The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-12-07
Theater Attractions Scarce All
Over the West,
Topeka Not Alone With Dark
House and Poor Plays.
TOPNOTCHERS ARE COMING
Those That Dodge the Kan
Sas Child Labor Law.
Crane, Officer 666, Bunty and
Hitchcock for January.

There have been good many COM
plants about the scarcity and quality
of this years bookings at the Grand.
The condition, however, hasn't been
peculiar to Topeka; it has been preva-
lent all over the west. Roy Crawford
ascribes it, in a measure, to the multi
plicatiOn of playhouses and substrac-
ton OF plays-the producers are not
turning out any more copy while
the number of theatres is doubling
throughout the country.
why don't we have more Schubert
plays " insists the Unsuitable public,
or some Klaw & Erlanger produc-
tions?"
Both Klaw & ErIanger and the
Schuberts have all they can do to fill
their own houses; they are attempt
ing nothing else. Formerly they had
one house in Kansas City; now they
have two; once two in st. Louis, now
four.
One reason for scarcity of plays
IN Kansas is on account of the child
labor law. We might have had Dustin
Farnum in THE Littlest Rebel, the
principal character was a boy. David
Warfield could not bring the Return
of Peter Grimm" to Topeka because
the youngster in the cast would not
have been allowed to appear. "Rut-
ans Song Birds" the most popular act
the Kansas City Garden theatre has
had this fall, should have come to To-
peka in the legitimate sequence of
events. The ''Song Birds were the
drollest, funniest cunningest pair that
ever turkey-trotted across a stage
they were aged seven and five, and
1nexorably barred from Kansas.
Mr.. Crawford, having given reas-
ons for his scarcity of plays, cheer
fully asserts that business is picking
up.
Into next week are dropped three
cracking good shows-each one a top
liner. First comes Louis Mann, who
holds a unique place among clever
american comedians. He appears
Monday night with Emily Ann Well
man in "Elevating a Husband" Then
we have May Robson, whose drolIery
and charm are well known to Topeka
theater-goers. At the last of the week
come Primrose & Dockstader's Min
Etrels; they make you have a tickIin'
in your feet, and a dozen dreamy,
catchy melodies in your head.
Mr.. Crawford has some mighty good
bookings for after the holidays. He
has listed more good shows in the last
month than in the six months preced- |
ing.
Business always picks up" he ex-
planned, after election
Among the bookings for January
are William H. Crane, Thomas Ross in !
a repetition of the Chocolate Sol |
der" First and foremost is "Officer /
666" is the most ta1ked-of musical !
show of the season. 1.-The Spring Maid |
Is COHl1uS again III y, ana MT.
Crawford is hoping that BIizzi Hajos !
will have the leading role; the little i
auburn haired Hungarian was the |
biggest drawing card at the Grand !
last winter. Then Topeka is to have !
"Bunty Pulls the String which re- |
Gently ran in Kansas City. "Bunty" !
pulled the string last winter in New
FORK, and was voted the cleanest
dearest, quaintest Scotch lassie in the !
L. S. A. :
Two of the best bookings for Feb
ruary are Adelaide Thurston in the
Modern Eve and the Aborn Grand
Opera company in the bohemian
Girl" Divas are announcing them
selves more and more strongly for
opera in English; Schumann- Heink,
Alice Nielsen and John Mccormack
are to give an English translation of
Martha" in Boston next spring The
Aborn company has long stood for the
best English opera in this country.
Later in the year is coming Ray
mond Hitchcock in the Historically
funny Nihilistic farce, 1.-The Red
Widow
This year has been an unfortunate
one for producers everywhere
George Cort has had four failures in
New York this fall, Hale Hamilton in
the Meier Do Well' for one of them
Topeka hasn't so awfuIy much
cause to complain. Alb