Variety (Jan 1906)

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lilil— . 1 , , I 'tm K A VARIETY r ^ I N EW ACTS or TMD WEEK J Katie Barry. "Just a Joke." v Keeney's Theatre. W^ After a week's "tr> fit" in I tira, Miss Harry appears at Keeney's Theatre in lir(K)klyn this week with her new musical »omedy sketch, by Porter Emerson Hr(»wn<'. The object oi the little Knglish woman appearing in a sketch is pn.Sably to aUow of her occupying t>i»» stauc longer than she could as a single entertainer, and also to draw more salary for so doing. John Alden and (Jeorge Wilson assume the two other characters in the sketch, which has a semblance of a plot in a chamber- maid (Miss Barry) having read the love- lorn novels, awaits iier hero with "an im- maculate brow, a rummy nose and a uni- form." The scene is laid in an apartment hotel, occupied by Lieut. Harry Montrose (Mr. Alden), and while the chambermaid and the elevator boy (Mr. Wilson) are al- most on the point of engaging themselves for life while seated on the floor of the parlor, the army oflicer appears. The chambermaid accepting it for granted that some good fairy has fulfille<l the oft-re- peated wish, declares her love. He jollies her along in that belief until he is sum moned below to meet his fiance, and the blow of being toUl by the Apollo that it i-. 'Must a Joke" leaves the chambermaid sobbing as the curtain falls—the only pa- thetic incident in a jumble of songs and Katie Barry mannerisms. The sketch pleased the house so mightily that Miss Barry was compelled to make a short speech. She needs no one to assist her in vaudeville. She is sufficient in herself. The reason above state*!, however, is a valid one. Mr. Wilson as the elevator boy took full advantage of his comedy oppor- tunities, having a quiet unctuous style which gained iuany laughs. Mr. Alden presented a manly looking oflicer, who would condescend to make love to a cham- bermaid. A .netting showing the door to an elevator could be claime<l to have been _ laken from "Fun in a Foolish Housij'Liis played by the four Huntings when iti vaudeville. Everything aj»art. Miss Barry is worth her salary to any manager. Sim*-. Ralph Johnstone. Bicyclist. Hippodrome. AfU'r a thre*' years' tour of the Conti- uent, Kalph Johastone returns, appearing this week at the HipjKKlrome for the first time, with a greatly improved act. J<»hn- stone was the first arti.st to make a junij» from a pedestal to the stage on a wheel, and he stil' retains this trick, but from a higher elevation. He has one new trick to wind up the performance, which w some- thing (f a startler, he turning a completo somersault on the whet I, landing upon a •spring-board on the stage, which gives him the necpssarv re-hound. Sime. George Bonhair-Gregory Troupe. "Risley Act." Hippodrome. Seven jK'ople, all men, compo.se the ironpe. i. 11(1 give an exhibition of pedal ac- robat lis. 'Hie work Is <lean and snapi)y, and tiio lM)ys. wbo are very young, are thrown around in good style. The ^ound work, of whi< h there is little shown, is of the toi»notch order, and inclines one to de- sire th.it they could extend themselves in this <lepartment before leaving. The act made the hit of the Hippodrome bill, ap- IK'aring there for the first time in this coun- trv. it is (laimed. Simc. Henriette De Serris. Living Pictures. Hyde and Behman*s. Although it is some six months since these art reproductions were started, this is the first showing in New York of the act, it having played the Western time first. Mme. De Serris is the wife of Jean Marcel (though she makes no capital of this fact) and the pictures follow the Marcel lines. She uses both bronze and marble reliefs as well as color pictures. She would do well to hold to the first two, for the colors are not well handled and in "The Gleaners" the models lacked rigidity; a fault partially due to the awkwardness of the pose. The bronzes are all new bronze, though a softer effect would be far more artistic. Military subjects are used for these models, a picket guard, a machine gun and a field piece crew; the latter carrying an American flag in proper colors. Tlie marble reliefs are by far the best, for these lack the garishness of the bronze and the groupings are splendidly done. The act, as a whole, is a good one and should be seen in t<)wn frequently. Chicot. I James H. Jec. LfCaper. Colonial. While no one denies Percy Williams' prerogative to place the acts on a bill as lu' may see fit, it was not fair to Mr. Jee that on his first appearance in this coun- try he shouhl be compelled to open the show, which he did on Monday afternoon at the Colonial. H the verdict of an audi- ence is to Im» accepted, the least that may ba expected by the foreign artist is that he will not be placed at a disadvantage at the start. Jee performs on a slack wire, jumping over objects held on the wire by a woman assistant and a stage hand. His longest jump is over six chairs, bound together, but through the moving ba«*k of the row of chairs bv the assist- ants, he actually leaps over only three. Mr. Jee's reception was cordial, and were he placed where his act would have re- ••eived its full value, the applause would have been <'r<'ater. Simc. "The Poster Girls." "Girl Act." New York Theatre. / •y This act is called a noveltv and is un<ler the direction of James Forbes, known as the author of "The (liorus I^ady." The "novelty" is depended tipon in the opening showing a drop represent- ing a bill-board running across the width of and on a dimly lightwl stage. The board is divided into the usual «livisions as seen on street signs, each of which has a *'[>08ter girl" painted on it. There are five divisions, and a sixth advertises a certain brand of corsets, the manufactur- ers of which, no doubt, paid the expenses of the production. Se^'mour Brown, who is featured in the billing, comes On a "drunk" attempting to find his way home in the early morning, and communes with a trick lamppost. Noticing the posters, after some comedy, he investigates, when the bouse is darkened completely, and u[>on being fully lighted, girls are seen in the compartments formerly bearing the poster pictures, which were rolled up in the darkness. It resembles the setting of "The Girl in the Red Mask." After a little by-play of no consequence, the girls, six in number, step out on the stage. Singing and dancing follows. The singing dtoes not deserve mention. Not a good voice lurks among the young women, but the dancing has been well stage-managed, and the costuming is commendable. An electrical effect, remindful of comic opera devices, is the finale, and seemed to be well liked by the audience. Mr. Brown as the "drunk" was excellent, and has a good singing voice. The act may be de- veloped into a genuine hit, but will never be worth very much, as now arranged, over the figure paid ordinary "girl acts." Simc. ■n. May Naudain, ;: \ / Soprano. \/_. New York Theatre. May Naudain, late of the I^ew Fields* Company, appeared in vaudeville for the first time last Sunday night, singing three selections, "My Little Canoe," "Kiss Me Once More Cood Night," and "'March, Boys, March." Miss Naudain was so evidently nervous that she accidentally ran into the easel holding the announcement card upon leaving the stage after the first number, and this was of benefit to her, for it in- spired the confidence which had been lack- ing, the audience appreciating the situa- tion through applause. The young lady has a pretty face and a pleasing voice, which in a house smaller than the New York would be heard to much better ad- vantage. "My Little Canoe" scored large- Iv. Miss Naudain being assisted on the chorus by someone behind the wings. "Kiss Me Once More CJood Night" is a bal- lad, almost classical, and was sung with feeling and expression. The march sonft. the last selection given, should be dropped from her repertoire. It is of no help, and tended somewhat to impair what had been up to that moment a very good impres- sion. This singer will succeed in vaude- ville if she continues her choice of musical numbers with reganl to their merit only, for she has the indefinable (juality indis- pensable to all successful solo artists, Sime. Madge Fox. "Girl Act.'* Pastor's. \ 7 V "Madge Fox and her r> (k)lle«ns" is the billing of the new act which has been "tried out" in the West, and is still try- ing out here according to appearances, for I'aul Klotz. who appears with the girls, did a Hebrew dialect s{)ecialty at the .\merican last Sunday with tJie act, but has changed into "straight" at Pastor's. He appears l)etween the changes of the girls, of which there are three. Miss Fox is not working as banl as formerly in the "flip tla|)s." turning only one, which is costly to the act, f<»r these are looked for, iMul will be th<' success of it. Without them the act will not go as it is now ar- ranged. Miss Fox weArs a different cos- tuuie in each change, and neith^r of them is in harmony with those worn by the girls. The value of the present offering will be decided by the number of "turn overs" Miss Fox will do, she only counting in the result. Sitne. "The Aerial Wrestling Girls." i/" New York Theatre. The billing reads "first time in America," but this is misleading. Most of these girls appeared in the same act in a bur- les»|ue show this season, closing ami com- ing on to New York. There are twelve young women, six each representing Eng- land and America respectively, all dressed tastefully and one or two good looking. Twelve perpendicular swinging poles are suspende<l horizontally along an aerial bridge, and the aimouncer states that the girl or girls remaining longest on the poles will be declared the winner. The girls take opjwsite poles, and attempt to force their opponents off through force by treading upon their heads or shoulders until the hold is broken and the under grils drop to the stage. This is continued until only those of the same team remain on the poles. I^st Sunday night the time for the act was thirteen minutes. It is more spectacular than interesting, but became somewhat amusing towards the finale. Were the young women good acro- bats, with very little "faking" it could be made a big go. As it is, it just pleases. Nothing similar though has been shown before in vaudeville, the act not resem- bling in any particular that of "The .Fe- male International Wrestlers" who wres- tled on the mat. Simc, William and Genie Golder. Musical. Pastor's. "Found Another Bin" is the name the sketch is called which introduces these artists, who have probably played on smaller circuits heretofore. A new name should Ik* found 'i* once, and the act re- framed altogether. The only novelty in it is a .setting <»f electric bells, which, when ])laycd from the Iwck by the teanrr showed lighted incandescents as each bell responds to the touch. The apparatus nee<ls renickeling. and the instruments look shabby. The man is no musician to s|)eak of. being a poor |)erformer on the cornet, and not much better on the sax- phone. Miss flolder plays the piano in .i r'airly gocnl style, but lacks confidence in bearing and spe<'ch. It will require a great deal of work and thought to make this act ))resentable for long bookings. Simc. Jacob's Dogs. Colonial. This act has played over the circuit"^ of the Western Vaudeville Association, appearing here for the first time in the East. Mr. Jacobs has three dogs, and the act can play in "one." The animals are well trained, doing acrobatic work only. One trick of having a dog turn a complete somersault, landing on the palm of the trainer's hand on his two front paws only, balancing in that position, is quite the best thing in acrobatic dog training that has been shown. No whip is used nor are any barks heard. It is an act that is thoroughly enjoyed by children, and in- terests adults. Simc,