Variety (Jan 1906)

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VARIETY Shows of the BAD COLOR EFFECTS. It would seem to be time for the per- formers and some manapers to waken to tlie necessity for better lightinj; effects upon the stage. There aeems to be a craze this season for light effects, and, as a rule, these effects are put in with a single lantern, usually the one used in connec- tion with the motion picture machine. As a result the stage is so dark in many acts that it is impossible to see the artists. This is particularly the case when some of the old Menschen slides are used, a relic of a barbaric age, happily passing away. In these effects clouds or flowers or stars or some equally foolish thing are thrown upon the scenery and the chorus sings in darkness and disgrace. Even where a proper battery of lights is useil the effects would not always be advisable. When instead of half a dozen lamps one weak electric lantern is used, the result is worse than bad. It would be far l)etter to use the lantern as a spot light and flood the stage with white. A brightly lighted stage will do much for an act. A dim environment spoils the best, and yet because the big spectacles make use of color effects, the variety artist must perforce do the same thing, and we strain our eyes trying to see what is going on upon the stage. In an important production, the light effects are as carefully considered as any other part of the performance. Just the right tints are obtained and the maxi- mum quantity of light passes through. Sometimes a variance of two or three shades will kill the effect of costumes or scenery and the lights are watched. In vaudeville a medium is red or green or blue, as the case may be. There is no appreciation of shade, it is enough that the light is approximately the color desired, and the greens and blues render the make- ups ghastly and repulsive instead of at- tractive. There is no pleasure in regard- ing a chorus whose faces suggest that they have been recently taken from the river after having been floating about for a few days, and yet some of the features of the unfortunates at the Morgue are far more pleasing than the combination of raw tints and unskillful makeup. If from four to six lights could be used and care were exercised in the se- lection of the tints, the effect might be better, but where one light is used, and this is further obscured through the use of too thick a medium, much of the value of the turn is utterly lost and it would be far better were the engagement given to some one who would keep the stage bright and attractive. The burlesque companies are particular- ly bad in this regard. Every time the girls come on to sing, some candy butcher or song sheet seller gets in front of the lone spot light and obscures the weak- ling with dim mediums which oast the hues of death upon the stage. The cos- tumes are rendered ineffective, and the grease paint mortifies in the sight of the audience. Unless light effects can be made to enhance the value of a scene, let us have no more of them, and least of all, the pictorial effects. KEITH'S. The Zancigs appear to be the program "it" almost everywhere they play. At Hammerstein's they virtually clone the show and down at Keith's this week they come right after a sketch so unrestrained that the audience is worn out witb laugh- ing and their work does not have its proper effect. When this handicap i? con- sidered, the fact that they get a grip on their audience in two or three minutes is a real triumph for them. But whatever their skill at pulling back the audience, they should be given every possible oppor- tunity to make good, for theirs is the one transmission act which has stood the test of time and of which the explanation is still lacking. They not only make good, but in the early half of the week they induce the audience to send others to wit- ness their feats. The rough-house sketch is the newest version of "The New Coach- man," in which Grace Gardner and Louis Simon appear. Miss Gardner rearranges the incidents differently every time she brings it to town, and it has already en- joyed about thre<^ reincarnations. There is fun and action in plenty. It is a pity that Miss Gardner does not realize that there is no longer need of the equivocal dialogue from the original act relative to the hiring of the coachman. It is not funny and there is so much that is hon- estly humorous that she no longer needs doruble entendre. The sketch was not only the big laughing hit but the only laugh- ing hit. S. Miller Kent pleased with "Just Dorothy," a little playlet rather too quiet according to the newest ideas but welcome because of this very fact. He has able support from Frank I. Frayne, who plays a Chinaman without inspiring the audience with murderous thoughts. He is the only one in his class. (Jrace I^onard sings. She sang two songs ^londay because the audience was discour- aged and would not stand for a third even when the orchestra gave a hint by playing the introduction to the third. Miss Leonard should have paused before singing the first. She is not a clever male impersonator and her ideas of accent are so poor as to kill whatever effect her songs might otherwise have. Calahan and Mack, in their clever bit, were wel- come not only for themselves but because of their associates. They came right after a negro team with some amateurish singing and some veteran jokes. One man has a good dancing idea. The rest is not for the better class of stage until thev lose their newness. John Birch would score more strongly did he seem less anxious to please in those brief mo- ments when he is not a one-man play. His idea is good but he is over anxious. Restraint would improve his work and i.Mve him a more certain touch. Harry P>lson and his dog still please—because of tlie dog, and the Chad wick trio waste time with a sketch of the "My uncle from the country" type. It would be better to put the child in a solo dancing act. Rol- tare, The Avon Comedy Four and R'osaire and Doretto also appeared. . HAMMERSTEIN'S One of the best bills of the season is being shown at Hammerstein's this week where t'inquevalli, R. .\. Roberts, the Six Cuttys, Crcssy an«l Ihiyne and the Jack- son Family share headline honors. Mr. Roberts is repeating the good work done elsewhere, but the Hammerstein audiences gasp a little over the bread incident. It is not necessary for Mr. Roberts to have recourse to any of this sort of thing and it is a pity that so clever a player should so persistently offend. By com- parison with his earlier work he is much l>etter, but none of this sort of thing is necessary in an American theatre so long as a player is clever, and here it is left to the lesser people without other re- course. Mr. Roberts is too good an actor to taint his work with nastiness. Cinque- valli is seen at this house for the first time and he scored as strongly as at the l*roctor theatres. He is a real juggler possessed of both skill and finish, and it is a pleasure to witness his exhibitions of deftness more than once. Cressy and Oayne were the laughing hit with their "Town Hall To-night." This audience is alive to the technical points of the com- edy and it all went with a roar. It is easily the best act Mr. Cressy has given us and one of the season's hits. The Cut- tys are the same as ever and look as miserable as the audience when they sing. In the violin solo the other evening a string broke, but George May, the leader of the orchestra, saved the situation by handing up his own violin. They were forced to take two encores and deserved this distinction for they make good music. The Jackson family have a lot of capital riding and the act frames up as a real headline. Hoey and Lee made a hit with their parodies, though they merely re- write old jokes. There was a time when they sought inspiration from newer top- ics. They would do well to re-adopt that policy. John and Bertha Gleeson, with Fred Houlihan apologetically sitting at the piano, offer some capital dancing. The new costumes for the opening number are a decided improvement on the old, and for the finish Gleeson wears the best fitte<l dress suit in vaudeville. He is one of the very few persons in this end of the business who can wear evening clothes with distinction, Mr. Houlihan should realize that he is doing good work and appear less afraid of the audience when making his announcements. If he thought better of himself, the audience would regard his work with greater re- spect. It makes a far better act than the old turn, and one that pleases. Ser- ra, an eijuilibrist, has some capital feats, but when he does the balance on what are supposed to be two })illiard cues, he should not throw his hand grips to the stage after the (rick. It spoils (ho effect. Howard and North have a now act of merit and there are motion pictures to wind u|) a really good bill. Charles R. Sweot plays West, opening I'eVirunry 11. Neff and Miller, acrobatic dancers, a western team, are now playing the Poli circuit, and expect to show in New York soon. Al Lubin, who is connected with a music publishing house, the name of which he would like to see in print also, has been busy rehearsing some embryo artists jit the National Academy of Design for a • arnivHl to be given Jan. 20. HYDE & BEHMAN'S. It is a thirsty orchestra that leaves Hyde and Behman's after the perform- ance this week, for there is not a wait long enough to permit the men to drop under the stage and relax. Save in two acts, they are kept going all of the time and even in the Ross and Fenton presen- tation of Oliver Twist the cold storage music is on tap a part of the time. Mr. Ross is no novelty at this house, but he and Miss Fenton are old friends of the audience and their reception is marked. At the curtain calls Miss Fenton has an unpleasant five minj^tes trying to hide her gory countenance, but she likes encores for all of that. If George H. Wood were a horse instead of a monologue man, even the New Orleans authorities would have had his trainer in the stand to explain his reversal of form. He is making a real hit here, partly because he has the sort '' of audience that likes his stuff and in part because of this fact he does not get angry and scold them for not being ap- preciative. Almont and Dumont have strange new instruments and some more familiar sorts and play them all well. It is a good act and notable because all of the instruments they play require skill. There are no chimes of mirambas to pad the act with easy work. Genaro and Bailey have put back the dialogue in their act and are now playing "A Cigarette Case" again. The dialogue docs not n>at- ter much but the effect is smarter when they merely offer the dances. The danc- ing will always be the real hit of their act and they^ will never be able to get away from it. Over here they had to take three curtain calls and could have come back to do the act all over a^ain had they desired. Emma Francis and her Arabs had a good place on the bill and Miss Francis v»as working with greater speed than last week at Hurtig and Sea- mon's. She is a vivacious small person, and with the two boys to help her out hns an act t^iat is a .close approach to ^ perpetual motion. Flo Irwin and Walter Hawley are doing their old "Caught with the Goods," which was first presented some five or six years ago. They do not exactly deliver the goods, but the Irwin name is an attraction and they get along well with a song. The act is susceptible of improvement both as to lines and idea. Carter and Bluford are mulattos, but • they run the whole gamut of the races including Spanish and Indian. They will be adding an Arab song next. They stick to singing without any talk and get along well because of this fact. They do some really good work. The Dufllin-Redcay troupe has to open the show simply be- cause there is no other place for the act. The bill this week is an awkward one to handle, but with two turns working in one throughout and to avoid a wait a splendid act is being offered early for the good of the whole show. They have some capital tricks but their triple to the net is not the novelty the program would have it appear. It is as good as the best casting acts, with a couple of clever boys. The de Serris pictures will be found un- der New Acts. ' B. Obernwiyer leaves for Europe in March.