The Indianapolis journal., 1904-01-21

Who VIII. be Seen Here Next Week In
1.-THE Yankee Consul"
Lew Dockstader's minstrels are playing an
engagement there would seriously hurt the
business of the latter attraction. When
Joseph Weber heard that Dockstader was
to play against the big burlesque show he
promptly changed his bookings He said
that he understood the poor condition OF
theatrical affairs and knew that, as the
Weber q Fields company Is especially pop
ular in Boston, the minstrels would not
draw such large audiences as they would
If they did not have serious opposition.
Dockstader says that it was the most gem
erous act he ever heard of in his whole
career in the theatrical business.
There are hundreds of chorus girls out of
work in New York and as no new musi-
cal productions are scheduled for the near
future, the outlook does not appear very
bright for them. George r. White. manager
Of the Sergeant Kittie" company, said
to newspaper man, in discussing the real
ly pitiful state of affairs Applicants
have been simply pouring in on us for the
last ten days. And it is not the quantity
that has surprised me, but the quality.
Few are stage-struck amateurs. Nearly all
are experienced chorus girls, with good
records-show girls who would be only too
glad to step back into the chorus at any
salary. Then, too, persons who have played
small parts are begging for chorus work.
Il think this surfeit of chorus girls Will
be brought to the attention of the various
actors organizations before the winter
is over. The reaction from the tremen-
dous successes of last season and the mad
more chorus girls, their agents securing
other cities, all have resulted in glutting
the chorus girl market III New York"
+ : =
Raymond Hitchcock, whose latest por-
trait appears at the head of this column.
will be in Indianapolis next week in his
new musical comedy, "The Yankee Con-
sul.'' written for him by Henry Blossom
and Alfred Robyn, and produced on a spec
tacular scale by that prince of musical
show managers, Henry Savage. Mr.. Hitch
cock has been great Indianapolis favorite
ever since his first great hit in this city
with Marie Cahill in Three Little Lambs. -
| His success in the title part OF king Dodo'
was another local triumph, and there rs
hardly a doubt that his audiences next
week will be large. Henry Blossom, who
| wrote the book of 1.-The Yankee Consul" 3"
is the author of that very successful story,
| Checkers which has also become a
great success in its dramatic form, and
| Mr. Robyn, the composer of the score, is
the St Louis musician who has turned out
| so many beautiful ballads-notable An
swer" and "YOu," which have been sung
all over America for the last ten years.
+
1t is said that patrons of the Park will
/ find a general air of freshness about
the musical comedy, Happy Hooligan, "
which comes this afternoon. This is said
| to be particularly true in the musical num-
| bers and in the new and startling adven-
lures in which the cheerful hobo. "Hooli-
| gan" figures. There also some new
| faces in the cast since the production was
seen at the Park a year ago. There is
| more nonsense than sense to the effort. the
| character of the tramp having been taken
| from a series of newspaper cartoons, the
| misfortunes OF the Wandering Willie
| take him through no plot and to no partic-
| ular end w. II. Mack is this season play
| ing the part of "Hooligan" and Mae Phelps
| appears as Mischief" Lillian Robson.
Eva Taylor, Bessie Sharp and number of
others are in the company.
1t is now confidently believed in
New York that the long post
poned era of theatrical prosperity.
which has been hidden during the first half
of the present season. is preparing to
| burst forth upon the country, New York
| in particular. Seven new attractions have
| opened in New York this week-"The Sc
cret of Poliehinelle," with that excellent
| star; the new musical comedy "An En-
glish Daisy" Amelia Bingham in her new
play, "olymPe." by Pierre Decourcelles;
/ Virginia Earl in Sergeant kittie;" Robert
Edeson in the latest Richard Harding Da-
| Wis drama, "Ranson's Folly" Ada Rehan
| and Otis Skinner in classic repertoire. and
| Il
| Sword"
| Forbes Robertson, the English actor, will
present his initial American performance OF
Hamlet" in Philadelphia at the Chestnut
| street Opera House tomorrow night This
/ is the great Shakspearian production that
| Mr.. Robertson made with such great sue
cess in London last year. 1t is quite likely
that he will continue in Hamlet during
| the rest of his American tour, as there is
/ desire
the melancholy Dane. Mr.. Robertson was
| to have appeared In this city late in the
sion of Kiplings THE Light That Failed, "
! but he Will probably play the ShakSpearian
| tragedy instead.
John ]. McNally, the librettist, has COM
pleted the book for the next production. in
which Klaw & Erlanger will present the
Rogers brothers. The new musical piece
will be called THE Rogers Brothers in
Paris" and will be given its initial presenta.
tion in New York in September. The piece
| is Of the farcicaI order and of the same
type that has been identified with the
| favorite Dutch comedians during the last
five years. All of the scenes will be laid in
the french capital.
1.-The Red Feather" Reginald de Koven's
new comic opera, has just been booked for
an early appearance at English's to fill the
engagement Cancelled by THE Runaways'
| This is a good arrangement, for THE Run
| aways. without Fay Templeton, would be
| likely to prove pretty tame affair. Grace
| Won Studdiford. the beautiful prima donna
/ soprano from Indiana, heads the singers in
| The Red Feather and there are a mum
| Der or other hlgh-class people in the cast
!
Jerome. Meredith and the st. Clair Sis
ters, indianapolis vaudeville performers
who have been in this city for several weeks
| preparing a new comedy sketch called
/ Just Plain Folks" have been engaged fol-
| the Lafayette show, now playing with sue
/ cess at the Grand. and will make their first
! appearance with the company in Cincinnati
4 next week.
Mrs. Roosevelt at the Theater.
| WASHINGTON, Jan. 2O.-Mrs Roosevelt