Variety (Jan 1906)

■ ■\-:' VARIETY BylSinie MINER'S EIGHTH AVENUE. After watching Sim Williams* "Ideal Kxtravaganza" company, you wonder what the show would do on Broadway, and again you wonder why two of the hroade^t jokt»s or remarks ever allowed in a burlesque company are not cut out. thie is that of the "Patent medicine" and th«j "wife" and the other about "two people walking through the park." "IMs a pity to besmirch a legitimate ef- fort of this kind with such trash. The burlcscjue is carried throughout the piece in two scenes, with one act in the olio to allow of a stage setting. The story is h'gible, an«l there is a real actor in the company. This same actor is the stage manager, Clayton Fryre, somewhat on the style of I'ete Dailey. His only mistake is in the acting, for the stage management in burlesque has not been surpassed this ■ season. *" ■' Mr. Fryre is prone to laugh too easily and often, which, while it may deceive the audience into the belief that a great deal of impromj>tu matter is injected, . hurts his value. The comedians are led by Frank O'lirien, who has appeared in vaudeville as a monologist, and gives his talk dur- ing the action of the piece. Nothing can be said for it except that it pleased. The two Gniets are prominent among the come<lians, and Nick Murphy is also there, while a character is taken by Lewis Liv- ingstone, of the Livingstone family, who give their acrobatic work, consisting of pedal acrobatics, in the second scene. They have a new trick of throwing one of the . women (who still wear the. cumbersome skirts) to the feet of the man, and it i^ effective. The girls of the show, however, are the stars. A better drilled chorus has never been shown in a burlesque company, and they are led by Katherine Klare and Car- rie Franklin. Miss Franklin has a much superior singing voice to Miss Klare, and if the latter knew how far better she ap- — i»eared in long skirts than in tights, she would refuse to don the close-fitting gar- njents. The costumes worn by the girls are dressy, whether short or long, although partiality is shown for black stockings and pink fleshings, a famous combination for the curiously inclined. Several changes are made, and in one of the numbers "rep- resenting the four champion colleges," Vale is noticeable ))y its absence. A min- strel first part is also given, with one of the oldest jokes known to minstrelsy as the headliner. ^ Ohas. B. Ward, "the Bowery Boy," has been put on for the week to sing a song, which he does to much aplause, gained mostly through "kidding" the girls. If the show will "clean up," cutting out some of the "old stuff" which can be excused easily through the excellence of the rest, Mr. Williams can pat himself on the back for having the best vaudeville organization in the business. TWENTY-THIRD STREET. Most fortunate nowadays is the singer who has achieved sufficient distinction to be honored by the backing of the red ve- lour curtain, which did service for Lillian Russell in her never-to-be-forgotten en- gagement at this house. Lucille Saunders reaped the benefit this week, but her rich mezzo-soprano does not require any back- ground, and her four selections were very well received. The real huge laugh was "From Za-Za to Uncle Tom," with Murphy and Nichols. Comment on the sketch was supplied by a woman in the audience who said: "1 have seen this four times, and I laugh more each time." Tom Hearn came in for his share of ap- plause at "The Lazy Juggler." Mr. Hearn took umbrage the last time I reviewed his act through a mifeconception of the intent of the article. It is freely admitted that for good comedy, Mr. Hearn has the best juggling act ever imported to this country, and as far as known the "lazy" end is entirely original with him—but the com- edy juggling is not. Holcombe, Curtis and Webb are giving "A Winter Session," which is pretty fair- ly known, but the songs are changed to keep abreast of current demands. Sam Curtis' voice has undergone no change, and he displays common sense by not overworking it in three-part singing. Miss Webb still persists in giving the "kid" song used by Miss Cushman when the lat- ter was in the act. There are any number of songs Miss Webb could sing to greater applause. Cavano, " 'creator' of the contortion wire work," contorts on a slack wire, hanging to it by every part of his body excepting his ear, and for an opening act number, he "went" exceedingly well. Bailey and Fletcher, "The Minstrel Boys," who are colored, let loose all the noise the house management would allow, with some dancing on a par with the singing. D'Alma's dogs and monkeys were put through their paces, and convinced the audience at least that the trainer knew liis profession, while the six Glinserettis, a foreign troupe of acrobats, did some good work from a bounding net spread over a table. The three Dumonds pleased in their usual manner but the reason why the same repertoire is persisted in, week in and week out, can not be readily arrived at. It does not follow that a complete change would be required at one time. A new piece now, to be tried and retained if satisfactory, and so on until the many who have seen the musicians often would recognize the progressiveness, even if rather late in arriving. "X" on the program is "Kxtra number." "Z" is placed before "Intermission until Evening." Had the alphabet another let- ter there would again be a continuous show hei'e. CQLONIAL. The big drawing card at the Colonial j this week is Virginia Earl. Miss Earl's name is sufficient to fill a house any- where, and on Monday afternoon seats were at a premium. The support of the comic opera star is composed of six good looking young men, all lively fellows, who work with spirit when the opportunity is given them. A sketch is the foundation for their appearance upon the stage, which they have to themselves until Afiss Earl arrives. The setting is the private apart- ment of the leading lady, and instead of being obliged to remain stationary in chairs most of the time after her appear- ace, the boys should be allowed to wander around, speaking to each other naturally, and joining the choruses at the proper moment. Harry L. Tighe is lost entirely too much to the feminine contingent pres- ent through application at the piano. Mr. Tighe is the personification of an ideal West Pointer in a cadet's uniform, and the girls in the house sigh for him con- tinually. Through the orchestra leader being negligent in taking up the music cue for the finale, Monday afternoon, the effect was spoiled, but the audience liked the sketch and Miss Earl, attesting it by demanding an encore. It is a novelty compared to "girl acts," for boys are in the background, which marks a new de- parture. Staley and Birbeck gave their transfor- mation, working it quickly and without hitch, while Harry B. Lester, "The College Boy Comedian," lo which billing he is justly entitled, did not use it on the pro- gram here this week. He made a hit with his impersonation of George M. Cohan. The Reiff brothers displayed what could be done in single and team dancing. One of the brothers has a new dance step which is a gem, and it is difficult to ex- actly understand just how he is doing it. If the boys would cut down the singing in the opening, giving more solo dancing -instead, it would benefit a dancfng a c t - that speaks for itself, and need stand in /ear of no similar turn. "A Modern Jonah," by Harry Foy and Ren Shields, is the latest sketch of Foy and Clark, and is the best in theme of anv thev have thus far used, but the dia- logue is not crisp enough to help along the idea. Miss Clark as a mermaid when the drop is raised is obliged to explain wliy she is there until Foy arrives via the mouth of a whale. The foolish and time-worn talk of explaining to an un- versed woman the whvs an<l wherefores of the world, palls, and new dialogue in this sketcii would be of immense help. F'oy has some funny effects, and there is no reason why this shouldn't be worked up to a great big hit. Ix)uise Dresser sang to the satisfaction of everyone, and the Florenze family went through their acrobatic performance. James II. Jee, a foreign lea per, and Ja- cob's Dogs, both aj)pearing here for the first time, are reviewed under New Acts. THE OFFICE BOY ON ORCHESTRAS. '•What do you think?" said the Office Hoy. "I have been to every vaudeville theatre in the two boroughs, and I am full of it way up to here," pointing to his chin. > ; <; , After being congratulated upon his for- titude, the boy replied, "Oh, I didn't mind it so much, and a lot of things struck me funny. I guess about the most peculiar of the whole lot are the orchestras. Did you ever pay any particular attention to them? A few seem to be giving some attention to what they are there for, while the others are waiting for pay-day. "They behmg to a union, don't they ? W'ell, I thought so. They all act so in- dependent. Most of them don't seem to realize how important they are to a vaudeville show. In a good many houses, I noticed the leader playing with his back half turned to the stage. Supposing something ocjurred there which could have been glossed over; how would he halve seen it? "And then some of the leaders will go along, and after a discord or one instru- ment gets too loud, he will look at the musician in a commanding sort of way, but if he had his musicians under control that wouldn't have happened. "The musicians themselves just play. Most of them are waiting for the acts which give them a chance to go under the stage for a smoke or drink, I don't know which, but they go often enough to get plenty of both. Perhaps too much drink gets them dopey; it seems so anyway, for I heard some good acts, especially singing ones, (pieere<l through the poor judgment used by the leader and the loud playing of the men. "Up at one house I was sitting down front, and 1 had to go in the back of the house to hear what was being sung on the stage. The leader had his legs crossed and all he needed was a cigarette in his mouth. , ' ^ "Some of the straight vaudeville houses' orchestras Ate no better. They ought to watch that leader in Ilammerstein's. Ever notice him ? He's watching the artists all the time, and if a slip occurs, he's there all ready to cover it up. The leader over in Hyde &. Hehman's is a thorough musi- cian too, but they don't seem to come in bunches in vaudeville. "Somebody ought to wake them up. . They get paid for working, and even if they do think they know everything by heart, a little more attention wouldn't hurt the music or the act. You can't play a musical instrument and read a news- paper at the same time, and do it well. •l)<»wn at one house the other night the c«»rnet an«l the trombone were putting in their spare time punching holes in their street car transfers. They had them with- out the time punche<l, and they were punching holes to bhitf the conductor. "I'm going around again in a little while, ami if they don't get better in the vaudeville houses, come in and I'll tell vou who are the careless ones." Al Shean, of Shean and Warren, was very ill last Sunday, so had to cancel the engagement for that evening at the New York, where they were to have given "The Gladiators," a co'hiparatively new- act. When Von Biene, the 'cellist, played i'roctor's F'ifty-eighth Street, he assumed a heavenly gaze which a boy in the gal- lery concluded was directed at him, so the heavy-haired musician was greeted with "It's 23 for yours.'* Murphy and Nichols decline<l offered time over the Orpheum circuit, not caring to go so far away from home. Mr. Mur- phy has in {jreparation a new act which will likely be produced next season. If Emma Cams would give the same stu<lious attention t<> her singing before every audiciuc as i-i given when appearing before a li<>u<c Mill ni personal friends, she ANt)uld be in constant demand.