Variety (Sept 1906)

8 VARIETY NEW ACTS NEXT WEEK Initial Presentation or First Appearance in New York City. Vinnie Daly, Hammerstein's. Koeckly, Hammerstein's. Rock McCarthy and Company, Twenty- third Street. # The Gems, Keith's. Holland Trio, Alhambra. Wilson Hallett, Alhambra. Chris Richards, Orpheum. Chadwick Trio, Pastor's. Nellie McCoy and Her Gibson Girls. "Girl Act." Twenty-third Street. An unusually satisfactory "girl act" of exceptional merit in the particulars of dressing, scenic investiture, music and costuming. Miss McCoy herself is a comely person, wears her clothes well and sings with a reasonable degree of melody. The girls do not sing too sweetly, but they fill the bill by looking particularly well. There are three scenic and four cos- tume changes with a song for each. The audience wanted more, but Miss McCoy in- dicated that she was "all in" and hadn't breath for another gasp. The newness of the act was apparent in several particu- lars. When it gets going right the act should be a good one. Rush. V Alex. Carr and Company. "The End of the World." "Wine, Woman and Song" Show. Written by Aaron Hoffman and Mr. Carr, "The End of the World" tells in story of an ancient Hebrew's superstition brought on by the reading of his pet philosopher's works. How he was cured supplies the comedy. There is an under- current of pathos at all times which Mr. Carr, who plays the aged Hebrew, brings out while smothering it to a too great extent in his desire to have the comedy predominate. Carr gives the modern He- brew without burlesque, and is doing a fine piece of work, indicating that he is capable of handling the character at any length. Were he to drop the German dia- lect language twists used now and then it would stand out even better. Allan Coogan as the son who disabuses his father's mind of a belief in the super- natural and at the same time wins a wife, both looked and played the part well. Mamie Walker as the sweetheart had a diffident manner that was a help to an altogether good performance. "The End of the World" with a few minutes out will be an excellent piece of property. It's a pity that vaudeville lost it. A piece of its calibre is an experiment in a burlesque olio. The Dewey audience ac- cepted it unequivocally. Simc. Maude Turner Gordon. "Mrs. S. Holmes, Detective." Keith's. The program calls this farcical piece a "playlet," but the offering escapes ac- curate classification. It was written by Ruth Bryan, daughter of William Jennings Bryan, which fact is duly blazoned forth on the program. As a vaudeville sketch "Mrs. S. Holmes, Detective," is a bit tame and talky, but as a means of drawing at- tention to the theatre through the name of the Democratic Presidential possibility it is (iNEWAGTSOr THE WEEK) potent. It has "publicity" value, but little worth of any other sort. Miss Gordon was able to convince one that in a part offering an opportunity she would do well. The handicap imposed upon her by Miss Bry- an's garrulous effort is too much. The sketch will be of value to the managerial end while Mr. Bryan is in the public lime- light. Bush. Sidman and Shannon. "The Astrologers." Keith's. These two comedians come forward with a sketch which is lifted into the novelty class by a unique setting, and both in material and method get away from the familiar line of German dialect comedy. Sam Sidman does exceptionally well as the comedian, while Sam Shannon handles capably a part which does not offer excep- tional opportunity for comedy, except in so far as it is a foil to the other. The setting is a roof on a house. An astrolo- ger has been studying the heavens and leaves his telescope in position, when bur- glars enter. The instrument gives the cue for "stars" and they develop comedy talk on this subject. The lines are bright and pointed, and Sidman's rich dialect gives added humor. The act closes with a song which would be on the "You must applaud" order were it not so skillfully introduced. There should be ready place for the sketch, which will probably be widely copied. Rush. Mile. Luba De Sarema. . / Animal Act. \y / Alhambra. Mile. De Sarema, a European importa- tion, has played numerous park dates dur- ing the summer, but this is her first ap- pearance in New York. She has a de- cidedly showy circus act, with a gingery "unridable donkey" and three revolving tables for a finish. A novelty is a trained bull which goes through a slow routine and is interesting through being unusual. A troupe of extremely well trained dogs fills out with some good work in the early part and ponies are used to good' effe?t. The strength of the offering is its variety. There is not too much of any feature. The donkey riding could I e worked up to better comedy purpose. Rush. \ J Les Brunins. Juggling. Hammerstein's. For the first apeparance in this coun- try Monday afternoon Les Brunins did very well with billiard ball juggling. A man and woman attend to the work and the woman is attractive through her good looks, splendid proportions and the hand- some dress worn at the opening. Has she- many more like it Valeska Suratt will have to look to her laurels. The juggling is not novel, having been shown by W. C. Fields and Aszra. Several new tricks are shown, and the finish where the woman in fleshings and pantalettes rides a bi- eycle catching the billiard balls thrown by the man from the table gives a showy close. With fewer misses the act will do easily. The style about it wins. >Sime. Willie Pantzer. Acrobatic Act. "Dainty Duchess" Compai An exceedingly clever acrobatic novelty which draws its interest from a series of striking tricks that are made possible only by the lightness and agility of a mid- get. Several that would be impossible to any other combination were executed with an ease and smoothness that led one to lean. forward and search the up- per air for wire or other apparatus. Pantzer and the midget are the "troupe." Several uniformed servants and a woman appear at the opening, but have prac- tically nothing to do with the proceedings. The comedy with a huge milk bottle and a crying baby is used but is out of place. It is not until Pantzer and his tiny part- ner arrive at their handstand work that the value of their work is shown. The midget has an odd manner and puts a comedy flavor into the act. Rusk. ■ Collins and Brown. , Dialect Comedians. Pastor's. L A rather rough comedy dialect duo fol- lowing to a certain extent the familiar Weber and Fields style, but with a touch of newness in the lines which was im- mensely popular with the Pastor audi- ence. The talk has to do with a duel, the subject being developed by laughable complications, misunderstandings and ec- centricities of speech. The pair roughen up the business to an extent which is not considered good form in the better class houses, but which was effective for Four- teenth street purposes. There are real laughs in the act and it should be in de- mand where farcical entertainment is called for. Rush. The Big Three. Male Trio. "Dainty Duchess" Company. Joe Hersog, John Adams and Thomas Duffy make up a first-rate singing com- bination, lending strength to the olio of the Weber & Rush show. The act is dressed and laid out along the lines of ''That Quartet." The voices are excep- tionally good ones and the vocal numbers well arranged. Rush. Kleko and Fravoli. Songs. Henderson's. Singing in costume "high-class selec- tions," as the program has it, the man and woman making up the pair please mildly, but will not attain the dignity of the po- sitions occupied by operatic trios and quartets until another member has been added, preferably a male. The act is miss- ing that together with accessories. Sime. Bush and Elliott. Comedy Acrobats. Henderson's. This lately formed acrobatic team ap- pears around in town this week at Hen- derson's for the first time. Mr. Bush was formerly of Bush and Gordon. The acro- bats and comedy are given equal place and a dead heat results. There is nothing original about either, but it all has been well placed together to secure laughter and! applause. Some of the comedy is of rather antique acquaintance. A horizontal bar is used by Bush for straight work and afterward burlesqued by him with the aid of a wire, plainly in view. Both work in clown makeup and neglect to whiten near the ears. The act may grow better, par- ticulary along comedy lines. Sime. OUT OP TOWN Arthur H. Kherns. Comedian. Haymarket, Chicago. Formerly of Kherns and Cole. Made up as a pertinent German, with a good dialect, he introduces an excruciatingly funny medley of burlesque grand opera. His altercation with the orchestra which he undertakes to direct, while not en- tirely original, is (juite different from the usual kind. No jokes or stories are told. There is plenty of action in the act, which is entertaining and above the ordinary. Frank Wiesbcrg. Ratayette's Dogs. Animal Act. Majestic, Chicago. First time in America. Different from any other animal act seen here. The col- lection includes English bulls, fox terriers and spaniels, each trained to do gymnas- tic and athletic feats. The head-to-head balancing and backward somersaulting, also some contortion, are remarkable and show wonderful training. Frank Wiesbcrg. Sisters Albert. Songs and Dances. Trocadero, Chicago. These two young women appeared at the London music halls in a singing and dancing specialty. They open with "Sally," in which the woman in knicker- bockers displays a fairly good contralto voice, while the other uses her light mezzo- soprano to good advantage in oAiets. They finish with a dance. The act is ordinary. Frank Wiesbcrg. Six European Bijoux. Songs and Dances. Sid J. Euson's, Chicago. Six pretty English girls constitute this act. They appear first attired in plain white but neat short dresses and go through various dancing evolutions simi- lar to those introduced by the original pony ballet, with some acrobatic work. It is no longer considered a novelty over here. Frank Wiesbcrg. Les Rosignols. Songs. Trocadero, Chicago. Imported from Germany, Les Ros- ignols are five typical German women. They make their first appearance in America with Harry Bryant's Extrava- ganza Company. The girls are neat, dress well but are awkward in poses. They were extremely nervous. Frank Wietberg.