Variety (Feb 1906)

VARIETY "Skigie" the Youngest Critic in the World, Goes to the Fam- ily Theatre—Says the Show There is Good. ("Sklgie" Is a boy seven years old. Hav- ing been a constant attendant at vaudeville theatres since the age of three, he baa a decided opinion. "Sklgle's" views are not printed to be taken seriously, but rather to enable the artist to determine the Impres- sion he or his work leaves on the infantile mind. What "Sklgie" says Is taken down verbatim, without the change of a word or syllable.) That was a good show I saw this after- noon (Family Theatre, Sunday, Febru- ary 11). They had a lot of pictures and ■ peach pony, and I liked it better than Hurtig and Seamon's. A fellow and a pony came out (Claude Fredericks and Roscoe) and the pony could do anything he was asked. The fellow says for someone to give some numbers to add up, and I hollered out 'live and five/ and the pony made his foot move ten times. He looked at a watch and told what time it was, and I wish I had enough money saved up to buy that little horse, and then there was a girl who came out and she sang a song which I liked ("Colleen Bawn") and I liked the song better than I did the girl (Sadie Hart), and then another girl sang about a ship burning up (May Stuart), and they had pictures on the stage show- ing the lire, and it was fine, and then she sang about the "Star Spangled Banner," and they had pictures about that too, and they had the regular moving pictures besides, and I liked the show because they had so many pictures. There was a fellow there (Joe Edmonds, "the how-de do-de man") with a high hat, and he told stories, but there were so many people in the theatre and they made so much noise that I couldn't hear what he said, and then they had another fellow who sang songs (Casper Leveen) with pictures, and the pictures were all right. The show was short and it started all over again before we left, and it was the first time I had ever been to that theatre, and I want to go again. STILL ANOTHER. May Boley, who had the principal femi- nine role in "The Maid and the Mummy," has taken the two best choruses from that ill-fated enterprise, and will presently be seen in vaudeville with a girl act carry- ing nine people and giving the "Polly Oirls" ensemble and the "Village Cut- Ups" from that production. These two features have been somewhat elaborated for vaudeville purposes. The whole act is described as being very simi- lar in make-up and incidentals to "The City Girls," which was headed by Truly shattuck until "Cherry" Simpson replaced her. HYDE AND BEHMAN'S. • The Heras Family of acrobats, who are featured at this house, describe themselves in the billing as "the absolute masters of the new school of gymnastics," and per- haps they best represent a movement in the acrobatic field that must be apparent to every one. The piling of the whole troupe on the .shoulders of the woman caught the audi- ence as the feature of the act, although some of their casting work was much more difficult. Several of their back somer- saults ending in a handstand were sensa- tional. The act is well dressed, too. Rose Stahl, in "The Chorus Lady," eas- ily held second interest. Miss Stahl rather overdraws the type she essays to portray. But allowing for the necessity of some- what caricaturing a part which is largely un- familiar to ordinary audiences Miss Stahl's chorus lady is true to life. Miss Stahl's support, particularly in the person of Kath- erine Stanton, as Mrs. Westervelt, does not come up to the mark. Miss Stanton is stiff and labored in her work, and fails utterly as the love-lorn society woman. Harry Sullivan as Tommy is rather better, but rather too enthusiastic. Phil Cook as an all-around long distance catch-as-catch-can dancer demonstrates his right to his Police Gazette medal nightly. He works at every performance as though he were defending his title against the world, dancing himself blue in the face. His partner, Miss Sylvia, does her "relief trick" well enough and dresses attractively. Walter LeRoy and Florence Claytou have a sketch called "Hogan of the Hansom," which gives the former a theme for his Irish dialect work. The sketch is neither conspicuously novel nor brilliant, but as a vehicle for LeRoy's semi-monologue it fills the bill. Dixon and Holmes make a mistake in playing the lighthouse scene from "Shore Acres." Neither is a character actor, and the impersonation of James A. Heme is an unintentional burlesque. They might better confine themselves to their team work in one. Most of their clownings in this de- partment were received with laughs, but even in this part of the act a little brush- ing up would not be amiss. Lillian Shaw does dialect songs. Her Hebrew dialect songs were good for the same reason that John T. Kelly has an accurate brogue. Miss Shaw's impersona- tion of Katie Barry had Yiddisher frills on it, the combination making for a comedy effect, which may or may not have been de- signed, but was none the less funny. Caron and Farnum did some smooth ac- robatic work, and rather overworked a seltzer siphon at the end of the turn. West and Van Sicleu's musical act will be found reviewed under the New Acts. Coke. James Thornton is thinking of postpon- ing his London engagement till May, 1907. MEETING OF KEITH MANAGERS. During the week some comment was oc- casioned through a meeting of the various managers on what is known as "The Keith Circuit" at the offices in the St. James Building. D. F. Henne3sy, of the Keith forces, said there' was nothing ex- traordinary in the meeting, bookings for the balance of the season and summer be- ing completed. It is probable that some plan was outlined for '07, Mr. B. F. Keith attending the conclave in person. HAVEMAN AND GROVER. Richard llaveinan, who has been play- ing the (Jrover houses the past two weeks, is to bring suit against \V. T. Grover for a (inference of $50, alleged to be due on each of the two contracts. Haveman was originally booked lor a single week at $500, but as he neglected to send his billing matter to the theatre he was cancelled under the clause covering that omission. Later on he was booked for the two houses at a salary understood to be $400 weekly. The contracts were signed hurriedly and when at the termina- tion of the first week the trainer was tendered $400 he showed a contract calling for $450. Mr. Grover refused to pay on the ground that he should not be penalized, for mistakes made by the Marinelli ollice, and Haveman accepted the lesser sum under protest, playing this week with the same understanding. He has instructed his attorney, William Grossman, to bring suit and papers will be served as soon as the case is complete to- morrow. NO SPECULATORS HERE. This afternoon three six-footers, con- spicuously dressed, will promenade the sidewalk in front of the Alhambra warn- ing possible patrons of the ticket specu- lators that the tickets will not be accept- ed at the door. David Robinson, the resi- dent manager, will be at the door and should a ticket be purchased the patron will be followed to the gate, where Robin- sou will return the price of the ticket and refuse admittance. There is no chance for a suit, for under the laws of New York State a theatre ticket is regarded as a license and not a lease, the difference being that a license may be revoked while a lease may not. The plan will be followed every Satur- day and Sunday. "RAFFLES" A STAR. George Harris Donahue, known as "the Mysterious Mr. Rallies," is the head of an occasional vaudeville show known as the Metropolitan Vaudeville Stars. It is announced that if you discover him in the audience you will be paid $100. Next to the manager the identifier is said to be the most important personage with the troupe. NEW BUFFALO HOUSE. The Temple, W. D. Taggart, manager, is a new east side resort, scheduled to open February 19. It is a ground floor house, seating 800. It will be in the centre of population, fireproof and modern. Shows will be given twice a day, the manager making up his own bill. The booking ex- tends up to May and includes some of the best in the vaudeville line. SUNDAY NIGHT CONCERTS. The vaudeville managers in and about New York city have an increased amount of confidence as to the license they will be allowed in concerts on Sundays, and it seems probable now that to-morrow night will witness the usual style of entertain- ment, without much tightening or cutting. "PLUGGING." By Jack Norworth. Scene, music publisher's tin pan alley. Time moruing, night and noon. Enter Meyer Gumbo, the genial man- ager, booked solid until 1008. "Morning men. How are my merry pluggers this morning? I've got a lot of work for you boys to-day. Just wait until I skim through this mail. Huh! nothing but requests for special sets of scenery, just because they're using parodies on some of our stuff. Good night for that. Can't make any money that way. "Here, Ike and Mose. 1 want you two boys to go down to Coney Island. Hire a boat and get out alongside of that ship that is sinking down there. Don't plug anything but 'Asleep in the Deep' and Sympathy/ and if you get back in time stop in at Miner's Eighth Avenue. You know it is amateur night to night. You can go on as 'Amateurs,' same as you did at Keeney's last week, but if you sing any- thing else but our stuff, look out. You better vamp if you want to get there be- fore the ship sinks. "Now Jake, you go over to that Fifth avenue church, right above 54th. street. There is a swell funeral there this morning. Butt in and slip the organist a case note, open up with 'The Holy City' for a stall and pull 'Good-by Maggie May' on them, if you get a chance mention that it is on sale at all the department stores. "To-night you can go up to Mrs. Fischer's. She is giving a banquet Hang around till you see them eating ice cream with a fork and then sing 'Spoon Time.' It may be a little wise for those mugs, but be sure and sing two choruses each time. "And Nathan, I want you to take these boxes of cigars and give them to all the or- chestra leaders with our compliments. If they still play our stuff after smoking one of them, then I'll know we must have a good catalogue. "On your way home to-night stop at the Sharkey Athletic Club and wait till you see your chance and then spring 'Picnic For Two' on the gang. Wait till things get lively before you do it and they'll fall for it better. On the way now. "Here, Isey, I understand Percy Williams is giving a show for the Kings County Pen. You cut in and sing 'E very body Works but Father' and on 'The Ranks of the Rhine with a Stein.' They both ought to go good with those convicts; and another thing, 1 want you guys to quit kidding me about this flannel shirt of mine. It cost $8.00. I can show you the bill for it. No, that is not a 'didie* pin, it's gold. You have to wear them with the shirts. "Hey, you Jake in the front room stop playing 'Have You Seen My Henry Brown.' Here comes a couple of live ones and I want to tell them it's a brand new song, never been done in vaudeville, that I'll hold it for them for six months, and put their pictures on the title page. "I guess that will be a bad brand of Dur- ham. That'll lie about all for this morn- ing, I think. See you in the morning." The Sunday night concerts at Miner's Bowery theatre have been discontinued. NICKEL VAUDEVILLE. The Belcher -Waterson Company pur- poses starting a five-cent vaudeville house on Sixth avenue, between Fourteenth and Fifteenth streets. Three shows an hour will be given, the performance consisting of motion pictures and illustrated songs.