Variety (Dec 1905)

/ VA ARIETY. T 3 NOTES.—Manager Kernan now has a monopoly of the vaudeville business in this city, but the new Gaiety Theatre is rapidly nearing completion and Messrs. Weber & Scribner, of New York, will open on schedule time Feb. 5, 1906, play- ing the Columbia Amusement Company's attractions exclusively in this city. The resident manager is a prominent busi- ness man of Baltimore, whose name is to be kept secret rntil after the comple- tion of the building. Mr. Eddie Edwards, formerly treasurer of Holliday Street Theatre, will be the treasurer and Mr. Tobe Jacobs the advertiser. The build- ers are now two weeks ahead of time, but the original date for the opening will hold good in order not to change all plans, bookings, etc. MILTON. NEWARK, N. J.—Mediocrity makes iocrity makes up the Proctor bill for the current week. Every division of polite vaudeville seems represented. Joseph Hart and Carrie De Mar, two favorites at this place of amusement, are the head- liners, but the laughs are not all re- served for the twain. They offer "The Other Fellow," an un-bizzare sketch of near-unfeliclty. Ed. Gray, the allitera- tive tall tale teller told twenty-two thoughtless stories successfully. Dan Hiatt was amusing as a burlesque music- ian, but his wife's vocal efforts relegated the act to the ordinary effort. The Carson Brothers, billed as acro- bats, did not belie their profession, and Joe Keischen's dogs were exhibited as well-trained balancing animals. Tyce and Jermon told some jests of ancient vintage and sang songs. Francis Wood rolled hoops. Why? Charles Burke and Grace La Rue, with the assistance of a few colored comedians (?), presented what once was their comic "Silver Moon" sketch, and would you believe it they in- troduced a few new old jokes. M. M. Thelse's Casino Girls gave a fea- tureless performance at Waldman's, the local wheel representative. The mate- rial handed out to the company by the arrangers of the show will never place the authors in any competition with any good burlesque composers. The aggre- gation in addition lacks ginger. The Columbia Theatre will not open its doors this week on account of the poor busi- ness that usually troubles managers pre- vious to holiday times. On Xmas after- noon A. H. Wood's "A Wife's Confession- will be put on for a week. The Empire was dark last week. David Belasco bought out the house in order to avoid playing a week of vaudeville offered by the so-called independent vaudeville combine. Fiske O'Hara, the newest Blaney star, will open In "Mr. Blarney of Ireland," at the Blaney Theatre on Xmas afternoon. Mr. O'Hara changed his name for the benefit of the Blaney clientele; it used to be William Fiske. GORDON E. WHEELER. LONDON, CANADA. — BENNETTS (J. H. Alos, Manager.)—This cozy vaude- ville theatre is now well in its second year and meeting with well-merited ■ac- cess. Dec. 11-16—Mme. De Serris com- pany, in famous bas-reliefs and living statuary, are pleasing large houses with thHr beautiful reproductions. Fiske and McDonough are going strong with their character sketch, "Good News;" La Fleur, sensational acrobat; Dutch Wal- ton, musical monologist; Mitchell and Love, Wilson and Moran and Antrim and Peters round out a splendid bill. Coming Dec. 18 23—W. Woodford's edu- cated animals; Monroe, Mack and Law- rence, James Walthour and company, Horse vs. Cyclist, Billy O'Day, Rob- bins and Trenman and others. . . The amateur contests every Friday night are proving a great success. m FRITZ HOUSTON. WASHINGTON, D. C—CHASE (H. W. De Witt, Manager.)—"The Hazzardous Globe," in which Wizard and Irene Stone do some sensational and nerve racking stunts, heads the bill at this house. Edward S. Kines and company presented an abbrevated drama. This form of play has become exceedingly popular with Chase's patrons. The sketch is entitled, "Tainted Money," and deals with Frenzied Finance, winding up with logical moral. Mr. Kines is assisted by Jas. D. Walsh and Wm. Slater. They are both clever, but the sketch at the present time Is In the rough and needs a great deal cf polishing. The action drags in several places and the actors should pay more attention to minor de- tails. Sidney Grant, in stories and songs, received three curtain calls, which dem- onstrates that he is an old favorite here. J. \varren Keane, a magician, offered good work. Arthur Borani and Annie Nevarro, eccentric acrobats, were excel- lent. Coakley and McBride, black face song and dance artists, gave a very ac- ceptable performance. Signor Luigi dell'Oro played on a great accordion and "armonipede" very cleverly. MAJESTIC (T. P. Sargent, Manager.) —The Fays opened a two weeks' engage- ment In a mixed exhibition of alleged spiritual phenomena, telepathy, thau- maturgy and vaudeville. Mrs. Fay an- swers many questions pertaining to past, present and future events. The vaude- ville features were presented by the Sisters Rappo, very clever dancers; Phil Staats, In a monologue, and Rostow, the Russian equilibrist. KERNAN'S (Eugene Kernan, Man- ager.)—Whallen and Martell's clever burlesque company, "The Kentucky Belles," is the attraction this week. Messrs. Whallen and Martell have brok- en away from the old-time style of bur- lesque companies, and are offering the patrons a two-act musical farce entitled, "Murphy's Mistake," written by Reid and Gilbert. During the performance several excellent specialties are intro- duced. They are surrounded with a bevy of chorus girls that outshine the choruses of many a first-class musical production. Miss Beilo took the house by storm with "The Winding of the Yarn." Hedrlx and Prescott, in song and dance; Gray and Grakan, musicai team; The Century Comedy Four, ana the Four Melvin Bros, completed one of the best bills ever seen in this house. LAND ON 'EM. NEW ORLEANS, LA.—ORPHEUM (Thomas Winston, Mgr.). — Martin Beck's premier attraction, the Orpheum Show, is holding forth at this popular playhouse for week of December 11. Tho bill includes Ye Colonial Septette, Meri- ar's dogs, Jules and Ella Garrison, Sis- ters and Brothers Ford, Edgar Bixley, Winona Winter and Campbell and Mack. The Colonial Septette have a very neat and cleverly conceived act. Merian's dogs, by far the best canine act in the business, were generously ap- plauded. Jules and Ella Garrison in their burletta entitled "An Ancient Ro- man," were also well received. Edgar Bixley was a hit as well as were Winona Winter, the Sisters and Brothers Ford and Campbell and Mack, who are still using their old bicycle act to good ad- vantage. The "Animated Scenes" closed the bill. The Orpheum Show will pack them in this week. Julian Eltlnge is th-3 headliuer for week of December 18. GREENWALL THEATRE (Henry Greenwall, Mgr.). — Bob Manchester's "Vanity Fair" Co. opened Sunday, De- cember 10, to S. R. O. at both perform- ances. The company is headed by John Conley and Harry Ward as comedians and Dora Denton as soubrette. Conley and Ward are slapstick comedians, while Miss Denton has a voice that could be used to good service on a farm. Reed and Shaw were very clever in their gymnastic act and a Jap, who styles himself Tokio from Japan, was fairly good with a fan juggling and slack wire act. The girls seem to have been se- lected with a view as to their weight, not age. Week of December 17, Phil Sheridan's City Sports. E. M. SAMUEL. SYRACUSE, N. Y.—GRAND OPERA HOUSE (C. H. Plummer, Mgr.).—This city is one of the best show towns in the State, and is vaudeville wise through intermittent doses. The patronage at the Grand since the change of policy to variety has not been steady through the irregularity of the quality of the weekly bills. Syracuse demands good acts all the time, and will support them upon receipt. This week: Hal Davis and Inez Mac- auley in "The Unexpected." Well liked, but why was not their latest offering "Pals" given instead? It is a much bet- ter and stronger sketch. A house in its vaudeville Infancy should have the best, whether the worst has been seen before In town or not. Lee Harrison told some stories which Syracusians thought fun- ny, and made a hit with his songs. Del- more and Lee, best aerial act ever here. Macart's animals well liked. Dixon, Bowers and Dixon fair. Delmar Sisters neatly dressed and good dancers. An- derson and Giles (colored), too much horse-play. Barr and Evans made no impression. Next week: Girard and Gardner, Keeler's wonderful Jap Troupe, Basque Quartette, Grattan and White, Reiff Bros. NOTE.—Jule Delmar, the Keith repre- sentative at the Grand is becoming very popular. SAM FREEMAN. LOUISVILLE. Ky.-HOPKINS' (Wm. Relchmann, Res. Mgr.). Hart's Boston Novelty Co., with Valerie Bergere & Co. as the headliner, was the offering. Fair show and attendance. This week's bill headed by eight Bedouin Arabs and comprising Ryan & Richfield. Kelly & Violette, Four Emperors of Music, Dan -Quintan and Keller Mack, The Be-Anon, Redford and Winchester, and*the Kino- drome forms a diversified and well bal- anced bill drawing crowded houses. Special mention must be made of Kelly and Violette, who are the*distinct hir of this attractive bill. Next: Hopkins' Trans-Oceanic SUr Specialty Co., with Kitamura's Japs, Callahan and Mack, Watson and Mor- risey, Alf Grant, Harry and Kate Jack- son and others. BUCKINGHAM (Whallen Bro»»., Mgrs.). May Howard and her Extrava- ganza Co., with "The Girl in Blue" as an extra attraction, is turning people away from this popular playhouse this we?k. The show is up to the standard in every respect and should prove a record break- er. Edward Morris is principal come- dian and the olio names the following well known people: Russell and LOcKe, Musical Craigs, La Velle and Grant In addition to a series of art pictures and the aforementioned "Girl4n Blue." Last week Sam Devere's Own Show played to poor houses. County fair. Next: Star Show Girls. Notes. Roma's Aerial Wrestlers, who were brought over to this country from brought over to this country from England under direction of Marinelli, will close a special six weeks' engage- ment over the Empire Circuit at Cin- cinnati on December 16 and will shortly be seen in New York city. The Three Graces have been engaged as a vaudeville feature with Anna Eva Fay. ARTHUR STUART. WATERBURY, Conn.—JACQUES (J. W. Fitzpatrick, Res. Mgr.). The bill tho current week is an unusually strong one for this house. Headed by the taualcal Colbys, every act on the bill pleased and in most instances jumped into instant favor. Ned Nye was a close second to the headliners, with his Seven Ameri- can Girls, a new act now on its second week. The act is bound to make good. Smith and Campbell presented a rapid fire talking act, which went well. Hayes and Carewialso scored with their act, "The Lady and the Slavey." Their after bit, called "Jockey Johnnie O'Nell," scored Instantly. The others on the bill were Spilk, Roman ring expert; Rae and Brosche, Smith and McGloin and the Eicctrograph. NOTES.—There is considerable specu- lation as to the outcome of the estate of the late Jean Jacques. It is per- sistently rumored Poli will transfer his vandeville interests to the Poli house and the Jacques will be turned Into a burlesque house. But it is thought Mrs. Jacques will retain her husband's in- terests in the Poli house and engage Harry Parsons as her representative. Several out-of-town managers are watch- the building of a new theatre here, ing the settlement of the Jacques estate very carefully, wishing to gain the late manager's interest in the Poli house if possible. ARTHUR H. M'KECHNIE. LYNN, Mass.—AUDITORIUM. (Harry Katzes, Mgr.)—Week of December 11, Sherman and De Forrest in "The Battle of San Dago," headed the bill and proved themselves to be one of the best teams yet seen in the now house. Vera King, singing and talking comedienne, was one of the hits >>f the show. Andy Mc- Leod took fairly\eJK Brown, Harris and Brown, in "The Sptr^of 76," was an act deserving the warm reception they received. Koppe and Koppe, the juggling comedians, are certainly good jugglers; as comedians they did not take so well. The Larson Sisters, European novelty athletes, did some wonderful feats that were well received. Spencer Lynn and F"ay, comediennes, were clever as singers and dancers. Good business.