Variety (September 1908)

16 VARIETY WORLD BEATERS. Though the paper outside the Olympic (Pastor's) this week carries the name and picture of May Gebhardt, who is not with the "World Beaters" this season, it is only the name of the show and manager, J. Herbert Mack, that recalls the <r World Beaters" of the past two seasons. There has been a complete metamorphosis, and it is one thousand per cent, for the better. The pieces are as dissimilar as they possibly could be; the players assume altogether different characters in each, a most favorable contrast even though some are superior in the first to the second and vice-versa, and the comedy in the show along with the musical numbers is away from the path through which all burlesque companies have trod, including those which do not know how to leave the rut. "Wideawake Slumberland," the first part, should be renamed, and about ten minutes clipped off. It runs over an hour now. Were it cut down, the action would be much more swift. In the "Women's R'ghts" number, for instance, and a right f(<od idea it is, led by Marie Green and i;ay Corey, there is an utter waste of ,ime by having the comedians parody it. Neither was there any plausible reason why Pearl Reid should have been given a single solo without the chorus, unless there is a music publishing cause. Of course, it allowed Miss Reid to change her costume, Something she should have done before that, since no well-regulated young woman, soubrette or no, elopes nowadays in a short skirt. The opening of the first part is entitled to marked mention. It is new for bur- lesque, where the impression prevails if you make enough noise with the raise of the curtain the audience will believe it's a good show sure. Barring the unneces- sary delay, during which the lights are withheld, and the immature manner of bringing daylight into the scene, the opening is cleverly set, both in scen- ery, arrangement, effects and costum- ing. "The Shooting Club" is an- other excellent number. There are many of these, and whether as to merit they are commendable or not (and moat are) they are entitled to credit for the enterprise. For the same reason, the author of the opener should be listed on the program. It is a reasonable story, well and brightly written and easily fol- lowed. Miss Reid, the soubrette, is typically soubrettish in looks, sings in a small light voice, and dances fairly, but doesn't overwork herself. The other three prin- cipal women, Miss Green, Genie Pollard and Miss Corey all have favorable chances, each taking care of herself capably, Miss Pollard particularly. After exposing her- self long and often in tights during the the first part, Genie docs a noticeable bit as a "tough" girl in the burlesque, although here also she is so anxious to display her figure generously that a "sheath" skirt is worn. Her first appear- ance in tights is almost funny, the suit being showy and a top hat resting upon a large mass of black hair. And for Heaven's sake, you Marie Green, unbend! You're not being starred in the New Theatre, and don't try to im- press the audience that you are working in burlesque because you have to. A smile will do you ten times the good that diamond horseshoe on the thigh does. Miss Green is a pretty woman, with eyes poorly made up. She delivers exceptionally well a long har- angue, well written, about the Devil and living pictures in the olio. The pic- tures are the short end of the act, except- ing Miss Green's expression "Behold." Perhaps that is a cue, though, for the drop to rise. Speaking of the "drop," do you know, Marie, you are speaking of Hades and pointing to a street scene with advertisements on it? Miss Green and her tights also remind that in the finale of the opener, a sailor drill, nicely costumed, three women prin- cipals stand in front of the lines, hiding from many the evolutions, when they might as well step over to the porch of the house, remaining there until the end. The melodramatic burlesque is "The $5,000 Purse," written and staged by Ed- win Hanford. It is of a prize fight, in three scenes, the second admitting of the stage being set with a fighting ring aboard a ship for the thir^d. The fight is gotten down to quite.quickly, the boxers "faking" the go in goodly fashion. They, r are Bob Williams and Dave Kutner, probably a couple of "prelim" goers who have fallen into something soft with the show. The fight could be better stage-managed. The knockout arrives in the* fourth round, Will- iams playing the heroic scrapper taking the count twice before effectually landing upon his opponent. This is too quick for men to whom the fight especially appeals. Were the bell to save Williams in the second fall, and hard work recuperating him for a quick finish to Kutner in the fifth, it would be more realistic. Also the seconds should not be Kearney and Van Der Koor, a couple of the principals. Either stage hands or minor members in the cast might act more appropriately there. The first scene is the arrangements for the fight, where an unnecessary attempt to "double-cross" is indulged in since it is not carried out after for an effect. "The $5,000 Purse" has been fashioned after "The Star Bout." There are several good character come- dians among the men. The first part holds four "rubes" and one "Irish," the latter James S. Kearney, who rises above all the others in the burlesque as a ward "heeler." Fred Russell is much better as a "rube" at first than as a Hebrew after, but the same character (Hebrew) taken by him in the York Comedy Four blunted his second appearance. H. E. Van Der Koor as a sort of R. C. Herz "Devil" in the opening and the villain in the burlesque, gave a capital performance each time. Fred Nolan is rather explosive in both the "Rube" and "Irish" parts taken, but draws the laughs in each. Other small roles were taken by the quartet. The several changes of costume by the sixteen girls are always neat, ofttimes pretty, if not expensive, and, due to the muchness in tights, the principal women are not called upon for a large expendi- ture in dress. There is too much of the tights- in the show. It becomes monoton- ous. One can almost tell each girl by her legs before the final curtain drops. Some of the choristers are good looking, but the first thing the Wheels should do next season is to open a school of in- struction in making-up. Some of the young women make siguts of themselves through ignorance of this important es- sential of stage appearance. Four numbers in the olio, not a strong one, were started off by Bohanno and Corey in illustrated songs, an old "fire" reel of pictures winning out. "The Devil on Art" with Miss. Green has been men- tioned, and that is followed by the Van Der Koors, who are now putting forth a very neat act in comedy and magic, not "exposing," and closing with a well- worked illusion, a combination of the cabinet disappearance and "Noah's Ark.' For the encore, the "mind-reading duck" featured in the billing, is entitled to a more serious burlesque. The man in the duck-cloth should not show his hand, but try to present a comical creation. The Yorke Comedy Four are mistaken from the opening medley. They need to bring their songs up to date. If an imi- tation of the Empire City Quartet is the object of the act, they might as well go through with it right, otherwise frame the act over altogether 1 , including fash- ionable and the same clothes for the three "straight" men. Russell, the Hebrew comedian, could do much more for the comedy were he worked up to properly. Mr. Mack has a first-grade show this season, and one which will hold the house to the last minute, besides containing a feature (the fight) which ought to draw a lot of money everywhere. Sime. FROLICSOME LAMBS. Did anyone wish to grow sarcastic over the show called "The Frolicsome Lambs" at the Eighth Avenue this week, it might be said the listing of the females on the program with names of different per- fumes was done with an ulterior object. The program also supplies the informa- tion that the organization is under the direction of Louis J. Oberwarth. Nothing else regarding the production excepting the first part is called "The Lambs on a Frolic," and the burlesque "At Monaco," a satire on the gambling craze at Monte Carlo written by Carlton and Terre, and numbers by Aurelia Coccia. If you can survive the first part, especially the unconscious comedy hit of the evening when Yetta Peters thinks she is singing "Dixie Dan" (almost as funny as when she sings "Are You Sincere?" in the olio to jig time) you wait as a matter of course to find out what is to follow. Just before Yetta handed the foul soak to Daniel of Dixie, Willard Terre informed Frank Carlton, Al Lavan and Joe Brown- ing there would be a "minstrel first part." There was. But Mr. Terre's announcement does not of a necessity make him respon- sible for it. The four men on four camp stools invert themselves into a quartet, each having a solo, singing "Rainbow," "Childhood," "O'Brien Had No Place to Go" and "Rosy Rambler," each receiving an encore—with twenty girls killing time in the dressing rooms! It gave a bump to the first part that the show never re- covered from, regardless of the encores, and it is about as gross a piece of mis- stage management as could be discovered in a long search. The show runs much to music, and is a mecca for the popular songs of popular publishers. The opening "operatic ensem- ble" is dragged out with a weary melody —almost weird—the orchestration depend- ing upon the brasses and drums, ruining the excellent vocal timber evident *Tve Taken Quite a Fancy to You," with Inci- dental business, is about the brightest moment. The comedy is of a flea which becomes loat, and a "ghoat" who frightens off the comedians one by one. That's all It's novel business. The novelty is in the use of it. Frank Carlton is the real comedian and h. secures his laughs while giving a likable Irishman by the over-use of "bell." Otherwise the show is spotlessly dean. In "At Monaco" more ambition is evi- dent in costuming and work, particularly at the opening, and in a combination num- ber of "Merry Widows," "Gibson Girls," etc., fairly well done for burlesque, with- out expensive dressing, noticeable through- out, May Strehl alone having spent some money for clothes. In the olio the Cardownie Sisters gave '♦class" with their character dancing, a&d might have done much for the pleee with an opportunity. Browning and Lavan for the olio offered some parodies and talk, about an even break, while Carlton and Terre got through easily with singing and comedy, the vaude- ville closing with Harry Antrim (a rather decent Dutchman and "cissy" life-saver in the ends) and Miss Peters playing something called "A Tarry at Tanktown," where Antrim gave "imitations" while Yetta laughed long and loudly. The choristers are mostly pretty and youthful, although poorly made-up, a fault extending to the female principals. Some- body must get to work on "The Lambs." At present it is a very tiresome show. Sime. NEW CENTURY GIRLS. "The lEtotel Thespian," by Sam Rice, remains the first part of John J. Moyni- han's "New Century Girls" this season. Several changes have occurred in the cast, but Tom Barrett, Jack McCabe, May Belle and Frances Bishop are retained. The burlesque is "Beans," also by Mr. Rice, and since it is of race horses, Mr. Rice may yet be called to account by a certain party for allowing "Lulu B." to suffer defeat at the hands-or-feet of "Beans." "Lulu B." is a regular horse; "Beans" but a "prop," very good and funny. It is in three scenes, the final one showing a race-track enclosure, where a travestied glimpse of the race is had by the chorus girls running past the judges' stand with a horse's head attached. Pearl M. Late, who sings "Sun Bonnet Sue" nicely in the opening, is poorly made up for a character part in the "horsey" sketch, while John W. Early is the villain here, balancing better than as Corse Payton before, where he is physical- ly disqualified for the impersonation. Early and Late (New Acts) are quite an aid to the olio. Barrett and Belle (New Acts) are also most important there. Another number in the olio, which goes through much more easily than the usual one, is Jerome and Jerome, in "Frolics in Frogland," having a first-class ground tumbler, with a new trick, and a contor- tionist, both enjoying a pretty setting, harmed through improper lighting ef- fects. Abe Goldman, in the vaudeville division, as an Italian has "Rosie," naturally spoiling the act for the same old two