Variety (Feb 1906)

VARIETY Vesta Victoria. Character Singing Comedienne. Colonial. It is about eight years since Vesta Vic- toria last appeared over here, and at that time she did not sing in character. At the Colonial last Monday upon the occa- sion of her first appearance in ten years Miss Victoria changed her costume for each selection. Suffering from a cold, probably acquired on the trip across the pond, and with the drawback of an or- chestra which could not grasp the pos- sibilities of the music on short notice, the Englishwoman was obliged to respond with two added numbers to the repertoire she had prepared. The songs, in the order of singing, were "Turkish Girl," "Waiting at the Church," "The Artist's Model," "I Never Had a Mother or a Father" and "The Next Horse I Ride On." Of these "Waiting at the Church" was the success, made more especially so by the bridal dress worn by Miss Victoria while singing it. "The Artist's Model" has been heard before, from Edna Aug, under the title, it is believed, of "In the Summer Time" (not "Good Old Sum- mer Time"). "Turkish Girl" and "Mother or Father" have no merit in melody, lyrics or otherwise. "The Next Horse I Ride On" has a breadth which Miss Victoria will bring out when she gets her "land legs." She does a dance after one song, approaching the "loose" style known over here. It is equally liked with her songs. Miss Victoria "made good" easily. She is the truly blown-in-the-bottle music hall artist of the first grade. Sime. Juanita Allen and Company. "Car Two—Stateroom One." Twenty-third Street. This comedy sketch, in its original synopsis as explained by the author, Will M. Cressy, held out great promise, but that is not fulfilled in the actual presen- tation. A Western railway train is shown in the setting, the ends of two sleep- ers being plainly seen, and one stateroom being exposed to the audience when the stage is darkened for that purpose. A running film of stereopticon pictures re- vealing flying scenery is continually passing behind the train, the wheels of which are revolved automatically. The effect, while partly a novelty, is not what was expected, the moving scenic end being a repetition, becoming wearisome to the eye, and does not carry out the illusion of a swiftly moving train. The setting, though, has been expensive, and i he act did not have its proper place on the bill at the Twenty-third Street house, where it was first shown in town, having opened at Proctor's Newark theatre. The plot hinges on "mistaken identity." Jack Holdnerness Herbert Fortier) presents a director's pass to the conductor, claiming to be John Rogers, the name inscribed. After some parleying, he is assigned to "Car two; stateroom one," although the conductor i* fully conversant with the de- ception practiced. Immediately follow- ing his assignment appears Miss Lucille Lee (Juanita Allen), who bears the year- ly pass of Mrs. John Rogers, the director'* wife. The conductor, with a grim smile, assigns her to the same stateroom on the prima facie evidence that she is the bona fide wife. They meet as the lights are turned up in the stateroom. Complica- tions and situations follow, some more or [-NEW AGTS OP THE WEEK j lest suggestive through the surroundings, no other berth being available, and during the course of the scene Miss Lee is asked by "Mr. Rogers" to give the history of her past life. It is then discovered that the pseudo Mrs. Rogers is the youthful sweet- heart of the imitation husband, who in- sists that in view of the compromising position she has been placed in an im- mediate marriage is necessary. A clergy- man is called from the car proper and the ceremony is performed. There are a few incongruities, such as the porter (Frank Erwin) appearing on the rear platform during what is supposed to be night singing a solo bareheaded, although the wheels of the train betoken winter, being clogged with snow. The conductor (George C Taylor) in the opening has the l>est lines, and makes the most of them Miss Allen works very hard, sufficiently so to deserve success, which may be hers if the dialogue is revised and made more smart. The novelty of the setting should then carry it. As it is now constituted, the fault lies with Cressy for its luke- warm reception, he having stopped after the train idea was worked out. Miss Al- len might with approval cut short the long meal order- That is very, very old. The audience took to the playlet only moderately. Many changes must be made before it becomes the hit it should be. Sime. v Xi Ryan and Richfield. "Mag Haggerty's Reception.' Twenty-third Street. Back to *he East come Thomas J. Pvan and Marv Richfield. Vaudeville patrons may utter a fervent "Than!-: Heaven," for with Tom Ryan on the stage once, again may be seen the real Celt, as he was, is and ever will be in the type portrayed by Ryan in "Mag Haggerty's Reception," the latest comedy sketch provided for the "Mag Haggerty" series by Will M. Cressy. It is a con- firmation of the two others, Maggie hav- ing married Mister Obri-an and father purchased an automobile. "Mag" is to give a reception in the evening, and "father'' receives instructions about the ways of society in order that he shall make no "bad breaks." Firstly, the • laughter insists upon teaching the "old man" the rudiments of an elementary edu- cation bv illust rat hi" on a blackboard the letters of the alphabet. Father says "A" is a snowplow; "Y" a hod, and so on, the lesson winding up with a dance by Ryan wherein he displays the evident fact that had he not taken the Hibernian char- acter as his forte lie would have stood near the top of clog dancers. The sketch itself is not as bright in dialogue or as active as the others in which both these players have been seen, but Miss Richfield has a part in it allowing her opportunities of quiet and effective "feeding" seldom equaled by either sex. There is nothing to lie said about Ryan. He can remain perfectly quiet in his character, and you are bound to enjoy him. No legitimate manager could err in placing this genu- ine comedian under contract. In a pure Irish comedy, with Ryan and Richfield as the stars, "there would be nothing 1o •t- Sime. George Fuller Golden. Monologue. Twenty-third Street. After a rest in the Adirondack! (Jeorge Fuller Golden has returned to deliver his witticisms in vaudeville. Proctor's Twenty-third Street Theatre receives the honor of Mr. Golden's reappearance, and on Monday afternoon the audience seemed to be thoroughly aware that George had been away. The hand-clapping continued for several seconds before Golden could commence his monologue, which is the same previously heard, but was well liked. The only change in the talk is a slight allusion to the White House festiv- ities, which no well regulated single talk- er can afford to overlook without suf- fering a loss to his reputation as a wit The house always warms up to Golden. He will be much in demand. Sime. Leon Morris. Trained Animals. Keith's. Returning from England, Leon Morris has to show a very different act from that he took over. In place of the straight exhibition of training concluding with the wrestling ponies, he now offers a circus in miniature without the wrest- ling feature. The act opens with a drill by five ponies, followed by a riding bab- boon, not along the lines of the Grais monkey, but more on the rough rider style. A bear follows and forms a strong comedy feature. There is a small dog which does a back somersault while rid- ing a pad pony, and a pack of leaping hounds, including two clean jumpers, whose work is a delight. The act is shown in a circus setting with a ring and matting and makes an important feature, though the loss of the wrestling ponies is sadly felt. .lob Hedges went with the ponies and the comedy is supplied by a very English clown, who is aminine in spite of this. The act scored a hit and deserved it, for the training i* clean cut and the show well put together. Chicot. Ascott, Eddie & Co "Things Will Happen Pastor's. The title is no more an indication of the new offering than the act itself. Whatever sketch or turn the trio has pre- viously appeared in eould not have been much different, the main work being aero batics, done in pantomime throughout, with the elder Ascott as a clown. He makes up very well, but is rather harsh in the stage management of the others. The finish is had. The finale should be when the boy shoots through the safe. This boy ought to be more carefullv handled o* a sonous accident may result. Miss Eddie has no great amount of labor laid out. She appears without corsets. It Would improve her appearance to wear them. The act is not a big one, but would be useful to a bill appealing especially t.. children. Simr. Mice and Henry Taylor, the sharp shooters, have been booked through Myers A Keller for the Coliseum in London, sail- ing from here March 27. Dave Lewis. "Girl Act." Alnambra. Mr. Lewis may take umbrage at hav- ing his offering designated as a "girl act," but it is nevertheless, regardless of the extensive billing on the program which stated that it is an "Original Comedy Frolic*' entitled "Working for Two." The program neglected to state which two had been "worked." So far, it has been Messrs. Proctor and Williams, the act hav- ing played Proctor's Albany hou.se last week, coming to the Alhambra for the New York showing. Although Lewis first appeared in the piece as a Hebrew imper- sonator, he has changed to a "Dutch" character. The change naturally must have been for the better since he at- tempted it, but the question as to what he was in the other part is left wide open, for few poorer "Dutch comedians" have shown themselves on the local stage. When Mr. Lewis is singing, the audience is somewhat pacified. When he is doing anything else they are terrified. Seven girls are carried and only one of the, lot knows how to wear her gown. The rest give the impression that their drawing- room training was acquired at an East Side dance hall. One change is made where all the women are made up to represent Lewis in his German character, which intensifies the agony. K. Spencer Lewis is a clubman, not a policeman, but undoubtedly he could play that equally as well. Lew Wagner, in blackface, giv- ing his conception of an imitation of a colored janitor, sings a sentimental bal lad. Mr. Wagner is amply sufficient in the cork alone, where he has little to do or say. The saving grace are two songs and a special drop used in the finale. The musical selection which earned for Lewis the only applause received is "Mother. Pin a Rose on Me," a topical sort of a selection with verses allowing latitude. Hazel Sanger, the leader of the girls, sang " 'Cause I Like You," and had she a voice the song would have made a hit. Mr. Lewis should know that something more than "By Golly" frequently repeated i> required to constitute a German dialed comedian capable ol pleasing, and hi-< stage experience should nave taught him that you cannot appear surrounded by the aggregation of females he has recruited from Heaven knows where, and receive the adulation of the audience. The act consumes twenty live minutes, appearing immediately before the intermission. The curtain descended once the house desiring nothing more. Dave Lewis and his "girl act" is a failure in his present trip t<» vaudeville. Sinn. Kimball Brothers. "Singers, Dancers, Comedians." Pastor's. It is quite a task to live up to a pro gramme description of that sort. The Kim liiill brothers fail to do so. excepting tip- singing. With that they may possibly pass. As Comedians they fail. It is one half the former quartette known as "Th.' Newsboys," or something similar. Theae two have retained the opening of the original* and most of the talk, which i- old and bad enough to be dropped. Ill a small way they will do; in any other way they will not pass without great improvement. Sime.