The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-03-24
BEN KETCHUM WILL
MANAGE COLONIAL
John Cort Announces Appoint
ment of Successor to
R. A. Grant.

With the arrival in Salt Lake yesterday
from Seattle of John Cort, theatrical
magnate, and president of the Northwest
ern Theatrical association, the announce
ment was made Of the appointment of
Ben Ketchum as manager OF the Colonial
theatre, owned by the Cort syndicate.
MIR. ketchum has been acting manager of
the local playhouse for the past two
months, since the retirement of r. A.
Grant, and his appointment is especially
gratifying to his many friends. The
young manager has been connected with
the COrt syndicate for the past seven
years, coming to Salt Lake as treasurer
for the Colonial about a year ago. His
appointment as manager is in appreciation
of his ability, and the success of his con-
nectiOn with the local house
Mr.. COrt, who is accompanied by Mrs.
COrt, leaves this morning for New York
to arrange bookings for the northwestern
circuit. and the other houses under his
control, Tor the next season. He will re
main in the east until about May /, and
expects to contract for the appearance
in the west of the best line of shows ever
brought beyond the Mississippi 1t is his
intention to secure great many more
musical attractions than has been Of
fered in the past, as it his opinion this is
the class of amusement the theatre-going
public of the present day prefers.
kissing Girl" Coming.
Mr. Cort announced last night that
among the attractions to be seen in
Salt Lake next season are The kissing
Girl" which opened the new Cort theatre
in Chicago. and THE Girl in the Taxi,
the phenomenal success. which has just
completed a run of II weeks at the COrt
Chicago playhouse, and which, indications
are, will remain there during the summer
season. The latter attraction, in all prob
ability MIR. COrt said, will be seen at
the Salt Lake theatre, while the kiss
ing Girl will be offered on the Colonial
stage
The present theatrical season, according
to Mr.. COrt, has been the worst in the
history of the stage for ten years past.
Conditions all over the country, with the
exception of New York, and possibly Chi
cage, have been of a most diseouraging
nature. The business has fallen off fully
10 per cent, the east being the greatest
sufferer
New York, said Mr. Cort has had an
usually successful season, and for the
first time in its history has eighteen sue
cesses running at this time Chicago has
four or five successful productions, but
outside of these two important theatrical
centers, business has been bad. Mr.. Cort
was unable to ascribe a cause to the fall
ing off in the theatrical business.
There will be no Cort road shows next
season with the one exception of Max
Figman. who appeared recently at the
Colonial in Mary James Pa, and such
shows as may come from the Cort theatre
in Chicago, according to a statement
made bv the magnate last night. 1t is
Mr. Cort's intention to provide the north
west with as high grade of shows next
season as Is possible. His decision 70
snend a month in New York is made as a
result of his desire to secure the best pos
sible in the musical and dramatic hne