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Widows ofOn Monday night, Oct. 4, the Orpheum Circuit of Theatres opened in Chicago its latest and most beautiful playhouse, the New Palace. I„ itself, this event might not be thought unusual, as new theatres are continually being opened in various parts of the country, but to Mrs. Caroline L. Kohl of Chicago, vice-president of the Orpheum Circuit, to Mrs. Clara Castle Borns of New York, and Mrs.^ Martin Lehman of Kansas City, all of whom attended the opening, it was a notable occasion. To them it was the attainment of a goal, toward which Orpheum hopes had been lifted for thirty-five years. It was the realization of a beautiful ideal., A trace of sadness was felt that the husbands of these women, the late Charles E. Kohl, George Castle and Martin Lehman, who had struggled long and earnestly to build up vaudeville, could not have lived to witness the heights to which this form of entertainment ihas ascended, as represented in this colossal and exquisite playhouse. However, Mrs. Kohl and the present executives of the Orpheum Circuit have displayed the same indomitable spirit in carrying on to a realization of the goal to which those vaudeville pioneers aspired.In 1887 the first Orpheum theatre was opened in San Francisco, and Morris Meyerfeld, Jr., soon, became its manager. A short time afterwards he started • another in • Los Angeles. Vaudeville, of course, was in its infancy and was merely a crude sort of variety entertainment, but Mr. Meyerfeld and his associates saw its possibilities and determined to develop it into something better. In order to secure worthwhile acts, he sent Martin Lehman, one of his assistants, to Chicago to book these acts for the California theatres.A program of expansion was decided upon, and Mr. Lehman selected Kansas City as the site for the next Orpheum theatre. Turning the booking over to Martin Beck, who was then located in Chicago, he went immediately to Kansas City and remained there as manager of that theatre until his death in 1917. This was the actual beginning of the Orpheum Circuit.In the course of a few years the Chicago branch of the Orpheum Circuit became affiliated with Kohl and^ Castle, prominent theatrical pen, and in St. Louis a similar association was made with Tate and [Middleton. In 1920 a reorganization took place oi the various [theatrical interests that composed or were affiliated with the [Orpheum Circuit, and at that time Mrs., Kohl, Mrs. Castle, Mr. [Meyerfeld, Mr. Beck, Mr; Tate, the Lehman family and .others who [had been identified with the vaudeville business for years, including [the Finn and Heiman Circuit, merged their interests into the reorganized Orpheum Circuit.I For thirty-five years these Orpheum Circuit pioneers, who were pgh-minded and public spirited, followed out their desire to elevate [vaudeville until it should express- a type of entertainment suitable |for people of taste and refinement, and each year they raised its Ohmdard and gained a step toward the realization of their dream. [A younger generation, under the leadership of Marcus Heiman, now [the president of the Orpheum Circuit, has carried on to. the sameObjective:I Among the other distinguished guests who were present at the Opening of the New Palace was Mr. Meyerfeld, who had been I President of the Orpheum Circuit for twenty-five years and who cameCAROLINE LKOHU•*••lt;,1!. OF CWlCAOO“Vice PRESIDENT L ORPUEUWCIRCUIT AOf- NEW YORKOF KAN5AS CITYg,MARCUS HElMATiPRESiftttT ORPHEUM CMROUlTwas also there, as was Frank R. Tate of St. Louis, a pioneer in vaudeville business, now an Orpheum Circuit director.Mrs. Kohl has consistently given time and energy to her duties as .vice-president, and Mrs. Clara Castle Borns and Mrs. .Martin Lehman, although not active in Orpheum Circuit affairs, still retain ftheir large holdings and are intensely interested in the progress of the organization.Vaudevilleall the way from San Francisco for the great event. Mrs. Jessie Castle Roberts of New York, daughter of the late George Castle,
Newspaper Details
New York Vaudeville News
New York, New York, US
Fri, Nov 12, 1926
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Meredith T.
USA 15 Jun 2021
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