Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-05-05

t5R luton Of the partnership between
Mr.. .. d Woodward and Mr.
W. J. Burgess, who had for many years
been associated hs the Woodward Bur
CESS Amusement company in the manage
ment OF theaters. From the first the firm
was successful. It's ventures having been
many and nearly always profitable. A
stock company In Denver was one OF the
ventures that did not give returns but
which might have been made profitable
had not hre destroyed the theater. sea-
son Of control OF the Tabor Grand theater
there was enough, and they gave II over
to go to Kansas City. where they took
up the old Coates opera house and made Il
pay after many other managers had failed
In the undertaking When the Coates
burned they entered into arrangement with
Colonel Willis Wood and the building OF
the beautiful Willis WOOD was the result.
In the meantime they had control Of the
Auditorium and Century theaters at Kan
Bas City, and the Woodward Stock company
had become as much OF an institution as
the Kaw river at Kansas City. In Omaha
first the Creighton and then the Boyd
theaters were controlled by the Arm, and
finally the Burwood was built. Here the
business has been uniformly successful.
The New Grand theater at Sioux City was
taken on three years ago, and has been
placed on q high plane. At that time an
EFFORT was made to secure control Of the
Tootle theater at ST. Joseph which would
have given the firm a nice combination OF
theaters along the river, but this was
abandoned on account Of business reasons.
In addition to the theaters in Omaha, Kan
sas City and Sioux City, a number of
theaters in smaller towns in Minnesota,
South Dakota Iowa, Nebraska and Mis-
souri, were under direction OF the firm. Mr..
Burgess retired from the firm, and Mr..
Woodward will associate with himself bis
son, Frank Lincoln Woodward, who has
been trained from boyhood In the business.
o
Mr.. Burgess has not as yet formed defi-
mite plans for the future. He expects TO
take a short rest and may make another
visit TO Europe before he again actively
engages in business. He has no intention
Of permanently retiring, for he Is young,
active and in good health, with capital
SUFFICIENT to establish himself when he is
ready to take up active life again.
twenty-five years Of steady work is my
record" he says land / hardly think
will be the worse for a short vacation. 1
ton, but was we'll pleased with the profits
from the business. Mr.. Woodward made
me an OFFER for my holdings though, that
/ could not well refuse, and I sold out to
him" Mr.. Woodward says he intends to
pursue the policy that has made the firm
90 successful in the theatrical world. mo
difference OF opinion exists between Mr..
Burgess and myself" he says. I'VE are
Just as good friends now as we were at
any time. My son will enter the business
with me. and we will follow the lines we
know are safe and sure in our dealings
with the public. Omaha will not suffer
In any way a result of the change"
More than ordinary interest attaches to
the fact locally on account of the firm
having made its start in Omaha under
conditions that hardly promised the result
that has been attained Neither member
Of the Arm possessed any considerable cap
ital at the outset. but each was in all ways
familiar with the business and the
termination of a partnership OF a little
longer than ten years found them in con-
troll OF five OF the finest theaters in the
west and firmly established among the
important firms in the amusement world,
Mr.. Burgess will continue his home in
Omaha, while Mr.. woodward will still
live in Kansas City. Z. ]. Monaghan.
who has grown up with the firm. will be
the Omaha manager for Mr.. Woodward.
Another feature of the dissolution is the
passing Of the Burwood as stock COM
pany theater, The Burwood was turned
over to Mr.. Burgess as part OF the pur-
chase price Of his holdings in the COM
pany, with the understanding that it was
60 In ba nf Mr
woodward until July /. when the stock
season will end. Mr.. Burgess was sole
proprietor Of the Burwood for a little less
than twenty-four hours, when ne sold II
70 Messrs. Sullivan & Considine, who Will
install three-a-day vaudeville perform
ance taking over the theater on August
J. This arrangement will bring much re-
greet. as the stock company was locally
very popular.
Once more has the octopus triumphed. and
10 a certain extent have the independents
been swallowed Last Saturday night the
telegraph wires of the country were bur
dened with the news that the Shuberts
and the Klaw & changers had come to an
understanding and that for some of the
future, at least, they would do a brother
act. In towns where the shuberts had
built theaters they will be open to the
Klaw & Erlanger vaudeville. and I'm towns
where the Shuberts have no theaters the
Rlaw & Erlanger houses win be open e
them. This will put Omaha on the mar
for the Shuberts' attractions. or such a
wander this far out west while It will
let Kansas City IN on the Klaw & Erlangei
vaudeville circuit. II puts a crimp OF in
definite size and irregular shape into tn,
Belasce and F1ske interests. Messrs
Beiasco. Fiske, Henry Miller and Lee Shu
bert sign a statement that the new dcn
will IN no way affect the arrangements, bu
this remains 20 be seen. II Mrs. Flske Of
David Warheld or Henry Miller and Mar
Earet Anglin can come 70 Omaha sailini
under the Shubert colors and play in tn,
Klaw q ETlanger house, IL will be al
right; they will be welcome wheneve
they come. But the chances are that tn
independents will keep right on fighting
although their numbers will be reduce,
70 Fiske and Belasco. and Fiske Is TEN
porarily without a theater In New York
Indeed unless Mr. Belasco viii turn owe
one OF his houses 10 the uses Of the colone
next season. New York will be deprive
Of the pleasure OF hearing Mrs. FIske a
all
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