Variety (March 1908)

16 VARIETY xasTH STREET. With Cecelia Loftus and Gertrude Hoflf- man on the same bill, it was expected that the 125th street house would be packed at each performance. Monday night was a big starter for the record week of the season at the house. Aside from the features the bill was big in prom- ise, with plenty of comedy distributed. The novelty of two famed artistes in the same line of stage work on one pro- gram calls for the invidious comparison, but with the Misses Loftus and Hoffman it is transverse. From the moment of their appearance each starts off in diver- gent directions. Miss Hoffman is "the" impersonator; Miss Loftus *'the" mimic. Both stand at the head of their respec- tive classes. Miss Loftus imitates in voice, gestures and expression; Miss Hoff- man impersonates by assuming all the character, including the dress, and adding a bit of travesty. Miss Loftus is the per- sonification of the art of mimicry; Miss Hoffman likewise of impersonation, although the Eva Tanguay of the latter may rank as a pure imitation with any comedy subject Miss Loftus offers. Miss Hoffman is perfect as Tanguay. Not >^lone in the costuming (white tights while singing "I Don't Care"), but in the poise of the head, the movements of the body and even to the fluttering foot- steps. Besides Geo. M. Cohan, Eddie Foy and Anna Held, Miss Hoffman reproduced in character "The Merry W5dow," Harry Lauder and Adeline Genee. The last named is in setting, and entitles Miss Hoffman to the distinction of being the only "production impersonator." As Miss Genee she is wonderfully lifelike, and goes through with a very good imitation of the "Hunt Dance," including a few steps of the original's—but not all or nearly all, nor is that to be expected. The Harry Lauder is the flaw in Miss Hoffman's present routine, but the applause was near as great for this as for 'her others. Miss Hoffman was the veritable riot. She is just to the liking of the audiences— any audience, in fact. While Miss Hoffman impersonates, her husband. Max, directs the orchestra. Max Hoffman ought to open a training school for orchestral leaders. The amount of music he can compel from a band of musicians is something wonderful to lis- ten to, when the sickly efforts of some variety orchestras in the city are remem- bered. Jack Norworth, with some new talk and a song, "Smarty," written by himself, a good number for a "kid" act, returned for many bows after the "Owl" topical selection, with current verses. Some of the talk needs yet to be broken in well; also a brand new joke on the German line of steamers. Mr. Norworth is "plugging" **Smarty" in the usual style, using a new "coughing chorus." The Kratons, with their new 'Hoop- land," placed a portion of the former act after that of the pantomime with the hoops, which is short, and must yet be further worked out for the full effect aimed at. A new trick of sending a hoop three times around the "schoolhouse" be- fore entering brought involuntary ap- plause for the flne execution involved. The Kratons are neat, bright looking? younjr colored people, and pleased the house greatly. Frey Ray and Company in their trav- esty did well far up on the program. Lew HAMMERSTEIN'S. The invitation singing and dancing go- as-you-please-contest between Vesta Vic- toria and Eva Tanguay is on its last lap at Hammerstein's this week. Tt would be risky to try to pick the winner. Both are putting up a splendid contest, and the management will draw down the big end of the purse. Vesta Victoria is the first to appear, in the "No. 4" position. The English singer had a severe cold, but managed to get her songs over the footlights in good 3hape on Wednesday evening. "The Queen of the Jujah Islands," rendered with a quantity of quaint clowning, was the most popular. Little flashes of danc- ing here and there suggest that were Miss Victoria to really get down to an eccen- tric dance of some sort, it would make the fur fly. Eva Tanguay, in the next to closing position, had a reception which just about equaled that of the English woman's. The comedienne is not doing nearly as much as she did last week and she is the gainer thereby. She sang five songs. The fourth, "Success," was the first to arouse any- thing like the accustomed enthusia&m. From then on, however, things went swim- mingly, and "I Don't Care," as the final number, was a "riot." A speech and an imitation of Eva Tanguay's imitators imi- tating Eva Tanguay followed. In the remaining portion of the pro- gram Mathews and Ashley were a hit of goodly proportions. The pair are showing "A Smashup in Chinatown" with little change. There are a few new parodies in- troduced, but no successor to "Nobody." Jossettis and Their Lilliputians closed the first half. The Risley work will stand comparison with any yet shown, not ex- cluding the several Jap troupes. The work is clean cut and fast and the beauty of the whole is that there is always some- thing doing on the stage. The Lillipu- tians do some clever ground work also, and become favorites instantly. Clement De Lion was on rather early, but he managed to hold the interest of the few that were in the house then, through the clever palming of billiard balls. The disappearing dice used as an encore is hardly good enough to follow the palming. Charles Bradshaw and Company inflict- ed "Fix in a Fix," another of those awful "Mother-in-Law" affairs so familiar at Pastor's. Once in a while the sketch is remindful of Wilfred Clarke's "Too Much Trouble" in theme. That's all. E^he Tyler is the only one to gain distinction. She is liked probably because j^^ breaks the monotony by introducing ajlively, well executed dance. Oaudsmidt Brothers, billed as "Comedy Gymnasts," devote all the tiyie to acro- batics of a high grade. Two dogs em- ployed behave beautifully. Hal Merritt, with his posters and imita- tions, much the same, pleased. Niblo and Spencer sang and danced at the opening. NOVELTY. A first rate comedy bill is received with enthusiasm at the Williamsburg house this week, with three big hits coming in suc- cession at the middle ot the show. They were Mr. and Mrs. Gene Hughes, "Sup- pressing the Press"; Charles Mack and Company, "Come Back to Erin" (New Acts), and ''Bill" Dillon. Mr. Dillon has changed his billing from the dignified "William A." to the short and familiar "Bill," which is much more appropriate to his style of entertainment, and in better keeping with his genial per- sonality. His quiet methods and the sparkling quality of his humorous parodies set him in prime favor with the audience at the oi'tset, and he was called upon for repetitions long after his regular routine was exhausted. •: "Suppressing the Press" gets down to its comedy business directly at the rise of the curtain. Instead of plunging into the explanation of plot complications, the principals make it their first aim to catch and rivet attention. This is neatly done with the -first two short speeches. After tnat the progress of the story is easy and natural, and is accomplished simply and consistently to the accompaniment of a running fire of well written humorous dia- logue. Sairprises follow on each other's heels, and interest is sustained until the quick finale. Kane opened the show with a very light ventriloquial specialty. The dressing and laying out of the act is old style. The presence of three dummies which are used hut little during the act is a piece of bad management which has been discarded by the more up-to-date voice placers in favor of a single dummy to which all the convert sation is addressed. Such a scheme keeps interest centered and makes possible the working up of a consistent run of talk and comment. In Kane's case the use of more than one is the more unnecessarv from the fact that his voice is not over flexible and does not adapt itself to the several characters. Mark Sullivan did verv well with an en- lertaining collection of stories. He tells them neatly and manages to get his points over with certainty, but his recitation of "Gunga Din," a la (Hifton Oawford, was a rather poor performance. For vaude- ville purposes the force of the recitation depends upon the delivery. A parody would have let Sullivan off much better. C^Jarroll and Baker, "No. 2." won out with parodies and talk, The Hebrew comedian works and dresses without striv- ing after grotesque effects, and the pair get their hearing along legitimate lines. Princess (IJhinquilla and Newell scored roundly, in spite of their weakness in the comedy department. Newell's juggling is very light, but well enough executed, and the picturesque dressing and setting aids the number materially. It was the flnish, a war dance by the Princess, that won out. Astra, billiard ball manipulator, closed the show. Benton has changed about his comedy makeup, not for the better, but is still the same laughable sight. Staloy's Transformation brought sur- prised gasps of delight at the rapid rlianjres of settings, while Searl and Vio- let Allen Company, given a hard position to hold, and Gennaro's Band, closing the show, were the others. .Sfimc. While playing Hathaway's, New Bed- ford, last week, Fred and Eva Mozart were presented with a floral bottle by Walter Luce and Ohas. Smith. Messrs. Luce and S'mith found the bottle, contain- ing a title page of Variety, thrown over- board by the Mozarts while in mid-ocean Inst summer. FIFTH AVENUE. Capacity audiences and the presence of ticket speculators on the sidewalk in front of the house testify to the drawing power of Nance O'Neil at the Fifth Avenue this week, the feature of the high grade vaude- ville entertainment. Comedy galore is sup- plied to balance the somewhat sombre in- fluence of Miss O'Neil's tense emotional playlet, "The Jewess" (New Acts). With the exception of Barry and Hughes, whose act in "one" is long and slow, the show holds up splendidly. Next to the feature George Whiting and the Melnotte Sisters were the unquestioned hit of the bill. The trio get away from the familiar atmosphere of the dancing and singing combination with its frequent roughness and noise. There is a breezy brightness about the twins that at once es- tablishes them in the good graces of their audiences. In their new environment the girls have more than made good their ear- lier promise. Their wholesome, unaffected youthfulness dispels any effect of staginess and a certain touch of graceful simplicity in both dressing and action distinguishes them. Whiting carries the light straight role handily and scores strongly at the flnish with a capital rendition of "H-a-r- r-i-g-a-n." James Thornton, next to closing and fol- lowing "The Jewess," was royally received and his familiar routine of talk pleased mightily. He opened with his newest song, "The Great White Way," and closed with what he announced was his first musical composition. Tiie suspicion grows that this last selection was no accident. At the opening bars the audience immediately no- ted that it bore a striking resemblance to "H-a-r-r-i-g-a-n" which had gone just before, as doubtless Thornton meant they should. Jean Clermont's burlesque circus made an excellent closing number. The hit of the act was a "singing dog." At the train- er's command the "pup" set up a curious cry that at times bore a screamingly funny resemblance to singing and the audience laughed uproariously. This alone was suf- ficient to carry the act. The opening of tlie show brought to- gether the unusual combination of three acts that have not played many weeks in this vicinity. Stelling and Hevell opened in a comedy bar act, that had several novel laughing points and quantities of rough knockabout. The pair should give up talk- ing until they have -devised something funny to say. Barry and Hughes take 24 minutes to put over a 14 minute idea. As a short sketch in "one" with plenty of dancing and singing, and as little as possible of the dialogue, the arrangement might be enter- taining. With its present long speeches, lack of action and labored sentiment ami humor, it is tiresome. The opening waft so slow that the impression was justified that the girl of the team was only killing time for the setting up of a set behind the downstage drop. Al Leech with his old schoolroom ar- rangement—except that there are new faces among his "Rosebuds"—and Albert Whelan, were the others. Rush. Elsie Boc'hm is placing together an act requiring three people, including herself and baritone voice. The trio will visit Europe in .Tune, first presenting the new number on the otluM- side.