The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-03-05
MR.. KEIIH'S PLAN.
Will Open His Theatre as a Vaude-
VILE House Next Fall.
Mr.. Charl:s LOvenberg 10 Succeed Mr..
Fyn:s as Resid:nt Manager.

The most recent business move OF u.
II. keith, the vaudeville inagnsts Of New
York, Boston and Providence, is In tho
direction Of concentration or centrJliza-
tion In the important matter OF securing
and engaging the attractions for the
Keith circuit Of four theatres. With Mr..
Keith four is new number from q
vaudeville standpoint. as his Providence
theatre has been and is still a oomDina-
tion norse, but he has for three years
con templated operating 1t on his original
continuous plan. and OF the end or the
present season IL will be entirely reno
waited. redecorated ard refurDished. ana
will be reopened in the fall as number
four Of the Keith circuit.
In pursuarcs of the centralizstion idsa,
he has made the Union Square Theatre
OF New York the booking headquarters
on the entire circuit and artists who
have bean up TO the present compelled TO
correspond with the resident manager OF
each separate theatre on the circuit Will
hereafter lie given one contract cOvorinR
the entire circuit. While the execution OF
this plan is new, its conception Is not.
rs it is a plan that has bsen in Mr.
keith's mind for five years, and 10 was
only the press OF business consequent
upon the building end Hitting up OF his
magnificent theatre in Boston, which has
often and with truth been declared the
bandsomest in the world, that first de-
lnyed the putting into operation the cen
tralization idea; and later Mr.. keith's
long absence In Europe. which prevented
tho oarrying out of the scheme. Recent
developments which brought Manager r..
4. AIbee to New York and which caused
Resident Manager :. h. Hoddon tobe In
IL.
made IL possible for Mr.. Keith to make
the Union square Theatre the booking
centre for the circuit. 1t is his firm belief
that by booking all OF his shows frcm
one central Office he will be able TO secure
much better results, iDsomuch as New
York Is tie central market for all that is
good In vaudeville, ard that by engaging
his artists In this manner his patrons In
all the four cities In which he controls
theatres will receive the benefit, as ~ is
his idea tnat hy his new plan be can
secure for their entertaiument more un-
iformly good programs.
Mr.. Keith gives as his chief reasons for
INCREASING his vaudeville circuit OF thta-
tres to four by taxing the Providerc ce
house out Of the legitimate and convert
ing IL Tito continuous performance thea
ire, that there il dearth OF really accep-
table roan attractions that could be boosed
in his house In that city. and ttat he Is
of the belief that ne could not bstter
please his patrons than by Offering them
vaudeville bills of real IN Iit. than medi-
ocrs or hopelsssly cad plays. During the
current srason he has several times felt
the public pulse by looking house show
of excellent specialties, with the result
that those weeks have been marked by
such an Increase of patronage THAT
pointed out to him that the times and
there his original idea OF continuous per-
formance of high class vaudeville. such as
has won success and fame for him In the
other cities where he had that style OF per.
formance In operation.
The circuits bookings will be under the
direct supervision of General Manager r..
f. Albee, than whom there is no better
equipped for that duty, which requires an
active, accurate knowledge of the divers-
fed tastes OF the different people of the
different cities, as he has at different
times as sideDt manager of each city ca
tered To the tastes of all Of Mr.. Keith s
patrons, and knows exactly what SORT of
acts will please best each in the tour
theatres.
His many years OF experience as Mr.
Keith's chief assistant In educating the
public up to the appreciation of high class
vaudeville and In booking such aots, has
given him n knowledge Of the vaudeville
field as IL possessed by few other managers
and his lieutenant iu the work, 5. h.
Hod Qdpp, VINO has been engaged in that
kind of work for upward of ~ years, Is
almost as we'll equipped with similar
knowltdTe.