Variety (Oct 1906)

12 VARIETY Shows of the Week ";: \ '■ By Rush •'.. FIFTH AVENUE. The Fifth Avenue Theatre opened this week U8 a continuous houi«e with a gor- geous new interior and an international "name*' is that of Mrs. Laugtry (New "name" is that of Mrs. Langtry (New Acts). A fair but badly arranged bill was pro- vided for the Jersey Lily's setting. All tlie value of the entertainment was packed away after half-past four and a number of the Monday matinee audience became tired and left before Mrs. I^ang- Jry appeared^. The Royal Musical Kive lii (Uv eightW" place were the first to attract attention. The boys have provided themselves wiUi new white suits and look much better. The quintet has also wisely given up its American flag finish, which marred the pretty atmosphere of their offering. It came pretty hard for Lee Harrison, who is seen for the first time in the city this season. He followed Mrs. Langtry about five o'clock and played very con- siderably to the departing backs of the audience. At that he" did very well. He has a quantity of new talk, pieced out with the "Lovemakers* Union" story from his old monologue, but did best with sev- eral ''locals" bearing on the exodus and the "rough house" made by the stage crew. The Three Perry Sisters, tried out at Henderson's last summer, were a good deal of an aiiliction. The girls work like a trio of amateurs and their sketch is not entertaining. Nor have the girls enough ability either in the dancing or singing departments lo carry an offering of this sort. Fitzgerald and Gilday do a sidewalk conversation turn that just about passes. The comedy man has a fairly funny makeup and the talk strikes a fair aver- age of pointedness. Bresnah and Miller have altogether too much big word talk. A little of thijs is perhaps bearable, but in the quantities in which it is handed out by this team it becomes boresome in the extreme. The woman should give her partner half a chance in the duets. Williard Siinins and company made the laughing hit of the bill in a farcical sketch, "Flinder's Furnished Flat," which scored strongly notwithstanding it came late on the bill. It is keyed in about the same grade of humor as the Simon- (iardner sketch "The New Coachman," although the two are widely different in all essentials, the single point of re- semblance being the use of a tall step- ladder for clowning purposes. This is in use only for an instant. Mr. Simms is aided by a decidedly attractive girl, who remains unnamed on the program. The two close in one with first-rate burlesque imitations from iSiinms' old musical mono- logue. Hendrix and Prescott appeared, as did Al Burton, comedian. Burton is too ro- bust a person to do "sissy" stunts. His songs were fair but he missed fire with the talk. * : Archer and Crocker, Alenei and his monkey, Al Carleton and the Si.sters O'Meers were also on the bill. TWENTY-THIRD STREET. Kinma Cams is in the peculiar position this week of being the headliner at the 'i'wenty-third Street and at the same time being placed just before the close. She is billed "Number 4" and her name in two- fotit electrics adorns the front elevation of the theatre. Miss Cams is singing four song) and her act is arranged about as when she was last seen, except that she is wearing a new gown, a creation of white lace in the princess style, that caused a hum of interest among the women. Carleton Macy and Maude Kdna Hall come over from the Fifty-eighth Street house for the secoiwl week in the city with Fiie^new "^etch "^TKe "^Magpie nnd t^ .lay.' The rural playlet appears to have stood the test of its first metropolitan showing, coming to its second week with- out material change. 'J'here seemed to be a few new lines of slang which helped to keep the dialogue bright. It is through the clever character drawing of the prin- i-ipals that the sketch is made to go, for there is scarcely any real dramatic action to the piece. The Kmpire Comedy Four need disci- plining. When a male quartet lacks the essentials of a good singing organization it is good policy as well as good business judgment to make a sort of marionette clowning performance of the act. But when, as in the present case, the four men have good voices and possess among their members a comedian who could, did he but try, be really funny in a quiet way, they commit an otrence against their own in- terests and against the good-nature of their audiences in making a knockabout a» robatic turn of their act. The German comedian is gifted with a decidedly amus- ing dialect and makes up well for a com- edy part. Instead of properly using the talents of which he is the steward, he sreks to make comedy out of the per- formance of hurling himself about the stage in extreme buffoonery and breaking up the singing numbers. The Mysterious Howards, a pair of Eng- lishmen who were seen last season in the Williams houses hereabouts, did exceeding- ly well with a thought transmision act, worked with unusual swiftness and smooth- iicss. They close with a particularly mys- tifying bit of work in which one of the men reads numbers of coins, bills, etc., hold by his partner in the audience. There i.s no talk to give cues for this, the "reader" Ix'ing blindfolded and facing away from the footlights. Hayes and Johnson pas.sed through with their "A Dream of Baby Days," thanks not a little to the curious vein of humor in Catherine Hayes and Miss Johnson's fieak high notes. The early talk is not especially funny, except as Miss Hayes niakes it so, her sister being rather light ri! native humor, but immense otherwise. Mathews and Ashley were shifted about a bit on the bill, but made good in an curlier position than that to which they were credited on the program. Scott and Wilson, who opened the bill, have a good **Uub<»" comedian and a competent "straight" man. The Rube is planted in the audience at the opening. Kochly Brothers, acrobats, closed the bill. Lyditt Dreams (New Acts) had the second place. ■■ KEITH'S. .■■.V- ■.■••- • liardnins Electric Ballet (New Acts), billed as the headliner at the Union Square, pays salaries to twenty-five girls for a net result of seven minutes enter- tainment. It is due to this number that the show is over a few minutes after ten o'clock. Horace Wright, character singer, is also under New Acts. ■'"■■:■> ': Thomas J. Keough and company are featured in the protean sketch "The Way He Won Her." The sketch is a bit loose and inconsistent, being written about a series of character changes by Mr. .keough. Th*ire^.iir£__fiyt\^.ttf^tke^^^ along a little love story of a newspaper reporter. The characters were well done, although the makeup of the (Jernian music teacher would be the better for attention to the wig. Keough handles his voice and dialects very well indeed and rather gave the impression that he would succeed with a serious protean offering. Avery and Hart filled in more time than their contract called for, more because the audience refused to let them go than be- cause they were called upon by the short- ness of the bill to fill out. The comedian has a natural vein of negro humor and the "straight" man does admirably. The talk and business are bright throughout. Kelly and Violette make up a decidedly well dressed and smoothly working pair. They have a clear appreciation of what they can do best and have built up their act to get the most out of their respective abilities. Mr. Kelly has the better voice and handles the greater volume of music, and his partner, although she has an agreeable voice, does well to contribute her beauty and three or four bewildering gowns to the offering, without attempting too much in the vocal department. Julia Redmond and company do an ex- ceedingly uproarious sketch in which bur- lesque methods are used to an unlimited extent. A laugh at any cost seems to be the object of the clowning. The Four Fords return to Fourteenth street, although they played the same house late last season. The act remains unchanged and as j)opular as ever. Dave Nowlan retired from the bill Wed- nesday evening and Lee Harrison, who is playing at the Fifth Avenue, was pressed into service to fill the gap. Dorsch and Russell hold to their excel- lent novelty musical act showing the rail- road set and electrical effects, and Frank- lyn and Eva Wallace (New Acts) are seen in New York for the first time with their new act. Belle Veola started with a French song, then made the startling change to black tights and did contortion stunts with rings after the numner of Mile. Latona. Miss Veola makes a decidedly attractive appearance, but her French is of native manufacture and the sudden transition from character songs to contortion is rather a leap. The Artoise Brothers with a comedy bar act closed the bill in good style. The two men, made up as clowns, get away from the ordinary knockabout pairs and develop an effective and original sort of comedy. PASTOR'S. After the newcomers are removed from the list at Pastor's this week the. bill simmers down to old favorites, with one or two exceptions. Merritt and Ireland, Meeh International Trio, Banks Bieazeale Duo, Hagan and Westcott and Karrera are under New Acts. Elmer Tenley, "the Manhattan Man," with his monologue, playing a quick re- turn date, is the headliner, with .Arthur, Mildred and Stella Boylan in "Jack and Jill" the added attraction. Mrs. Boylan, the mother, will soon have to decide whether her children shall be acrobats or actors. In the present sketch they at- "tein pt to be b^tb and isitcceetl oijly i»= the acrobatics. The boy and girl are too young to be acting "prodigies." Better wouUl it be for them to have something to tit their usefulness. At present they can amuse the young only. Perhaps a piece for* the children only, with the mother as stage manager in the wings, would be more to the average auilience's taste. ^ With "Alice, Where Art Thou (ioingV" "Two Little Sailor Boys" and "Won't You ('«une Dvcr to My Ilouse'^" J. A. Driscoll .s(or«'d largely, with the aid of well-designed slides. The choruses were thrown on tiie sheet and sung by the house. "Won't You Come Over to My House "i*" si»cnus des- tined for popularity. This is tlie thinl consecutive week it has been the cause of a hit at Pastor's. Miles and Nitram in their comedv sketch overlook the importance of Miss Nitram's dancing, which is the only valu- able item in it. She should Ilafice early, hmg and often. That will help, as will some attention by Mr. Miles to his clothes. Few if any sleight-of-hand workers can excel A. K. Caldera at palming, which he does not near make enough of, prefer- ring hat juggling for the comedy. He should extend the palming, especiafly with cards. The closing trick is good and showy, while he looks well on the stage. The time occupied by the balancing on the slack wire seems wasted. It could be more beneficially utilized. The Stanleys were known to the Pas- tor patrons. Their sketch is called "A Matrimonial Tangle" and during the ac- tion Miss Stanley sings, revealing what must have been at one time an excellent voice. It is still pleasant, altlumgh not always strong. As a performer on the wire Mile. Zoar is inclined to grow kittenish with her audience through several changes she strips down to. The audience is not at all shocked when she unbuttons a shirt waist over evident underdressing, giving the young woman a barrel-like api)earance. There is little else to the act other than the display of national colors while bal- ancing on one or both feet. La Clair and West opened the show with "A Drop Into Society." It is a sketch. Although it ran nineteen minutes the bill was over at 10:05, including the pictures. ' ■"■ ^" , Sitnc. '■ September 18, when the Mardi dras was held in Luna Park, Cleveland, brought rec- ord receipts for the season to the park management. .•■».