Variety (December 1907)

VARIETY 35 VAUDEVILLING AROUND THE WORLD By CHARLES LEONARD FLETCHER. The time must come during the lifetime of every busy and prosperous vaudeville artist when his family physician tells him that he needs a rest and change of scene. In some cases it is likely to be sug- gested by the vaudeville managers that the various circuits over which he has repeat- edly played also require a rest and change, and that his absence for a year would be mutually beneficial. Doing "two-a-day," year in and year out, must have a telling effect upon the nerves and constitution of the hardiest, and the possibility that the public is a bit weary even of its favorite is not a remote one. These were the conditions that confront- ed me three years ago, and instead of fol- lowing the advice of my medical and pro- fessional friends to lay off on my farm for a season, I conceived the idea of making a professional tour of the world. I took a slow boat for England, and played a few weeks in foggy London. Foggy weather did not agree with my health, and fog- audiences (in tl.e sense that they were enveloped in pipe and cig- arette smoke) jarred upon my nerves. T travelled and played over the great Moss- Stoll Circuit, which included all the princi- pal cities of England, Ireland and Scotland. With no matinees or Sunday performances I was able to live the life of an English country gentleman, and indulged in his favorite pastimes, such as golf, cricket, tennis, fox-hunting, "snooker," etc., thanks to the skilful coaching of Messrs. Harry Randall, Harry Lauder, Frank Lynne, Mark Melford, E. J. Sheldon, et al. Bursting with health and with the nerves of a lion, I set sail for South Africa, where I enjoyed a three months' engagement under the Hyman banner. There I found myself almost half way around the world, but a severe attack of homesickness made me long for the Stars and Stripes and the "two-a-day" life again. I cancelled my steamship tickets and jumped from Cape Town, S. A., to St. Louis, U. S. A., open- ing on the Kohl & Castle Circuit. The following year my health demanded another surcease from the twice-daily strain, and I started to loop the earth again, accomplishing the feat in, exactly twelve months. During this time I filled contracts with the "Syndicate" halls in London, the Moss-Stoll Provincial Tour, and with Harry Rickards in Australia. Rut for one who was anxious to see the world and receive the full benefit of the tour from the educational standpoint I made a grave mistake. I did not allow myself sufficient time in which to enjoy the advantages offered in the ports visited during the long voyage of 21,(XX) miles from London to San Francisco. I made the trip too hastily. I was much like a tourist taking an express train from New York to 'Frisco, without any stop-overs and missing the beauties of the attractive points in the great West. Now, I propose to make another tour of the world next year, and it will doubt- THE COLBY FAMILY, Now la their eighth successful season, arc playing the houses of the United Booking Offices, under the management of William L. Lykens. The Col by s were hrought Into prominence by .Tunics H. Hyde, of the famous "Hyde's Comedians." and toured the country with that organization from WOO to 1904, So great was their success with Mr. Hyde that from the opening number of the show they were advanced until promoted to the posi- tion of headline feature on the retirement of the late Helen Mora from that company in lOO.'J. Vaudeville audiences have watched the Colby children jjrow from Infant prodigies. Master Frank now almost as big as his father, and Miss Byrle to the early .veins of charming girlhood. Seated In their parlor, the mother at the piano, the father and daughter enjoying a game of checkers, the son seated by the fireside, the light from the fire In the grate Illuminating the features of the family as their voices blend in harmony, Is a scene that touches a responsive chord in the heart of every man, woman and child. Vocal and Instrumental numbers, whistling and Imitations of noted band lenders follow in rapid succession, the performance brought to a close with a vocal novelty In the form of a family row. showing the family in a war of words, all In song. less be interesting to my vaudeville col- leagues to know how it is possible to spend a profitable season on the other side of the earth and combine business with plea- sure. Any artist whose style of act can be un- derstood and appreciated by English speak- ing people can do what I propose to do, and it is for their benefit that I advise the following plan : First, book yourself for a few weeks on the Moss-Stoll circuit in England. This will give you an opportunity to do Eng- land, Ireland, Scotland and Wales thor- oughly. The difference in what they will pay and your American salary will be made up by the decreased cost of living and the ex- ceedingly short railway journeys. Then take a steamer for Gibraltar. The English population there, composed largely of army and navy officials and their fam- ilies, are completely isolated from theat- here will net you easily the equivalent of two months' salary. Five days on the Indian Ocean will land you in Colombo, Ceylon, where the tea planters and the English military garrison will patronize you to the advantage of your exchequer, until the next boat arrives that will take you to Australia, another two weeks' voyage. If you have not fortified yourself with a sixteen weeks' contract with Harry Rickards, the Antipodean vaudeville mag- nate, you can with profit to yourself spend a month, and even two months, in this beautiful country by giving private enter- tainments in the cities of Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, and, if you choose, another month in Tasmania and New Zealand. But I would advise cutting out these Islands, and when you can tear yourself away from the hospitable Australians (and they are, you will find, the best fellow's on earth, if you share with CHARLES LEONARD FLETCHER. As Richard Mansfield as "Baron Chevrlal," in "A Parisian Romance." Charles Leonard Fletcher enjoys the distinction of being one of the very few legitimate actors who, entering vaudeville eight years ago, adopted it as a permanent profession. During this time Mr. Fletcher lias been singularly successful as a delineator of character types. He has studied and pro- duced with success no less than fifty-three distinct characters. Many have been impersonations of popular actors in their best known roles. He has, however, proven himself to be an actor not without originality, as his work in several of Dickens' most famous characters has proven. Among his most popular Impersonations may be mentioned, Charles Warner as "Marex" in "At the Telephone" and "Coupeau" In "Drink"; Richard Mansfield as "Baron Chevrlal" In "A Parisian Romance" and "Beau Brummell"; James A. Heme as "Nat Berry" In "Shore Acres"; Sir Henry Irving as "Robespierre"; Mark Twain; Chauncey Depew; William Gillette as "Sherlock Holmes"; "Uriah Heep" from "David Copperfleld"; "Grandfather" from "The Old Curiosity Shop"; "Fagiu" from "Oliver Twist," and "Sid ney Carton" from "The Tale of Two Cities." This repertoire of character studies is a severe demand upon an actor's versatility, but Mr. Fletcher's reception In all parts of the world Indicates that he possesses dramatic ability of high order. Mr. Fletcher will make his first appearance in New York, since his return from a tour of the world, next month, when he is announced to present his new act, "An Evening With Richard Mansfield,*" which according to reports has been eminently success/ul on the Orpbeum and Kohl ft Castle Circuits in the West. rlcal entertainments. Here you can spend a week, and with a couple of entertain- ments you can make a month's salary. The next outgoing steamer will take you to Tort Said, and a railway journey of only SO miles will bring you to Cairo, Egypt. There you will find thousands of English and Americans starving for a show, and they will keep you, with profit to yourself, from a fortnight to a month. You will find time during your sojourn in Egypt to visit the Holy Land, and take a good look at the River Nile and the Pyra- mids. Another twelve days on the steamer will carry you through the Suez Canal and take yon up to Bombay, India, where you will find yourself a welcome visitor. It is an English speaking community, and so sel- dom arc they favored with an Anglo-Saxon theatrical performance you will find them so positively "show hungry," that they will urge you to give them an entertainment immediately on your arrival. Two weeks them their passion for the race track and other innocent (?) forms ofv^gambling), take a steamer for the Philippines, a voy- age of about a fortnight. In Manila you will feel at home. The Americans there are in goodly numbers, and if you don't remain over ten days you will make money. It is but a short ocean voyage to Hong Kong. There's no money in that city, so you will hurry on to Kobe and Nagasaki, Japan, buy a lot of souvenirs, and start on the home stretch for San Francisco. In ten days you will reach IIouolulii, and you will make a mistake if you don't stop over until the next boat, giving nt least three performances at the little Or phoum Theatre, where you can easily pull out five or six hundred dollars. Honolulu is virtually an American town, with a Japanese atmosphere. Another five days will land you in Tri,sco, where Mr. Meyerfeld will probably ask you to play the Orpheum Circuit.