“ROSE MARIE ” EARNS £66,000 IN A YEAR.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17995, 4 November 1926, Page 8

“ROSE MARIE ” EARNS £66,000 IN A YEAR.

AMAZING PROSPERITY AT LONDON THEATRE

(Special to the "Star.”) LONDON, September 20. "Rose Marie, I love you, I’m always dreaming of you.” is the favourite refrain of Drury Lane Theatre shareholders, for t.hc spectacular musical play which has been running there, for a year and a half has earned £66.596 profit for them during the last twelve months. Yesterday the dreams materialised into a; dividend of 10 per cent, with a bonus of per cent. As the average profit at the theatre for the six preceding years was about £BOOO, the effect of “Rose Marie” on the fortunes of the house constitutes one of the outstanding romances of the theatrical world since the war. The play which has proved such a success was rejected as unsuitable for the theatre by' a former joint manag-ing-director. Mr Basil Dean, when he witnessed its production in America. "Rose Marie” was produced by Sir Alfred Butt in March last year, and with it the. theatre's losses were turned into profits as if by a magician’s wand. The first three months of its run brought returns sufficient to wipe out previous losses, clear the £20,000 cost of its production, and pay' a o per cent dividend. "Rose Marie” continues its triumphant career as a gold mine and a musical play'. Last night's was its 625th performance, and since Drury Lane's opening in 1663 it is the Only’ piece that has run there for a year.