Variety (December 1909)

14 VARIETY NEW ACTS NEXT WEEK. Initial Presentation, First Appearance or Reappearance in or Around New York. Hetty King (New Act), Colonial. Heely and Meely (New Act), American. Lottie Gilaon (New Act), American. "Silent" Tait, Plaza. Sam Mahoney, Fifth Avenue. Great Ergotti and Lilliputians, Ham merstein's. Adelaide Keim and Co., Bronx. Granville and Rogers, Bronx. Nat Carr (New Act), Grcenpoint. fwE W AOTS OP THE WEEK Brengk's "Parisian Statues" (6). Posing. Full Stage. American. Three men in bronze give a strength to the act which is finished off beautifully by three women in porcelain. Of the brace of trios the men have a firmer and surer poise; but their strength and nerve power was not equal to a perfect postur- ing of "Reaching the Winning Post," the feature of Seldom's "Venus." The most artistic groupe was "The Vase," in which two of the girls represent the figures on a huge piece of porcelain. 'The Fountain" was another beautiful pose by the women, and the men presented "The Atlas Group" holding up a bronze reproduction of the globe with particularly good effect. All six of the company united in "The Liberty Bell" as the final picture. This patriotic grouping brought an evenly artistic act to an applause finish which was well de- served. "Spring and Autumn/ "Time," "The Arch Angle" and "The Avenging Brothers" were the other poses. The act runs as quickly as seems expedient to make the changes; the waits are not long enough to be at all noticeable and the number, as a whole, is a good card. Be- fore Seldom appeared around New York Brengk had a "bronze posing" act of three people. Walt. The Great Ringiing. Equilibrist. i a Mins.; Full Stage. Hammerstein's. If Ringiing depended entirely upon his cquilibristic work he would not have a chance, but as he mixes up a quantity of work on the flying rings and also does a trick or two with his teeth besides a few feats of strength, he adds enough variety to send him over. Ringiing is a good-look- ing chap and makes a nice appearance, but he has an entirely wrong idea of what the spot light is for. He opens in the spot and goes to it again for one of his feature tricks. Because of it the trick loses most of its value. This may have been due to the handling of the light, although there doesn't seem to be any good reason for using it at all. Bet- ter equilibrists have been seen than Ring- ling, but not one of them has put forth nn offering with as much variety. Open- ing the show at Hammerstein's when busi- ness is big is not an easy task, but when it is bad it is almost hopeless. That was what Ringiing was up against Tuesday night and, considering the obstacles, did very well. Da$h. George Lashwood. Songs. 45 Mins.; Three. Plaza. George Leventritt, of the Morris Circuit, hasn't been boasting about himself as a "picker" since the "$10,000 Beauty" turned a somersault for the circuit, although she wasn't such a bad pick at that—until the police made her put on a few clothes. Now, however, Mr. Leventritt may once more do a parade with the chest well out, for his latest, George Lashwood, is regis- tering a sensational hit at the Plaza Music Hall this week. Lashwood came heralded principally as a "Beau Brummel." All the talk was of his clothes and style; few seem to regard anything aside from wearing the clothes. Those who see Lash- wood will remark upon the perfection of his attire, but it is his ability to put a song over that will remain in memory. There's no one quite like this Englishman on our side. His act might be called on the order of Vesta Tilley's more than any- one else's. Lashwood sings a variety of songs, some a little "spicy," each in dif- ferent clothes, and carries everything in front of him in a high-handed manner. That peculiar "something" Which "makes" and is so hard to define, Lashwood has in abundance. You like him from, the min- ute he comes on. He has personality, magnetism, individuality, versatility and confidence. That's an awful lot for one man, but Lashwood seems perfectly nor- mal withal. To pass over his dressing quickly, it is immaculate. All is neat, trim and in the best of taste. His eve- ning clothes, not exaggerated, are beyond question, and the brown frock suit a won- der. Even in the kilts of the Scot he looks extremely well. Monday night Lashwood sang five songs, made a pretty little speech, and was forced to another number. The whole consumed forty-five minutes, enough in itself to speak of the Englishman's success. The really remark- able thing about the turn was that of the six numbers, not one was bad, nor even "fair"; they were all good or better than that. Choice of favorite might bring an assortment of answers, but the two big songs seemed to be "My Old Latch Key," the last, and "In the Twilight." The former showed the singer to the best pos- sible advantage. The melody has been heard over here before, but that will be forgotten when Lashwood sings it. The prospective bridegroom's farewell to his latch key is about the most artistic bit that has been done in this line in many a day. "Twilight" is the song the audi- ence will go home singing, but the "Latch Key" will leave the impression. Of the others, "Sea, Sea. Sea," in which the Englishman uses a very neat set showing the deck of a steamer and the briny was liked immensely, and proved what an artist could do with the time- worn "seasickness." Lashwood brings out strongly tlie point through his work that an artist is an artist, whether in this country or any other. The Morris Circuit has uncovered a "real one" in this English- man, and, with the proper handling, he is going to prove one of the biggest drawing cards England has ever sent to this country. Da»h. George Nagel and Co. (a). "Try Out" (Comedy). 14 Mins.; Full Stage. There is no reason for christening the sketch that George Nagel and two un- named women presented at the Lincoln Square the latter half of last week. The sketch is of the broad farce order, and the theme old, very old. While Nagel's wife is away on a vacation he trips out for a little spree. Meeting a "leading lady" they indulge in the late-supper-and-cold- bottle thing to the limit. The next day the woman calls at Nagel's home. While there, the wife returns. Nagel tells each the other is balmy. The rest may be im- agined. Both women, referred to several times in the dialog as beautiful, do noth- ing in any way to help the act. Nagel as an acrobat does a very good bit of ground work for the finish. There are very few tumbling men who can put over laughs without talking, and there are even fewer, who can get them from dialog. Nagel's redeeming performance is his bit at the finish, from which it would seem that a singing and dancing act with the acrobatics featured might be his forte. Cook and Lorrenz.' Talk, Songs and Dances. 16 Mins.; One; Full Stage; One. Hammerstein's. Cook and Lorrenz are taking a short dip into the. varieties after a recent suc- cess with "The Motor Girl." The pair have framed up a very amusing specialty for the vaudeville goers. It is too bad that they are not to remain longer. Both men assume the eccentric genteel tramp makeup. They open in "one" with a hodge-podge of foolish conversation and a more foolish series of songs, extremely funny. It was a laugh right at the jump. From the opening they go into the full stage where John Lorrenz does his piano specialty, while Cook does a bit of trav- esty ballet dancing. Lorrenz helped the act not a ttttle here with a bunch of fool dancing in keeping with the rest of the material. The pair return to "one" for the finish, in which Lorrenz introduces his partner as a great Russian violinist. While Cook does fooling with a fool fiddle, Lorrenz does an extremely good eccentric dance. The act is foolish all the way through, but it is also equally funny. On fourth at Hammerstein's, they were the first act to wake the audience up and registered a substantial hit. Ihmh. 3 Dunn Brothers. Singing and Dancing. 15 Mins.; One. A young man and two lads just beyond the reach of (Jerry comprise this trio of medium singers and good dancers. The lads work together after the trio which makes the opening, and then the elder Dunn conies across with an expert line of foot- work. The boys are again to the fore and the three are seen in action for a finish. The hoys wear light blue coats with kniekerlxM'kers to match, while the elder brother holds to a suit of street clothes. The opportunity in given him to make a change which might hei|., ic;'iinly it would not harm. The set is excellent in its class. Wall. Helen Grantley and Co. (3). "The Agitator" (Dramatic). aa Mins.; Four (Special Set). Fifth Avenue. The Orpheum Circuit's Producing De- partment has pulled a live one out of its mass of manuscripts. Mrs. Oscar Ber- inger has written a tense little play, along lines quite new to vaudeville. Now, if there could 1m> about five minutes of the leading woman's monolog taken out with- out impairing the point at issue, devotees of variety would have prepared for their delectation an interlude of engaging in- terest. There is too much talk on the part of "Pickles" (Miss Grantley), the youthful agitator. To be sure, all she says lends aid to building up a point which, when accomplished, is followed by an anticlimax. The place to end the sketch is where "the firm" gives in; a sharp curtain right there would bring the sketch to a snappy finish. Beyond that a dozen lilies of interchanged conversation carry the finale too far past. There is a ridiculous bit of business immediately preceding the climax. Preparing the audi- ence for the act by asking how fared Joan D'Arc, the "agitator" tells "the firm" she will die with her cause rather than give in, and proceeds to attempt stabbing herself with a case-knife. It didn't even cut the hand of the man who wrenched it away from her. If the point of the sketch must be approached through suicidal meth- ods, the audience would not have cause to laugh if the weapon looked more busi- ness-like. There is no need of the lines speaking of "the agitator" as fifteen; she doesn't look that age, and even her "bread and cheese" diet would not cause one to believe that she is. Eighteen would be as adaptable. For once the stage presents a reporter (V. Benoit), who acts as though he could be trusted with an assignment. The "foreman of the works" (E. F. Racey) is also played with delicacy. It would be easy to make the part that of a bully and thus scatter the attention of the audience. As it is, everything and everybody plays up naturally to "the agitator." and when "the firm," in the person of "Jam" (J. C. Mathews), gets into the picture every- thing is ready for him to close up the ends, bring the strands together and cli- max the thing at the right moment. Miss Grantley plays with feeling and fervor; she will be compelled to add some repres- sion or the sketch, if long played, will rob her of voice. She achieves her long s|M»eches with commendable skill. What might he made an harangue she keeps within the bounds of argument, and re- strains the temptation to overact. Frail in stature with eyes that look hungry enough and a voice that breaks with the fever of interest in the cause she is lead- ing, Miss Grantley drills point after point home to conviction. She is leading a strike of girl operators at a jam and pickle factory—an occupation homely enough in sound but a theme for fervent leadership as Miss Grantley plays it. There are several "girls from the works" who have a hard time busying themselves while their leader talks; but they give her moral support and have the good sense to listen with attention to what she is say- ing. At the Fifth Avenue Monday night the sketch held the audience in close at- tention, and when the curtain fell there were several recalls. Walt.