March 2 2, 1923
MUSICAL COURIER
64
AMUSEMENTS
KNICKERBOCKER THEATRE
Pop. Wed. Mat. Entire 1st Bale. $1.00, 2d Bale. 50c., Orch. $2.00 Henry W. Savage offer• The Comedy with Music Sensation
“The CLINGING VINE״
with PEGGY WOOD and a Brilliant Singing Cast
Book and Lyrics by Zelda Sears	Music by Harold Levey^
Paramount Qicliires^
Theatres under the direction of Hugo Riesenfeld
The RIVOLI broadway at 49th st.
William DeMille's Production
"GRUMPY”
With Theodore Roberts
“Overture of 1812”—Rivoli Concert Orchestra
The RIALTO broadway at 42a st.
ALICE BRADY in
״THE LEOPARDESS”
“1849” Overture—Mortimer Wilson, the composer, will be guest conductor for this number during the week. FAMOUS RIALTO ORCHESTRA
B'way at 51 st St. “Subway to Door” EDW. BOWES, Mng. Dir.
CAPITOL
World's Largest and foremost Motion Picture Palace
Beginning Sunday, March 25th
MACK SENNETT Presents
MABEL NORMAND
in “SUZANNA”
A Story of Romance and Adventure
CAPITOL GRAND ORCHESTRA
Erno Rarer, Conductor Presentation« by S. L. ROTHAFEL
Hopkins, Mrs. Wenning, Mrs. Elsie Baird Burton, Mrs. Charles Kumpf, Mrs. Eleanor McCaw. The next Junior Branch meeting will be held April 14.
Frank L. Laubach Dead
Western Canada mourns the loss of Frank L. Laubach, the greatest of all pioneer musicians. Mr. Laubach resided in Regina since 1904 and has been recognized as one of the foremost of all musicians here. He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1856. His father was bandmaster of the Queen’s Brigade known as the Royal Scots. When he was quite young he wrote band music. Later he learned the violin and played in the Queen’s Brigade Band, appearing often as soloist. At fifteen years of age he played in the Grand Theater in the days of Colonel Mapleson, when Mme. Fitziens and Mme. Trebelli Bettini were stars. At the age of twenty Mr. Laubach was asked by musicians of Edinburgh to conduct a newly organized St. Andrew’s Orchestral Society, and a few years later received an appointment to be bandmaster of the King’s Body Guard of England. In the pioneer days of Western Canada, he went to Regina. Almost at once he set about stirring up musical activities and to him goes the credit for having formed the first Philharmonic Society and many other musical organizations. When the prairie city boasted of but 6,000 inhabitants he obtained eighty voices and creditable performance of Messiah and. Elijah were given. The ventures of־ new societies were under his guidance; including a series of comic operas, Gilbert and Sullivan and afterwards The Geisha. His greatest triumph was his own opera entitled The Mystic Light. .
Mr. Laubach joined the C. E. F. Battalion in 1915 and went overseas as bandmaster. After the war he became librarian of the Regina Reference Department. His long and active career won for him the appellation “Father of Regina Music.” For years he conducted the choir of St. Paul’s Anglican Church. Concurrent with the funeral service at Vancouver, a memorial service was held in St. Paul’s Church, March 7. Teachers and professors of the various colleges and institutions and the entire musical population paid homage and respect to his memory.
Albany Critics Unanimous About Hudson
Appended are four excellent press notices received by Byron Hudson following an appearance in Albany, N. Y.* on March 14:
Byron Hudson, tenor, possesses a voice of fine lyric quality and sang with great artistry and tonal beauty. He is thoroughly schooled in oratorio tradition, routine and style.—Journal, March 15.
Made a most favorable impression—possesses a voice of great beauty and sang most artistically.—Times-Union.
An added pleasure was Byron Hudson who sang with rare musical feeling and real artistry.—News.
Byron Hudson revealed an ample rich and vibrant voice, being especially impressive in his arias which he sang with a satisfying wealth of phrasing and splendor of tone that was impressive.—Knickerbocker Press.
Reimherr Recital, March 25
George Reimherr, tenor, will give his second recital of the season at the National Theater on Sunday evening, March 25. He will sing a program of Russian master songs in English, featuring a group of Old Russian and Siberian folk songs harmonized by Oscar Schminke, assisted by Frank Braun at the piano.
Cecil Arden to Sing at Emory University
Cecil Arden will be the soloist with the Emory Glee Club of Emory Universary, Ga., on June 4.
Musical Comedy, Drama and Motion Pictures
and originality, has excellent technic and finesse in everything that he dances.
Madame Hannelore was not so fortunate in the selection of her numbers at this recital as last year. She is limited in the fact that she is a large woman, and in her more classical numbers is infinitely more artistic. The Unrelenting, her first number, danced to the music of Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in C sharp minor, was the most impressive and artistic selection of her program, though her Little Jockey ]Dance was roundly applauded and had to be repeated. The ״E major Gavotte (Bach-Burmester) and the Roses from the South (Johann Strauss) were artistically interpreted, but we feel they are not the type of dances best suited to Madame Hannelore.
The Capitol.
The principal film here last week was May Murray in Jazzmania. It is a film which represents a great deal of time and money, and as far as the story goes it is about as impossible as anything the writer has seen. So again it was left to S. L. Rothafel to build a surrounding program that would offset the disappointment of so poor a feature. The overture by the Capitol Grand Orchestra was the Bartered Bride, by Smetana. This, we believe, is the first time the overture has ever been offered in a motion picture theater. Under the skillful direction of Erno Rapee, the orchestra again reached one of the high pinnacles of its artistic development. Mr. Rothafel’s features were called Impressions of the Balkans. Elizabeth Ayres and Dorma Lee sang a waltz duet; their voices blended nicely but it was the setting and the lighting Mr. Rothafel gave to the number that was so impressive. This was followed by a Balkan folk dance, in which the Capitol Ballet corps took part. It was the beautiful finale, however, that was the feature of the program. Mr. Rothafel had a throne scene, duplicated from the film and Evelyn Herbert impersonated the Queen, singing King of My Heart, with orchestral accompaniment. Miss Herbert is becoming more and more of a favorite and on last Friday evening the big audience applauded her enthusiastically. Her voice was lovely and she made a beautiful picture. Mr. Rothafel showed good judgment in keeping Miss Herbert permanently as the first soprano of his staff.
The Rivoli.
Only a small portion of the program presented last week was strictly musical—three out of nine. But if quantity was lacking, certainly quality was not. The overture, whicli consisted of the Suite L’Arlesienne of Bizet, was unusually well played, Frederick Stahlberg and Emanuel Baer conducting the Rivoli Orchestra with finesse. An arrangement by J. Bodewalt Lampte of Walter Donaldson’s My Buddy, the Riesenfeld Classical Jazz, scored so pronounced a success that the audience insisted upon a repetition before the program could proceed. The other number was a dance by Paul Oscard and Helen Crenelle to the music of Aime Lach-aume’s minuet. The feature picture was Othello, featuring Emil Jannings in the title role, Werner Kraus as Iago, and lea Lenkeffy as Desdemona. The work had previously played for some weeks at the Criterion. Scraps, a Bray pictograph, scenes from Shakespeare’s country, the regular Rivoli Pictorial, and a Max Felischer Inkwell comedy, Bed Time, completed the pictorial offerings. The prologue, Jealousy, as arranged and spoken by Maurice Cass, was unusually effective and was given hearty applause.
The Rialto.
Rialto audiences have taken a keen interest in the new musical novelty—C. Sharpe-Minor at the Wurlitzer which is being offered at this house. This and Riesenfeld’s Classical Jazz are always loudly applauded. Last week Michael Mischakoff, violinist, played Moszkowski’s Guitarre, scoring a genuine success. The feature picture was Adam’s Rib, transferred from the Rivoli. Ups and Downs, a Funny Face comedy, and the Rialto Magazine completed
A new musical comedy opened at Daly’s Theater, entitled Go-Go. Most of the reviews give it a good account.
March Hares, a delightful comedy, presented in New York last season, was revived last week at special matinees. At the time of the premier of this extremely fine play by Harry Wagstaff Gribble, the writer declared in no uncertain terms that it was the most amusing comedy of its kind ever seen, and apparently, from the newspaper reports, it received the same verdict a year later. It really ought to have a permanent theater and give those here in New York who did not see it, an opportunity to have a real good laugh.
On Tuesday evening, at the Lyceum Theater, David Bel-asco presented Lionel Atwell in another Sascha Guitry comedy, The Comedian. The newspaper reports were decidedly divided. Evidently the play did not make any too profound an impression on many.
On March 9 at the Wanamaker Auditorium the third public demonstration of the Society of Theater Organists was held. Ruth Barrett, organist of the Japanese Garden, played the opening number, The Toccata from Widor’s fifth symphony. Dr. Alexander Russell delivered a short address. George Tousignant, of the Cameo Theater, was the next soloist, while Harold Smith, of the Brooklyn Strand, played the orchestral score for the feature picture, which was The Man Who Played God.
May Johnson.
Washington Heights Musical Club Junior Recital
Young members of the Washington Heights Musical Club were heard in recital at the Rodin Studios on March 10 and aroused great interest by the excellence of their musicianship. Those taking part were William Seeber, Evelyn Fuchs, John Blumers, Mathilde Frank and Frances Weller, all of them with the exception of little Miss Weller (daughter of Ida Geer Weller) pupils of the club’s artist member, Robert Lowrey. A very high grade of work was maintained throughout the program and among Mr. Low-rey’s pupils John Blumers received special commendation. Mme. Weller, who was among the guests, must have been proud of the beautiful playing of her little daughter. Other guests were Mrs. Elizabeth Lewing, Miss Gibbs, Miss
A number of new plays were brought to New York last week. On Monday evening, Sascha Guitry’s play, Pasteur, dealing with the life of the famous scientist, had its premier at the Empire Theater, with Henry Miller playing the title role. Pasteur must certainly be considered a novelty. In the first place the cast is small and contains only male actors. Secondly, it is not a play at all—merely a scientific lecture. The third point of interest is that there were more actors among the audience than there were on the stage. Mr. Miller made a striking figure of the noted Frenchman, but a work of this type, which is usually over the heads of the average theater-goers, necessarily demands excellent diction in order to hold the interest. However much Mr. Miller may look and act the part, as long as he persists in faulty diction and mouthing his phrases, so that he is many times merely mumbling as far as the audience is concerned, it would be wise for him not to waste his time and talent on such an offering as Pasteur.
We were listening and trying to understand this lecture which was going on from the stage (after having comfortably resigned ourselves to an evening’s entertainment of rather a highbrow nature), when suddenly a gray-haired gentleman on our right sprang to his feet and shouted at the top of his voice to the eminent scientist on the stage. We had hardly gotten over the surprise of this before other gentlemen in the audience, much excited, began taking part in the debate with shouts and wild gesticulations. Amid all of this and to our great confusion, four gentlemen at our left started applauding loudly, amid many bravos. From watching the stage and watching the audience (and by this time having strong suspicions of your immediate neighbor, not knowing what moment he too might enter into the discussion) we were entertained in this manner for quite some moments.
Pasteur, as a novelty, is quite all right. But as a play we doubt its popularity and cannot feel but that it will not have a long life at the Empire Theater. The first essential of the theater is entertainment, and if we want scientific lectures we have but to read the daily newspapers and avail ourselves of the hundreds of opportunities which New York City affords.
Barnum Was Right.
On this same Monday evening, a comedy entitled Barnum Was Right had its premier at the Frazee Theater. The cast contained many well known names, among the principals being Donald Brian, Marion Coakley and Lilyan Tashman. The comedy is by Phillip Bartholontae and John Meehan. The entire production is very amusing. There is a lot of satire, particularly on the mystery plays, but the general impression seems to be that here was a perfectly good comedy which needed a tuneful musical score to give it its right place in the amusement world. This, no doubt, was brought on by the fact that Donald Brian is the star, and for years one has only associated him with musical comedy. Maybe this bright idea will occur to some musician, and Barnum Was Right will find its natural sphere.
Hannelore and Itow.
On Sunday afternoon, March 11, at the Broadhurst Theater, Hannelore, the German dancer, and Itow, the Japanese dancer, gave a joint recital. Michito Itow has been seen in New York before, and Madame Hannelore gave a recital at the Vanderbilt Theater last spring, at which time she created a very fine impression. The principal feature of this was the originality of most of the numbers and the exceptionally good music to which the artists danced. There were interminable waits between the numbers and the program was late in beginning—two factors that can offset many a good impression.
Itow was particularly effective in a dance called The Spear Man, Dance de la Fee Dragee (Tschaikowsky). This, perhaps, was the most interesting number he gave, though the opening dance, Ecclesiastique Music (Tschaikowsky), and Seguidilla (Albeniz) were exceptionally fine. His last number was a Fox Dance which he created, and for which he also wrote the music. He is an artist of considerable skill
MATILDA VERBA,
concert artist and soloist for Pat Conway and his band, used as her feature number I Love a Little Cottage throughout their entire tour this past winter. I Love a Little Cottage is a delightful ballad recently issued by the Sam Fox Publishing Company. The song has proved a sensational success everywhere that Miss Verba has rendered it.