Variety (October 1909)

18 VARIETY IN HAYTI. It is not easy to understand how Messrs. Klaw & Erlanger .figured out the prospects in exploiting two vaudeville acts, which pretty much all theatre-goers have seen in the two-a-day time and again, as a basis of a two-dollar attrac- tion. As a matter of fact "In Hayti" is made up of Mclntyre and Heath and Julian Rose, with the usual musical com- edy complement of girls and costumes and a "book." The latter is by John J. McXally. From this class of entertainment he has taken his model. "In Hayti" is a suc- cession of numbers, "comedy bits" and specialty material. The first act, which has by long odds the largest portion of real laughter, is made up of Mclntyre and Heath's ancient slcetch "The Man from Montana" and Julian Rose's Hebrew monolog, "Levinski's Wedding," both de- livered without a single variation from the vaudeville routine. The other two acts develop a ponderous series of plot building episodes, wherein there is little humor, and a succession of numbers which take almost all their merit from the excellent melodies and lyrics by Jerome and Schwartz and the remaining minimum from the art of the costumer. Of skillful staging there is almost none, unless it be that the chorus girls have been educated to a certain degree of live- liness. "In Hayti" has been running at the Circle Theater now for about a month. Previous to its New York appearance it had one week at Cleveland. If a produc- tion cannot make a mark in New York in four weeks its doom is sealed. Last Friday evening the biggest show night the city has had so far this season, when almost every other theater in New York was filled, the players faced an audience that did not half take up the capacity. This ought to fix the status of "In Hayti," even in the minds of its managers, who have only the box office as a stan- dard of merit. The resemblance to a burlesque show cannot escape even the most inexperi- enced theater-goer. Many of the costume models are those that have become stan- dard burlesque and the numbers are run off in the same conventional way, re- lieved only by the activity of the choris- ters. There is not, in the whole proceed- ings anything like a novelty in stage setting or chorus evolution. One looks for something new even in the most un- pretentious of musical comedy produc- tions. There is a plot, almost discoverable at times. It concerns a revolution in Havti, engineered by an American capitalist, one Col. Scott (Alfred Fischer), the very familiar sort of musical comedy "old man." In his intrigues he is opposed by Bizzi Izzi Rosenstein (Julian Rose). The daughters and sons of the two opponents are in love with each other. Scott with- holds his consent to a match through his prejudice against Rosenstein. This is the plot as it concerns the straight people in the proceedings. A sub-plot involves Mclntyre and Heath, one of whom is chosen to be the president of the revolu- tionary party in Hayti. These two inter- woven narratives are sufficient to hold the piece together, but there is too much story and too little wit in its exposition, with scarcely a funny line in the dialog •xcept that which Mclntyre and Heath themselves bring along from one or an- other of their familiar sketches. A little bit of "The Ham Tree" material crops up as well as the whole "Man from Mon- tana." Rose, except for his first act specialty, has little to do until almost the end of the show, when he was allotted the song, "Mr. Bizzi Izzi Rosenstein," one of those jingling numbers with an endless succes- sion of topical verses. The comic lyrics practically amounted to a parody and the musical comedy audience greeted them with the same delight that has become proverbial among the vaudeville gather- ings in their liking for travestied lyrics. That was the only number in which Mr. Rose was concerned and it scored a bull's- eye, just as did his monolog. In the rest of the three acts the Hebrew comedian figured very incidentally. As a matter of fact everybody was subordinated to the almost constant pres- ence of Mclntyre and Heath. They had long scenes in each act. It must be con- fessed that some were rather tiresome. What these passages would have been in other hands than those of the funny blackface pair is fearsome to imagine. They managed to extract a fair amount of entertainment out of very indifferent material. The series of melodies went a long way to redeem the evening. All the music- is of the "popular" variety, with swinging melodies and catchy passages. The first act, which, as has been observed, was the best of the three, closed with a capital "rag" number called "Everybody's Rag Time Crazy," led by Toby Lyons, a rather wooden "straight." A pretty, if not startling costume, went with this and the ensemble was worked up into a good cur- tain. In the same way a "coon" number, "Chicken," led by Marion Stanley, brought the second act to a satisfactory finale, although the comedy of this part had been far from riotous. Miss Stanley had all the best of the musical selections. "I'd Like to Correspond With You" was decidedly catchy, as were "Bamboo Lane" and "Romeo and Juliet," in all of which Marion was party of the first part. Mabel Sealby was ca9t for tho soubret. but did not reach the sprightlincss the part requires. She wore several pretty frocks and remained in the background most of the time. Carrie Reynolds gained distinction for a moment during which she sang "Captain Flo," dressed in a catchy Hussar costume and backed up by the male chorus. Other women principals were Lena Mer- ville in what burlesque people call a "character role," which might have been eliminated altogether, and Jane Burby, a "feeder" (and a good one) for the two blackface men. Fletcher Norton cavorted most ungrace- fully in a foolish number called "Come, Toddle Along," but could not otherwise be identified from the program or stage proceedings. Carl McCullough contributed a "red fire" ensamble, "Good-bye, Miss Liberty," in a most agreeable voice. For the rest he was the son of Col. Scott, and made the conventional, uninteresting musical comedy light comedian. John H. Pratt was liked in several duets with Miss Stanley. His part in dialog were best passed over in silence. If the man who picked out the girls had known as much about his business as MARATHON GIRLS. Phil Sheridan is traveling about with "The Marathon Girls" this season, having tired of "The City Sports" probably for a title. "The Marathon Girls" is an average bur- lesque show of any season. There is a two-act piece, written and staged by Jack Burnett. It is called "A Run for Your Money." The caption may refer to the audience. Between the acts is an ordinary olio of five acts, all either from the list of principals or chorus. There is no Hebrew, Irish or "Dutch" comedian in the show. Perhaps this fact is taken as a point in favor by the man- agement, but it is not a rare occurrence in these days of "productions" and "books." There are some numbers in- cluding the melodies of songs which might have brought momentary pleasure to the author when writing or staging, but he had perhaps unconsciously carried "The Follies of 1908" in his mind at the time. If Mr. Burnett wrote his show and scenes inno- cently he js likened to the music publisher who awoke at three in the morning with an air running through his head. Remain- ing awake all night in order not to lose it, the publisher was informed at his office the next morning the tune was very pretty but from "Pinafore." Several songs of the summer have new titles on the program. The best number in "The Follies" and the finale of that show is re-christened from "The March of the U. S. A." into "Hats Off to the Xavy," with a few choristers wearing "battleships" on their heads., electrically lighted just as Mr. Ziegfeld did it. The "Jungle Scene" from the New York Roof production also suggested many things to Mr. Sheridan or Mr. Burnett, palpably "The Honeymoon Bungalow in the Heart of Wildest Africa." The "Aeroplane" song is there without the aeroplane, and the last scene of the second act is the "Polo Grounds, New York," without the cotton balls for the audience used in a similar setting by the "Follies" company. When Robert Hilliard played "A Fool There Was" for a few weeks last season at the Liberty, Mr. Burnett must have visited the theatre, but he could not have gone more Uian once, for his recollection of that show is vague. During the first act, "The Vampire" is seen as versionized by Babette, the principal woman, but Babette mayhaps received her impression from a verbal description. Later in the show a travesty is given of the last act of the piny. As the Murray Hill audience was not altogether familiar with "A Fool There Was" they missed the intended satire. For Mr. Burnett's negligent mem- ory he won't be offended by hearing that the continued line of the piece uttered by "The Vampire," was "Kiss me. fool." That expression in a burlesque house would bring a laugh, and Burnett ought to use it. It is useless to announce the travesty. Those who don't know the play will accept it as they would a burlesque on melodrama. Clare Evans should ask 1; the one who designed the costumes, the result would have been much better. The* chorus is 'way under the Broadway aver- age for good looks, but they are costumed within, an inch of their lives. Changes are not too plentiful, but the models are attractive. Ru/th. to be relieved from reciting Kipling's "Vampire." He might offer as a reason that the house thinks he is talking about a horse. Mr. Evans is the main comedian, work- ing in a sort of tramp make-up, but with- out further character. Between himself, Billy Welp, funny through a mnke-ui: and Johnstone Flynn, a cissified dude who isn't cissified or dude enough, but sings perfectly so no one understands the words, there are many laughs in the show. The comedy >eems to go by measurement, and everything is timed as though too thor- oughly rehearsed. But that is technics anyway. It's the sort of humor that lesque likes. The show is "clean," though a few spicy remarks about a stateroom on Tuesdav evening suddenly ended, too abruptly not to believe there may have been more of the same sort included in the "book." Two of the best songs of the evening were sung by Hugo Angelo. His voice made the selections better than the others. Angelo is a member of the Athens Comedy Four, a quartet with two of the lending comedians in it. Welp and Flynn. It may have been made up from the show. Another olio feature that undoubtedly was formed in that way is "The Six Irish Col- leens." who sing and try to dance. One of the "Colleens" refused to lift her feet from the floor, but that's the new school, perhaps Several others in the chorus attended the same sessions. One chorister Tanguays herself, becoming so lively the others seem slow. If she Tanguays enough this spa- son and k<eps her ideas about salary down, the young woman will likely be a sou- b'ret next year. Clare Evans and Babette present n sketch in the olio called "The Wrong Mr. Souse.'" quite conventional as a sourse and a sketch until a travestied melodramatic finish relieves it. Frank Hayes and Anna Suits sing, dance and change their cos- tumes. Miss Suits securing the mo*t through actually dancing. In the piec.? Hayes is the '.sjmight" and Miss Suits "The Vampire." Mr. Hayes wears nice, clothes, but he is away oft' on color com- binations. Babette "pulled" a "hula hula" with a cooch movement towards the close of the performance, but it was harmless. Leol.i Pearl played a society woman, and there wen? other principals. The show is but fair as to principals as it is to a show, but seemed to please, and is typical of burlesque, even unto the first scene, p. sea scene with plainly ob- served wires manipulating the "waves." The dressing is neat and inexpensive. The chorus girls lift the average of gofry looks up some, though horiibly made ^." "The Anieen Abou Hamad Troupe of Fifteen Arabian Whirlwinds" came to tho olio with four Arabs, a few American acrobats and a couple of chorus girls dis- guised by veils. Every one felt sorry last summer that the "Follies" did not have more comedy nnd better comedy, but still that's no rea- son why Evans did not go through with the burlesque on Pauline he was billei for. Anyway, there's enough of the Anna Held show ("Miss Innocence") in the "Marathon Girls" to call it a "revue" al- most. "Eyes, Eyes, Eyes" with Babette and two comedians was the most legitimate number of the evening even if "Yip-I- Addy" was whistled by the gallery into • noisy success for Miss Suits. Sime-