Variety (December 1909)

20 VARIETY LADY BUCCANEERS. In "The Lady Buccaneers" Harry Strouse hat a good, sensible burlesque •how. It is not a "big" show and there is do "big" east, elaborate scenery and cos* tumes, but it }s entertaining and amusing all the way through. The action is lively, the musie is catchy and the costumes pretty, attractive and, above all, they are clean. The show is "clean," although at the Eighth Avenue a snappy line or two was in evidence, probably placed solely for this house. "Amateur night" 4s a poor time to catch a show at the Eighth Avenue. It made little difference in this case, however, which is saying something for the show, for unless the entertainment is to the liking of the upper portion of the house they are inclined to treat the real ones in the same manner they do the amateurs. There is a reason for the show carrying the name it does, though the plot of the two-act piece having no mere to it than the general ran. The first act shows the deck of a pirate ship manned by the fe- male portion of the company. A ship- wrecked crew of sailors are picked up and made prisoners. At the finish of the first act the vessel is wrecked. The crew and prisoners are stranded on a desert island, which gives the setting for the second act. A very good olio of five turns divides the two parts. The comedy is first rate. Host is supplied by Joseph K. Watson, featured with the organization. It is not tiresome or monotonous, due in a large measure to Watson's easy methods. The lack of long bits of "business," and a dis- play of rare good judgment in introducing the numbers at the proper periods help. The numbers are excellent. It is safe to say that no other burlesque show can brag of a set that appealed as strongly, as a whole, to a house as those of "The Buc- caneers" did Friday evening. Sixteen choristers are carried, eight '■how girls" and as many "ponies." The girls are ahead of the standard for looks and their attention to dressing should be complimented. Allen K. Foster has staged the piece well, managing to put over several very effective groupings with the girls. An In- dian number in the second act was the strongest. Marion Blake led it, and aided by the chorus made a good, fast, sparkling period. There were several others almost as good, among them, "Grarid Baby," led by May Mack. A very good medley is sung by Watson and Miss Mack, "Sadie Salome." Watson puts over in this a brand new one (chatter chorus in German). It is a good idea and the "chatter" sounds doubly funny in the foreign tongue. "Lady Love," led by Helen Van Buren, was also a big winner. The individual honors of the show fall to Mr. Watson and Miss Mack. Watson is a genuinely funny Hebrew. He is on the stage a great deal during the running of the show besides doing a fifteen-minute monolog in the olio. If Watson is doing too much it is not his fault. Dropping out of the olio might help him in the pieces, although he is doing too well with his talk and parodies to lay them aside haphazard. Miss Mack (The Two Macks) is the sou- bret. What the cast lacks in principal women (there are only three) little Miss Mack more than makes up for. This is May's first season in burlesque. From the start she can be put down as one of the best that the season has shown. The girl is on the move all the time. Her feet and hands are never still. Burlesque has produced quite a number of these gingery soubrets, but it hasn't presented one who can come within a city block of Miss Mack for dancing. It is dancing, too, not the one routine used in every number and re- peated for every encore. Miss Mack is there with all styles and doesnt repeat a dance during her several numbers. With Costumes the girl never appeared in the same dress twice. She made so many changes the count was lost. The one fault in Miss Mack's work is her enunciation, both when talking and singing. John C. Hansen assists in the comedy department. Hanson is a very good Ger- man and managed to get a laugh whenever opportunity presented itself. In the sec- ond act he pushed Watson hard for comedy honors. A little more of him in the open- ing act would have done no harm. Helen Van Buren had trouble with her throat. Although putting over several songs successfully, she was plainly dis- tressed. Judging from her efforts under difficulties Miss Van Buren must have a * pretty voice. A rather elaborate ward- robe with only one unbecoming gown in the large display made Helen attractive all evening. Miss Blake played an eccentric old maid in grotesque makeup. She injected plenty of spirit and got into things so a laugh usually rewarded her efforts. William Harris was a very satisfactory "straight," but with little to do. The other men also only figured in small ways. Burt Mack, brought himself into promi- nence with dancing. His hard shoe work is a bit too noisy. He may be wearing clogs that are over heavy. At any rate something is the matter for he is not se- curing all he should for the really first- class dancing he does. In the olio made up entirely from people in the pieces, Miss Van Buren sang several songs, scoring a solid hit with "Put On Tour Old Gray Bonnet." She is singing it better than any one heard to date. Hanson and Bonet got a very good start with singing and talking, but went all to pieces in the middle and then picked up strongly at the finilh. That talk in the center should be bolstered up. The Two Macks put over a lively sing- ing and dancing turn. The pair work al- most too fast. Alvin and Kenny closed the vaudeville section with a comedy ring turn that scored strongly. The pair have several new tricks around the rings, and the com- edy is first class. The comedian takes sev- eral startling falls. The act stacks up with the best in the line. Dash. The Columbus penitentiary has a song writer and composer, Lee Mitchell, among* its inmates. "Thinking of You," his latest song, has just been published in New York. As he is serving fourteen years for burglary, somebody else will have to "plug" it for him. Jeanette D'Arville, of the D'Arville Sisters, has recovered from a severe at- tack of pneumonia. Jule Delmar has purchased a home in New Rochelle, meaning a house and lot. BRONX. It's a big nine-act show at the Bronx this week. The uptowner who kicks on not having his money's worth after look- ing over the array could never be satisfied, even in a picture show. If anything, the program runs a bit too long. One act might be taken out after intermission without hurting the bill any. Every show seems to run good at the Branx, for the audience takes an interest in it and all the acts are hits. Ben Beyer and Brothers opened the show, and the bike brothers did extraordi- narily well. Beyer has improved his of- fering a hundred per cent, since last seen. The riding and the comedy have both been bolstered up. Away from the tramp makeup is a good idea, even though it brought out the colored bellboy. Most of the comedy comes from the riding. One or two new tricks are shown on the uni- cycle, and the brothers have some capital team work. Paul Quinn and Joe Mitchell with their one-act playlet in "one," "Lemon City," caught many a laugh. The piece is new to the Bronx crowd, and they enjoyed all of it. There is a quantity of bright lines ably handled. The "roots" were used by a couple of the following acts for big laughs. The Three Keatons, without the aid of the younger Keatons, were a big scream. Buster improves with every show, and the youngster will undoubtedly be a bet- ter comedian as a man than he is as a boy, which is saying something. But Joe Keaton isn't a bad little comedian him- self, though he will have to work on a home trainer if Buster grows much more. Granville and Rogers and Adelaide Keim and Co. were fourth and fifth, re- spectively (New Acts). Gus Edwards' "Blonde Typewriters" opened after the intermission. Anything wrong with the act cannot be laid at Gus' door, for it is dressed better now than ever, with one or two new effects. The trouble (and there is trouble) is all with the girls. They have simply turned the specialty into a posing act. It should be called "Gus Edwards' Blonde Models" (dressed). Of the six young women one only is working or taking any interest in the proceedings. She is the cute little girl with the tiny little voice. To avoid mistake, she is the only one who wears her hair plain, appearing better than any of the rest through this. It might also be mentioned that typewriters, as a rule, don't wear $10,000 brooches down to busi- ness, even if they have them. There is more flash in this row of six blondes than there is in a Ziegfeld chorus. Johnny Stanley is working hard, doing all he can to save the ship, but the languid limou- sine air of- weariness behind him is too much even for Johnny. Max Gruber, with his animals, followed the blandes, and the first-rate animal of- fering pleased the house immensely. Gruber has put together as satisfactory an animal offering, as has been shown, and it deserves the reception given. Cooper and Robinson followed, while Spissel Bros, and Co. with their knock- about acrobatic offering gave the bill a proper finish. The act is running much smoother than when first shown, and is now in first-class shape. There are "some" falls and "some" acrobatics shown. Dath. But nine acts made up* the program Monday evening at the American. The difference between nine aai fifteen is six. One from nine leaves eight, and eight from fifteen leaves seven. That's all simple subtraction, but the mathematician can take a whack at this: Is Pauline equiva- lent to seven acts, as a tarn by himself, or in the running time? (The announced policy of the American is "16 Acts.") The hypnotist is back at the American, at the top of the bill, and dosing the show ML., to as much laughter as he always derives from his comedy "scientific" number. In the second half there were but two acts ahead of him, the remaining six taking up the first part. Monday evening the people present hardly made a crowd. It was raining blue streaks outside, but a few straggled iu until by nine c/clock you could see something besides seats in the orchestra. This did not make an enthusiastic gather- ing, but there were enough about Mont- gomery and Moore, held over for the sec- ond week, to gather in the hit of the even with their crazy conglomeration. One of their best bits, besides the repeated ref- erence to "Zit," the Evening Journal ex- pert who can review an entire program in four agate lines (and the author of the team's best song "I Want a Home"), was the short travesty on the "Hula Hula" dance of Toots Paka, just ahead of them. It was quite funny, and recalled that Miss Paka and her Hawaiian' Trio scored the second big applause suc- cess of the night, even if they did have to close with the dance in "one." The "Hula Hula" should have a setting, at least in "two." When mentioning "muscle dancers," slip something to Toots. The girl is there with some hip movement that suggests a "cooch," with- out a "cooch" in sight. The previous Ha- waiian music on native instruments was liked to the extent of three encores for the player, and the bass scored with a slow song that seemed to hold up the act, though it did bring the grand noise. Mr. Bass should procure either a faster selec- tion or one not quite so familiar among the deep-chested fellows. Opening the show was The Wroe Trio, two boys and a very, very pretty girl. There may have been thirty people down- stairs when the trio danced, but they picked up a nice encore, and would have looked good further down in this week's mix-up. Terry and Lambert "No. 3" were also A located badly, but pulled through quite well, with the handicap of singing "Sally in Our Alley" against them. While it is reckoned possibly by the pair to give this song a comedy twist, still they like it for harmonizing purposes, and the fun in it doesn't go far enough. Their "Eng- lish Types Through American Eyes" brought forth likable character sketches, and many quick, also handsome, changes of costumes by Miss Lambert. Junie McCree received a reception upon entering, and "Consul" closing the first part repeated his performance of last sum- mer with some changes, which were also improvements, noticably his attempt to ride a bicycle while wearing roller skates. Sime>