Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-12
AMERICAN VAUDEVILLE
STARS INVADE ENGLAND
ecial CORRESPONDENCE Of The Star.

LONDON, July 4. 1908.
~ NE has no need to look further than
j the London music halls for con-
- elusive evidence that the American
invasion is in full swing. So many Amer
lean performers are filing the bills at
the various houses that there is danger o.
native revolt against the all-conquering
and popular aliens. At the Empire Stuart
Barnes is telling tall tales: at the Hip
podrome Speedy, the high diver. the Cur
ION sisters, and Tom Hearn, the LATEST
juggler that ever was. are on the pro-
gram, while Joseph Harris sketch. The
F'uturity Winner" tops the bill. Walter
Kelly, the "Virginia Judge Is playing a
return engagement at the Palace, and at
the same house Maud Allen, who, after
all, is an American by adoption. is draw
ing smart society with her Salome
dance. Edward Clarke and his six sing
ing and dancing American "widows' are
in the middle Of run at the Oxford, while
Helen Trix. who. 1 believe. halls from
California. Is performing, with the aid OF
her piano. at the Tivoli. At the Coliseum
the musical Johnsons are stirring British
blood with George Cohans Popularity
and The American Patrol"
Julian Rose Very Popular.
The Curzon sisters have run up against
that maternal old body, the London coun-
ty council. which has declared that the
performance Of the two pretty American
girls is too dangerous to be done without
a net. OF course. the daring act is not so
thrilling with the safety web beneath. but
orders are orders, and the net has been
put up in the Hippodrome.
Julian Rose, the Hebrew impersonator.
who has been filing music hall engage
ments in England for some months past.
has been engaged for the next Christmas
pantomime at the Lyceum. Up to a week
or so ago Rose was spinning at
the Pavilion. and earlier in the year he
was seen at the Coliseum. Just where
ne will come in Little Red Riding Rood, -
which is to be the coming pantomime at
the Lyceum, it is difficult to say. but al
most anything is possible to the writer's
of this popular and essentially British
form or entert ainment.
Rose had az unpleasant experience last
week in Manchester. On the opening
Dy some boys in the gallery SO persiStenty
that he was compelled to retire, and the
audience missed the adventures of Levin
sky at the Wedding" The rest of the
greatest hits in the history of the Man
chester house and was Immediately signed
for a return engagement Rose appeared
consoled when told that Albert Chevalier
undoubtedly one Of the most popular of
English music hall performers, had a like
experience in the same theater some years
ago.
"Peter Pan" Proves a Success.
The production in Paris of Peter
Pan" with Pauline Chase in the title
role. ]. NJ. Barrie on hand to superin-
tend the production and Charles Froh-
man behind the scenes to see that
things were all right and, incidentally,
to keep his eye on the house" turned
out well. Although tae cash receipts
were not glittering, Frohman, who
ought to know says he is perfectly
satisfied and that later he will take
the company to Paris for a regular run.
1t was a joy to some of the Americans
who turned up for the occasion to drop
into Maxim's and find therein Nat Good
win. Nat always likes the gay city bet
ter than London for holiday, perhaps
because of the London habit of closing
everything tight at half an hour after
midnight.
B. +. Keith must be resting easy these
days. At last, after travelling around
all these years with the unproductive
Princess Theater hanging like mill
stone about his neck. he has disposed of
the lease TO an English syndicate. The
sign of the American vaudeville manager,
setting forth the extent of his managerial
activities in the United States has hung
for many months in front of the disused
playhouse, reminding every American
passerby of home. The new management
Will nave HOlilillS " bO III
vaudeville which is unknown in Eng
land, but will make a bold bid for pop
ular support with out-and-out melodrama
William Greet. besides securing the
English rights Of Clyde Fitch's Girls.
has also taken THE Other House." in
which Richard Golden appeared In New
York. The play has been renamed Poor
Devil'' for here. but it is probable
that before production time comes around
1t will have yet another christening.
hoS rod fn
part he filled in the United States, and
that actor has already arrived in London
He holds forth nightly in the American
bar at the Savoy in the choicest of new
mown slang. He is a circus in himself.
and several Americans have been known
to give up evening engagements for the
theaters, saying that they would rather
sit and listen to Golden.
Cheap Prices Prove Failure.
Cheap prices have proved a failure in
West End London. Oscar Asche and
Lily Brayton. who opened three weeks
ago at the Aldwych. with reduced sum-
mer prices, closed the doors of the Kings
way playhouse last Saturday night They
started with the new play, The Two
Pins" which pleased Charles Frohman
so much that he jumped at the American
rights.
friedman has no plans for filing the
boards Of the Aldwych, and unless some
thing turns up in the meantime it will re-
main idle until Seymour Hicks and Ella
line TerrisS come there after the first of
the year in a new comedy. The American
manager. however. has hopes that an
other manager will take the house off
his hands for the fall
Although Lena Ashwell has been left
out in the cold in the formation of the
West End Managers Association. pre-
sumably because of her sex she can give
many of the members Of that body cards
and spades and then best them at running
a playhouse She has just closed her first
season at the little kingsway Theater.
which sha took up over nine months ago,
and her management has been remarka
ble not alone for her own personal tri-
umph, but for two really clever plays
Irene Wycherly" and Diana of Dob
sons" Furthermore, these plays were
not only discovered by Miss AshWell, but
she discovered the authors as well. for
they we're unknown before the leading
English emotional actress introduced
them to London playgoers. Furthermore.
her management of the theater, in front
O. the footlights as well as behind them.
has been marked by an intelligence and
enterprise that many of the other London
managers would do we'll to initiate.
Imperial Law.