Variety (Dec 1905)

VARIETY. — KEITH'S UNION 8QUARE. Wednesday afternoon the etereopticon did not open the show. AIwa>a go Wed- nesday afternoon. But To-To did, which is almost as cruel. How the act ever reached vaudeville is a larger mystery than the one advertised regarding the "gold brick." Josephine Cohan was the headliner in her latest sketch, "Friday, the 18th," which four well known persons of varied talents assisted in making up. All fell down together. Fred Niblo had a monologue which the audience liked. Niblo's method is to be commended, for you get over the old ones quickly through his rapid delivery. Paul Barnes is another monologlst. With a good voice and rather pleasant manner, it is to be devoutly wished that he never takes a partner .again. All his stuff is good—so good that he should cut the songs. Cook and Sylvia in a singing and dancing turn show fairly. The girl works, while Cook parts his hair in the middle. Mullen and Corelli have some acrobatic work which is not equal to the comedy of the act. Edward Mollenhauer is 80 years old and founded the first conservatory of music in this country, according to the programme. There is a conservatory bearing that name in Harlem. Perhaps that's it. And perhaps the manage- ment here had the idea that by engag- ing him all the acquaintances he has formed in the past eighty years would pack the house ten hours a day to hear Mr. Mollenhauer play his own compo- sitions on the violin. Perhaps they have. But if so they did not get in early. Harry Pilcer is a young man who sings and dances without much appar- ent experience. He has a good enough voice to take a girl partner, and clean up in the singing department for his style of act His imitation of Geo. Nelson giving an imitation of Geo. Co- han is an awful reflection upon Mr. Nelson. The three Madcaps and the Imperial Japanese troupe were among the many, while McKissick and Shadney, a colored team, made a hit to those in front by the woman wearing a wig. She also wore forty-three different colors in her dress. A change displayed a costume costing possibly $4.50. Will Rogers placed the large end of a lasso wherever he liked and Parros Brothers did some hand balancing. Mayme Remington and her pickanin- nies were there. Whenever you go to the opening of a new vaudeville thea- tre you always find Mayme. The man r agcrs believe her a mascot, and she is always trying. May fail now and then, COLONIAL. . Wherever Clayton White and Marie Stuart are located there you will find laughs, and in "Paris" this week there J3 no exception. Mr. White played the dual role in his best vein on Monday afternoon. Exclamations of "he's good" were frequent. Miss Stuart gave her usual excellent performance, and Nellie D'Arcy as the wife interpreted the part in an intelli- gent manner. . Fanny Rice, her cabinet and a drop, monogramed "F. R.," were among the fortunate ones. The miniature figures pleased. An imitation of Albert Cheva- lier has been added, but the "baby" hit still remains the best. Miss Rice should nurse her voice. It sounds strained. . Geo. W. Day as a monologist does not seem to realize the difference between Oshkosh, Wis., and New York city. He is still talking about Rockefeller and "tainted money." His "family" talk does not send the audience into convulsions either. If Mr. Day will attempt to con- vey the idea he believes there is some humor, at least, in the patter, those in front may be induced to share it. Watscn, Hutchings and Edwards in "The Vaudeville Exchange" manage to nave their names printed on the pro- gram twice. "And Company" is added to the title, but as the "Co.** seems to be only a monkey, that invites invidious comparison. A new act or sketch fs due, and it can't be accepted that Harry Watson is a real funny man until that has been accomplished. Ed. Edwards plays a critic in an almost human man- ner. Chas. Guyer and Nellie O'Neill are doing their "rough-house" dancing to the unmistakable delight of the public. The violent exercise is having a pecu- liar result on the couple. While Miss O'Neill is growing somewhat stouter, Guyer is losing. But Nellie's added avoirdupois does not appear at the ex- tremes. Louise Gunning is back again singing Scotch songs in a similar dress. Miss Gunning presents a very pretty picture on the stage. The Onlaw Trio are on the bill, while Lawson and Namon in trick bicycle rid- ing and bag punching opened it. A review of the Military Octette will be found in the Department of New Acts. Nella Bergen, having been thoroughly initiated into the mysteries of vaude- ville, is enjoying it immensely, she says. The first week she played in the con- tinuous she was at a complete loss to but continually getting out something understand just why the usual agent's commission should be deducted from her V^ weekly stipend—inasmuch as Manager H. B. Harris signed all her contracts for new—excepting the "picks." It is reported that Joe Hart, Carrie De Mar, Fred Hallen and Molly Fuller will soon join hands in a specially pre- pared sketch. Whether the name will again be Hallen and Hart. Hart and Hallen or something to be decided upon is not known. the first few weeks Miss Bergen was completely Innocent of the aforesaid clause, and refused to accept the money until Manager Harris came to her res- cue. The singer is full-fledged now in all the intricate details of vaudeville con- tracts. PROCTOR'8 TWENTY-THIRD 8T. The bill is well put together, and ran through easily. The most noticeable thing in connection with it was one song, which was first parodied, then sung straight, and finally blown at you through the end of a horn in three dif- ferent acts. One was ready to believe before leaving that this music publish- er, whoever he is, has secured a corner. Hayman and Franklin opened the show in what undoubtedly is presumed to be a sketch, as it is called "A Matri- monial Agency." As a matter of fact it is nothing more or less than a con- versation, and more particularly "noth- ing." The man attempts a Hebrew charac- ter, forgetting the dialect in the talk, and recalling it in the parodies, where it is lost. If there is any ability here, it will never be discovered in the pres- ent offering. The woman overdresses, and what is needed is revision, even if some money must be paid to secure it. Chassino, in shadowgraphs, did many intricate figures with both hands and feet. It would be a pleasant act to sit through were it not that "Mr." Chassino needs to be cleanly shaven. Emma Cams was number three on the programme, which speaks better for it than anything else could. Miss v,arus sang five songs. She is growing careless of her voice, but does not strike the deep contralto as often as formerly. Two of her selections were good; the others indifferent. She is developing coon singing to a high degree. "Colonel" Gaston Bordeverry shot away numberless cartridges and im- pressed the house as a remarkable shooter. Technically any sharpshooter can do as well. The undressing, which is the sensation of the act, is accom- plished through aiming at bull-eyes placed on the woman's dress where it ia to be released. The woman herself, Miss Leonie DeLausanne, Is a very slim target, wearing a bow in the back of her dres3 to indicate where standing. The three Keatons do a burlesque on the "Colonel." The "kid" (Buster) seems to be impromptu in several dif- ferent ways, and if this be so he will grow to be a headliner alone, provided the boy remains in this division. Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Drew gave "The Yellow Dragon," which is somewhat familiar, but was very peaceful in a desert of acts and comedy. The sketch is good, both give a fin- ished performance and are carrying a capable company. Avery and Hart, two real coons of dif- ferent hues, are following the footsteps of Williams and Walker, if they haven't passed them. Too much time is consumed arriving at the point, but otherwise they kill time cgreenbly. Paul Sandor, a ventriloquist dog train- er, has an excellent act, introducing the do?s dressed to represent a menagerie. He is a good ventriloquist, and the act. as it now stands, is a delight for chil- dren. THE OFFICE BOY AND THE AGENTS. Having occasion to drop in an agent's office one day this week I was informed by the Office Boy he had "just stepped out." The Boy further informed me hi would be back shortly, and politely asked me to be seated. We were alone and after a few min- utes the Boy attempting sociability said: "Looking for a date?" "No," I replied. "Just wanted to see the agent personally." ' "Ain't you in the biz?" he inquired. Receiving a negative reply, the Boy looked me over and said: "Well say, then, you've got a hand-shake coming to yourself, all right. This business has got everything skinned a mile I ever seen. And an agent. Nothing to it. It's soft. Know this feller well? No? You ought to. He's peaches. What gets me anyway is how the performers stand for some of these fellers. "This one's got more people conned than anybody I was ever up against be- fore. Why, I used to work in an office downtown and when anybody come in we were making money out of or ex- pected to, if we didn't get busy and be polite it was the fire for us. "But some of these agents. Flue. Wish I could do it. Treat their cus- tomers just like hogs. The only live ones to them are the managers. "Gee, say, you won't believe this, but it goes. When I first started working for this feller he didn't have a chair in his outside office. Let all the people stand up while waiting, until someone tipped him off he was going to get a roast for it. "But that's not a marker. Why one day he told nie to tell two headliners he couldn't see them as he was busy with a manager, and they should come again after they made a special trip down to see him. And who do you sup- pose he had in the inside room? A shine $40 a week sister act. Neither one of the girls had a license to work outside a laundry either at that. If I ever tell this lobster what I think of him, he'll either fire me or raise my salary. I don't care which. "It's got me going. I'm commencing to think I'm the only human person on earth. They get away with it, too, that's where I'm stopped. But this business will get right some day, and these four- flushors will have to go back to work again. They'll be mighty glad then to get an act to notice them. You can stick a pin in that. "Are you going? He'll be right in. Say, don't tell I was knocking." Jeanette Lowrie has blossomed out as a finished monologlst, and is hot on the trail of the male contingent In this line of work. She has a smart new Idea to present in the vaudeville houses and will make her debut without Mr. Sen- bronke in the act Xmas week at Hurtig & Seamon's. She will also add a song and dance to her "turn." To-morrow night at the New York will mark the debut here of Amy Rlcard, In vaudeville.