Variety (July 1912)

20 VARIETY PASSING SHOW OF 1912. The Shuberts sent a high fly over the centre field fence Monday night at the Winter Garden, when "The Passing Show of 1912" received its first public bath. For a summer pro- duction and a first performance, the piece crowded right up to the top of tho line. The week's postponement of the premiere seems to have acted on the performance as though the company had been trying, out in the wilds. Everything had been cut to cases. Ex- cepting a couple of arid spots that Aouhi be easily smoothed over, the show ran as though it had been played a month. The intention of the Shuberts for a summer production at the Winter Garden was to surround "The Ballet of 1830" with a few vaudeville acts. The ballet runs about an hour when no one gets in the way. But after the start for the hot weather performance, the midsummer entertainment flew into a big production grove. "The Passing Show of 1912" was written, staged and produced complete in three and one-half weeks. The big show pushed the ballet into the opening position and found it cut down from its full running time to about thirty minutes. The ballet is pretty in its dressing, and, devoid of stick-ups, Mexicans and Frenchmen, with scowling faces. The Colonial pe- riod the theme is taken from gives i fresh background. While the ballet scored very hard at the Alhambra, London, at the Winter Garden it will pass nicely, though if the show con- tinues to open at eight, many will see only the last of the three acts. In truth, however, the ballet could be done away with altogether, for the re- vue affords plenty of show. "The Passing Show of 1912" is a rag-time repeat, and in a way is a better performance than "The Social Whirl" was. The "Sumurun" runway Is again fully tested to its limit. Al- though there are arguments against flaying a show In the audience, there is no question but this scheme of the Shuberts at the Winter Garden goes jo make a mighty lively performance. Several times the runway is utilized in tie present production. It never fails .o send over whoever is standing above the patrons' heads. The present cast at the Garden is a very large one, but quite evenly balanced. Each has something to do, without any one standing out for "hog- ging honors." It is this adjustment of material that makes the pleasing even performance. Trixie Friganza did not appear un- til late, and not often after that, but every time Miss Friganza came on the stage she scored a bull's eye, whether with songs and comedy of her own, or in scenes with others. The same may be said for Charles J. Ross, who is giving a highly artistic per- formance in the many roles essayed by him in this show, which travesties or suggests the dramatic successes of the past season on Broadway. Another star performer is Willie Howard, who is of Howard and How- ard. Eugene Howard also indulges in wider scope than he has heretofore attempted, getting away well with everything he handles. Willie, how- ever, is the comedian. Probably as versatile a player as there is in mu- sical comedy, Willie is not really ex- tending himself in this show, although he does surprise the audience with the range of his ability. The How- ard brothers give snatches of their vaudeville act, but made their great- est impression as David Warfleld in "Peter Grimm" (Willie) and David Belasco (Eugene). Willie had the "Ragtime Jockey Man" number to head early in the evening. He put it over. Moon and Morris, the foreign danc- ers, turned out to be quite at home in a revue. They caught the first laughs of the night when doing very creditable pantomimic comedy as two baggage handlers. Later they became "Mutt" and "Jeff" and did* then- close dance to much applause. Clar- ance Harvey was Carnegie throughouc the show. He had a number or so. Anna Wheaton was "The Quaker Girl" and stood for what little plot there was left to any story that had been invented. The cutting down of the dialog to its marrow worked wonders. What- ever talk was indulged in was per- tinent to the succession of the eleven scenes, which continually introduced new characters. There was extraneous matter though, handled by Harry Fox. Mr. Fox had about the hardest job a come- dian was ever given. Without a role or any prescribed lines to follow, Fox was supposed to fill up gaps, make fun and generally become an actor- at-large. There was hardly anything he could do in scenes that would not be alleged by the others as clashing with them to destroy "laughs," so Mr. Fox's lot was far from a happy one. He sang a couple of numbers, broke in here and there unexpectedly, used some of the vaudeville material he always has on hand, recalled re- membrances of Frank Tinney and did extremely well under the insufferable handicap, but it will take Mr. Fox a couple of weeks probably before he can work into this show right. Two well-liked numbers were the dances by Adelaide and Hughes. The first was the dance they presented in "Katy Did," and did it very prettily. Afterwards they gave their waltz dance, being generously encored each time. With the exception of finale numbers, few encores were allowed, giving the show remarkable speed for a first night. Near the ending of the perform- ance the Ceballos executed their acro- batic dance.and won out, though it was a hard position for them to hold up so well. Shirley Kellogg made a pleasant number leader, who always looked good. Jobyna Howland had an appearance or two to take care of. Newcomers to the Winter Garden for this occasion were Charlotte Green- wood and Sydney Grant. They worked together as a team throughout the evening, excepting when Mr. Grant Indulged as assistant in one number with Miss Wheaton. That was "The Philadelphia Drag" and very well staged, by the way. Miss Greenwood is a comedienne with her feet. She has long legs and can swing them as a contortionist would. It's very funny once or twice, but Miss Greenwood showed nothing else and the leg-swinging commenced to, pall shortly. Mr. Grant had no opportunity to stand out other than to act as a sort of "straight" for his partner. In the Harem Scene reproduced from "Kismet" with some of the lat- ter's business, appeared some diving girls, who looked nice enough in their union suits to have walked down the runway for a closer inspection. Ida Schnall (unprogramed) was principal diver, and won applause. This girl can dive. It was into the same tank that Miss Friganza placed a big laughing periol to what had been a strong comedy number for her. It was "The World is Madly Prancing." Groups of chorus girls illustrated the classic dances, with each travestied by Trixie, who for the finale flopped over into the tank. She made good business of it by handling the bit as though stumb- ling into the water. The finale of the first scene of the first act stood out as well as anything, although special attention had ap- parently been given to all finales. Tho first scene ending was "The Wedding Glide" with everyone on the stage in- cluding minister, bride and groom, in- dulging in a rag motion. Later on while the orchestra played "Every- body's Doing It," all the ornaments and furniture in the set parlor com- menced to move about. Something similar to this bit was done in a Lon- don revue a short time ago. The novelty number was "Oh, You Dream," during which "disappearing pictures" appeared in panels set along the stage. Most of these contained heads only of the show girls, the re- mainder being detachable. The biggest number hit was "The Metropolitan Squawk-tette," including Miss Fri- ganza, Messrs. Howards and Ernest Hare. Another number that got real encores was "My Reuben Girlie," lead by John J. Hughes, who has improved ever so much as a singer and actor since leading in "The Barnyard Romeo." "The Baccnanal Rag" with Miss Wheaton and Willie Howard was another finale that went over very big. The company was superbly handled, even if Ned Wayburn did the staging. It was hardly ever one saw a girl without seeing two dozens of them. There must have been seventy or eighty "show girls," "mediums" and "ponies" in the collection, with very few chorus men. The costuming of the production :s most attractive, the women being splendidly gowned and always in good taste. The clothes pointed a finger at Melville Ellis as their creator. It was said about the Garden that Mr. Ellis had attended to the entire dressing of the show, designing and seeing the work was finished, within ten days. Louis A. Hirsch wrote the music for the lyrics and book George Bronson Howard and Harold R. Atteridge had constructed. One or two airs were fairly striking among the lot, but the music throughout ran in—pleasant strain that pleased and brought more than one big melody could have done. The Winter Garden is certain to do business for a long time with this pro- duction, for "The Passing Show" isn't a summer show—it's a regular show. Sime. FIFTH AVENUE. (Estimated Cost of Show, $2,250.) The weather man was a little more considerate Monday night than he has been for many weeks past. There was a pleasant chill in the air which drove many people to the under-cover resorts. The Fifth Ave. housed a good sized audience. They seeme.l satisfied with the rather good enter- tainment offered, even though thero were two more or less dramatic sketches on the program. Doc O'Neil, who has played about some in the "pop" houses and "The Girl from Milwaukee," a misleading title for a single woman entertainer, were the features new to the house The audience showed a marked lik- ing for each. They are under New Acts. Archi Onri, assisted by Miss Dolly, gave the program a splendid start at 8:30. The pair had nothing to com- plain of at the position. The houbo was entirely seated when the coup'e appeared. The neat though some- what conventional juggling tricks were warmly appreciated. Onri's best work is with the "sticks," from which he gets a neat bit of comedy. Dale and Boyle hit out cleanly "No. 2." The audience warmed to them before the unmasking. "The Choice" played by Walter C Perclval and Harrington Reynolds doesn't seem to be above the "Pop" or at least the small big time idea. The upper portions of the bigger houses may fall for the cheap drama- tics also, but it does seem too much to ask a regular audience to accept "rags are royal raiments when worn for virtue's sake" theBe days. The act did fairly well and received ap- plause for the various speeches, but then the villain is as roundly hissed in the moving pictures today as he ever was in the melodrama theatres. The sketch has value though, for it at least affords a great opportunity to the act that follows for travesty. This week Doc O'Neil is saying things almost identical with those said by Jack Wilson when he followed th« sketch two weeks ago at Henderson's. Doc probably didn't see Jack down there. It is just the natural thing to say and shows how simple the follow- travesty thing is. Morris and Allen are showing for the first time since returning from Europe. The boys did splendidly. The clean make-ups and bully voices help the pair immensely. Their easy manner of working and the somewhat different idea aids also and makes them almost a certainty. S. Miller Kent has a splendid vehicle in "The Right Q." It is one of the thief affairs which have becomo quite common, but it is far enough away from the others to be distinc- tive and gives the star as well as his able support splendid opportunities. It is a little dramatic, a bit more humorous and the least bit surpris- ing. Weston, Fields and Carroll dwindled to a two-act. The piano player and one singer appeared only. The boys had no trouble, although they did too much. The Four Onetti Sisters made a capital closing number and held the audience with few losses. Da*h.