The New York Clipper (January 1918)

: January 23,' I9i8 *HE *TEW YORK CLIPPER 0S9 RICHARD NOME Theatre— Ticenty-third St. Style— Musical novelty. Time— Fifteen minutes. Setting— In one. ' ■■'■ Richord Nome has one of the few" really novel turns in vaudeville. He walks onto the stage dressed as a Roman senator and runs through a line of talk in which he uses titles from Shakespeare's plays. This all serves to introduce his first instrument, a saxo- phone. The novelty of the act lies in the fact that he pulls the instruments from out of queer places, such as the back of his cloak, the sleeve,- the side of his belt and so on. After playing a number on the saxophone, he tells the audience, in another speech like the first, that he will whistle. Jle then does a number in three different tones, and does it well. Another little speech, and a number on the Sarrusaphone follows. He then plays a number on a Nasa- phone, a practically unknown instru- ment. This earned him an encore for which he played the same instrument. Nome plays his instruments well and the line of talk he uses, though not of the comedy kind, fits in. The turning of the spear and shell into an instru- ment stand and the scroll bit were clever, and helped out nicely. Nome has taken pains to arrange his turn and the result is a novelty with a capital He should find no trouble in getting bookings, as acts of bis kind are scarce. S. K. NEW ACTS (Continued from page t and en png • S3) FRED ALLEN Theatre— Harlem Opera House. Style— -Comedy variety. Time— Twenty minute*. Setting— In one. Fred Allen comes out with a ven- triloquial dummy, giving the impression that he is going to do a straight act. He does, however, a clever burlesque on the usual act of the sort, having the talking done by stage hands in the wings. He finally imitates a phonograph and, when he walks off, after doing it, the machine concealed in the tabu starts playing again. He then juggles three balls and tells some gags which he de- livers in a persuasive style. Then comes a burlesque on bat juggling and then some fake hoop rolling. He throws a hoop out one side and announces it will run clear around the stage. A stage band then throws another hoop, smaller and unlike the first, out the opposite side. Allen is one of those performers who make the audience like them, kidding them along until they warm up. He has in each wing two large wooden hands, which are stuck out and clapped to- gether vigorously when he does some- thing good. At the showing they made him come back twice, and wanted him to come again, the applause continuing until the next act had started. He is a winner on most any bill, and can hold the next to closing place well. P. K. MYSTIC HANSON TRIO Theatre—Proctor"* 58th St. Style— Magic and tinging. Time— Seventeen minutes. Setting— FuU stage. This is a novelty in magic acts and should go across big, for it has both ideas and material. The man opens with a song, in which he explains what he intends to do and two girls enter and sing a descriptive chorus while he works with small arti- cles. This gets the house at once, and is a splendid substitute for the usual long introductory patter. The girls, while singing, pull stuff out of silk hats. Some magical novelties follow. Hanson doesn't use an old illusion; that is, everything he does is clothed in new form, so that only an expert could recognize it as old stuff. A clever cabinet trick, in which a kewpie is placed in the box, to change to the girl, dressed up just like the doll, is one of his features. He closes with a flag and cabinet illusion, which is more won- derful as a spectacle than as magic, bnt which gets him the hand he deserves. People who say there is no novelty in magic should see this act. He has taken an art that is nearly dead and has worked it into such popular form that it will go most anywhere. He would improve his turn by getting a back drop. Such an act needs it greatly, as the house interior jars with his props. With that slight addition this act will find a welcome place in vaudeville for a long time. P. K. FAY AND KENT Theatre— Proctor's 125th Street. Style— -Singing and talking. Time— Fourteen minutes. Setting— In one. The two young women in this act open with talk, in which Miss Kent is a society woman trying to teach the other how to act properly. This gives Miss Fay a chance to tell some good Italian and Irish dialect stories. Then they sing a duo. While Miss Fay is singing a comedy solo Miss Kent gets into an aviation dress, and goes down into the orchestra pit. Some gags between the two follow, relating principally to the orchestra leader. From the pit. Miss Kent then sings. Then Miss Fay gets into Hits and the two finish with a rapid song. One has a splendid voice, and the other is an excellent comedienne. At the showing, their work struck the house favorablv, and they took several bows. P. K. BARNES AND SMYTHE Theatre— City. Style— Comedy. - Time— Twenty minutes. Setting— In one. Barnes and Smythe have a real good comedy offering. One of the men la an actor and has turned hit pants In to the tailor, so that he may have them pressed in time for the show. The other one is the tailor. They meet, and a fast, snappy, and funny line of gags follows. The tall fellow, who plays the tailor, is an eccentric comedian of a peculiar type and, because of nia build, gets over bits of business that others could not do. They sing a song and the tall one doea a dance, in which he pats a few queer steps. They:scored a large bit, inr? for an encore the tall fellow recited a hodge- podge of foolish nothings thc.t got many laughs. The act la a winner, and should find no trouble getting bookings. S. K. CON CONRAD Theatre— Proctor's 5th Axe. Style— Piano song and talk. Time— Fifteen minutes. Setting— In one. Con Conrad- introduces himself in song, telling what a great aetor and old favorite he is. He also says that he has been in London for some time and an- nounces that at one time he wrote a song which he proceeds to play. At the end of the number the phone rings and be says he has been asked if he won't come np and do bis act for Mrs. Bilt- more. The next bit is an English Chappie number, depicting an Englishman's ef- forts to describe American slang terms. He had to repeat the "Fowl names" at Thursday's matinee, and even then the audience didn't get it. A good bit.is his description of an evening at a Harlem flat. He then plays a medley of pop num- bers, at the end of which the orchestra goes out of tune and a little comedy is obtained by their tuning up efforts. A real pretty bit i« a number which he plays in part upon the strings of the piano, giving it u sort of harp effect. He then has an applause number and fin- ishes with a song. Conrad has a good act for the better small time, without putting in the self- praise stuff at the opening and the tele- phone stuff. L. R. 6. FOLSOM AND BROWN Theatre— Proctor's Fifth Ave. Style— Song and pianologue. Time—/Sixteen minutes. Setting— In one. Folsom and Brown, man and woman, present an act of considerable merit. The man plays the piano well and sings two. songs, both of which he puts over well. His partner also renders two songs, to piano accompaniment, and they sing one number together. The girl is a con- scientious worker, and is at her best when rendering a descriptive song. The number which tells the story of a country girl who comes to the city, and returns to her home town when her hair is gray, was well done. The man doea the beat work. He gets all possible out of his songs. E. W. JOHN T. CHICK Theatre— 12oth St. Style— Cartoonist. Time— Ten . minutes. Setting.—Special back drop. John T. Chick has a novelty opening or closing act. He draws on cardboard and the drawing is -thrown on a screen back of him, upside down. The audience can only see the workings of his brush, as he works In the dark, only his face being seen. The act is novel because there is not a word of explanation spoken and the audience keeps trying to guess what the picture will be. His line of work is unlimited, for be draws anything from a girl at the seashore to a portrait of President Wilson. Chick has given vaudeville a real novelty, and should find no trouble getting bookings. S. K. "THE ISLE OF INNOCENCE" Theatre— Proctor's 125th St. 1 Style— Musical comedy. Time— Twenty minutes. Setting—Special full stage. This playlet is much like the average girl act except that it is, perhaps, more expensively staged and costumed than most of them. The setting is an elabo- rate one, representing a jungle-like wilderness on an unknown island. The comedy borders, for the most part, on burlesque. Fonr principals and a chorus of six make np the cast. The prima donna is a girl who has always been on the island and knows nothing of the world without. The juvenile hero and the comedian, the lat- ter an escaped convict, are shipwrecked on the island, and the rest of the plot consists in the girl's asking embarrassing questions, to be answered by the come- dian. One of the players then takes the role of a tiger and a scene between him and the comedian is sometimes amusing. The tiger's make-up is poor and the ac- tor does not get as much comedy out of the part as he might- The leading man is good looking and has a voice above the average. The girl cannot sing at all, nor can she act. 8he is exceedingly pretty and graceful, how- ever, and always pleases the eye U not the ear, a more acceptable arrangement than the opposite would be. The chorus is good loojdng and well trained and its members wear some elab- orate costumes. There is nothing un- usual in the music. P. K. BOG ATE AND BOGATE Theatre— Proctor's 58th Street. Time— Fifteen minutes. Style— Talk and songs. Setting— In one. Bogate and Bogate, a sister act, make their appearance with one of the sisters coming on alone and doing a suffragette speech. The other sister, "planted" in the au- dience, interrupts her and is finally in- duced to come upon the stage. Some lines follow, after which the younger girl does a vamp number, while the suf- fragette goes off to make a change. The only really bright spot in their routine is the duet. More of this stuff injected into the act would make a world of difference. L. K. G. LIONEL PARIS Theatre— Proctor's 58th St. Style— Single. Time— Twelve minutes. Setting— In one. Lionel Paris, a young man dressed in a business suit and a straw hat, opens with one of those "111 introduce myself" songs, which is badly written and fol- lows with a song with little melody, which he delivers monotonously. Some stories, many of which are pointlessly off color, follow. Paris has nothing unusual to offer and if he did have, it is doubtful if he could get it across. He lacks personal- ity, pep, and lots of other things nec- essary to success. P. K. CHARLOTTE LESLAY Theatre— City. Style— Singing. Time— Eight minutes. Setting— In one. Charlotte Leslay, who recently did a double with Carl Hayden, Is now doing a single, assisted by a pianist. She sings three high-class numbers in good voice, finishing each by reaching a very high note. She made an Impression when re- viewed, and got an encore. S. K. STEVE FREDA Theatre— Proctor's 23rd St. Style— Single. . Time— Twelve minutes.- Setting— In one. Steve Freda wears the attire of an Italian laborer and opens with a song, which he delivers,in poor fashion. He has no voice to speak of and, for the most part, speaks his song. He also carries a harmonica on which be plays a few bars now and then. Freda tells a few stories in Italian dialect, sings another song, and then produces a mandolin on which he plays an operatic air. From his manner, he seems new to the stage and lacks pep, considerably. His songs are not partic- ularly attractive and he needs a new line of stories. His future is doubtful. P. K. NAPPY AND HIS ARMY Theatre— City. Style— Nut oot. Time— Fifteen minutes. Setting— Special in four. This is a good nnt act and all it nesds to make it a real attraction is a tew more specialties by the members of the "army." There are many bright lines in the turn, and good bits of business. The leader, Nappy, doea his part well, and the others help out, the thin, tall man being especially good. Hit recita- tion and song were both good. The company sings two numbers and harmon- izes well, and, if the bits of business were increased, and each man given a chance for a small specialty, the act would be one of the beat nnt acts on the boards to-day. &. K. MR. AND MRS. DARROWS Theatre—Proctor'* 23rd St. Style-— Shadowgraphs. Time— Fifteen minutes. Setting— FuU stage. The act opens with a clever smoke pic- ture by the man, after which the two make sand pictures of a patriotic nature. Then they start their shadow work, which is more interesting than the usual thing of the sort. They haven't any noveltiM in material, but they work smoothly and quickly, and provide entertainment of a mild sort from start to finish. Both work silently, not .a word being spoken through- out. ^ For a shadow act it is much above the average, and would make a good opening turn for any house. P. K.