Music Trade Review

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V O L X L V I I . N o 1 3 . Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill at 1 Madison Ave-,New York, September 2 6 , 1 9 0 8 .
TRADE NEWS FROM CHICAGO.
Success of
Personal
Pushing
Prince"
Priest.
National Music Co. Publicity—Some
Notes of Interest—Publishers Busy
Respective Publications—"Yankee
Well Received—Play Written by a
(Special to The Review.)
Chicago, Sept. 19, 1908.
The Garden Theater, now being constructed on
the old site of Brook's Casino, Wabash avenue
and Hubbard Court, which will he opened this
fall, will offer something new to the play-gcin.4
public. The well-known architect, B. H. Mar
shall, an artist of originality in his own particu-
lar field, has introduced features in the plans of
the theater, hitherto unknown.
It is the aim of the management to foster
musical plays and a very fine orchestra consist-
ing of thirty pieces, together with an organiza-
tion of about 100 people, including many singers
and dancers, will greet the first-nighters about
the middle of October.
H. F. Chandler, of the National Music Co., is
very well pleased with the results of his adver-
tisement which appeared in the recent special
publishers' issue of The Review. He is in receipt
of many orders and inquiries regarding the com-
pany's standard reprints.
Webb Rockefeller Miller, of the Miller Music
Co., left this week for a few days recreation up-
state.
Harry Sidney is doing good work in the pro-
fessional department at Chas. K. Harris' Chicago
office.
Vernon Bestor, composer of "Let's Play House"'
(Thompson) and at present looking after trie
professional end of the Thompson Music Co., is
on an eastern trip.
The Texas Steer Four at the Empire this week
are using Thompson's "Base Ball" with good ef-
fect.
Favorable comment is heard on every hand
concerning "Kiss Me Dearie" (Modern). It is
on at the Orpheum Theater this week and is mak-
ing a hit.
Harry Rapf, representing the Gus Edwards
Publishing Co., is at the Sherman House this
week energetically pushing those popular num-
bers "See Saw," "That's What the Rose Said to
Me," and "Sunbonnet Sue," as well as "I'm Wait-
ing for the Summertime and You."
"Whistle If You Want Me Dear," is a late Wit-
mark production. Nat D. Mann, western mana-
ger for M. Witmark & Sons, says that they have
every reason to believe that the "Prima Donna"
with Fritzi Scheff in the leading role, which
comes to the Studebaker the early part of next
month, will be a big success. The company are
now rehearsing daily.
George Cohan brought his "Yankee Prince"
(Cohan & Harris) to the city this week and was
welcomed with open arms by the public. Crowded
houses greet his every performance and from all
indications will continue to do so throughout the
engagement.
Harry Newman, western representative for
Harry Von Tilzer left last Monday for the Coast,
visiting on the way, all of the larger cities. He
expects to be gone about three weeks. A. L.
Richards is holding down the manager's chair
during his absence.
A semi religious play called "A Woman fiom
the West" has made its appearance and is now
on its way north fulfilling engagements and will
probably come to Chicago in the near future.
The play and the lyrics for the songs used in it
are from the pen of Father Vaughn, a well known
priest of Janssville, Wis. The music is by Phillip
A. Laffey. Annie Mack Berlein is in the leading
role. The play contains some very imposing
scenes not the least of which is "The Great Mass
Scene." The music includes such numbers as
"Winnebago," "How Gold Is Made," "In the Gold
Mines of Old Thunder," "Praise Ye the King of
Light," and "Sunshine and Shadow," all of which
are published by the National Music Co., of this
city.
SCHOOL DAYS,
Gus Edwards' Latest Offering, Is Good Mu-
ically, Says the "Man on the Street," But
Blase New York Will Never Go Mad About
I t — W i l l Make a Good "Road" Show.
"School Days," an elaboration of a vaudeville
sketch of the same name, the book of which is
by Aaron Hoffman, is described on the program
as a "young musical play." In reality, it is
nothing more or less than a prolonged and
somewhat aggravated noise, strung together for
the purpose of introducing some remarkably
clever business, as well as some decidedly pretty
music, written by that genius of "popular" com-
position, Gus Edwards.
Herman Timberg is the comedy feature—that
is the term, I think—of the production, and his
"jests" regarding the religion which he bur-
lesques are in such execrable taste that we gladly
pass over his performance without further com-
ment, save that his crude humor could be
stricken from the evening's entertainment with-
out doing it any particular damage.
Janet Priest, who is seemingly clever in spots,
could also leave out one or two of her dainty
little remarks, one especially, relating to "spar-
rows," which was particularly unnecessary and
more than usually offensive.
But it is easy enough to say hard things. Gus
Edwards deserves the greatest credit for his
share in the entertainment, the idea of which
is original and which could have been far better
handled by a more capable librettist. Mr. Hoff-
man may be a past master at the art of writing
a monologue, but apparently he has less right
to put a play together than has a polar bear to
give an exhibition at roller skating. As we have
said, Gus Edwards' music throughout is tuneful
in the extreme, and several numbers will no
doubt be in great demand, notably "Sunbonnet
Sue."
Which brings us to the all-important
question, Why is it that Miss Hazel Cox, a dainty
and charming girl, who, like the last rose o"
summer, was "left blooming alone," is not given
this important number to sing? It is as easily the
musical hit of the piece as she is the star of it.
Miss Cox has a big future before her, but cer-
tainly not in "School Days."
SINGLE COPIES, 10 CENTS.
$2.00 PER YEAR.
But all said and done, Gus Edwards' latest
offering promises to be a success, if only for its
melody alone. It is obviously a show built for
"the road," however, and not for poor, blase",
over-fed and theater-satiated New York. The
music of the production is published by Gus Ed-
wards.
TiiK MAN ON THE STKKKT
LEO FEIST'S OPINION
Of Our Special Music Publishers' Number.
Among the many kind and flattering letters
which we have received relative to our special
music publishers number we print the follow-
ing from Leo Feist, the well known music pub-
lisher, which arrived too late to be included
in the list of congratulatory messages which weie
given last week. Mr. Feist's letter reads in part:
"I have just finished reading your special num-
ber, and would have written you before had I not
been as busy as the proverbial bee all the week,
as I feel it a duty to acknowledge your splendid
effort. The number was a valuable, interesting
"nd intelligent inventory of existing conditions
of the music publishing industry. Let us have
more of them, and more power to you."
BRAHMS 1 HUNGARIAN DANCES.
We have received for review Johannes Brahms'
Hungarian Dances for piano (four hands), form-
ing one of Carl Fischer's excellent "Music
Library." So well known is this edition that it
need only be said that the dances have been re-
vised, phrased and fingered by Hans T. Seifert,
whose work is both musicianly and characteris-
tic. In recommending this volume to the trade
we do so with the assurance that it is up to the
standard of all the Carl Fischer publications,
which is all that need be said to insure the at-
tention of the retailer.
Johannes Brahms' Hungarian Dances for
piano. Four hands. Vol. I. (Nos. 1-10). CarJ
Fischer. Price $1.50.
MONUMENT TO S. C. FOSTER.
Pittsburg is making a move to erect a monu-
ment to Stephen C. Foster, the song writer and
composer of a half-century ago, who was born
in that city and spent much of his life there. No
doubt there will be widespread interest in the
project and a general wish for its success. Few
men have stirred the hearts of the American peO;
ple as did Stephen C. Foster. It may be said
that in "Old Folks at Home," "Old Black Joe,"
"My Old Kentucky Home," and other productions
he has a monument more enduring than any
memorial of stone or metal. And there are
others. What singer of days gone by fails to re
call with a thrill "Come Where My Love Lies
Dreaming," "Do They Miss Me at Home?" "Old
Dog Tray," and the like? Foster's songs were of
•the kind that moved the hearer because they
were KO full of "human interest." They were
translated into various languages, and they made
the world brighter and better.
Sincerely does The Review hope that the monu-
ment may be worthy of perhaps the greatest com-
poser of his kind that America has produced.