Variety (December 1912)

20 VARIETY WINTER GARDEN. The greatest difficulty to th* spon- sors of the Sunday night shows at the Winter Garden seems to be how to start them and how to finish them. It is easy enough, with the Shubert galaxy of stars always playing in New York, to fill in the shank of the eve- ning, but leading up and graduating' from it is not altogether soft. Dur- ing the running of a Winter Garden vaudeville program you get almost everything from pop vaudeville to grand opera. It is variety, and the capacity houses at $2 per is the only testimonial needed. Fairman, Furman and Fairman started the proceedings Sunday night and did nicely considering the posi- tion. They were wise enough to cut their act to two quick numbers. The Four Musical Hodges, "No. 2," had little chance before they opened. A musical act looks foolish alongside the orchestra in the Garden, as big a num- ber any Sunday night as the show holds. Sam Mann did "The New Leader" to a goodly return. The act is being played somewhat differently but the general working is the same and Mann is genuinely funny in it. The $2 audi- ence laughed just as much at it Sun- day night as the Eighth avenue house did four or five years ago. Frank Staf- ford, a Sunday night repeater, did splendidly, although the stage was not working to his liking. A good look- ing, classy act in every detail, but for the Garden show it should be cut down a few minutes. Louise Dresser, looking bully, and appearing much slimmer in a pink shimmering gown, sang a couple of numbers with Leo Edwards at the piano. The first was new to her, but it is in her style of song, and she hand- led it splendidly. "She's My Pal," al- ways popular, made the finish. Dolly Sisters and Martin Brown were big favorites. The trio make a rare danc- ing combination. The act just seemed to bring the audience to attention Pietro, "No. 7," was unnecessary. The position was pretty important for him. Jose Collins, Maurice Farkoa and Melville Ellis closed the first half, and about clinched the argument that $2 vaudeville is worth $2. Miss Collins' costume alone was worth sitting a whole evening to see. She and Mr. Farkoa have become prime favorites, Mr. Ellis always has been. Sunshine and Boys in a production number opened the intermission. She scored personally and the Boys were funny. Al Jolson breezed along in his street clothes and tore the house asunder. Al can do anything he likes at the Winter Garden. Everybody is with him and for him. There is a reason for it, for the stage doesn't boast a better all-round single handed entertainer than Al Jolson. There was to be quite a bit more show after Jolson, but when he got through the management and audience were well satisfied, so when Barney Bernard and George Austin Moore had done eight minutes, the Skatells were placed in quickly to close the show. Dash. OTH AVENUE. (Ettimattd Coat of Show, $3,225.) With the exception of the closing number, every act on the program at the Fifth Avenue this week is designed for comedy, and, whs is more impor- tant, succeeds. Seldom has a lay-out worked so admirably and blended so harmoniously. Still there are those who adhere to the theory that an en- tire evening of comedy is lacking in 1 a variety, and that a touch of dramatics is essential for contrast. Charles Ledegar, a "Dutchman" on a bounding rope, who talks like George Bickel and does some clever acrobatics and balancing, started the audience laughing at once. Fitch Cooper, "The Musical Rube" (New Acts) and Hale Norcross and Co. in a comedy playlet, "In the Suburbs" (New Acts), each in turn earned a fair share of approval. Smythe and Hartman, with their bright travesty on married life, had no cause for complaint, as they inspired huge quantities of applause. Mis* Hartman's line: "You get me so ex- cited I can't talk" is also used by another act formerly in vaudeville in a similar situation. May Tully and her company in "The Bat- tle Cry of Freedom" are back in New York. The comedy is now worked out to a point where there isn't a wasted word nor an unnecessary situation or bit of business. Fitch Cooper, second number on the bill, made some references to "mar- ried life"; the "In the Suburbs" sketch had a domestic battle for its theme; Smythe and Hartman's turn is a trav- esty on conjugality; Stuart Barnes's monolg succeeded these with humor- ous and sarcastic references to mar- riage, and Irene Franklin's first song is entitled "Waiting Up for Hubby." So the inexhaustible topic was given a vigorous threshing out from many angles. Mr. Barnes has earned for himself an enviable reputation as a high-grade, classy monologist. The reputation is well deserved and Monday night last his songs and talk never went better. He makes his comedy points like whip- cracks, and every one struck a vital spot in the risibility regions. Miss Franklin was compelled to sing seven songs, and both she and Burt Green exhibited every indication of enjoy- ing themselves quite as much as the audience in demanding the numerous recalls. It was quite like a pleasant little home entertainment in which vis- itors begged the hostess to sing just once more. Green's piano solos are al- ways up to date, consisting of selec- tions from the latest musical comedy successes. Wynn and Russon got away to a poor finish and did not come back for a single bow. The Five Lassies, in- strumentalists with a production, have a classy looking turn, but the open- ing was too quiet and slow for clos- ing position. It was the only act not intended for comedy. Monday night's attendance was a "comedy audience," augmented by a couple of raucous- voiced "ha ha ha!" individuals cal- culated to start any assemblage off with at least a grin. Jolo. COLONIAL. (Estimated Cost of 8how $4,000.) The bill at the Colonial this week furnishes plenty of food for deep thinking. When names like Victor Moore, Lillian Shaw, Grace La Rue, Valerie Bergere, Mrs. Curtis Burnley, Mack and Walker, etc., on the same program cannot draw more than half a house on Monday night, it is time for the managers to centre their attention on the show part of the business, in- stead of vainly trying to corner all vaudeville. The goose that gave forth the golden eggs may be barren by the time they catch her. The bill is at- tractive on paper. There is something for the fastidious, as well as for the lovers of the slap-stick, something for the neat and classy, and also for the rough and ready, but still the house was only half full. The first eight rows down * l were filled. Behind them the orches- tra was very light. The balcony was only a quarter full and the boxes prac- tically all taken, probably due to the first vaudeville appearance of Mrs. Curtis Burnley, a society entertainer, who it is understood is playing under a guarantee she fill the orchestra to capacity at least twice during the week. Grace La Rue may also have drawn some into the boxes. Monday evening the front rows downstairs held Mrs. Burnley's friends. The show (after the matinee) was turned and twisted until the orchestra probably didn't recognize it at the evening performance. If poorer in the afternoon than at night, it must have been pretty bad. There was no life to the proceedings. The show would get going a bit, and then along would come a crimp that almost turned it over. Mrs. Curtis Burnley (New Acts) was shifted from opening after inter- mission to "No. 3/' and some of her friends didn't arrive until she was on the stage. Victor Moore and Emma Littlefield were brought into the first half, "No. 4," from second after inter- mission, and gave the opening half its only life, also making the going pretty rough for everything that fol- lowed. They had been waiting for something to happen when Vic and Emma appeared. Valerie Bergere moved from "No. 3" to second after intermission and livened the house up nicely, catching the audience in a good humor after Mack and Walker had retired with a substantial hit, spoiled a bit by the couple coming back to do an unneces- sary encore song. The Japanese skit of Miss Bergere was followed closely by Lillian Shaw, on at 11, really the nicest spot of the evening. She took advantage of it, scoring the solid ap- plause hit of the evening. Miss Shaw hasn't worked as well in a long time and she put her numbers over with a new confidence and vigor that was an agreeable surprise. The Four Rianos closed. Although it was going for 11:30 before they finished, there were only a few that did not remain to see them through. Emerson and Baldwin were billed to open the show but the Mori Bros., three Japs, were on the job instead. The Japs with a little clever stalling in their pedal juggling managed to in- ACADEMY The Academy, together with its running mate, the Audubon, marks that indefinite territory where the small time and the big time merge. The bill at the 14th street Fox establish- ment takes something from both sides of the vaudeville family. The Ro- many Opera Co. and Powers' Ele- phants class in cost as big time num- bers, while the bulk of the entertain- ment is made up of careful pickings from the lists of the pop circuits. It made a highly interesting program the first half of this week, spoiled some- what, however, by the occasional in- troduction of a moving picture reel. Tuesday evening there were two films besides the final one, between 8.15 and 10.45. One was a splendid Selig west- ern drama and the other a heart-throb from the Biograph studios. Neither did the bill a bit of good. The running of the entertainment was curious. So impressive a feature as the R<~^any Opera Co. appeared around 9 • ock, while Reve Fiske (Ww* Acts/ a light soubret, was se- lected to hold down a later position. Katie Rooney was likewise placed late with her eccentric characterizations. Murray Livingston and Co. were on at 8.30, when only half a house had assembled, much too early a position for the semi-dramatic sketch. The Academy patrons liked it, however. Ellen and Dale carry out a capital idea most effectively. The combina- tion of impressive looking American girl and simpleton Englishman in ex- tremely faddish clothes, promised pos- sibilities for cross fire kidding. The couple make the most of the situation. Much of their gagging is clever and the man's appreciation of robust bur- lesque draws dividends in laughter. The Romanys took half a dozen bows on the strength of their splendid singing finale. The pop audience manifested the utmost approval of the whole offering. It has agreeable "sight" features and the added value of real musical excellence. Katie Rooney uses a current popular song that is entirely away from the atmosphere of her act. She does best in eccentric numbers with a flavor of extreme comedy. Her ridiculous cos- tume won laughs and of course the im- personation of the original Pat Rooney got her off in excellent shape. There is a bit of effective side play with Ralph Hardy at the piano. George Armstrong put over half a dozen or more parodies to one of the laughing hits of the evening. The turn is the simplest imaginable. Arm- strong walks down centre and uplift- ing his voice goes immediately into the parodies and then reels them off one after the other. He has a most agreeable voice and some of his lyrics were reasonably funny, but frequent reference to cheap hotel bedroom zoo- logy was decidedly not humorous nor in good taste. Powers' Elephants made a capital "flash" as the closer. Rush. ject some comedy into the turn and make a very good opening number. Wood and Wyde, "No. 2," and Grace La Rue and Co., closing the first half are under New Acts. Da»1^