The New York Clipper (September 1919)

12 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER September 17, 1919 ANDERSON AND YVEL Theatre— I'roctofs 58(A St. Style—SoOer £%«<<«#■ Time— Eight Minute*. Setting—/» Four. Anderson and Yvel, man and woman, have a roller skating' act in which they display good form and a few interesting stunts, of which one stands out as the feature. Their work is done in a clean- cat manner, but there is a lack of spec- tacular stunts. The torn, as it is at present, is some- what short. The closing number by the man, a sort of burlesque on an Egyptian dance, does not make a particularly good cosing, for the reason that so many per- formers have given similar numbers, off the skates, to be ■are, bat similar, never- theless. They started with a waltz on skates, after which the girl went off stage, and the man, wearing a derby hat and smoking a cigar a la Frisco, did a few whirls on one foot and a few other stunts. The feature of the act was then offered when the man, holding his partner by one hand and one foot, whirled her about at a high rate of speed. The drop was lowered after that, as though indi- cating the Enish of the act. But die girl stepped forward in one and an- nounced that her partner was also a skilful dancer and would offer a terpsi- chorean number. The drop was then raised and he did his burlesque on. the skates. The number did not arouse very much laughter and, as a comedy effort, was not a success. The rest of the act was much better. With another good tttJUJBSj stunt in- stead of the dance farce to close with, the turn will be improved. I. S. ROSE AND MOON CO. Theatre— Audubon. Style— Dancing. Time— Sixteen minutes. Setting— FuU stage (special). The one outstanding feature of this act. which will constantly draw the attention of anyone who views it is the excellent taste with which the musical numbers have been selected and arranged both for the solos and dances. The pianist who renders thera is also worthy of some billing, for he is as good as any of the big time pianists. Rose and Moon are a likeable couple and have arranged their dance bits artistically. All of the dances are of the clog type, but they have arranged a -.um- ber of eccentric steps which put them above the clog-dancers «tho generally open a show on the small time. They open with a clog waltz in which they syncopate the minnette. Then there are a few eccentric numbers of the jazz type and two on the Oriental style. The two dance well and have a capable assistant in their pianist, who renders two solos. The act should do for the better class houses. G. J. H. REN ARD AND JORDAN Theatre— Keency's. Style— Comedy. Time— Eighteen Minutes. Setting— One, Special. This is the same act that Renard did before with a male partner, when it was known as Regan and Renard. The setting represents the lobby of a hotel with a magazine stand in the fore- ground. Renard is the bellboy and clerk of the hotel, and Miss Jordan is a guest. The talk, which is funny, concerns hotel matters in general, and is bound to bring laughs. Both people handle their material nicely, and Miss Jordan has a pleasing voice, which she uses to good advantage. The act should find no trouble in getting plenty of work anywhere. NEW ACTS AND REAPPEARANCES (Continued on pag* 14) FRISCO TRIO Theatre— Greenpoint. . Style— Comedy Act. Time— Twenty Minutes. Setting—/n One. This act needs, among >8#6ftWfah<< some new comedy. The men are excel- lent dancers and sing fairly well. Bat their comedy material is rather anti- quated. » They open with a song and follow with a'few steps. They then indulge in some cross-fire that has seen usage before and follow with an acrobatic dance by the smaller of the three. A comedy "wed- ding" number with one of them as a bride, follows. This bit is not as good as it is intended to be. They then close with a bit in which all three of them bang on the piano until two hands enter and pull the instrument off. They finish with dancing in which they partially disrobe. This bit got one or two laughs. The smallest of the three appeared, to the writer, to be made np rather ama- teurishly. If the act secured some new comedy material and snapped it over a fit faster, they would get along much better. They will, however, find no trouble in getting along on the better small time as a feature act. Also, they have an asset in their name. S. K. ALLEN AND BETTY LEIBER Theatre— Greenpoint. Style— Playlet. Time— Twenty-five Minutes. Setting— In Four. The idea around which this act is built has been employed so often and so repeatedly that it is almost impossible to pat a new wrinkle in it. The two players try hard, bnt their success is rather shabby. The story, shows a young married couple who must part, due to the hus- band's being called to Russia on business. There is the usual parting scene. The stage grows dark and the audience is informed that six months has passed. The husband then comes home unex- pectedly to find his wife not at home. He at once grows suspicions. She comes in attired in evening dress and he begins to upbraid her, distorting her every re- mark. He finally shows her a cable he received, which reads, "Would advise you to come home at once, as your wife has no less than three fellows at the house in the last month." The wife, though, explains that she had been ill and that her life was saved only through the arrival of Tom, Dick and Harry. He at once wants to kill them. She then discloses the fact that Tom, Dick and Harry are his sons and he sinks down into a crair exclaiming, "I'm glad I didn't stay away a year." S. K. ZELLA SISTERS Theatre—routers. Style— Dancing. Time— Ten Minutes. Setting—FuU Stage. These sisters are two attractive girls with cropped hair. They have a routine of dances, opening with a number by both and followed by a rope jumping effort and an eccentric number. They close with a dance by the two. While what dancing the girls do is well done, is is nothing ont of the ordi- nary. At present they will do for the three-a-day. - G. J. H. VERA CALHOUN Theatre— Jersey City. Style— Singing. Time—Ten minutes. Setting— Special. ' ■ "The Girl in the Frame," as Vera Calhoun is billed, is a novel singing act which should be able to occupy a posi- tion in the better small time houses and some of those on the big time. She is an attractive girl, has a. pleasing per- sonality and renders her selections with intelligence and in a clear voice. She was given the opening position at this house and, in the initial spot,' scored solidly. In a lower spot, the applause would probably have been greater, for the audience was not yet entirely seated when she went on. Nor was it yet in a very receptive state of mind. Miss Calhoun works before a screen on which are flashed different colored scenes. In her closing number she is seated upon a sort of ball which, by a mechanical device, floats about like a planet before a light effect representing cloudy skies. Following a few explanatory words, Miss Calhoun, attired in the costume of a shepherdess, sang a ballad comment- ing on the freedom of Ireland. Her next selection, in a bathing costume, was liked, as was her closing number, on the moving sphere, which was Harry Oar- roll's Rainbow song. I. S. MAGEE AND ANNETTE Theatre— Greenpoint. Style— Dancing. Time— Fifteen minutes. Setting— FuU stage. This act ranks with any of the good dancing acts on the better small time. Both performers are graceful and ac- complished dancers. The offering is ap- propriately costumed and well presented. They open with a Scotch folk gong which might as well be eliminated for, although Magee is a good, dancer, his singing will not do. This is followed by a gracefully executed Highland Fling by Annette, after which Magee did a Sail- or's Hornpipe, interloping a few eccentric steps. Annette, dressed in a becoming country kid's costume, did a "skipping the rope" dance which is a sure fire applause getter, and Magee followed with a Chinese number in costume to match. Annette, also costumed as an Oriental, joined him, and they concluded with two semi-waltz numbers, the latter being of the whirlwind variety. 8. K. KINNEY AND WHITE Theatre— Proctor's 125th St. Style— Dancing. Time— Fourteen Minute*. Setting— In Three {Special). Kinny and White have a pretty little dancing torn which will eventually make the better houses, but needs a little more smoothness than it possesses at present. Kinny starts the offering in one, en- tering with a number of bundles in his arms and a song about shopping. A long ribbon from one of the buildings drags off into the wings. He pulls the ribbon and at the other end of it is Miss White in a hat-box costume. Following a song and dance by the pair, the setting goes to three, where she dons a new dress. A dance by the two in waltz time fol- lows. White then does an eccentric dance in which he features kicking. A toe-dance by the girl and a "mask" dance by the two complete the offering. Both dance welL Kinny is very light and graceful and the girl is a capable partner. G. J. H. NAT JEROME AND CO. Theatre— Proctor's 23rd St. Style— Comedy Playlet. Time— Eighteen Minute*. Setting—Full Stage. Whenever a performer wants to appeal to the personal feelings of an audience, nowadays, he either sings a song to the Irish or the Jews. Usually be gets away with it, for the Irish applaud the Irish, the Jews applaud themselves and they applaud each other. And when a performer makes a hit with both factions, he is in clover, for these two seem to run things nowadays and the rest just string along, Nat Jerome has done just that. He has in his act a quarrel in a family composed of an Irish girl and a Jewish youth and, finally, a re-union. The vehicle, in itself, has not been written very well. The plot is one that affords a few possibilities although not very many. It is a theme that can best be built np by having clever bits of dialogue included, rather than upon thrTHing situations. At present, it has neither. The characters play their roles fairly well and the girl who has the part of the young wife is attractive. The playlet, however, in addition to its faults, is continued far beyond its climax. It should be curtailed. Moot of the act at present consists of talk that does not appear to get anywhere. The offering isn't exciting, nor is it funny. But it will do on the small time, because it will please the folks from the Green Isle and the Hebrews. Mary and Sammy have quarreled. Mary has forced her husband to sign separation papers. It is evident that he loves the girl, bat she insists that they separate. In comes the girl's mother, and upon finding that her daughter is to leave Sammy, she tries to smooth the matter out, Sammy's father comes in. He and Mrs. Ryan, for that is the name of the girl's mother, have a verbal battle in which Mrs. Ryan displays a sharp tongue. It is then discovered that the reason for the quarrel is that the couple, after being married for five years, could not decide whether to raise their children in the Jewish faith or as Erin's youths are brought up. The young man explains that he would not have objected, but that he had thought his father did not approve of his wife's stand. The parents reunite the children, each of whom agrees to give in a bit. Mrs. Ryan invites the other three characters to dinner and the act ends when the young man's father remarks that he will go as far as to eat ham. I. S. YANKEE FOUR Theatre— Proctors 125JJI St. Style— Singing. Time— Tioelve minutes. Setting— In one. This quartet does not style itself a "comedy" four. For this, alone these men are to be congratulated. The men enter and get right down to business and stick to it throughout the entire time they are on stage. And they certainly can teach a lot of these so- called self-styled "comedy-fours" a good deal about singing. One of the men is not young, being possessed of a bald head and a rim of gray hair around 'the shiny spot. Two are middle-aged and one gives the ap- pearance of a man in his early twenties. All wear tuxedos, but there are two who would do well to get tighter fitting suits, as they resemble waiters in a Hungarian restaurant. But to give them due credit, they cer- tainly can sing! They offered a few numbers, one without the orchestra ac- companiment, which was excellent. With more To their act, this quartet can fill en early spot on the big time. G. J. H.