulation “on her sixteenth birthday,” as Mrs. Samuel Gardner Estabrook put it. Mrs. McConnell’s response was full of feeling. Curtains in the rear of the stage parted during this presentation, showing the board of governors, from whom came the shout “Many happy returns of the dayl”
The happy, genial President McConnell announced there were 775 members of the New York Mozart to date; mentioned the religious service at the West End Presbyterian Church, April 8, and gave other announcements of interest. Adam’s Rib (picture) followed, after the serving of an unusually fine collation, and dancing went on in adjoining salons.
The next morning musicale is set for Saturday, April 7, and the last concert for Tuesday evening, April 17.
A New Choral Club
The Cosmopolitan Choral Club,, a woman’s chorus of about thirty voices, gave the first concert of its first season at Delmonico’s on February 27 and acquitted itself excellently in a varied program sung under the direction of the conductor, Harry Gilbert. Richard Crooks, the young tenor, was the soloist, eliciting great enthusiasm from the audience by his fine singing. Two incidental solos in the choral numbers were effectively done by Mrs. Margaret McKinney-McAllister and Mrs. Alveda Lofgren. The^ club’s capable accompanist is Marjorie Gates. A special feature of the program was the concluding number, Song Is the Heart’s Release, music by Harry Gilbert to words specially written by Charles Hanson Towne.
The officers of the new organization are William LeBaron, honorary president; Mrs. Margaret McKinney-McAllister, president; Mrs. F. Lanneau, vice-president; Mrs. William Forrest Maxwell, secretary-treasurer; Mrs. H. A. Robbins, librarian.
Metropolitan Museum Concert
On Saturday evening, March 3, this season’s second series of orchestral concerts at the Metropolitan Museum was inaugurated by David Mannes and his excellent orchestra. An audience of many thousand interested music lovers attended. Mr. Mannes offered a program which comprised: overture, Leonore, No. 3, Beethoven; two movements from the New World Symphony, Dvorak; two Bach numbers, Air on the G String and Gavotte in E major; Invitation to the Dance, !Weber; first movement from Scheherazade suite, the Sea and Sinbad’s Ship, Rimsky-Korsakoff; Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana, Mascagni; Meditation from Thais, Massenet; Polonaise for strings, Beethoven; a group of eight Russian folk songs, Liadoff, and Sounds from the Forest, The Ride of the Valkyries, Wagner.
Mr. Mannes conducted the entire program with spirit and intelligence, and was rewarded with sincere applause after each number.
Peralta’s Success in Forza del Destino
It was a slip of the—typewriter, which made the Musical Courier’s reporter write in the familiar name of Rosa Ponselle, who has sung Leonora in La Forza del Destino ever since it was produced at the Metropolitan, in place of that of Francesca Peralta, who replaced her at short notice in the performance on February 17 and acquitted herself with great credit. The nice things that followed Miss Ponselle’s name in the Musical Courier report of the performance were earned by and meant for Miss Peralta, who sang and acted the unfamiliar role excellently from every standpoint.
Musical Comedy, Drama and Motion Pictures
ing to witness these exploitations which are so far from being the truth of the matter. Of course, each playwright, who is inspired with the idea, thinks, of course, he knows what he is writing about. Rita Coventry is mildly amusing, very well produced with an excellent cast, and its possibilities are excellent for enjoying a successful stay in New York. But its success lies entirely in the hands of the three interesting-members of the cast mentioned above. Miss Francis has many opportunities to sing. The music is by Deems Taylor and interpolated into the comedy with surprisingly good effect. There is one real solo in each act which Miss Francis sings in an artistic way and she produces some very good tones. Her_ voice has a pleasing quality and she seems capable of singing whatever she likes. There are many elements in Rita Coventry which will attract all types, and it is altogether possible that this will develop into one of the successes of the season.
The Capitol.
The feature picture here last week was Marshall Neilan’s Minnie, with Beatrice Joy as the star, supported by Matt Moore. The musical program was unusually colorful. The Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Erno Rappe played three movements of a Capriccio Espagnol by Rimsky-Korsakoff. Frederick Fradkin, former concertmaster, was again the soloist, playing the solo in the overture, and other numbers. Mabel Corlew, soprano, was heard for the first time. She offered Homing, a popular ballade, by Del Riego, making an excellent impression with her unusually good voice. There were dance numbers to which S. L. Rothafel gives his personal attention and which are always the big features on any program at his theater. Doris Niles, Thalia Zanov and Oumansky had solos and also Gambarelli. Elizabeth Ayres sang. The program was an exceptionally good one, with all of the variety and charm which characterizes most of the Capitol offerings.
The Rialto.
Betty Compson in The White Flower was the feature at the Rialto last week, and judging from the audiences Miss Compson has a pretty good following all her own. It was a picture worth seeing, the scene being laid in the Hawaiian Islands where some unusually fine effects were obtained. Her cinematic companions on the bill were a Hall Room Boys comedy called High Fliers, the regular Rialto Magazine and an interesting study in the life of the salmon, entitled Royal Chinook. There were four musical numbers, each of them excellent. Verdi’s Sicilian Vespers opened the program, the Rialto Orchestra, with Hugo Riesenfeld and Joseph Littau conducting and giving it a reading of decided merit. The popular Riesenfeld’s Classical Jazz which followed, scored its usual hit.
C Sharpe-Minor at the Wurlitzer was a feature which earned most enthusiastic applause. The title was The Barn Dance, depicted on the screen by characteristic drawings, the organ accompaniments making these seem fairly alive. The remaining number was the aria from Benvenuto Cellini (Diaz), sung by Jean Denier, baritone, who seemed very familiar and one suspected it was none other than a member of the Chicago Opera Company, masquerading under a nom de chant, so to speak.
The Rivoli.
An interesting program at the Rivoli last week opened with an Overture Populaire, a new name for Riesenfeld’s Classical Jazz. The familiar fox trot, Chicago, was the theme, the orchestra under the direction of Hugo Riesenfeld and Frederick Stahlberg, depicting the manner of its rendition in Hawaii, Spain, China, Holland and little old New York. It appeared to delight enthusiastic audiences, which were unusually large, whether attracted by the title of the feature picture, Adam’s Rib, or the list of principals, Milton Sills, Elliott Dexter, Theodore Kosloff, Anna Q. Nilsson^ and Pauline Garon, or the fact that Kosloff appeared in person, is not known. Suffice to say, the ropes to keep the standees in place were absolutely necessary. By special permission of Cecil B. DeMille, Mr. Kosloff was present, and together with Marian Chambers danced to A. F. Arends Poem of Love. It was the prologue to the feature picture, scenes and costuming being drawn from the feature picture itself. The Rivoli Pictorial and a Funny׳ Face comedy, Ups and Downs, completed the bill.
May Johnson.
New Brunswick to Hear Marionette Company
Charles N. Drake announces another engagement booked for Caryl Bensel’s Marionette Concert Company in the near future. This engagement is at the New Jersey College for Women in New Brunswick. The Marionette Concert Company is one of the most unique and artistic musical novelties that has been devised in a long time and its programs of mixed concert selections and operatic scenes are thoroughly charming.
Mozart Musicale, Luncheon, Picture and Dance
The grand ball room of the Hotel Astor was filled with Mozarteansand guests, March 3, to partake of the variety mentioned in the foregoing caption. Beginning on tbe minute, Marye Berne, soprano, showed vocal facility and pretty voice in Donizetti’s Mad Scene, later increasing her success by brilliant singing (with distinct words) of Wind’s in the South (Scott), Lilac Tree (encore), etc. Desire DeFrere, baritone, has a voice of beautiful quality, coupled with fine style, and had to sing Elegie, etc., as encores. Cellist Gruppe played Popper’s Tarantelle and pieces of feeling with sovereign technic, adding The Swan as an encore. Benedict’s The Wren, with flute obligato by Mr. Del Vecchio, showed Miss Berne’s voice in effective singing, the artist finishing with a fine high C. Emanuel Baer played accompaniments for Miss Berne, and Hazel Gruppe for cellist Gruppe, and she deserves special mention.
Two sweet maids with curls, the Misses Adelaide and Celeste Shays, nieces of president Adelaide McConnell, escorted a big birthday cake, brought in on a tea-table; others bore baskets of flowers, yet others bouquets, and
The Moscow Art Theater presented for its fifth week of a limited season at the Jolson Theater, three scenes from Dostoivsky’s The Brothers Karamazon, and Turgeni-eff’s The Lady from the Provinces. They continue to attract large audiences and the local theater-going public has been greatly impressed by these artistic offerings.
At the Princess, on Monday night, February 26, Mister Malatesta, a comedy-drama, depicting the life of an Italian immigrant in this country, had its premier. Opinions as to its artistic value were divided. Most all agree, however, that it was well played.
Humoresque.
Oil Wednesday evening, the long expected play, Humoresque, starring Laurette Taylor, began an indefinite season at the Vanderbilt Theater. The play is the outcome of the enormous success enjoyed by the film, Humoresque, which introduced Vera Gordon to the American films. The story by Fannie Hurst adapted itself in an unusual manner to the screen and the film will long remain as one of the artistic achievements of the industry. No doubt this success inspired Miss Taylor and her very clever husband, J. Hartley Manners, the playwright, to use Miss Hurst’s story for Miss Tayior’s new starring vehicle.
It must be truthfully stated that to us the play falls far short of the standard of the film. It is not good to make comparisons, but when the results were so obvious, one cannot help expressing oneself. Humoresque, as a play, belongs to the “hokum” type—if one is permitted to speak in the vernacular. Miss Taylor, as the Jewish mother, has acquired a certain atmosphere but never once did she eliminate her inimitable personality which has so long charmed us, to lose herself in a role so entirely different from anything she has ever created. Three weeks ago her film, Peg o’ My Heart, was shown at the Capitol Theater. We were fascinated with her youth and grace, and one must admit her talent in no uncertain terms when we see the striking contrast as Mama Sarah Kantor. Her voice, its intonations and color, was unchanged though she did acquire certain Jewish phrases which sounded like the real thing. Humoresque and Laurette Taylor are going to enjoy a long season because, even though the play is weak, Miss Taylor has managed to give it that something which the public wants, and, after all, is this not being successful?
The first act is considered by our reviewers as being something extraordinary. We, however, preferred the second act. The last act was so weak and insignificant that it really doesn’t even count. Mr. Manners has surrounded Miss Taylor with an excellent cast, first of importance being Sam Sidman as Papa Kantor, and the children were unusually good, particularly little Ada Hewitt, as Esther. The entire production has been skillfully handled, considering the lameness of the dialogue.
Roger Bloomer.
At the Forty-eighth Street Theater on last Thursday evening, Roger Bloomer, by John Howard Lawson, was offered with Henry Hull and Mary Fowler as the stars. The footnotes explain that Roger Bloomer is a play depicting American life. Here again we have one of those sordid, impossible nothings. Roger Bloomer is an adolescent youth of eighteen, struggling and surging through life and certainly not with healthy mental and physical outlook. It is one of those plays which has created a phrase that will go down in the history of the season. Amid much gurgling and struggling, this youth, upon the slightest provocation, gasps “women, death and garbage.” So elevating! And what a lasting contribution to American literature! The biggest laugh in the whole play was when the employer of the heroine-stenographer was told that the girl had taken poison the night before, and he exclaimed “There is nothing left it seems these days for a virtuous woman but—death.” This is a sample of the humor!
Since our theater public is being enlightened on so many sordid aspects of life these days, it seems strange some quick thinking author does not create in his drama a scene showing the subway during the crowded hour, with the hero a skillful pickpocket, explaining all the little tricks of the trade for the edification and enlightenment of the audience. Then again we might be shown how to break open a safe. They seem to have thought of everything else—perhaps we will have these, too. Roger Bloomer is sordid and unhealthy, and there is no excuse under any circumstances for its existence.
The Blond Beast.
Henry Myers offered a new comedy, The Blond Beast, at a special matinee at the Plymouth Theater last Friday afternoon. Mr. Myers will be remembered as the author of a very artistic production seen last year, The First Fifty Years. The Blond Beast contains an excellent idea, much rich dialogue, and many clever lines. It has the possibilities of being a play worth while. The performance on Friday afternoon suffered considerably from the lack of forcefulness and artistry on ׳the part of the three women in the cast. This was particularly unfortunate in view of the fact that Janey Begg, who played the part of Virginia Baldwin, around whom the entire plot of the play revolved, was wholly inadequate and unsuited to the part. On the other hand, Arthur Hohl as the Blond Beast, and Channa, the Buddhist priest, played by Effingham Pinto, and Joseph Sheridan as the young doctor, could not be improved upon. They were excellent. It is not yet decided whether this play will ■be offered as a regular performance or if it will continue as an occasionally special matinee. Mr. Myers has considerable talent, and one of these days he is going to create a play which will be something worth while in the life of the American theater.
Rita Coventry.
This new comedy with music was presented by Brock Pemberton at the Bijou Theater two weeks ago. It is founded on the novel of the same name by Julien Street and adapted by Hubert Osborne. Dorothy Francis is the star, and is ably supported by Luis Alberni, who plays the part of the operatic conductor, and Eugene Powers as a wealthy patron of art.
The story is that of an American opera singer. This is the second play of the season dealing with that elusive and uncertain quantity, operatic singers. It is exceedingly amus-