Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-01-18

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are that substantial class of goods Is
being offered by the vaudeville theatres
and that the people have money to
/ spend for diversion.
The Cross Keys. Sixtieth and Market
| streets. celebrates its fifth anniversary
/ next week with a bill in keeping with
| the occasion. This playhouse, like the
! others, has had an overflow attendance
/ all season.
! Including Keith's. the pioneer here in
! family vaudeville. there are fourteen
! theatres in Philadelphia devoted to
vaudeville or vaudeville plus movies
There are. In addition to those mem
toned. the Nixon, Nixon Grand. Nixon
| Colonial. Globe. Broadway, William
Penn, keystone, Alhambra. Allegheny.
| Girard and the Bijou, where continuous
vaudeville started in this city in the
consulship of the late II. +. Keith
! 1t is no eXaggeration to state that
these houses are attended collectively
by at least 10000 persons daily-the
equal of worlds series crowd at the
baseball games.
Each week 16S acts visit the vaude-
willie stages of this city. In addition to
the conventional song and dance. the
vaudeville patron may now enjoy the
circus, the legitimate drama and the
/ opera-all in one show. Bills are Sc
( lected with n view to pleasing hundreds
of tastes. This is no easy matter. but
the amusement has been so systematized
that all the houses can offer surprises
and thrills. of novelty and variety, every
week.
| Incidentally one of the best vaudc-
willie fans In the country is no less a
person than President Wilson. In ex-
pressing his views on amusements
some time ago he pointed out that when
people go to see a vaudeville show they
are pretty sure of finding something on
the bill which will appeal. If one fea-
ture does not meet their approval per-
haps the next one WILL
But from a poor play there is no cs-
cape So, as a Latin sharp or sharp
Latin once said, "F'loreat vaudeville y
r EW FIELDS, the featured artist in
IL Friendly Enemies" has a fad that
is distinctly his own and one from which
he derives moro pleasure thah anything
in his own merry world.
Mr.. Fields loves to sell tickets in a
theatre box office His coming is always
hailed with delight by theatre treasurers
because they know he will provide
hearty amusement during his stay and
as but few box Office men have an OPP
portunity of seeing a play in it's en-
tirety, they rely on Mr.. diclds FOL
amusement and he seldom fails them
Mr.. Fields explains his fad as follows
"It's a little diversion of mine that
seems interesting, just as anything does
that one doesn't have to do. The boA
office is wonderful place to study hu
man nature and l have picked up some
good lines and ideas while handing ou
the pasteboards. The women are es
! pecially interesting and you have tt
handle them with gloves If you want &c
keep the crowd moving. If you don
; give the right plans and specification:
} with each ticket the female Of TN
, species will return and discuss the mat
ter, no matter if she keeps the line {
block long waiting, SO the best thing t
5 do is to give her the s. seat for 81 ant
5 let her go.
The Playgoer has knowledge of Ger
Z tain stars who peer through the peep
; hole pierced in every well-regulated cur
tain to pipe the money in the house, bu
I Lew is the first he's heard of to NEE
the maZuma in q closeup. He's sure L
| be introduced to a lot of 1t, too, with hi
personal drawing power tSome day IN
Playgoer hopes to publish the name am
address of the lady who got 81 sea
a for one cartwheeL)
e CPEAKING Of names and addresses
the Playgoer is enabled, through tn
courtesy of friendly press agent I
D give those Of "rara avis in musica
: comedy. She is Miss Tess Nirgini
= Mayer. And her address is-the For
' | rest.
Miss Mayer is something new i
y theatricals--a philadelphia special cho
: rus girl"
For many seasons now the Playgoe
:, has had listed among the other asset
u melodic, humorous and pulchritudlnou'
| of smashing hits among music shows,
tip as to the eNcluslveness or IN
I chorus. And say" business of ben
u confidential, you are going to see som
u chorus. "Why. a lot of those girl
never leave Broadway. as a usual thni
D. but we have persuaded them just thi
&c once to try a Pullman ride ninety mile
u across Jersey"
one season four musical shows-a
q in town that week--were chorused eS
, clusively by exclusive stage beautie
e who customarily excluded all the thea'
i rical map except Broadway from the
itineraries.
And now comes Miss Mayer, who's
~ picture appears on this page-the frs
'c and original (to the best of our know
edge) philadelphia special chorus girl
"What is a Philadelphia special che
rt rus girl?" the friendly press agent wa
le asked
I'd 81 suppose it is girl who. havin
Is once made numerous social and profe
sional friends seeks engagements eaC
season with the theatrical organization
is that are booked for Philadelphia for Il
at longest runs" was the explanation.
er This is the case with Miss Maye
who is now appearing as one OF Il
IN college bred girl chorus in "The Velv
ne Lady" at the Forrest. Here is her ov
RS tale;
n. al was born in Richmond, Va, 1s9
is After graduating at college ] went
IN New York city. where for two years
err posed for prominent artists Then
n met Miss Elizabeth Marbury. who Il
duced me to become danseuse at Il
n strand Theatre Roof, from which 81
IS transferred ME TO the Very Go'