Variety (Jan 1906)

!.»" *■■■■ • /'. VARIETY. :f., NEW ACTS OF THE WEEK •:.;\ WILFRBD CLARKE A CO. •'WHAT WILL HAPPBM NIBXTr* AWPHIO-N. Like most of the Clarke sketches, this is taken from a French or German theme. Bertie Blufflngton has been hav- ing a night out and has met a lady whom he informs that he is a magician. She enlists his aid in the search of her husband, from whom she was separated at the church door by her mother. She is given his address and visits him at his house. The action of the sketch lies In his endeavors to hide the woman from his wife and a friend, who proves to be the long-lost husband. The sketch now runs twenty-two minutes. When it gets down to twenty it chould prove an even livelier offering than "Too Much Trou- ble." There is not a moment without action, and the story is followed with genuine Interest. Theo. Carew, Eleanor De Mott and Archie Gillies all contrib- ute to the good effect and deserve praise. The sketch only lacks another week's working to be one of the best. One or two of the points are lost here this week because a doorway supposed to lead to a hall leads instead to a gar- den. The backing should be changed. Chicot. NABBL M'KINLBY. SOPRANO. HYDB Jt BEHMAX'S. r^ :/ - After a part of the season with "The Parson's Wife," Mabel McKinley Is once again in vaudeville, playing the first week of her return in Brooklyn. The absence has not lessened Miss McKIn- ley's value on a vaudeville bill. If the reception accorded at Hyde & Behman's is to be accepted as a true criterion, she is a stronger favorite than ever. Sel- dom does it happen that any vocalist is required to render six selections before the greediness of the audience is ap- I eased, but on Tuesday evening even this number did not satisfy, the ap- plause being insistent until the orches- broke into the^-opening ehord»-for th( next. Miss McKinley has added one row song to the same repertoire former- ly given. It is an Indian chant, and she is proclaimed the composer of It. An- other change is that her own leader con- ducts the music, the piano accompanist having been done away with. The con- ductor is a young man by the name of Smith, who is more sincere than rhyth- mic in his handling of the "stick." Mabel McKinley is a big feature and drawing card on any bill. 8ime. J WHrrPMABr ani> da vis. PROTBAlf TRAVESTY. KEITH'S. "Protean Travesty" is a misnomer. The sketch, for euch it really is. is called "His Little Game." and said by Mr. Whitman to have been written jointly by George Totten Smith and himself, al- though it Is ad led that Whitman did . most of the writing. Mr. Smith may con- gratulate hiinself that he is thereby re- lieved of all responsibility. Based upon a plot leading a husband to disguise himself to discover the unfaithfulness of his wife, the play runs on to allow Whit- man as the husbaiid to go out and re- appear as an Italian street vender who Bollcita a kl88 from the wife (Eloise Davis). If it is the intent to have the audience believe the sincerity of the story, it willfall of its purpose through the incongruity of the characters. After the Italian falls to succeed, Whitman changes to a German in 58* seconds and again attempts the osculatory. The sKetch ruus 16 minutes, and the "pro- tean" undoubtedly depends upon the two changes made. With the songs sung. It becomes a fair character sketch, depend- ing more upon the music and briskness of the business than the title or the changes. On very early, no true gauge of Its reception could be taken. It would do much better if rewritten. Sime. trace of their characterizations. The ':, fact that Miss Pierce did not make a tre- mendous hit was probably a great sur- prise and disappointment to her mother, who Is an energetic sponsor for her daughter. KinkB. MATIEO ANT> HBR CONCtO GIRLS. S17VG1KG AND DANCING. g 1H>NV PASTOR'S. ▼ Somewhat suggesting the Williams and Walker act Is the work of Matleo and her supporting quartet. They are very light negresses who, on a darkened stage, might almost be taken for white. They sing three songs with the usual al- lotment of dancing, changing costumes for each song. The work Is fairly good and effective. The light effects are poor and greater care in looking after the de- colletage Is recommended. The exposure is entirely too generous. The act should prove available for small houses. It is not smart Chicot. n/ (^OL. MAGNt'S SCHtLTZ. l*BHFORMI.\G DOGS. TONY PASTOR'S. While not a new act. the turn Is shown In a new shape with three trapeze dogs which are a real novelty. The ap- paratus consists of three platforms, one of which is fixed. The others are kept swinging, and as they are in motion the dogs leap from one to the other. The act is well worked out and the dogs are well trained but two or three hundred dollars will have to be spent on the act before it can be offered at a fair price. The apparatus Is not well dressed and the general effect Is dingy. The other tricks are commonplace and Col. Schultz stands sadly in need of a clothes brush. Chicot. ALICE PIBRCB. ^ MIMIC / KEITH'S, PHILADELPHIA. Alice Pierce, who only recently re- turned from abroad after an absence of some four years, was heralded as a "celebrated impressionist" but gave lit- tle cause for claiming this honor. Miss Pierce has ability, but it is limited and unsuited for the workwhich she did here. She lacks vocal and physical power to portray the characters she endeavors to represent: Gertie Miller, an English singer, now In "A Spring Chicken," Edna May in "The School Girl." Beer- bohm Tree in his gruesome character of "Caliban" In Shakespeare's "Tem- pest," and Mrs. Carter in "Zaza," were her initial selections and none of them were good. The audience applauded, but it was no doubt In an endeavor to treat her kindly rather than as a reward for her work. Two of the characters have never been seen In this country, and even had many of those present seen Miss May and Mrs. Carter they would never have recognized even a J. C. KUGBNT A CO. •«LEST "WB FORGET.'* JACdUES' THEATRE. WATBRBURY, CONN. J. C. Nugent put on a new act which he calls "Lest We Forget," from his own pen. The theme of the act Is the best part of It and there are great possibil- ities which Nugent failed to grasp. None of the finer details of the clothing of the act were looked after and the part assigned M^ss Jessie Charon fitted her nearly as badly as the gloves she wore. Nugent has written some words around the theme of a man's love for his children, and when about to make a date with a girl who has accidentally wandered Into his room, suddenly real- izes he is a married man and dismisses his late acquaintance. The first part of the act is very coarse, where Nugent discovers the girl In the room, by sitting on her. as she Is reclining on a sofa. All through the dialogue there is a certain taint of suggestiveness which Is offen- sive. He does not dress for the part In the least, first being seen In a bath robe and a pair of white dress gloves. His second appearance shows him in a frock coat with badly wrinkled trousers, either of which are hardly in keeping with the debonair clubman and rounder he Is trying to represent. His lines regard- ing his typewriter being in the room wl.h them would go better If the Instru- ment could be seen, even the cover of a well-known machine would do duty better than the cheap one carried, which no one would recognize, stowed away In one corner of the table. The act may do with a lot of trimming, but will never get by In its present shape. Arthur H. McKechnie. BEATlilCE McKINZIB A CO. i •«A MiUVI'ANA BBAUI^.'* GRAND OPERA HOUSE. GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. Beatrice McKenzie is one of the latest to desert the comic opera stage for vaudeville. Miss McKenzie was the Prince Charming In the New York pro- duction of "The Beauty and the Beast," and the prima donna In Klaw & Erlang- ers' production of "Mother Goose." Up to recently she played a leading part in "The Land of Nod." In "A Montana Beaut," Beatrice McKenzie & Co. have a musical comedy act that was received with enthusiasm at the Grand Opera House for the first time on any Etage December 31. Miss McKenzie sings a lit- tle of everything, grand opera, comic opera and popular songs. The comedy work Is above the ordinary. She Is ably assisted by Walter Shannon and Harry Dunkinson. Aftet* closing their engagement here, they go direct to the New Majestic The- atre. Chicago. C. H. Hallman. PHYLLIS RANKIN EXPECTS TO. Phyllis Rankin, the dark-haired sou- brette, is expected to play a vaudeville engagement, opening this month some time in the city through the offices of Myers & Keller. THE COUNTESS KINSKY. Mme. Ukey Palma, who is lawfully en- titled to use the appellation of Countess Kinsky, appears at Keith's on Monday for her first vaudeville plvinge. Since arriving In the country, when she Intended to enter the operatic field, the Countess has played at the Irving Place Theatre, but deciding that per- haps vaudeville would be more permar nent, has listened to the persuasive pow- ers of the agents, with the result men- tioned. Properly known in her maiden days as Teka Palmay, she has had an interest^ Ing career. In 1880. at the Volka Thea- tre In Budapest, she appeared In the "Beggar Student" and other operas with Louise Blaha and Eraska Hagyl. After- wards, In 1884, In Vienna, the city of her birth, she sang the same operas, and In 1889 sang them again in German in the Theatre Wlen. About 1896 she married the Count Kinsky, whose ancestors fought in the "Thirty Years' War" and who comes of one of the oldest Hungarian families. The fortunes of the family falling, the Countess came to America to rehabili- tate the exchequer, and vaudeville now has a real live flesh-and-blood parcel of the nobility to gaze upon. • , TROUBLE FOR FANNY RICE. Fanny Rice, who is playing Trenton this week has been caused much worrl- ment over her little daughter. Last week, while in this city, the child was operated upon by two prominent sur- geons for a stoppage of the nasal pas- sages. Upon their advice the child was taken to Trenton vith her mother. On Wednesday, while out driving with her rurse, the wound opened and a severe hemorrhage resulted. The child was taken to a caretaker's house In Cadwal- ler Park and physicians were sum- moned. It was only after several hours that the flow of blood was checked and the litt^i one pronounced out of Imme- diate danger. IRIS HIRES OUT. — A fter s ixteen years ^n^the^varlet^ agency business, John J. Iris has decided to exchange the casual commission for a salary that will be In an envelope for him every week, and he has connected himself with the Eastern end of the Pa- cific Coast Amusement Company. This Is the Sullivan and Consldlne clr* cult, and Iris will remain In New York, looking after the bookings, a task for which he Is particularly well fitted. Next to Robert Grau. Iris has probably introduced into vaudeville more really important dramatic features than any agent in the business. With a circuit of forty nine houses to book for It will be possible for him to use features of Im- portance and a number of big names already stand upon the list. IN GOOD SOCIETY. Nan Engjeton and her company played the Jefferson Club, of Richmond. Va., on New Year's Day, This club !s one of the best known in the South. As one result of her success at this function, she* has booked twelve weeks over the Southern park '^ircuit, commencing In June. M. S. Bentham was presented with a loving cup and inkstand for New Year's. Both are of silver and shine.