Variety (September 1908)

VARIETY 17 reasons. First, became "Rosie" U a "lemon" unless well done, and, secondly, became Mr. Goldman can not recite it. In "Marianina» and "My Brudda Sylvest" he it much better. This Italian erase is something awful when you think it over. James Purvis sings a few illustrated songs, one about "Tipperary" with slides. That song is so inappropriate for illustra- tion that the pictures can never keep pace with the lyrics. In the opening piece, six numbers are sung before the chorus girls (twenty) change costume, after which a couple of pretty changes occur. In the burlesque, excepting for a few of the young women (who look well but hardened) slipping into jockey uniform, there is no change st all, although the dressing scheme being of a mixed variety does not grow so monotonous. The yellow dresses worn by the chor- isters at the beginning becomes the color scheme of everyone, the principals also wearing the same shade. Several good numbers are sung, the Misses Belle and Bishop leading three each, while Barrett has "What's the Use of Dreaming" for his "dope" character. Charles Saunders is the "Dutchman" with the "Schnitxelbank** song, much bet- ter than his mediocre Hebrew after. Madge Hamilton shows her good looks and a "sheath" gown in the afterpiece, being hidden under a grotesque make- up previously. Jack McCabe is still "Jennie Russell" with the same performance in the opener, and a "straight" Irishman on the other end. Abe Goldman has minor parts and Ruby La Belle attracts some little atten- tion in looks as Trixie Friganza. Purvis plays the "Doctor/' making an excellent "straight" Miss Belle seems to be the soubrette. Truth to tell, Miss Belle seems too pretty and tall to wear short skirts. She is always well dressed, changing quite fre- quently, even putting on a black costume for a few moments of a finale. In "Marie," Miss Belle has the "mirror" effect, with a glass too small. Of the musical numbers "My Dream of U. S. A.," sung by Purvis, brings the most applause, and "Good-bye, Antonio," led by Miss Bishop, is semi-Oriental with the girls just dodging a real "cooch." The show pleases rather well. It is carrying a very competent cast, and em- bodies a great deal of first-rate slang, without palpable effort made for effect in it, always a saving grace. The bur- lesque contains good legitimate amuse- ment. Sime. AMATEUR NIGHT REPLACED. Newark was billed this week with the news that "amateur nights" would be instituted in Waldmann's on Tuesday of esch week. Amateur nights have been started in the Empire, Newark (Western Burlesque Wheel), taking place on Friday. The Easterners' move is accepted as an indi- cation that there is hot opposition to come in that town. The Empire was opened for Western burlesque at the beginning of the current season under the management of the Miner Estate, although it played Western Burlesque shows under the aus- pices of the Empire Circuit Company for a while last season. RUNAWAY GIRLS. In the "production" department Clark's "Runaway Girls" offering this season is very light, although the cast is a large one, and the pieces develop a fair quan- tity of comedy. The costuming has been slighted very much. The six show girls appeared early in the opening piece in evening gowns, wore them intermittently through that part and appeared twice in the burlesque with the same clothes and wore them again for the finale. Almost the only numbers adequately dressed were "My Irish Maid" in the first part and the opening of the burlesque, where the costuming scheme is taken bodily from "The Three Twins." From that piece also cOmes "My Zu Zu Man" (words and music by Peter S. Clark), which is ah 'adaptation of "Yama Yama," and a rather close copy, even to the stag- ing Of the number and the dressing of the chortic. Estelle' Rose, who led *b« num- ber, gave what amounted to ah imper- sonation of Bessie McCoy in the original. Miss Rose had the pick of the selections. The "Zu Zu" song and "Hurrah for the Beautiful Sea" were the musical hits of the show. In the latter Miss Rose wore a bathing costume that went the limit in its display of her figure. Miss Rose was also down for a "Salome" dance, the program announcing that she would make a costume change in full view of the audi- ence. At the Olympic, Brooklyn, last week the act was not shown. Two Hebrew comedians, practically un- supported by other funmakers, is an un- usual arrangement. The pair are Milton Schuster and Joe Perry. In the first part they had several telling "bits" with Frank Damsel; one of the best being the scene with the lawyer, but this was dragged out. Tt could have been worked up much more swiftly. Schuster and Perry are funny enough Hebrews, but they make use of a great deal of ancient material. "Imaginary" talk occupied at least five minutes of the burlesque opening and kept cropping up together with the full routine of money changing. Frank Gra- ham was out of the first part altogether, but extracted a good percentage of laughs from a clean tramp role in the burlesque. A male quartet had small parts as con- cerned the comedy of the pieces, but they gave a good deal of strength to the sing- ing ensemble and filled in an olio num- ber agreeably. Ruby Marion was given a wretched introduction with a bit of talk that left her rather flat. Lottie Stone and Frances Farr made a pretty "sister" pair, leading several numbers with ani- mation, and Edith Randall easily took the honors for vocal excellence. It was she who led the pretty Irish song. A military drill closed the burlesque. The drilling was fairly well done, but the uniforms were most untidy. Neverthe- less it made a better finale than the close of the first part, which was extremely tame, the curtain falling upon a rather quiet number, with the stage all but ob- literated by dark-colored light. A first rate olio of six acts filled in between pieces. Perry and Elliott opened with an amusing conversation turn fol- lowed by the capital "Risley" act of the Famous Livingstons. Marion and Thomp- son won out easily with their brass music and Frank Graham and Edith Randall with novelty songs, travesty and costume changes did very well, although the trav- esty on "The Thief" could be immensely improved. The act has plenty of variety and not a little novelty. The Bowery Comedy Quartet, holding pretty closely to their singing and mak- ing the comedy subordinate pleased and the "Parisian Novelty Girls," a novelty "girl" number from "The Merry-go- Round," were the others. Ruth. LINCOLN SQUARE. "Can Morris keep it up?" seems to be the most often asked query by "wise" visitors to the Lincoln Square. For this, the third week of variety up where the electrics scream "Blaney," there is an- other corking vaudeville show. The best spokesman for the Lincoln Square was the audience Monday night, a most remarkable one in point of size for the third 1 week of a new house, tt points •cut that good vaudeville is drawing. To one whose ears have been assailed for months with "Morris is a good agent, but he can't put a show together," there's a whole lot of answers in the Lincoln Square program this week. Somebody must back, water, for no one will deny that this week's bill was placed together by an expert. Even the default of Howard and Bar- rison redounded to Morris, the theatre and George Fuller Golden (New Acts), who occupied the vacancy. There is no one in vaudeville who could have given more amusement' than Mr. Golden did, honest, legitimate laughter, without "song plugging" details. It's useless attempting to call any num- ber "the big hit." There's a reason for each of the enormous successes scored. Mr. Golden appeared before Cliff Gordon, the latter also a monologist, yet ClifT did mightily, although, no doubt, the edge had been taken off his single discourse. In a like manner Felix and Caire scored like a battering ram on a rampage, but the audience had been prepared for apprecia- tion by the excellent program up to their position, the next to last. And Tim McMahon's "Watermelon Girls" walked on the stage at 11:10 to close the show, doing so at 11:23, when the pictures followed, the bill having slipped through without a halt or miss. When one can sing a ballad at 11:10 and still hold the house, the house likes the show. It happened in the "Watermelon Girls," who are working as though oiled, such is the smoothness. The noticeable point in the entire pro- gram is the improvement seen in Amelia Caire. Felix does his usual good work, though holding to Richard Carle's "Spring Chicken," long since forgotten, but Miss Caire has redeemed herself as Bessie Mc- Coy in the "Yama Yama" number, and as Georgia Caine in ''Miss Hook of Hol- land"—that wa9. "The Great Barnold" (Barnold's Dogs) wa9 entitled to that new billing after the reception as the "monk" removed the "drunk," and Daisy (Lloyd) Wood (New Acts), appearing "No. 3," secured plaud- its without stint, flowers, and the audi- ence caught a glimpse of "Ma Lloyd." Maud Hall Macy, with two new people assisting, put it over with "The Magpie and the Jay," Francis Conlin playing the "rube." He may do for those who see it the first time, but makes the character too gawkish. Mrs. Clara Reynolds Smith does fairly well in the easy role of the sister. Halliday and Curley in "The Battle of Too Soon" are taking mighty fine care of Gallager and Barrett's former laugh- ing hit. Halliday is an excellent "straight," and Curley as an Irishman is in his element. Mr. and Mrs. Nello opened the show with juggling by Mr. Nello, who has sev- eral good tricks, one new, but is not cer- tain, and does not work quickly, having an unfortunate habit of bowing after each feat, but the act did quite well for an opening "dumb" number. It should be shortened. Bime. COLONIAL. Aside from the fact that the Orpheum Road Show is having its first presentation of the season, the interesting detail of this week's bill is the disclosure that Eva T&i.guay and her ^Salome" dance ban" about got to the end of their rope aa drawing cards. Time was during the sum- mer when the act monopolized the interest of every show it played in. That waa during the summer. Perhaps with the coming of autumn the madness of vaude- ville audiences in search of warm weather entertainment has passed. Certainly the demonstration accorded the cylonic one at Wednesday night's performance was far from enthusiastic, even perfunctory and the curtain calls stopped at "No. &" Well, it raised quite a breeze while it lasted. Only part of the Orpheum Show is given this week, Tanguay and Karno's "Night in an English Music Hall" being outsiders. If one isVable to guess from the rest of this week's bill, the traveling organization is going to be a first rate comedy show. Work and Ower open the bill in quite the most remarkable comedy acrobatic number ever seen in "one." Some of the eccentric tumbling is fairly hair raising in its daring And a few feats in two high work were almost as striking. The pair are never idle and the routine is run off with amazing swiftness. Ray Cox (No. 2) has a new opening for her talking and singing act. It is a lecture on the subject of "Suffragettes," and its occasional reference to topical cam- paign matters won laughs. The stories about "Jeff" have been shelved for the most part but the two given were well received. It was the "baseball" talk by the slangy college girl at the finish that clinched the "Dixie Girl's" success. Charles and Fannie Van (No. 4) scored the comedy hit of the first half with theii "A Case of Emergency." Charles Van's "stage carpenter" is a screamingly funny creation and the handling of the admirable situation is extremely skillful. The act is bound to be a sure-fire comedy number all over. Merian's Canine Players was a veritable whirlwind of novelty and surprise. Every minute brought a new wonder and the constant shift of scene and ceaseless by- play of action kept the house at'top pitch of interested attention. The act is a marvel of stage management and animal training, with rich comedy and spectacular interest. Next to closing and following Eva Tan- guay, Milt Wood did extremely well, with his clever dancing and s-ingrng turn, and The Karno Company made a faBt and hilarious closing number as usual. Ruth.