Variety (November 1911)

i6 VARIETY NEW ACTS NEXT WEEK Initial Presentation, First Appearance or Reappearance In or Around New York Kiimas Family, Hammerstein's Evelyn Sisters, Hammerstein's Georgian Trio, Hammerstein's Chas. Robertson A Co., Hammerstein's Ada Reeve. Singing Comedienne. 85 Mlns.; Full Stage. Majestic, Chicago. Wearing one costume throughout, a white satin affair, neither plain nor gaudy, and carrying an irresistible smile in play all the time, Ada Reeve, the latest English theatrical importa- tion, sent seven numbers over at the Majestic with a rush and satisfactorily decided on her initial performance that she could stay here as long as she liked. America, as present at the Ma- jestic, applauded Miss Reeve the limit, and her exit came after one of the biggest and most legitimate hits the house has offered in some time. Ada Reeve is difficult of description. Her hair looks light auburn at times, but the smile Is there always. Of the seven songs, two have been heard over here before. Her opening number, "Be- ware," was introduced along the Or- pheum Circuit by Stuart Barnes. "Ex- perience" either comes from a New York production or else someone has peddled It in vaudeville. It sounded familiar. The remainder are new to this country. "In the Garden of Your Heart" is a nifty ballad, delivered with effect, and somewhat differently. For the second verse, Miss Reeve sits on a chair. "Because I'm a Lady" Is de- cidedly English. "Those Were the Good Old Days," "Sue, Sue, Sue," and a topical song about an employment agency (allowing the introduction of several dialects) made up the Monday repertoire. There is no talk in Miss Reeve's act. It's just one of those "Make-good-on-your-merit" affairs — and she does. A musical director is carried, but for the local engagement he could have rested, especially with Charles Fisher behind the house baton. Miss Reeve uses the full stage. She could present her offering in "one." For the Orpheum houses, Miss Reeve will be a star attraction. In the east she could "clean up." This Is her first American appearance in eighteen years, when she appeared in New York as a youngster. Ada Reeve's rise to popularity should be swift and cer- tain. Proper billing and plenty of printer's Ink will make her as big an attraction on this side as she Is In England. Wynri. The Arawa. Maoris. 15 Mins. Palace, London. These are twelve New Zealand na- tive girls who engage in a "poi" dance. It consists of a rythmic wriggle to the accompaniment of native music, and "\ kind of miniature club drill. The "poi" is a small glass receptacle for seeds. One member of the troupe sings something about a Maori maiden, and they finish with a general walk round, a few yells and more wriggling. As a novelty it may be alright, but for not more than a couple of weeks. Bayard Dlgby Bell and Go. (8). "In the Days of Dexter" (Comedy Drama). 18 Mlns.; Five (Parlor). Fifth Avenue. For the appearance of Dlgby Bell in vaudeville, Jos. Hart has provided a "racing sketch," written by Fred J. Bearaan, called "In the Days of Dex- ter." The only relation the title has to the playlet is the recital by Mr. Bell of* how much he cared for the record trotter "Dexter" shortly after the war, along with other immaterial incidents. The piece is very conven- tional, preaches against the race track at the opening, but gives a black eye to the reformers at the finale through the sixty-year-old hero giv- ing his pet trotter "Brooklyn Belle" to save his brother-in-law from arrest for forgery. Some of the prattle in this p!ece is like that in "Peaches," while a sketch at the Columbia Sun- day night had the same mainspring to it. The only thing that Mr. Bell failed to do which has been so often done in these sort of sketches was to describe a race. But this is about trotting horses, and it may be mora difficult, since a trotter finds it takes longer to travel a mile than a runner. Anyway the "Dexter" plot is a bache- lor brother under the thumb of his married sister, whose husband (the usual white lily) has been betting on the ponies until he is apt to be pinched for forging a check of $8,000. The brother saves hjm by trading the trotter for the check; the wife g!ves up her guardianship of the brother, and the husband promises to be good, while the daughter cinches her uncle's affections, as he throws rolls of stage money in the a*r while the orchestra Is playing an especially selected a'r and the curtain Is descending. The daughter (Violet Moore) did splen- didly, second only to Mr. Bell, who gave a really excellent performance. Agnes Everett as the wife and sister did well enough, about the only lapse be'ng Alexander Kearney as the hus- band. Mr. Kearney could have Im- proved his appearance, and with that, perhaps his acting would also have looked better. For a "name" such as "Dlgby Bell" to appear In vaude- ville, "In the Days of Dexter" is not so bad a carriage to bring h'm on in. There Is really some sentiment in the playlet. The Fifth Avenue audience gave Mr. Bell several curtains. Bime. Deep Stuff Magee. Songs and Dances. 0 Mlns.; One. New York Roof. Deep Stuff, in blackface outside~of his name has two feature stunts bound to make him a big feflow on the small time, and perhaps slip him on to a big time bill once In a while. He has a way of snapping his first two fingers to make them sound nearly as loud as bones, and handles them quite as eas- ily as the minstrel man would the clappers. He is a wonderful eccentric dancer also, of the very loose kind and brought down the house with his efforts in this line. And perhaps Deep Stuff Is funny, but the Roof is no place to demonstrate It, Jem. Beanvere, Reed and St. Jobs. "Colonial Pastimes" (Musical). 18 Mlns.; Three (Interior: Special Drop and Set). A very pretty act Is the new one of Beauvere, Reed and St. John, form- erly Reed and St. John. The turn opens on dark stage, with a street transparency. As a low light flickers, behind the drop is seen a par- lor set, with the three members In Colonial dress, playing instruments. The violinist is an exceptional per- former. Before the scene lighted up, the combination of the violin and an organ gave an impression a cello was in use. Brasses are also played, but the trio probably feel they must con- fine themselves too closely to the at- mosphere made, particularly by the Colonial clothes, and fall to interject sufficient liveliness into the music. Th'B is about the only fault. The fi- nale arrives with the lights dimming, until the figures inside the parlor are blotted out, and the street drop 13 again the only visible thing upon the stage. At the opening the dimness was held a trifle too long. Even when the parlor was fully lighted, It was not made bright enough. Beauvere. Reed and St. John are fitted for the small big time now, on appearance alone. The prettlness of the setting and costumes really make this a nov- elty musical number. With the mu- sic somewhat altered, to give the turn a semblance of speed, it would make a nice early act for the big bills. Bime. NEW SHOWS NEXT WEEK Initial Presentation off Letfltamate Attractions In New York Theatres. Marlon Garson and Co. (8). "The Belle of Seville" (operetta). 23 Mlns.; Full Stage. (Special Set). Green point. Marion Garson has gone a step far- ther in the ascent of the vaudeville ladder, stepping from a "single" to the head of a small but select singing organization and using as a vehicle a miniature operetta, with a good book, intelligent lyrics and tuneful music. She personates the daughter of a rich United States senator, Is wooed by two suitors, one a Span- ish count, the other a young Ameri- can. All sing and dance. Miss Garson plays with plenty of spirit and her rich soprano voice earned approv- al. William H. White, as the father, received a well merited encore with an effective baritone solo called "For the Old Days Were The Best Days." The American lover in the person of Almond Knowles was a fine manly characterization. Martin Guild as the count was not fiery enough to extract all the comedy out of his role that should readily have been put over, playing the part of an angry, foiled suitor. The piece on the whole, is light but breezy and effective enough for the purpose for which it is in- tended. Join. Gayety Trio. Songs. 15 Mlns.; One. 12S St. Music Hall (Oct. 20). The three boys have dandy voices One young man dresses "straight," the other two in character. The fat boy is a laugh to look at in a kid's velvet suit. The Italian is well played until a pathetic recitation. The act only lets down in one spot, at that recitation. Jest. "The Red Widow" (Raymond Hitch- cock )—Astor. Drama Players (Donald Robertson), Lyric. Emma Francis. Songs and Dances. 12 Mine.; One (5): Full Stage (4): One (8). Fifth Avenue. Appearing without any Arabian as- sistants, Emma Francis is singing and dancing in an attempt to hold np a vaudeville single for the big time. Miss Francis* first two songs are sung in "one." The second resolves Itself from a Spanish selection into a dance, which helps some. This is followed by another dance, Including some Russian work. The best por- tion of the turn happens Immediately after, again In "one," when Miss Fran- cis does a hard shoe dance while swinging a baton, to the tune of a Sousa march. • The audience liked the finish, which might suggest that Miss Francis will best shine as a plain dancer without any trimmings. The singing at the opening does not help. Miss Francis will be much safer on the big time by reclaiming the Arab boys. She dressed nicely, in three changes. Bime. Musical Stoddards (2). Musical and Comedy Sketch. 18 Mlns.; Full Stage (Special Setting). Manhattan Opera House (Oct. 20). The sketch is cleverly designed to Introduce the musical specialties of the man and woman. A woman comes to the house of her absent-minded music teacher for a lesson. Between the dialog, which is refined "homely" comedy, they play the piano, violin, mandolin and guitar, using the in- struments to imitate others. The wo- man also does a short planolog. At the finish the man plays a cello in the the spotlight, while the woman is seen through a "scrim" at back In the form of a vision of by-gone days to the old man. The man is especially good in his Impersonation of a kindly, lov- able old fogy. The presentment has refinement which stamps it with a dig- nity that commands respect. Jolo. Dan Daly, Jr. and Co. (6). Farcical Sketch. 21 Mlns.; Full Stage. Manhattan Opera House (Oct. 20). Mr. Daly's offering is a screaming farce of the old-fashioned type. All the members of the cast rush In and out of doors, due to a misunderstand- ing. The sketch would pass capitally in the small big time, but it is prob- able that the btp two-a-day audiences have long pince passed up such offer- ings. The star has duplicated the vocal manneripms of his late illustri- ous father, adding to them some of the gymnastic physical gyrations of John C. Rice. But he lacks the impressive- ness of the former and the artistic acting ability of the latter—In fact of both. Just how Mr. Daly can afford to carry seven people over the small big time or the big small time is a problem in mathematics. Jolo.