Variety (November 1908)

VARIETY 15..., introduced. The Lauder of the boy will do very well after he becomes lure of himself. He broke badly on it Monday night but he came up to the emergency like a veteran. Miss Caire does her best as Bessie McCoy singing "Yama," when she can also show what a really pretty girl she is. The dress worn at the opening is badly soiled and unbecoming. Even the good looks of the girl are not proof against the dress. Felix still does the best George Cohan imitation that has been seen to date, and there have been a few. Joe Boganny's Troupe of Lunatic Bak- ers have about the fastest and most en- tertaining acrobatic act the varieties can boast of. There isn't a quiet moment from start to finish. Boganny himself handles his two hundred odd pounds in a manner that is nothing short of wonder- ful. "K Night in Egypt" with Alice Ray- mond and Her Players is a good example of what scenery will do for an act. It is a straight musical offering, the brasses being employed entirely. The pretty set adds an interest and charm that it would be impossible for a musical act to secure without the fixings. Caryl Wilbur and Co. played "61 Pros- pect Street," and Maude and Sydney Wood opened, doing nicely in their light singing and dancing specialty. Another interest- ing number was Allen Shaw. "The Australian Tree-feller8"closed the program. It is a novelty, and one that is a success. The idea that everything about the act is "on the level" goes a long way towards making it liked. On Mon- day night the champion was beaten by his partner in the woodchopping contest. It was a popular victory. Dash. FIFTH AVENUE. This week's bill has been vastly improved through a rearrangement of the program order. By the original layout it hap- pened that nearly the whole show was framed up in pairs. Two loud comedy acts came together at the opening, and there was nothing between the two sketches. The changes broke up this and spread the bill out into greater variety, although it caused two short gaps and made it necessary for Willa Holt Wake- field to play in "one." It's an exceedingly good show, however, with a large proportion of tried standard numbers. Miss Wakefield, Clayton White and Marie Stuart and Howard and Bar- rison were featured, the prime, position going to Howard and Barrison. This was rather unfortunate for the team, for they had to follow "Cherie" after the White- Stuart combination had "cleaned up." Willa Holt Wakefield was "No. 5," a first- rate position for her charming offering, and the honors of the evening went to her, although this is her second week in the house. One finds new sources of delight in the pianologist at every new meeting. For example, did you ever notice her odd little pronounciations that betray her New York origin? A one-armed man could count on his fingers the comedy sketches in vaudeville that are in the same class with "Cherie" for intelligent humor, brilliant dialog and skillful acting. Mr. White and Miss Stuart are a standing proof that mere noise has nothing to do with humor, and that humor to be true and sure must arise out of some plausible character relations. The Six American Dancers went from "No. 4" to "No. 2," probably to make an interval between Amy Anderson and Co. and James and Sadie Leonard. The danc- ing sextet have changed their dressing somewhat and to the advantage of the offering, but the stepping is the same. The finishing routine made them a tremendous go- Charles F. Semon also moved up one place. His comedy musical single num- ber was a big laugh and remains un- changed except in a few minor particulars. There is a vast amount of unnecessary talk and noise in the very light act of Amy Anderson and Co., particularly at the opening, when one of the boys does some very striking standing feats in ground tumbling. Another acrobatic boy and a series of two-high tricks might be introduced here. Also Miss Anderson might restrain her assistants from such frustics* knockabout. The act opened the show. James and Sadie Leonard and Richard Anderson got the first laughs in "No. 3" spot and kept the audience in constant hilarity with their Roman travesty. Some of the points are rough but the burlesque has plenty of ridiculous surprises to keep interest alive. There were nine acts on the bill and Howard and Barrison next to closing had their work cut out for them. The musical numbers pulled them through. If they had depended upon the very flimsy ex- change of talk it would have gone badly with them, although the "kissing" busi- ness was effective. The Florenz Troupe closed the show, holding the audience in nicely Monday night. One of the boys has a very pretty full twister on the ground, and the work from shoulder to shoulder is nicely exe- cuted. All five work with pretty style, and the use of a woman as understander adds a certain degree of interest. "Tus- cany Troubadours," New Acts. Ru$h. COLONIAL. The bill at the Colonial this week secures a flying start, and up to "The Submarine" (New Acts), which closed the first half, gave promise of being a rip- roaring vaudeville show, but what that French joy destroyer did to the show was a crime. You know how you feel at a ball game when the home team is a couple of runs behind in the eighth, and with the bases full and no one out, the bat- ter hits into a double play; well, that's what this "Submarine" sketch is doing to the show. The house was well filled, and it was a friendly audience until "Submarine" was "pulled." After they were unsteady and restless. There was a constant buzz through the entire second half of the program. If anyone could have gotten the house back to earth certainly it is Mabel Hite. Judging from the applause it would have seemed that she really had, but only one who has seen her act when it wasn't forced to follow a nightmare can realize the difference. Miss Hite is funny all the way. The comedy is not forced or over- done. It is Mabel Ilite's own stuff with none of the "Ain't It Awful" trash. The comedienne sings three songs, all of which are delightfully done. Don't overlook the fact that Mike Donlin is in the act. He is sure there. The appearance of the star batter held up the show for a minute or two. The general impression when Mike took to the boards was that his hands and feet would need a guide, as has been the case with other celebrities outside theatrical circles, but Donlin may be put down as a wonder. He is the original candy kiddo. Just one word more about "the Giant." He certainly has one fine tailor. The Zancigs in their second week opened the intermission. Immediately following the horror, the act had no chance what- ever, and it is doubtful if it ever received so little attention. Winsor McCay, with his chalk dis- course, waa next to closing, following Hite and Donlin, and he also suffered, although he did very well. The Jossettis closed and were handi- capped with the others. The audience had started to leave during the two pre- ceding acts, and by the time the acrobats appeared half the house were on their way. The troupe are doing the same fin- ished work. The whole act cannot help but be very well liked. Charlie Case was the last of the unin- jured. He was No. 4 and a solid success. Case is away from all the other black- face comedians, and it wouldn't be stretching it much to say that he is also ahead. Oase's seriousness adds a touch of sincerity to the talk, getting it over with the idea that he is not telling jokes, thereby disbanding the committee which diagnoses each story before deciding whether it is funny. Ryan and Richfield showed "Mag Hag- gerty's Reception." The usual laughing result. The sketch has not been seen about for some time, and the funny little "tad" of Thos. Ryan's was hailed with joy. The Elite Musical Four played to many empty seats at the opening position, but managed to pass in good shape. The Brittons were a trifle more fortu- nate, although all the house had not seated itself when they appeared. Brit- ton seems* to be holding his dancing back for the encores, a mistake. Encores, like many other things, are uncertain. Dash. LINCOLN SQUARE. There is a very entertaining bill at the Lincoln Square this week. It is an all-around good show. A change in positions after the Monday matinee made the program fast-running for the even- ing performance, the well-filled orchestra remaining seated almost intact to the pic- tures, an unusual record in a New York vaudeville theatre. Julian Rose stepped into Billy Dillon's programed place ("No. 4"). Mr. Dillon ousted Juliet (New Acts) just after the intermission, the young woman going down next to closing and following the Four Mortons, the hardest spot on the bill, for the Mortons were even a larger laughing and applause success that night than customary- -and no one is hilarious when knowing they follow that act. The Davis-Gledhill Trio of racing cy- clists opened the show, their second week at the Square. It is an act which may do well outside the city. New York is too big, it requiring local raeing men to com- pete. Here it merely excites mild inter- est, and hardly that. "No. 2" was Rita Redmond (New Acts), Mr. Rose uses a little new talk for his "Livinsky." One of Rose's rea- sons for success with the monolog is the brief sentences it is written m. There are no "ands" and few "buts." He closed with the former Lauder,,* impersonation (four of the eight acts this week, too, have a "Scotch" bit). Julian secured large laughing results. There are always a few in the house while he is on who are threatened with hysterics. If anyone wants to know to whom is partly due, at least, the sustained and large success of Tim McMahon's "Watermelon Girls" this season, the in- formation is furnished that that person is Alice Sfrrodes, the interlocutress. Miss Shrodes holds up the singing with her sweet voice and is a neat and graceful dancer, which, with the good work of thsk* other youngsters, always brings out tne "girl act" a decided winner in any place on the program. Opening after the intermission Bill Dil- lon landed right. He is giving almost an entirely new act for this, his second week. Among the fresh songs were a medley of parodies and "Then I Looked Out the Window" a good number with a wee dash of spice in each verse. Bill has an immense comedy idea in "union" suit and this week he is singing the songs while wearing the clothes that Bill Dillon should. Vaudeville hasnt got BUI Dillon tied yet; it's doubtfalr* Jl can ever catch up to him on the same lines. He's in a field all alone and the first man in vaudeville to change cloth- ing for each song; all comic. Tliis is made a matter of record for the future. Henry Woodruff and Co. (New Acts) closed the first half. Techow's Oats fin- ished the show. It is some time sines they last appeared over here. The tricks of the felines, put through their antics by Alice Techow, caused much wonder- ment for the patient training plainly evident. The Mortons forever. They are bet- ter than they ever were, and one can't say more, especially when the act has been watched faithfully for four or five times within the past six weelcs. Sam Morton has placed a new chuckle in his encore bow. It's almost as funny as his Scotch costume. Sime. xssTH STREET. It seems natural to see a fast-moving all-around good vaudeville show at the uptown house. At one period in the past bills of quality were frequent there, but it has been some time since a pro- gram of this week's calibre has occupied the 125th Street. Alice Lloyd is the top line. The Eng- lish comedienne appears for the first time at this theatre. Tuesday evening almost capacity greeted her. In the new terri- tory Miss Lloyd has gone back to sev- eral of her old successes. "Young Men Lodgers," one of the singer's first-trip hits, scored as strongly as ever. "What You Getting At, Eh?" was also a favor- ite. These, with the "Splash Me" and "Lovelight" numbers, rounded out four solid hits. Two other songs were given and a seventh could have been sung with- out overstepping. The reception and the enthusiasm aroused by Agnes Scott and Horace Wright in "The Wall Between" makes one begin to dig for a reason for giving a house, where the audience shows so (( nut iiuird on page 17.)