Variety (June 1913)

VARIETY 13 ALL ABOASD. It's a bright, clean-looking roof gar- den that new one of Lew Field's. The decorations are neat, there is a sort of canopy effect for a roof, the balcony is "square cut," the chairs are of light veneer and ventilated, tables are lo- cated in the rear of the promenade, and about it all there was a sense of freedom and comfort. There is the tame feeling of roominess that exists in the theatre below. For entertainment Lew Fields offers himself as sUr, supported by the usual Fields cast and a scenic and sartorial equipment more than pretentious for an aerial theatrical presentation. For three solid hours there were song and dance numbers with innumerable changes of scenery, liberaly besprink- led with comedy lines and situations, mostly new, but a few hoary with age. Undoubtedly the biggest hit of the first night was a satirical skit "When Women Rule," travestying the suffrage movement and giving a glimpse into the future, in the year 2013. It is an interpolated scene played in vaudeville. Sex conditions are reversed. In it Lew Fields plays an "abandoned man" who had been wooed, won and cast off by a woman libertine, and was a fine demon- stration of the popular comedian's ver- satility. The "story" of the piece is nil— merely a bare excuse for presenting a musical panorama. A sailor falls asleep and dreams he is a captain* whose ship visits all countries. The sub-star is George W. Monroe in his familiar rotund female character- ization and his equally well known "be that as it may"/ monolog. The words emanating from his mouth in both character and monolog may have been different, but it was still the same Mon- roe, and was apparently as acceptable as ever to the audience. Next in importance in the billing were Mr. and Mrs. Carter DeHaven, who somehow or other, got lost in the running. They sang and they danced in various costumes, singly and double, and with chorus, but have been seen on other occasions to greater advan- tage. But there was a dancer who did score —rery emphatically so. His name is Ralph Riggs. He had a sailor's horn- pipe first and later two dances, assisted by Kathryn Witchie, that should es- tablish him for all time as a most de- sirable acquisition to any Broadway musical comedy organization. The young man has "style" and "class." The organization is weak in female principals, neither Zoe Barnett nor Venita FitzHugh registering any very marked success. Lawrence D'Orsay was his.usual legitimate self and proved an effective feeder or "straight" for Fields. Will Philbrick has a couple of numbers which he put over for all that was in them. Nat Fields was gen- eral utility, playing a series of bits that contributed to the result. It is doubtful if there is a single musical number that will attain suffi- cient popularity to be hummed about town and an interpolation or two might not be amiss. But summed up as a composite, "All Aboard," with minor changes, should prove a pleas- ant evening's diversion throughout the summer months. /o'®- mTH AVENUE. The Fifth Avenue show got a very poor start Monday night. It ran slow- ly and non-entertaining until Doris Wilson and Co (New Acts) appeared in the "No. 6" spot. A change in po- sition with Mile. Lucille and Grace Edmond ("Nos. 7 and 9," respectively) helped out the latter end of the show, although the shift was probably made to give Emma Dunn and Co. (New Acts) (who came in between with a sketch) a clear road for their "Wo- men's Suffragette" dialog, Lucille (New Acts) having a little also of this in her single-handed conversation with the cockatoo in the act. Miss Dunn and her high grade com- pany were so easily the big success of the program from every conceivable angle the remainder of the bill pre- viously was forgotten upon their arri- val. Lucille following did very big though, and Howard's Animals closed the show. The program opened with the Three Oberita Sisters in a production for dances of the spectacular light and dress style. The finish was on re- volving globes with red fire stuff thrown on the serpentine dress from a stereoptican. This patriotic matter is so threadbare an act can hardly expect the applause to count from it. Williams and Rankin who were second in an old-school musical straight mu- sical turn, with the cornet thrown for- ^ ward, also did a red fire finale. After them came Graham, Dent and fCo. (New Acts) in a sketch that received little, deserving no more. "No. 4" brought out Elphye Snow- den and Earl Benham, singers and dancers. The program said it was a "Turn of Tantalizing Cleverness." If that inferred it tantalized one to de- cide whether it was clever or no, the program made a big point. The act finished well enough with an ordinary trot dance, but facts are facts, and in this case the music for Mr. Benham's single dance is the best thing in the act. Benham looks well in his even- ing clothes, but the turn doesn't frame right to be classed with the better "two acts." And neither can han- dle talk. Ismed (New Acts) a pi- anist did very well. He did even bet- ter than that. Then came Grace Ed- mond, now billed as having assisted "Oh, Oh, Delphinc" to get over. Miss Edmond played the title role in the musical comedy. Back in ' vaudeville once more she has two numbers from the old act, including Kipling's "Man- dalay." Grace didn't deliver this reci- tation with her customary nerve Mon- day evening. But she got some flowers. It looked like a race between her and the Wilson sisters for bou- quets. The Wilsons won by three bunches. One evening last week at the Columbia, Florence Bennett re- ceived two bouquets herself. Not overlooking the amenities, Miss Ben- nett tore off a couple of rotes and gracefully cast them to the orchestra leader. One of the roses held the card c( the sender. It was a warm night that night and the worry of Florence not knowing who sent her the conser- vatory sent the temperature up 20 de- grees. The Wilson girls and Miss Ed mond took no such chances. Neither remembered the leader. f^ht>^. IfAMHERSTEIN'S. The drop in the mercury while no respecter of Roof shows failed to dent the boxoffice receipts atop Hammer- stein's Monday night. The house was pretty well filled by the time the vaudeville ceremonies were at their height. The show proved stronger than it appeared on paper. Several acts were made to order for a Roof perform- ance while others perished without a struggle. Houdini is again the big draw and with a clever stage exhibition coupled with his master showmanship he is worth every cent that the Cor- ner coffers pour into his handcuff bag. The show was opened by George A. Wichman and Rammage and Vincent, both under New Acts. Neither had a chance. Martinetti and Sylvester gave the show a start with their knock- about acrobatics. Cartmell and Harris who always chalk a clean score down- stairs, bumped their percentage on the Roof with the singing, but finished up strong with dancing. Marsl^l Mont- gomery and his dummy pleased', though Monty had hard work making his talk land beyond the first twelve rows. The singing and whistling turned the tables. Charlie Ahearn, who has been out with a Shubert production, is back at Hammerstein's. This comedy cycling turn went like a house afire Monday night. Everybody could see it and as there is plenty of triple-action comedy the house was in an uproar. Ahearn's act can be seen several times without one tiring of its comedy. Another act which went big was Alexander and Scott. The boys sang loud enough to be heard all over the Roof, but it was the clothes display that floated the cake home. Few turns male or fe- male, have anything on this act in the way of wardrobe. The boy wearing the dresses has some new creations v.hich had the women gasping. Another turn which seems to have been made to order for the Roof is the musical combination of the Six Brown Brothers. They have their act, with a i\ew finish, in the best shape imagin- able, curtailed much of the comedy for upstairs and shoot over a varied musical program which hits. The brothers could work several weeks on the Roof. The Bogannys turned loose more comedy and some nifty acrobatics. The boxing burlesque hit, used as an en- core, between the midgets of the act, caused a lot of hearty laughter. After intermission Raymond Wylie, in blackface, did his double-voice stunt. Wylie did well considering the time, the place and the crowd. Houdini was followed hy the Six Steppers who danced while the folks were edging towards the exits. Bedi- ni and Arthur had a travesty on Hou- dini that evoked many rounds of laughter. The Maynards ( New .Acts) closed. )f*irk. BRIGHTON. "Whom the gods wish to destroy they first make mad." Wouldn't it make you mad to be sent to the island on a cold night such as last Monday? And then wouldn't you become still angrier to find the resort quite thick- ly infested by a shivering bunch of peo- ple on pleasure bent? It has always been an unsolvable mystery why whole train loads of people from New York will go all the way down to the seashore to attend a vaudeville show. But there they are, and there's no mistaking them. Sam McKee has a smoothly running bill at the Brighton this week, open- ing at 8.05 and running until after eleven, with but a brief intermission. It began with Florette, contortionist, a young and pretty girl, who does a neck dislocation calculated to give you the shivers, if, indeed, you have not already been thoroughly chilled by the ride down. But Carson and Brown, with their solo and team step- ping, start things off a bit lively. Belle Hathaway's monkeys put over enough comedy to place a dent in your grooch and with all the doors and windowi closed, seated in your overcoat, you are gradually beginning to thaw. Then come Herbert and Goldsmith, featuring their "Dance of the Siren." The couple would get a whole lot more out of the turn by sticking to a ting- ing and dancing act in "one" and net considerably more money than by car- rying a stage setting for their "siren" stuff. When they go in for classical dancing they court comparison with those who really know how. For in- stance mythological sirens were sup- posed to dance from the waist up as well as from the hips down. J. C. Nugent in his odd little skit, scored strongly with his comedy when- ever Miss York could be heard with her "feeding." The acoustics of the Brighton were not designed for work so delicate as Miss York's. The use of a phone for the rendition of a mono- log is also effective. Juliette Dika (New Acts). Rolfe's "The Purple Lady" went over in tine shape, due mainly to the clever "silly ass" Englishman char- acterization of Ralph Lynn. But Mr. Rolfe should cut one very old cross- fire speech— "I don't love you" — "Don't let that worry you, I won't be home much." Davies Family, gym- nasts (New Acts), pened the second half. The Meredith Sisters have one new song, but no different costuming from last season. William II. Thompson and Co. presented "An Object Les- son." Thompson was, as always, an artist, and it seemed incredible that his supporting company should be so utterly incompetent. Their efforts to l)e dramatic were pathetic. Hilly McDermott had the "next-to- rlosing" spot and the Seebacks, with llieir bag punching novelty, closed the show. Jolo. The Herald Square Comic Opera Co., a Southern <»utrit with a I'road- V.ay title whicli has hicii muring the south for the pa-^f 10 years, will again play tlie land of cotton l)lossoms and orange i)etais next season. Ada Humbert, associated with the Packard Theatrical Exchange for many years, and Chismore Packard, man- ager of the Exchange, surprised their theatrical friends with the announce- ment of their manir.gc last I'riday.