Variety (Mar 1907)

10 VARIETY NEW ACT6 INbXT WBBK. Initial Presentation or Fimt Appearance in Htw York City. ( NEW AGTS Or THE WEEK) Staley's Transformation, Colonial. Hayward-Conroy Co., Pastor's. "A Self-Made Man/' Murray Hill. "Danse de la Revenge," Murray Hill. "Side Show," Hyde & Behman's. Alice Lloyd. Songs. 31 Mins.; One. Colonial How to "deliver a song*'? See Alice Lloyd at the Colonial theatre. This Eng- lish girl will give you the full significance of that expression. Appearing in America for the first time this week, Miss Lloyd is making a terrific hit at the Colonial, and doing so legitimately. She sings songs. The songs are English, which alone is an asset, it seems, more valuable than the American product gives, but this young woman plays and acts her lyrics. The melodies take care of themselves. Of petite and shapely figure, Miss Lloyd sug- gests Adele Ritchie at first sight. Her teeth are first noticed, and from then on you forget her personal appearance while absorbed in her delightful manner of ren- dering the numbers. You are brought to earth by the rather rapid change of cos- tume made for each new selection, and on Monday evening there were six, this num- ber being demanded by the audience, who would have remained content to listen just so long as the singer would have con- tinued. With the exception of a character dress, Miss Lloyd's gowns are sweetly sim- ple, enhancing her demure, almost child- like stage presence. This is the secret in part of her success, and in this she is said to resemble her sister Marie, the "star" of the English music halls. Miss Alice opened with "May," and followed in succession with "Stockings on the Line," "Who Are You Looking At?" "The Tourist and the Maid," "Never Introduce Your Bloke to Your Lady Friend" and closed with "That's a Man," being obliged to extend her repertoire in the evening one beyond those given at the matinee. "Who Are You Looking At?" sealed Miss Lloyd's success. No more dainty, artistic bit of song acting has been given on the American stage, and there is not an Amer- ican actress who could not benefit by lis- tening to this number. "The Tourist and the Maid" has a somewhat risque last verse. In, "Never Introduce Your Bloke to Your Ladv Friend" a popular "hit" will be found. The tune is catchy and the same is true of "May." The other two are strictly comic, very comic, and Alice Lloyd in a strikingly dif- ferent style of work will quite likely dis- cover that her name will become as famed over this country as has Vesta Victoria's. Miss Lloyd has established herself. After the first time one doesn't care what she may sing the second. But the art of "de- livering a song"! You will never have a full realization of what that means until you have heard Alice Lloyd. Sime. The McNaughtons (2). Conversation and Travesty. 32 Mins.; Open in One; Close in Four. Colonial. The clock gave the time as 11:28 when Tom and Fred McNaughton. two Knglish- men, appearing on this side for the first time, left the Colonial stage on Monday evening last, after acknowledging three curtain calls. That would be considered a late hour for the moving pictures, but the brothers In a talking act had held the stage for thirty-two minutes. Nothing more need' be said, for the position, time and hour spelled the favorable verdict. The McNaughtons resemble the Amer- ican conversation act of Smith and Camp- bell. At the outset, there is a rapid fire exchange of dialogue which dispels all doubt as to an Englishman possessing humor. Tom McNaughton is the comedian, and his brother Fred plays "straight," al- though from the comedy derived from the throwing of a bunch of violets on the stage, Fred seems capable of taking the opposite part at any time. From the talk they go into a burlesque wrestling match, and close with a travesty on box- ing, both laughable, but the latter is drawn out, which might be said of the whole act. It is too long and should be condensed, both in the opening and clos- ing. The comedian outclasses his brother artists who have come from the other side in that capacity, and he is unqualifiedly funny. The only question to the act, and this also applies to Tom McNaughton's wife, Alice Lloyd, is why, with the demand for foreign acts, have these been so long overlooked? Sime. Minerva Vano. "Handcuff Queen." 30 mins.; Full Stage. Keeney's. A careful duplication of Harry Hou- dini's escape act prepared and put on by a former assistant of that artist. This man acts as announcer for the act. The woman does fairly with the Houdini tricks. She is a well appearing girl with a spreading pompadour which comes out of the straight-jacket escape undisturbed. The announcer talks altogether too much and uses the same choice of words as one employs in dictating a business letter. Miss Vano opens with the usual cabinet escape from shackles, does an escape under a cloth spread in the centre of the stage, follows with an escape from a trunk and closes with the straight-jacket feat. She also shows Houdini's method of opening an English handcuff. The straight jacket is a rather simple affair as compared with Houdini's, but Miss Vano handles the trick well. Rutth. R. A. Roberts. "Dick Turpin" (Protean Dramatic). 42 Mins.; Five (Special Set). Twenty-third Street. After a year's absence R. A. Roberts, the English actor, returns in "Dick Tur- pin," written by himself and in which he first played over here during his previous engagement. There has been no noticeable change in the piece. Mr. Roberts enacts the five characters incidental to the story, and he is making the changes with more speed it seems than formerly, although ihe rapidity attained in passing to and from "Sally" on his first visit did not ap pear possible to be reduced. The disagree- able features in connection with the hag that were prominent before have been retained, and while they may be consistent with the character, they are not nice, either to see or think of. On Monday evening Mi. Roberts was suffering from a severe cold. Several curtain calls were his reward. Since the Englishman played in New York last year, there have been several "protean" and "lightning change" acts shown bv others in vaudeville, and they are probably the cause of Mr. Rob- erts billing himself as "The Original Pro- tean Actor." Both the "original" and "protean" are superfluous. Had he arrived on the field after the others had come and gone, Mr. Roberts would still have been first, and as for "protean" he is beyond that. The caption for Mr. Roberts should be "An Artist and an Actor." Sime. Murphy and Dunn. Conversation and Songs. 16 Mins.; Full Stage (13), One (3). Pastor's. If Weber and Fields had been Irish com- edians this is just about the sort of act they would have done. It is full of amus- ing clowning, twisted speech and wcll- arranged give-and-take of dialogue. The talk is exceptionally bright and pointed and shows originality. The pair make themselves funny without bolstering their work up with roughness or knockabout. In their material and com- edy methods the men are away from the familiar sort of work and in the houses where acts of this sort are acceptable should do well. Rush. Iva Donette. Songs. 14 Mins.; One. Pastor's. A rather light single offering of which the simple tricks of a trained dog were the best. The principal, in blackface, pre- sumably a woman, has a little pointed talk, but for the most part her perform- ance is rather boresome. Her voice has little musical value. She looks the old Southern "mammy," and should work out a line of talk and business local to the South and with some "human interest" running through it. At present her char acterization is far from clear or consist- ent. Rush. Edison Film. "Honeymoon at Niagara Falls." 12 Mins. * Colonial. "Honeymoon at Niagara Kails" is a scenic series, and is the most complete set of pictures of the Niagara Falls, taken both from the American and Canadian sides, that have yet been shown. Not alone ;.re they interesting, they are instructive and should prove a drawing card, espe- cially with a "matinee house." Views at the opening and dosing show a bridal couple leaving for and departing from the Falls, sind the camera follows the pair in their explorations upon arriving there. In completeness, coloring and finish, the series is one to be proud of. 8imr. Dracula. Contortionist. i2 Mini.; Full Stage. Pastor's. "The Frolicsome Demon" is the billing for this act, which depends more for i1> appeal upon the dressing and stage inci dentals than the contortions of Dracula. A pretty special set is carried. The art opens on a darkened stage and the early part is occupied with posturing on a ped- estal under the spot light. He goes from this to corkscrew stunts on a lighted stage and finishes with trapeze work. In a way the act is attractive. Rush. out or TOWN. E. M. Holland and Co. "Phantom Highwayman." Dramatic; 25 Mins.; Full Stage. Keith's, Philadelphia. Clay M. Green's playlet, "The Phantom Highwayman," was shown for the first time on any stage with E. M. Holland in the principal role of a detective. The character he assumes (Captain Redmond) is practically the same as that of the same name in "Jim, the Penman" and the play- let is a miniature "Raffles," "Sherlock Holmes," and "Social Highwayman" rolled into small space. The story tells of a "Mr. Snapples" (Edwin Middleton) being disturbed by a series of crimes committed outside his house. The detective (Hoi land) appears in Snaffles' apartments and while apparently finding incriminating evidence against Snaffles reveals the real criminal in Higgins, a valet (Deverc Par moer). The story is rather commonplace and quiet for vaudeville, but it gives Messrs. Holland and Middleton an oppor tunity for some excellent work. The sketch is talky, there being little or no action until the valet is handcuffed after a scrimmage with the detective, and there is a real "Sherlock Holmes" finish. Beini: identified with such roles for many years. Holland gave a convincing interpretation and he had able assistance in Edwin Mid- dleton, who is a local favorite. The piece was well received and should prove entertaining. George If. Young. Jessie Couthoui and Co. "Eleven-Forty P. M." (Dramatic.) 22 Mins.; Four (Interior). Orpheum, New Orleans. The name "Jessie Couthoui" was for merly associated with a clever little "wordalogue" in "one," but Miss Couthoui had a yearning to secure a sketch. A burglar enters the home of a widow (Mis> Couthoui) at the time designated by the title, a badly made-up burglar he is, bui he closets himself away. Miss Couthoui enters, giving some imitations as an tppe lizer. She discovers the "bogeyman" is in the house, but manages to soften hi* heart with a diplomatic melodramatic plea, and the "gum-shoer" finally refu>' - to rob the domicile. Miss Couthoui should return to her former specialty. O. M. Samud. Ueo. M. YotMg (Kinks), Varikty's Philadelphia correspondent, left yesterday with the Philadelphia Baseball Club Un Savannah. (J;;., where the team will pill in its preparatory practice. Mr. Yotwp travels in the interest of his paper. Ihe Philadelphia "Ledger."