Variety (July 1912)

16 VARIETY NEW ACTS NEXT WEEK Initial Presentation, First A; or Reappearance In or A Now York Max'H Circus, Hammerstein's. "Don," Hammerstein's. Kuth Chatterton and Co. Fifth Ave. Olive May and Co., Fifth Ave. McCormack and Irving, Union Square. Gala and Gala, Union Sq. Fred and Adele Astalre, Brighton Music Hall. Harry Tighe and Edith Clifford, Brighton Theatre. "Rose of Mexico/* Brighton The- atre. Oake Sisters, Brighton Theatre. Lea Gougets, Brighton Theatre. 4 Vanis, Henderson's. Orr and Gallagher, Henderson's. ■ —— Milton and Dolly Nobles. "The Progressive Party** (Comedy). 21 Mlns.; Five (Parlor). Union Square. Perhaps "The Progressive Party" isn't the regular title. But that's near enough. Filling in an emergency call, Milton and Dolly Nobles could not get on the program billing for the Monday shows. What the sketch 's or isn't doesn't come in the argument, which is whether the old time vaude- ville farce is as healthy as the present day material used by sketchista. Some years. back when Milton and Dolly played the Union Square they headlined. Their acts then were quite some features. Monday evening with cards leaning against the proscenium arch telling who they were, each en- tered without one bit of applause greeting them. Such may be the cost of giving over a regular theatre to pictures. Either the Square audience Ss all new or the Nobles have been for- gotten around 14 th street. If vaude- ville fame is so fleeting, who can r.Iame the actors for holding out for their full salary? This "Progressive Party" affair is new nowadays, but looks like an old playlet revamped. It's the woman's suffrage thing, with Mrs. Nobles returning from a meeting, drinking tea from a pot into which Mr. Nobles had spilled a bottle of cock- tails. Liquor has played the star role in many a sketch employed by Milton and Dolly Nobles. This time it is Dolly who becomes "soused." She does it rather well, and never over- does it. Mr. Nobles is also a crack stage "souse," but they haven't re- tained the atmosphere of the racing big time. The Nobles speak low, re- membering but now and then to raise their voices; there is an absence of action that can not be condoned in 1912, and the laughs don't measure right by the new rules. Times do change, they do indeed, but where are the vaudeville audiences of yesteryear? Must vaudeville keep drawing new faces in front, and strive to get new faces behind the footlights as well? That man who will locate the trouble has a chance to give Rockefeller a run, for it is fact that the more one sees of a present day variety show on the big time, the more one Is con- vinced that the vaudeville of the future has yet to be discovered. Sime Gertie Van Dyke. Songs. 15 Mlns.; Two. Hammerstein's. Gertie Van Dyke and her piano player are the remains of the three- act which last season traveled over the Orpheum Circuit. Gertie has shown rare courage in tackling a New York showing atop of the Corner. It is almost impossible to pass judg- ment on an act of this description up- stairs. Back of the first few rows it is impossible to get a good idea of ap- pearance, personality, enunciation, etc. Needless to say, the critics stick pretty close to the skating pond. A strinking blonde with a free and breesy manner, she displays plenty of" rich looking wardrobe. A pretty figure displayed in neat tights was very effective. A couple of changes made in view of the audience helped along. The accompanist filled In a few minutes with playing. Gertie gets something from a double voice trick. There are one or two things that she should not do; for all time she should drop immediately the line "my next number will be"; secondly, she should remember that although vocal pyro- technics get applause they never get any real money in vaudeville; thirdly, always leave them asking for more. Gertie Van Dyke did very well on the Roof. Doth. "Lea" Copeland. Songs. 11 Mlns.; One. Union Square. Accompanying himself on the piano, "Lee" Copeland, song writer, in essay- ing a "single" for big time vaudeville, fell into the error of mistaking the stage for the parlor. In a room Mr. Copeland can do both, for this boy is some coon singer and a dandy pianist. In attempting both before an au- dience, however, he lost out with the songs, for his style is of the sort made familiar by Bert Williams. The songs Copeland sang also are the kind Will- iams favors. When it is considered Mr. Williams is a colored man by choice while "Les" works in whiteface, one could easily convince himself that as a singer of coon droons, Mr. Cope- land has a little something on the other fellow. And Copeland has, but he hasn't found the way yet to bring it out. Being all the works himself isn't the thing. Mr. Copeland needs a piano player, or else he should be- come that portion of an act which would specialize on this coon stuff. At the Square he sang "Luxury," "Good Resolutions," "Next Week" and "What the Engine Done." The latter doesn't enter with the others— for Copeland. It's a railroad rag and not big enough to close the turn. A piano boIo by "Les" went as well as anything. He had a way of hammer- ing out rag time with both hands that let the audience know he was playing a little differently from the others. Copeland is an easy singer of the hard style he undertakes. Closing one's eyes, it would be difficult to believe a white man could do it. The art is there, but how to be made comes next. Sime. Marcellne, with Van Clove and "Pete." Comedy Animal Act. 18 Mlns; 1, Fnll Stage (Special Drop). Brighton Theatre. Following an engagement of several seasons at the New York Hippodrome, Mercellne, the clown from abroad, ap- pears to have made himself well known. The house recognized him im- mediately the card was displayed, and seemed to like his antics during the act of Van Cleve and "Pete," formerly Van Cleve, Denton and "Pete." The young woman ("Denton") is no longer in the turn. The comedy revolves around the mule ("Pete"). It is some wise animal. Van Cleve in black face plays extremely well with Marcellne, for the sHoTtrtlme they have been to gether. Between the pair many laughs are obtained. The loudest of these arrive in the centre of the turn, leav- ing the finish a bit light and abrupt at present. With the ending built up and the scope for laughs the turn al- lows, Mercellne and his partner will soon have a first-grade laughing num- ber, and could not be placed better than they are at the Brighton this week—opening after intermission. Sime Texas Tommy Dancers (4). 4 Mlns.; Fnll Stage. A quartet of Texas Tommy dancers, vho have been playing the Sullivan- Ccnsidine time in the west. The couples saunter on the stage as though they were entering a roof garden or cafe and soon after start the Tommy dances. There is no con- test, no announcements, and the way they sail into their routine displays better showmanship than in other dancing troupes of this sort. The dancers go through a routine much the same as the others seen in New York with the second couple showing more class than the first. While there is no huzzah at the finish, these dancers have a strong enougn iic to hold up their billing as "Texas Tommy" steppers. Their belated ar- rival here may injure progress, but the dancers being fewer than in the other big act will give them the pieference with managers, who are glad to chop down expenses, especial- ly at this season of the year. As they use the "Texas Tommy Dancers" bill- ing, it's more of a question of who gets to the plate first. Mark. Burbank, Revere and Stewart. "Rathskeller-Act.** 17 Mlns.; One. Henderson's. Burbank, Revere and Stewart are just about two years late. It is a "Rathskeller act," pure and simple. The announcement that Elsie Janis presents the boys in an act written en- tirely by her and for which she is will- ing to take the responsibility does not enhance the value of the trio a nickel's worth. It is hard to see just what Elsie produced. She may have written all the numbers. None had been heard before. Of the whole lot there were six or seven, but one only was good. The boys are Mabel Taliaferro and Co. (2). "The Retorn of Tori San** (Dramatic). 10 Mlns.; Five (Special Set: Interior). Brighton Theatre. As a pantomime "The Return of Tori San" at the Brighton Monday night did not look badly at all. Al- though Miss Taliaferro and her com- pany of two men spoke the dialog of the piece, no one in the rear of the au- ditorium heard it. These legitimate people who may have been playing In the "299 capacity" theatres might go out in front once in a while and see what kind of a regular house they are in. Miss Taliaferro wrote the present playlet, according to the pro- gram. At least the idea of it may be easily followed, and at .least also, it is superior to the former sketch she tried out for a few weeks. Whether as pantomimistB or actors however, the company of two men will never win a gold medal, especially Thomas J. Carrigan, who was the man from Cali- fornia. Joseph Greene, the father, was somewhat better, with less to do. Miss Taliaferro is Molly Matthews in the piece. She's devilish, and expects to marry the Californian. For a Joke or something else which couldn't be distinguished in the rear of the the- atre, Molly garbed herself as a Japa- nese girl to meet the man from the west. The settings were Japanesy and in her changed attire she fitted in the picture. When Frank Harding (Mr. Carrigan) arrived, the Jap girl came on the scene, with the weekly wash, maybe. Anyway she was carrying a bundle. The moment Harding knew he was in the presence of an Ori- ental, he commenced to yell about the Yellow Peril. This portion of the sketch ought to promote good feeling between America and Japan if they don't go to war over it. Harding wanted the Far Eastener to dig out, but she wouldn't and so after a while, without once having looked at her, he said she must be Tori San. The Jap girl agreed, and then Harding told the history of his life; how he met Tori "over there" and left a baby be- hind. He also confessed presumably that he hadn't gone bug altogether over Molly Matthews, aiM if it came to a show down, Tori San once more for him. Then Henry Matthews, a retired judge and very tall for the job, returned to the stage, saying Molly, did you fool 'im." "Did I?" said Moll, as she removed the black wig to show her blond locks again. "Did I fool him? Well, Popper, you go get his hat—and coat—and cane, he's on his way back to Cal al- ready." And then Tori sank on the sofa wailing because the stage was set with Jap lanterns. In a smaller house Miss Taliaferro may get through very well with this piece. Like Marcellne, the women and children cry for her. Sime. clean cut, nice looking chaps. One has rather a good knowledge of handling numbers, but that's all. A trip around the Coney Island cabarets will soon convince the Janis trio they will have tip be something besides "Elsie Janis presents" to get money in vaudeville. Dash