Variety (September 1907)

VARIETY 13 DREAMLAND BURLESQUERS. There were those last year who believed that the Dreamland Burlesquers* show de- served the place at the top of the Western Wheel column. This year there will be but few who will not concede it this posi- tion without hesitation, unless one of the companies that has not yet gotten into the metropolitan district has something phenomenally good to offer. The Miner show is not a burlesque en- tertainment in the ordinary sense of that earned Broadway approval, and lavish term, but rather an ambitious musical pro- duction, with a specially written score that compares favorably with many that have mounting. Dave Marion wrote the two-act piece called "Newport." The plot is not visible to the naked eye, but with a light comedian like Harry Fox and a character comedian like Marion, plot is not essential. Much better is the detached but altogether de- lightful funmaking of the 1 pair. Marion has worked out a steady succession of new comedy "bits" to fill in the intervals be- tween numbers. Nothing is shown that is not new, with perhaps the exception of the money changing stuff in the second act, and all of it rich in good natured humor. Marion's hair-lip cabbie is a scream- ingly funny characterization. His humor is not a matter of lines or situation. The fan is in the character, and in Marion's methods of handling it. Fox is perhaps the smoothest light comedian that the burlesque ranks know. He is destined for better things. Without in any way infringing upon the eccentrici- ties that make George M. Cohan's trade- mark, Fox rather suggests that comedian in his breezy methods. The Melnotte Sisters are not with the company, their place being taken by the Sisters Earl, a pretty pair of "ponies," who first appeared in vaudeville at Pas- tor's a few months ago. The sisters are capable little workers, neat dancers and singers, and fill the important burlesque requisite of being pretty Agnes Behler has improved immensely over her previous work. She makes a first rate soubrette, working with a good deal of polish and ease. Adelaide L. Fell has a grotesque comedy part of a scrubwoman in the first act, and gets a vast amount of good laugh- ing material out of it, even though her spoken lines could be all written on a single sheet of paper. "Is Life Worth Living" made an excellent number as sung by her. The musical numbers form an almost unbroken succession of solid hits. "Dandy Dan," by Fox, backed up by a chorus neatly dressed in tailor-made suits, is in the "popular" class, as also are "Forget It and Have a Good Time," and "Hannah From Louisiana." As an illustration of the exjiensiveness of the production it is noteworthy that there are half a dozen chorus men in the show who do not appear as principals. In addition to this are the Liberty Four, a male quartet, whose voices add materially to the singing ensembles. The members of the quartet appear as principals in both acts as well as contributing a number to the olio. Will Lawrence, of the quartet, has a Hebrew part in the first act, but does little with it. Although the quartet is No. 2 in the olio, Lawrence does not change his costume or make-up. In the selection of the chorus Tom Miner lias done as well for the show as Marion in supplying the book and music. The girls make up a first rate dancing and singing organization with the snap and K'nger of a Broadway musical comedy. Ihey are fourteen in number, and in the two acts show nine costume changes. The principals change quite as often. There is not a suggestion of indelicacy during the piece in either dialogue or busi- ness, the nearest approach to roughness leing the melee in the first act incidental to the fighting song used with "Roseland" by the same company last year. Here, however, the "rough house" is properly a part of the song, and if it does at times be- come unnecessarily violent, the laughter that the Saturday afternoon audiences of women at the Dewey gave it is an ade- quate excuse. Miss Behler has one of the prettiest songs of the whole score in "Hannah From Louisiana" in the first act. It has a pretty, albeit somewhat reminiscent, "coon" swing and was splendidly handled with attractive light effects and musical embel- lishments, the quartet, partly concealed in the half lights of the stage, supplying agreeable harmony with the chorus. This is but one example of consistently skillful staging, a particular in which the whole show is notably strong. Pretty special sets have been provided, a garden scene in the first act and the seashore in the sec- ond. For the olio the Sisters Earl use the same act they introduced in vaudeville. It is a light little dancing and singing spe- cialty, but away from the familiar "sister" act routine, and the pretty, chic appear- ance of the pair gets them past in good style. The quartet have an average sing- ing act, with the soft pedal on the knock- about comedy. The harmony, supported by a good resonant bass, is agreeable, and the routine of selections well adapted to burlesque purposes. Marion has given up the act he used last year, although he holds to the "Walk, Walk, Walk" number, with which he has become more or less identified. He is now working with Harry Fox in a conversation and singing skit, in which the chorus ap- pears from time to time. The pair have a novel arrangement for their talking. They sit upon bootblack stands and carry on their cross talk while four of the girls keep themselves busy polishing their boots. This gives the comedians a natural pose, and an appropriate bootblack song is worked ih. The act was probably thrown to- gether a bit hastily, and some rather fajniliar talk is noticed from time to time, but for the most part the conversation runs along new lines. The skit maintains a good degree of speed, and kept that part of the olio running entertainingly. The Three I Ian Ions carry out an ex- ceedingly good routine of tumbling and hand-to-hand acrobatics. Their dressing works against them somewhat. Black satin knickerbockers do not make a graceful cos- tume for work of this sort, but three acts out of five of this sort wear them as a matter of religion. Also the lighter of the tiio wears highly decorative sleeve garters that could be discarded with profit. This particular article of attire seems to be a weakness of acrobats. It takes away from neatness of dressing always. Rush. Trixie Frigauza is reported to have re- fused an offer of $700 weekly to play in vaudeville. Miss Friganza will play, but it is seriously whispered she wants more. BON TONS. With the exception of three or four new musical numbers, and a few faces, the "Bon Tons" of this season is the "Bon Tons" of last, in pieces and personnel, and not omitting costumes. The changes in the show have not im- proved it, and neither does the performance evidence any unnecessary outlay of money. As a matter of fact, the careful considera- tion of the bank account will undoubtedly return the largest net profit to Weber & Bush, its owners, of any of the firm's bur- lesque companies now out. This will re- dound to the credit of Sam Goldie, the manager, who is probably this season in command of the cheapest burlesque com- pany traveling over either Wheel. Guy Hawson and Frances Clare are still the principals, and are working harder than ever to make the show a go. Mr. Llawson is obliged to handle almost the entire burden of the fun. He succeeds, and Jiis quiet methods draw laughter, al- though he is resorting to swearing for much of the effect. Miss Hawson, who seemed last year to be destined for the position of "best sou- hrette in burlesque," is held back now by playing the familiar parts. Her numbers and costumes only are different. She is ap- pearing in a long, handsome white dress at the opening, and a new costume for the burlesque is extremely pretty. Miss Clare i> making several changes, leading nearly all the numbers, making a hit especially with "Won't You Be My Baby Boy" when the theatre will allow the spot-light to be played on the bald heads in the audience. For this "hit" the credit should go to the "spot." In "I'd Rather Two-Step" there is some rough work which brings encores, and another selection, "Monkeyland," has been poorly "put on," causing it to slowly pass away during the rendition. There is little inspiration for the prin- (ipals, however, with the chorus of fourteen carried*. "The Six Cocktails," an English "girl act," is a dami>cr on the show. There are three or four girls in it who can neither sing, dance or stand on the stage. It is one of the worst collections of choristers probably ever seen in burlesque, both in actions and looks. The English girls back up Marion Cooke while the latter is doing the "Red Domino" dance. Last year this was a feature of the olio. Now it is the least, and might as well be taken out. The newcomers in the cast are Woods and Greene and Florence Moore, the latter playing a principal role for the first time. Miss M»ore is a stunning looking picture in the burlesque, while wearing a black suit of tights, and the few lines in l>oth pieces allotted to her are well taken care of. Messrs. Woods and Green have parts, together with an olio act. In neither do they cause a commotion, one. the Hebrew comedian, going into the specialty with the s.ime make-up (songs and talk). Ben Pierce and Gladdys Carlyle are re- tained, and Mr. Pierce is doing a single act, filling out the very slim olio, led by Bauson and Clare in "Just Kids." the quiet sketch being well liked. Mi<s Carlylo looks and sings just as well as In'fore. The "Bon Tons" may do business this season on the strength of the reputation left behind last year, bill people will ex- p"et a new show, and be disappointed. The best attraction with the "Bon Tons" now is Miss Clare. She is surely drawing more inonev than the show, arid without STAR SHOW GIRLS. "The Star Show Girls" opens the ques- tion, "how far does the specialty con- tribute to the entertainment of a bur- lesque show?" The show is practically without an olio. An acrobatic act is given as an incidental during* the progress of the burlesque, and early in the iirst part a short club juggling turn is worked into one of the numbers. As for the rest the various principals contribute a singing and talking number or two during scene changes—there are four—without chang- ing their makeups in some cases. This question of olio is probably open to argument. In the present instance it seemed to take away from the variety of the entertainment, notwithstanding the frequency of scene changes and the excel- lent musical and chorus arrangement of the piece. Charles Nichols is again featured in his "Dopey Dan" character, but in this year's production he does not dominate the or- ganization as he did last season. He has not nearly so much to do and does not work with his old skill. For long periods at a time he is on the Btage in a subordi- nate capacity, and his presence is fre- quently forgotten. His best bits are in the first part, when he does a "dope fiend." Jim Dixon is prominent in the proceed- ings in a double role. He does nicely enough in the "straight" part, although inclined a bit to posing and stilted acting, and hus one of the best singing voices *n the company. His yodling was good for repeated encores. John Baker makes a first rate comedy boy in the opening, han- dling the larger part of the comedy until the entrance of Nichols, which by the way did not come until the piece had been run- ning fifteen or twenty minutes. Jim Mackay plays "straight" throughout, hold- ing down his polite part in acceptable fashion. Wally Clark figures rather cas- ually in the first act as a German with not a great deal to do in the comedy de- partment, and Pert Mackay plays a semi- soubrette role with a fair degree of smoothness and later poses in a cabinet. The women principals and the chorus make up the strength of the piece. No better working fourteen has been shown at the Bowery theatre so far this season. They are elaborately costumed, with five changes in the first part, ending with a novel finale in which all the girls, dressed in military uniforms, beat drums while Nichols conducts the band. Miss Croix leads most of the numbers. She has an uncommonly olear, even brilliant voice, for burlesque, and the high notes with which she finished most of her songs gained a great deal of applause. La Salla Trio who did the club juggling also contributed an excellent acrobatic number. One Of the Sallas. as a girl, turns off some of the swiftest pound tum- bling a burlesque show has seen. The pedal juggling is quite as good, and the dressing of the boy adds not a little to the value of the work. One teat, by no means the feature, was a double from a sitting position upon the feet of the ground Worker in the "Rislev." The same member's flip flaps were also remarkably well done, and the a«t as a whole, decided* lv well liked. Hush. her or some one equally attractive, the "Bon Tons" would have to be revised. It is not strong enough to play over the'Wheel a second time on its merits alone. Simc.