Variety (Nov 1906)

VARIETY II Shows of the Week By Sime iM-ii 1 - ' :. CITY SPORTS. Phil Sheridan's "City Sports," playing at the Murray Hill Theatre this week, must have been selected from a town of small population. Mr. Sheridan comes into New York with a chorus of eight or nine girls, actually. On the stage there are at times twelve young women, but this is caused by "doubling." There are more principals than girls and the point in the latter's favor is that as a whole they look good. What little credit goes to the show is received through the chorus. There is nothing else to commend. The first part and burlesque is a two-act piece called "All in One Night; or, A Terrible Mix-Up." The second half of the title describes the whole ghow. r — ---=.;—■-!- ,.. —il-,— All the "business" is old and the super- annuated ideas are spread so liberally that a particularly poor bit is carried over into the second half. A rubber band is made to do service with six separate persons, each one allowing it to snap back on the He- brew comedian. It is delicate humor. The costuming is cheap looking, but was offset in three instances through hav- ing a pretty effect. The lights are mis- managed throughout and the slapstick is introduced from the beginning; also tights. There are two medleys in the first half, one to open and the other to close. A duet, "Good-bye, Sweetheart," sung by Mina Stanley, Ed Convey and chorus, is the best singing number heard at the Murray Hill since Irwin's "Big Show" played there. Convey plays a "sissy" character, ex- tremely exaggerated. There is no actor with any regard for his present or future reputation who should attempt the part. Female impersonators in men's clothes should be eliminated from the burlesque business. Convey has too good a voice to waste time and prestige with this. Nettie Hyde has a pretty face, without anything worth mentioning to do except- ing to play a thinking part. Annie Carter has the best number, which received three encores after five o'clock. The olio has been strengthened by Mile. Luba de Sarema's animals. The show is so woefully weak in so many respects that it is impossible to judge the capabilities of the principals. They are held down by lines and business. The finale of the second half is the only part of the piece to which any thought has been given. If Mr. Sheridan will spend some money, put on a few more girls and buy a real piece or pay somebody real money to write one he may yet have a show. When the Crane Brothers played "A Mudtown Lock Up" at Keith's Theatre in Cleveland last week the authorities al- lowed a bank wrecker who was imprisoned under a long sentence to see the sketch while he was temporarily at liberty. The convict was Louis P. Ohliger. He liked the act so well that he requested permis- sion of the prison authorities to travel with the Crane Brothers on the plea of the artistic realism his presence would lend. THE IMPERIALS. The box office will tell the story of H. W. and Sim Williams' "Imperial Bur- lesquers" at the Dewey this week, and while the business may not break the house record, on a return engagement it would outdraw any organization with even freak or added attractions. The pieces written by Harry B. Mar- shall have merit; the costumes are all new, pretty and bright, with sixteen girls com- posing the chorus wearing them. The newness runs even farther into the music. There are no "cowboy" numbers; no "In- dian" songs or the usual list of a music publisher output, but the music sounds and reads as though especially written. "When the Gentle Breezes Blow" in the opening," "A Night in Paris," has a catchy little chorus, and as sung by Jack E. Magee scores encore after encore through some business with a "plant" in a box, although the idea of "follow the leader" used brings laughter and applause. Magee is a great big part of the show. There has been no comedian this season doing more legitimate wark. As an ex- circus man in the first part and a tramp soldier in the burlesque he holds attention to himself all the while when on the stage. There is an amount of original comedy throughout the afterpiece called "Off to the Front." It is a travesty on army life, with witty lines, a continuity of theme, and played in exactly the ideal burlesque vein it was intended for. The result is a clever burlesque. Frank Murphy gives a good type of Irishman, and he and Magee in the olio are liked through a song to open and a parody to close. Fred Gray, of Gray and Graham, gives an excellent performance as a Southerner, while Miss Graham plays well also, and the team is one of the olio features with a musical offering, Gray's makeup and comedy lending valuable aid. Ben R. Cook suddenly springs out in the burlesque as a German general, not having attracted notice previously. The opening of "Off to the Front" is well set, but a female quartet is apt to cause laughs through an effort at har- mony, although the heavy brunette has a voice that should be heard more. The girls drill ably in this also, showing capable stage management. Mamie I^ee, who is a pretty girl, has two small parts, but throws the alignment out of gear in the marches through her size. Julia Heitzman is the stately looking leader, wearing becoming costumes but lacking carriage. Pauline Moran sings, with leading parts. Deonzo and McDon- ald, "the comedy coopers," have a neat barrel jumping act with some good comedy barrel spinning, and Zimmer, the juggler, fits in nicelv. He is handling five balls with hardly a slip, working much faster than formerly. There are one or two dark-colored spots Open to comment, but all in all "The Im- perials" are worthy to play in the com- bination houses without fear of com- parison. PASTOR'S. A heavy bill this week at Pastor's had Frank Richards and company (New Acts) 10 head it, with Louise Montrose and her "Auto Girls" as the "special attraction." The name for the young women fits as well as anything else, but the 'auto" idea is left behind after the first song. Never" has a leader of a "girl act" worked harder on the stage than Miss Montrose. She is pretty besides and the audience likes the combination. There are "girl acts" which have played almost steadily in vaudeville that could not be mentioned in the same breath with Miss Montrose's. The act is full of ginger, well dressed and the girls look well whether wearing dresses or trousers, both of which they do. John Birch with his melo-dramatic hats pleased, and John Morrison, singer of Irish balads, had the house with him until he rendered "My Gal Sal" under the spotlight. The strongest number on the program, graded according to the applause received, is Whalen and West. Miss West has a new white, fine-looking dress. Every time this young woman is seen she has a different costume. Whalen has a new suit also, and the act is almost in the same condition. A lamppost with mail box has been added to the setting. Young and Brooks have a pretty little musical act, playing quietly and in good taste. Mike Bernard discovered this week while trailing along with an accompani- ment for the pair that he was giving an imitation of a harp on the piano. Naomi Rethordo looks well in a new suit set of pink tights, pleasing with her equilibristic work, and Chalk Saunders sketched. The La Belle Trio returns with- out the Kauffman Brothers, having Fuller of the original Tom Humphreys and Dan Evans. The act has been changed about for a betterment as a whole, but the open- ing needs still further thought, while a new sung should be found for the close. Farrell and Leroy secured considerable applause in an early position, mainly through the singing, although Miss Le Boy has a good appearance wearing a fash- ionable white dress which is partly ruined in effect through the immense sleeves. Mr. Farrell has a clever new comedy de- vice. It is a collapsible gas tank, sewn into his vest. When unfolded it gives a gas jet which Farrell lights to much laughter. Sid Baxter on the wire did things with a wheel, while Harry Welch and Carrie Webb in "A Bundle of Troubles" dis- played a crude idea of comedy through introducing a baby and a milk bottle, fol- lowing that up with ah almost nauseating exhibition of the "baby" ridding itself.of the milk after having been fed. Miss Webb sang, which afforded sonic amuse- ment. Mr. and Mrs. Nick Hughes in blackface t)id a sketch and Bon Morse opened the show with comedy bicycle riding of some merit in each department. Frank Albert, of Albert & Son, the lead- ing Australian music publishers, is in the city. Lieut. Amer and his band sailed from Philadelphia on last Wednesday for home, a very much disappointed party. If any- body says America to Lieut. Amer again he is likely to be met with an extremely glacial stare. The firm of Helf & Hager will on De- cember 1 occupy an entire building, the location of which Mr. Helf declines to an- nounce owing to some delay in the sign- ing of the lease. Along Tin Tan Alley Jt is said that the house in question is next door to the one occupied by J. H. Remick & Co. on Twenty-eighth street. HARLEM OPERA HOUSE. It is a good show at the Harlem Opera House this week, well put together and running off easily. One alteration in the theatre which should prove attractive has been the removal of the ticket taker from the outside door to the inner door, leaving the large lobby apace for public lounging. "Cissie's Dream," that exquisite vaude- ville sketch of Fred Walton's, is the head- liner this week. Mr. Walton is giving the perfection of pantomimic acting as of jore in it, and the piece proves as amusing now as when first produced. Some changes have been made in the cast. The per- formance retains its high standard in all respects, however. Mr. Walton has a vaudeville offering without a superior, and small probability of a successor. ---.-_----—-— « In his second week George Evans, "The Honey Boy," seems to be cheating a little. Monday night Mr. Evans positively de- clined to recognize the applause with an encore, although it was insistent for some time and the orchestra had commenced to play the music. There is some new talk material mingled in among the old. In a poor position on the bill he carried his house with ease. Tom Edwards, an English ventriloquist who recently made his first American ap- pearance, has the very poor form of "nag- ging" his audience for applause. Once or twice Mr. Edwards speaks quite roughly to those in front because the expression of approval is not to his entire satisfaction. As a ventriloquist he ranks fairly, but stands much higher as an impersonator. One is led to believe that he could be more successful in the latter class: The closing, imitating children, took very well, although it is not an inspiring sight to see a man walk around with a baby in his arms. One or two lines might be dropped. Will Rogers, "the lasso king," is giving his likable exhibition. Rogers' easy man- ner and well-aimed flippant remarks, added to the clean and difficult lasso work he does, bring the results. The broncho in the act deserves some credit. He is a well-trained beast. Kelly and Violette, with the expensive gowns of Miss Violette and correct dress- ing of Mr. Kelly, play well. Kelly should guard against straining his voice; the number of songs he is singing daily are too many for one person to hope to cope with successfully without a break. Miss Violette does not show the hand- some brown costume enough. It is too dressy to be so quickly discarded. Hawthorne and Burt, with the same conversation and dances, and O'Brien and Buckley, with music and talk, are there. Horace Wright in character sketches has a sweet voice, but Mr. Wright is not giving much attention to detail. In his change from the Italian to the Irishman the trousers remain the same. Four other numbers supplied the earlier part and (lillette's dogs closed. Shortly before Frank A. Keeney secured the Majestic Theatre in Meriden, Conn., tor vaudeville, S. Z. Poll, the New Eng- land manager, dropped in on the town. What looked like a favorable site to build was selected hy .Mr. PoK, but he has given that idea up now. with regrets that the possibilities of the Majestic did not reach him.