Variety (May 1909)

VARIETY I* ALHAMBRA. The show at the Alhambra this T.eek is a funny one in its line-up. There are but sixteen people actually engaged in the eight act* on the program (the "com- pany" with Pauline? not included). Four of the eight numbers are "single" turns, five acts in "one." The bill played out strongly. Every- body "go* oyer." The stage manager did not do the least, either. Those who talk of the "musio hall" policy and "when an act's through, it's through," ought to study the methods of this stage manager at the Alhambra. He knows when an act is through. Irwin Goodrich is the stage director on the program. Mr. Goodrich certainly does know his stage and audience. A couple of New Acts fell into not choice spots. Fred Sosman had "No. 2." The Great Lester followed the inter- mission. Both did well, Lester extremely. Excerpts from "The Tales of Hoffman" are not heard so very often in musical acts. Newell and Niblo played an ex- tract on their saxophones. It might have caused the opening to sound "classical," but it was different. So is their finish on the xylophones. That is lively and well played. The uniforms of a Hussar style are strikingly brilliant, but seem to de- mand a change, as they are wearing to the eye. Miss Niblo might be more careful of the rouge. She is using too much of it. The act isn't dragged out a second, another meritorious detail. Although the Alhambra is a "late house,*' Newell and 'Niblo in the mighty hard place did unusually well. A patriotio song and dance finish gave Vinie Daly a big send-off, though why a dancer should, sing "Just Someone" did not become known. Miss Daly is prob- ably content to rest upon her terpsi- chorean accomplishments. It isn't possible she wishes to pose as a singer—and of ballads. The sketch number is "Pixley's Prodi- gal Parents," one of the best comedy pieces of the season. Its foremost laud- able favor-winning virtue is that the story is knitted together closely, and never deviated from. The "vaudeville license" is altogether missing. The set- ting too is as pretty a bit of stage craft as has been shown. Mr. Crane, Mrs. Crane and Miss Condon each play well, while the "business" of Mrs. Crane climb- ing over the fence is made excruciatingly funny by her. The laughs are frequent and loud. Ofter they crowd against each other, and every one a logical sequence. Five people in all are in the cast. The other two men could be improved upon, though the character of Bud Hickson is "fat" enough for anyone to play it. A little different routine from the others, and a quartet singing with three tenors alongside one bass keep The Quar- tet to the fore. The bass has a "story- song" for his solo, a radical departure for the deep-voiced songsters. There seems to be a new blonde boy in the quartet, with a nice pleasant voice and his hair pompadour. Two tenors following each other in the solos hurt the second's re- ception, though the latter (and stouter) had his chance again further on, winning handily. The act was a very big hit. James Harrigan also appeared and Pauline? closed the bill. 8ime. PLAZA MUSIC HALL. It would be strange if such a vaudeville bill as this week's in such a perfect the- atre as the Plaza did not ultimately at- tract patronage. Monday evening the audience reached about 80 per cent, of the seating capacity, but what it lacked in size it made up in enthusiasm over the performance. It is not often that a vaudeville show is received with such steady applause. Even the minor num- bers went with a whoop such as ordinari- ly would satisfy a feature attraction. Joe Welch, "No. 4," took the honors. He has returned to a straight talking act, without parodies to interfere with the skilfully handled characterisation of his Hebrew. Much of the monolog is new, although at several points in its course bits of the old routine are worked in. In the new material perhaps the best is the account of Abraham's experience with the marriage broker. This is easily the equal of the old talk about Abraham's family troubles. Counting the two minutes or so, of applause at the finish, Welch oc- cupied thirty-two minutes and left the audience applauding. Felix and Caire followed. The Richard Carle impersonation, one of the best things the boy ever did, has been dropped and the series has been revamped in other particulars. Vesta Victoria singing "The Pride of the Ballet" was rather a rough burlesque, but it made one of the best laughing incidents in the act, and Miss Caire's "Yama-Yama" girl was a splendid applause getter. Katie Barry makes a first rate finish with a travestied speech by a suffragette and starts off nicely with a song having to do with the present insanity of woman's dress. She wears an exaggerated model of a princess gown lavishly trimmed with buttons and a nightmare of a "peach basket" hat. John C Rice and Sally Cohen return for the week to one of their earlier sketches "Our Honeymoon," a highly amusing farce in the hands of this skill- ful pair. In the whole catalog of sketch artists there is no team which gets its laughing effects more legitimately or can be more surely depended upon under any circumstance. "Our Honeymoon" was one big laugh from start to finish. Jack Lorimer had a good deal of a task in the next to closing spot following an evening of almost constant laughter, but he caught his audience at the very outset and held it through his usual routine, and an encore or two for good measure. Brengk's "Bronze Beauties" (the word "bare" being dropped for the time) made a quiet closing number, but the art studies easily held the audience in to the pictures. The series seems to have been shortened somewhat and holds together very well. This engagement is announcd as the final one of the present American tour. Lan- tern slides announce the titles of the groups instead of the cards displayed on an easel. This might have been well enough except that the letters were al- most illegible when thrown on the draped red velvet curtain. McLallen-Carson Duo and the Rosedale Four (New Acts) and The Three Yos- sarvs were the others. Rush. X25TH STREET. A good all-around bill has been provided for this, the last week of vaudeville for the season, at the 126th Street Theatre. The show suffers a short setback through the Hilda Spong and Arthur Forrest sketch, in the "No. 3" position (New Acts). The pair occupy a good deal of the big type, and the failure is quite a seri- ous matter, but the program picks up well after and goes merrily to a strong finish. Leeds and La Mar and Thos. F. Smith, also under New Acts, appeared before the "flop," both doing rather well. Kathleen Clifford, Arthur Hill and "The Top o' th' World" dancers, in "Kris Kringle's Dream" add much to the pro- gram. The production is a big vaudeville number. William Rock staged it. He has shown a complete knowledge of the vaude- ville wants. The offering is replete with bright, snappy numbers. All aro short, fast and keep the rather large number of people employed continually on the move. The comedy is perhaps a trifle weak, but is not important enough to come in for. any great amount of consideration. Mr. Hill is the Polar Bear, and with Kathleen Clifford, a lively little soubret, comprises the important portion of the cast. The costumes probably are the same used in the show all season. They look a little the worse for wear, but if the act is to remain in vaudeville another season this will probably be remedied. A big dancing number gives the piece a corking finish. Th. act is again forced to close in "one" this week. It is a grave mistake, for the iumber loses almost its entire value through it. Al Fields 'and Dave Lewis didn't have an easy position next to closing. They followed a comedy sketch at which the house laughed incessantly. The pair easily overcame the difficulties, however, and simply carried the laughs right along for another quarter hour. It has been some time since a bigger bunch of laughable nonsense has been handed out than the talk the pair have about "bottle mines," "baseball mines," "sugar-feelers" and "beer listners." Fields sticks right close to the material at hand, and it is all that is necessary. The pair also secure no end of fun out of a song with twisted lyrics, in which they employ a man from back stage and one from the front. The Military Octet filled in a very pleas- ing twenty minutes with little change in their routine. The house enjoyed the act but were a little shy in the way of ap- plause at the finish. The costumes are not as bright as they should be, although it is rather late in the season to expect much appearance of newness. The Mirza-Golem Troupe have a little something out of the ordinary in acrobatic offerings. The balancing pole has never been used to better effect than by this troupe. One trick in particular brings big returns. The man at the top in horizontal position does many revolutions at the highest speed. The rest of the time is filled in with "Risley" work, which is not up to some shown, but is all turned off with n speed and dash that even matters up. Creasy and Dayne also appeared. BEATING 'EM TO IT. London, April 17. The Madeleine, the second "mesmeric* dancer within the month, is holding forth at the Palace this week. A few weeks ago a dancer of almost the exact style was shown at the Coliseum, and the gen- eral impression prevails that the Coliseum management learned of Mr. Butt's future booking of the feature and beat him to it. If his scheme was to take the* edge off The Madeleine's appearance, it seems' to have succeeded. So far the audience at the. Palace, ban taken the turn as a joke. "Kidding" has been plentiful and even hisses have greeted the mystic dancer. Mr. Butts, of the Palace, however, is firm in his con- viction that The Madeleine.will ultimate- ly turn out to be a strong feature, whan the people become convinced that the hypnotio influence is really "on the level." He commented this week on the fact of the Coliseum anticipating his hairing, "It looks to me as though this sort of thing is likely to continue. Even now I have made arrangements to bring out an- other big feature and I confidently ex- pect to have the Coliseum people get ahead of me if they can," he said. The whole business seems to be rather a waste of energy in this case. "Mia" Madeleine at the Coliseum was anything but a howling success, and "The" Made- leine, to an ordinary onlooker, offers little better prospects. The audUencp seems to find most of her dancing under" A "fin- ance" funny rather than awesome^ Some parts of it really are funny. For ex- ample, when Madge's blond young man assistant recites "The Seven Ages of Man," she goes through certain appro- priate movements. Then a man is picked out of the audience and told to play any melody he choses as an accompani- ment to the dancer. One night this week it was a wild gallop, and at the finish Madge was breathing hard and rather groggy. "TRYING OUT" FOREVER. ■7 YAOXLAY AMD BTOBTLL. Had a brand new act to stow; Coat some money, too; They aald, take a "try-oat" week. To aeo what wo could do. We played In Tallahassee; We played In Tuscogee; All the reports that they received Were beautiful to see. Still they were not satisfied; "A manager In Maine" Failed to see ns one night— We'd bSTe to try again. Then played Tuscsrora, Generous "cat," of coarse, Bat "train late" or "the man" Had to doctor an ailing horse. Bo we lost another chance To show "The Powers" our act; They told us not to be discouraged, Teck would soon be bsck. We tried sgsln In Brooklyn, Between the living end the dead; "They'll be over to see you there," Was wbst our agent said. We worked aa wo never worked before. And happily we "made good," Feeling at taut our efforts to please. Had pleased them, If anything could. Called next day at Aaked to see Mr. Ushered Into his asnetura, Sested there snd then "The Office." N., Geo. F. Bryne, the agent, has taken the direction of Zellah Covington and Rose Wilber in their protesn act. T. W. Dinkins' Bon Ton, Jersey CSty, commenced with pictures for a summer run last Monday. It is a Western Bur- lesque Wheel house. When we explained to "His Hlgha We'd Hhown our act all around. In all places for showing sets. That over the "onntry abound. He clanperi our hand* In his warm palflM, Baying with hit* HweMi'st bow. "Your report* groat, tut you're played all tlnu'. Your act is too nht for us noil."