Variety (October 1908)

VARIETY 15 IN COLONIAL. It is not very often that a vaudeville bill runs more consistently than this week's at the Colonial. The opening was the only spot where there could have been any improvement. The Czaress Life Guards made a poor beginning, and there was a gap filled by an overture between them and Foster and Foster, both turns using the full stage with a change of set- ting. From there on to the finish, how- ever, every number was received with ex- ceptional enthusiasm, and the entertain- ment was most satisfactory. Thomas E. Shea and Company (New Acts) interrupted the light comedy vein of the show, appearing just before inter- mission. After the interval Barry and_ Wolford brought the audience back in the vaudeville humor, and the second half went through without a hitch. The Czaress Life Guards are an indif- ferently skillful troupe of drillers. Any American stage manager could duplicate it with the average bunch of choristers in a week or two. The dressing is far from attractive, and the one point that gave it a semblance of action was the dancing of the lonely man in the act. Foster and Foster seem to have cut down their musical sketch. They do not make much of an attempt at comedy ex- cept as it comes in incidentally during their piano playing and singing, and in the finish in "one." The latter part was stretched out somewhat, but works up to a capital finale. The Artois Brothers, comedy bar, and Claire Romaine (both New Acts) followed in the order named. Barry and Wolford have half a dozen up-to-the-minute parodies that landed them safely on the sunny side of popu- larity. One on the baseball situation, sung on Monday night, must have been written Sunday. A first-rate version of "Taffy" with a topical campaign allusion went well, and the "conversation" num- ber, a medley employing the names of two-score popular songs, was handled with a great deal more neatness than usually occurs in an arrangement of this sort. The couple took half a dozen bows, sang an encore and then made a little cur- tain speech. John C. Rice and Sally Cohen are in "The Kleptomaniacs," a new sketch for them. Also under New Acts. Laddie Cliff has an almost entirely new act, new in material, that is, with his amusing style unchanged. He opens with a song called "Put a Little Powder On It," and in place of the old character song sings "The Difference 'Twixt the Coster and the Swell," the latter having a first- rate "applause" finish, in addition to which the youngster does a bit of mono- logue after his dance, made up of some rather stale material. This part was much too grown-up for Laddie. He's such a delightful "kiddie" it seems a real pity that he aims for the adult class prema- turely. De Dio closed with her spectacular dances. The submarine setting is the catchiest of the "terpsichore's dreams," although the ceaseless change of elaborate effect suffices to keep interest alive, de- spite the interruptions when a white sheet is lowered to fill in intervals for stage setting with colored lantern slides. Ruth. LINCOLN SQUARE. In the face of the general theatrical depression complained of for the past two weeks, the Lincoln Square has been for- tunate in holding up its attendance fig- ures. The new vaudeville house has been making a very excellent showing in the orchestra since opening, a slow but grad- ual improvement being noted. At the Monday matinee a moderately filled auditorium greeted another first class and high grade vaudeville show, with plenty of variety through "new- ness," a big item here lately, headed by Fatima Miris (New Acts). After Tues- day the Miris act was placed down next to closing, McMahon and Chappelle's "Sunflower Girls" (New Acts) being changed to occupy its former position, just Wfoifc iateiiniooion: There is a question whether Miss Miris would not have gone better in the earlier position, al- though no harm accrued to the show as a whole. Another feature on the program was the return appearance of Clarice Vanoe after her English visit. Miss Vance in n plain but handsome salmon colored gown sang "When You're In Right" (new), "Love Me Like I Liked To Be Loved," "Big Night To-night," "Right Church, but Wrong Pew" and had to respond with "Maria." To know there are but two verses to a song and to hear but those two is a dis- tinct relief with lyrics nowadays run- ning to story book dimensions and Miss Vance went through her act in a business- like fashion. "Love Me," "Wrong Church" and "Big Night" do not seem just fitted to this most admirable of "coon" delineators in melody, but Miss Vance's handling of her numbers placed her "in right" from the start. She never lost her hold. Maude and Sidney Wood, who opened, and Emilia Frassenesi, "No. 2," are both under New Acts. Caryl Wilbur and Co. in "61 Prospect Street," really a new sketch over here, gave the house some quiet legitimate comedy in the farcelet and did very well. Mr. Wilbur is playing the difficult dual role most acceptably, and Zoe Gilfilian, his support, is a pretty girl, taking good care of her light role. Opening the second half with comedy and acrobatics, Caron and Hebert found a ready and appreciative audience. The utter foolishness of James J. Mor- ten's remarks and recitations received its usual laughing recognition, Morton hav- ing one new pointless story, a laugh-get- ter, with the others. Perhaps Mr. Mor- ton is thankful the "baseball season" is over. Everyone else is who has heard how common the "baseball" song he sings lias grown. The show closes with "The Original Yamamoto, assisted by Miss Koyoshi," the full billing, and funny since the girl is about the entire act. The man bal- ancing at the finish is the least, although it secures the most. The final trick is u "perch" with the "Rislcy" understander balancing a breakaway ladder, very com- mon with "Jap acts," most doing the perch with the pole on the shoulder. The opening is contortions on blocks, made very much of, although a boy in the Okabe Troupe does it incidentally, also using but one set of blocks on either side. The act is a very big hit, and the credit goes to the young attractive girl who is the cause 8ime. FIFTH AVENUE. Just at this time, when opposition vaudeville is looming up, and when every vaudeville house in the Metropolis is put- ting on its best bib and tucker to induce patronage, the 6th Avenue this week comes forward with the poorest bill the house has seen since vaudeville was re- installed. It isn't the fault of the acts, it's the combination of them that's wrong. Whoever put the show together was evi- dently indifferent as to whether anyone came into the house after the first day or not. Monday evening the attendance was very good and the audience showed a tendency to be amused, but when handed Edna May Spooner's "She Devil," fol- lowed by the Olivatti Troubadours, the house literally threw up its hands. It was no wonder that many at this point left the theatre. The exodus continued throughout the remainder of the pro- gram, making it doubly hard in the sec- ond half. Those who had the patience to remain for the pictures voted "The Base Ball Fan," a long interesting film show- ing several very good views of a game at the Polo Grounds, the hit of the even- ing. "At the Country Club" is the week's at- traction and it drops a long way short of being strong enough to warrant the posi- tion. George Spink, in large letters, is still the name used on the program as "Chairman of the House Committee," al- though he is not the one who played the role last week under the same name. It doesn't matter, however; one is as good as the other. The present "Spink" gives just as good an imitation of a ribbon- cdunter clerk as the former did, although he hasn't mastered the art of making eyes to the same finished degree. A white suit is something that every man can't carry, even though it be nicely tail- ored. The present Mr. Spink is one who can't. Besides his is not nicely tailored. It must be discouraging to the milliner who is so widely advertised in the offer- ing to see the "Hat" -number do a flop twice a day. The chatter song at the finish just pulled the act out, as it did at the Alhambra last week. If that num- ber ever takes a fall, the act is through. Gus Edwards' "Kountry Kids" in ging- hams and overalls were in direct contrast to the silks and frocks of the "Country Club" members. Aside from the costum- ing there is no contrast. It falls just about as short of the mark as does the more pretentious offering. There have been a few changes in the personnel of the "Kids." Willie Solar is featured and works hard to make the number go. Fred Hackett does an exceptional eccentric dance. The boy has the making of a great dancer. "The Olivatti Troubadours" sounds like a troupe. There are only two, both men. One plays the violin and wears long hair while the other accompanies him on the guitar. Several selections were played that every violinist who breaks into vaudeville deems necesary. Miss Spooner played for some time at the house last season in Stock. Her re- pppearance undoubtedly proved a draw- ing card. The Byrne Bros, closed the show, while McNish and Penfold were on in an early position. Alba and Wynne and Lewis are under New Acts. Dash. KEENEY'S. The Keeney show is a bit off this week, as compared to the bills that have been offered at the Fulton street house since the advent of independent vaudeville just up the street at the new Morris theatre, Dan Maley in the early part, Edna Wal- lace Hopper toward the middle of the evening and the Elton-Polo-Aldo Troupe closing the show, each in turn gave the bill a setback. Maley is billed as the "clever Italian impersonator" and by way of making good on the adjective of the caption, he goes and recites one of those pathetie verses resembling "Rosie" only infinitely worse and much longer. Will someone please explain why it is that an imperson- ator of the Italian type invariably con- ceives a passion to inflict a recitation of this sort? Delineators of no other nation- ality have the same obsession. Why, then, the Italian T Maley sings three songs all in the same character. When he isn't trying to move his audience to tears with his reci- tation, he is trying very, very hard to move them to laughter, by the crudest sort of rough clowning. One of his troubles is that his efforts are too st rained and stagey. Miss Hopper does a straight singing act, a sort of pianologue, with the duty of accompanist delegated to an assist- ant. The turn is very badly put to- gether and the Keeney audience on Tues- day and Wednesday night evinced almost no enthusiasm, a circumstance that is a very rare one on Fulton street. The fault of the Elton-Polo-Aldo quartet lies largely in their use of a comedian who has not the slightest conception of a clown part. This member of the casting act wears men's clothes, but from appear- ances and voice might be a girl. The comedy is very amateurish and far from funny. The straight flyer has a double into a catch that is very nicely executed, but the finish is tame. A feature trick should be introduced instead of the straight drop from a standing position on the cradle into a catch. Harry Tighe gave the proceedings a much needed boost with his comedy sketch "Books," a sort of rehash of the "Collegians," and Valeska Suratt and Billy Gould (New Acts) helped the good work along. Anderson and Goines try too hard to be polite comedians. The come- dian has a store of native humor and more than a little ability as an eccentrio dancer, but neither shines as a light comedian. Instead of holding to the natural negro comedy they give them- selves over to long discourses, exchange of very tiresome dialogue and gagging when the time could be so much better employed in singing and dancing, partic- ularly the capital stepping of Anderson. Also they use a polite ballad at the finish that could be profitably replaced with a coon song. There was enough straight matter in the act without this. The Morton-Jewell Troupe of club jug- glers opened the show with their inter- esting routine. The features are an ex- change with two men juggling four clubs, and a shower of 19 clubs by the five members (one of them a young girl who handled only three) which made the fin- ish. The Jewells did extremely well, de- spite their position. The others were Harry First and Company in "The Mar- riagc Fee." Ruth*