Variety (February 1914)

18 VAlttlTY A TRIP TO PARIS. 'A Trip to Taris," at the Olympic this week, has followed the usual stand- ard and is presenting a "musical com- ■ edy" built along the regulation lines set down for "burlesque" from time immemorial. The only difference be- tween one such show and any other consists altogether in the personnel of the players. Books, or librettos, are apparently of no importance. It seems to be entirely up to the ability of the individual players to put over a series of specialties. Occasionally, even less frequently, a producer offers a "book" and it is lifted so far beyond its con- temporaries it is corralled for the le- gitimate playhouses. Perhaps the burlesque cUentele de- mands the elemental in humor. The "Trip to Paris" company is a pretty good burlesque show—as such shows go. There is George Rehn, a low com- edy Irishman, with an original method of simulating anguish. The "Dutch- man" is Cash Knight, with nothing to distinguish him from other imperson- ators of that type. The leading woman is Marjorie Lake, who shines lustrous- ly with a single specialty in the olio, which consists of two numbers. In this she is programed as "America's Greatest Lady Baritone." Her tone production is neither of the best nor of the worst type. She is given to er- ratic changes of voice placement and consequently of quality. She should refrain from switching from her bari- tone to a forced soprano. Miss Lake looks pretty and classy in front of a plush drop, the richness of which is discounted by a huge monogram of tinsel. The otherwise good effect of a pretty woman, tastefully gowned in white, is marred by the cheap mono- gram, which makes for garishncss. In- telligently boomed, and surrounded with a suitable stage setting, Miss Lake would make an acceptable candidate for vaudeville honors. Her vocal equipment proved the most satisfac- tory portion of the entertainment, which only emphasizes the contention that genuine merit will be appreciated in burlesque as elsewhere. Rose Rehn portrayed a shrew in the first part and did an acceptable Scotch dance. Homer Long is the tenor lover with defective diction. His gentrzX competency, however, was on a par with the remainder of the organization. The only other act in the olio was the Carlton Sisters, a mismated pair of females, who sang, danced and did an old-fashioned steppinj? routine with skippinp: ropes. The Rirls stack up rather well in size and j?eneral comeliness and work hard. After the first pleasant impression pro- duced by the opening chorus there was departure from the much trodden path of conventionality to call for favorable expression. Between comedy scenes came the usual vocal and dancinp num- bers. "A Trip to Paris" is a new show on the Propressive Circuit, lately openinf? on the Wheel. Harry C. Lewis pre- sents the company in two pieces and the olio. The first part is entitled "Paqiiita." and the burlesque. "A Trip to Paris." Georpe Rehn and Marjorie ^.akc arc featured. The others listed -v; "^n Mi-Star Cast" are Cash Knight. THE MIDNIGHT GIRL When "The Midnight Girl" was first presented in New York, in German at Adolph Philipp's theatre, it was re- viewed in Variety and the opinion hazarded it would make a corking basic idea for the plot of a burlesque show. As presented now at the 44th Street theatre, in English, there exists no reason for any alteration of judg- ment. It is, in fact, the same musical farce, only more elaborately produced. In the matter of cast there can be no comparison. Director Philipp has a modest little theatre with an unpre- tentious stock company, playing at popular prices. The Messrs. Shubert have spread themselves with their cast- ing, as well as production, mustering a uniformly competent singing, danc- ing and acting organization, all things considered. Foremost in the male contingent is George McFarlane, who is his usual stentorian baritone self. His was not the ideal selection for the role allotted to him, as he lacks the lightness of touch so essential to the playing of farce, musical or otherwise. The lead- ing woman is a newcomer in our midst —Margaret Romaine, statuesque of physique, with a soprano voice of much volume and sweetness, but alto- gether too staid and "cold" for the role of a midnight cabaret singer, full of the joy of living. Miss Romaine is reported to have graduated from the concert stage in England. Concert stage in the first place and England in the second. Both are valid excuses, or explanations. In direct contrast to Miss Romaine is Zoe Barnett, a woman who would not conform to the rules set down for prize beauty, but possessed of a pecu- liarly fascinating physical attractive- ness difficult to describe. She appeared upon the horizon in the second act with an energy and abandon and put over a rag number to a peculiar tempo and orchestrated in a minor key. Eva Fallon was the ingenue and Harry Delf the juvenile man. They sang and danced daintily and acceptably. Various types of comedy parts were taken by Denman Maley, George Schil- ler, Paul Ker, Clarence Harvey, Edou- ard Durand and Teddy Webb. All these men were good, the latter in size suggesting Frank Daniels and in method the late Charles Bigelow. There was also a large contingent of feminine comeliness. Jack Mason is responsible for the clever handling of the dance numbers and uncovered some ingenious steps and evolutions. In this department it is noticeable the pendulum of fashion is swinging in the opposite direction from the late craze for "broilers." The style now appears to be for Amazons. Billy Watson's "Beef Trust" may yet come into its own. Jolo. Grace Wolfe, Homer Long, Rose Rehn and William WinterhoflF, with Herbert Beyerstedt set down for a violin ex- position in the second part. Since this is a new production with considerable dancing employed during the action, it seems as though a Tango could have been inserted. However, "A Trip to Paris" will bear up very well under present-day burlesque en tour. lolo. FIFIH AVINUE. The bill this week at the Fifth Ave- nue is very weak. It starts with small timers and where there are but eight turns the first two shouldn't come from the other division. It is headlined by Jos. £. Howard and Mabel McCane, who were next to closing, with Her- bert's Dogs ending the show, except- ing a picture reel. As an intermission attraction and to be certain of one sure-fire comedy interlude, the Fifth Avenue is running a Keystone release weekly. The intermission-picture started when the Foyer Dancing flopped down there, and has been kept up. It's a good expedient for the Fifth Avenue booking, for the Key- stone people have a corner on hokum, and they work it to the limit in their comics. "Falls" of the old reliable sort are taken by all the actors. In the current Keystone, "Love and Gaso- line," some effective camera trickery is also displayed. This reel came right after Ed Hayes and Co. in "The Piano Mover," a rough comedy sketch that threw too much of, similar fun together. There is a new Bozo (Thomas Snyder) in the Hayes turn. He does quite nicely, but is following a Bozo who could make them laugh standing still, some- thing Mr. Snyder isn't yet doing. A few new lines and a "five o'clock whistle" finish are in the sketch. It does seem as though Mr. Hayes and his male assistant might have the piano in the air when the whistle blows. Following the intermission-film or, in reality, opening the second part Monday evening, were Ted Lorraine and Hattie Burks, who feature, the program states, "The Buena Vista Tango." Isn't that sweet? Mr. Lor- raine and Miss Burks are making one terrible mistake. They sing—if that's what it is called. The program also lets loose the information the team started their vaudeville career in the Fifth Avenue. That's a dangerous line, for anyone after seeing the act might add their own quotation to it. About all there is to the turn is "wardrobe" worn by Miss Burks. Included in this is a blue wig, as new to vaudeville just now as an income tax gag. "No. 3" held the Meredith Sisters in freshly made dresses and some popular songs, besides a few of their old rou- tine, the girls taking but two character numbers, the Indian for "Hiawatha," and the Dutch for "Wilhelm, der Grocer." "Hiawatha" in its revival got something on the setting, and it looks good enough to be permanently re- tained. One of the Remick list was sung, and new dresses were worn with it, but Remick is not exclusive song supplier to these girls. They had "Mandalay" also, opening with it. The Merediths did excellently in the posi- tion, following Brown Brothers. They are real hard-working young women who always put in their best, and it helps them greatly, for audiences like earnestness. The Brown Brothers seem to have gone into blackface since opening at the Union Square last summer. They talk without using a coon dialect, one dances in the spotlight, and they finish with a roller skating bit. "Brown" may be their "family name." But how about the Six Brown Brothers who are COLONIAL. There was a lot of room for standees Monday night. Just why there was not a great turnaway is not iipparent as it was a holiday and Anna Held was there as the chief headliner. Miss Held knows how to wear pretty clothes and she exhibited some of the latest crea- tions of the modiste's art. After sing- ing several numbers she came back for an encore and said she'd give 'em "I Just Can't Make My Eyes Behave." While Miss Held was the only name in lights it again remained for one of the lesser classified acts to reap the applause harvest of the entire show. Last week it was a "two man team" which swept the platter clean. This week it was Claudius and Scarlet. This pair with their banjos and oldtinie songs were the biggest kind of a hit. Charles Thompson (New Acts) opened the show quietly. Guerro and Carmen did the best with their popular music. George B. Reno and Co. opened the first comedy broadside of the even- ing and despite the frequency with which the act visits the local houses was well received. Connolly and Wen- rich were "fourth." They pulled one song pretty hard while Percy played all his former pieces on the piano. Louise Alexander and Clive Logan are as clever a pair of tango dancers as seen at the Colonial this season and they will make it hard for any others to follow them. They look well and dance faultlessly. They also showed some new graceful turns and dips in their three-carded dances. Miss Norton and Paul Nicholson divided the audience. One half found a lot of amusement in the murky "bits" employed and the other half assumed the other sort of air. The act could stand a little vacuum cleaning. There's much that could be toned without jarring the sensitive ears and eyes out front. Miss Held did fairly well, but one has seen this Frenchwoman hit an audi- ence with bigger applause results. The Joh Josefsson Icelandic Glima Troupe (New Acts) closed. Mark. ''—■' — in the big time class and entitled to remain there, something these Brown Brothers .cannot do with their present act. It's pretty raw, taking an estab- lished vaudeville name this way and trying to go through with it. These two Browns should display their right to the use of "Brown Brothers" or se- cure another title. And they might cut out the spotlight for the single dance. And the piano opening could go with it. And if the blackface is to remain the dialect should be em- ployed. And many other things, not forgetting Mr. Proctor's chance-taking on his brg time bills with small time acts. The show started with Gormley and Caffrey, comedy acrobats of the usual sort. Violinsky was also there, in the latter part, playing the piano and vio- lin, apparently taking his work serious- ly now, especially the "cabaret piano- player," during which he smokes the cigarette from the piano into the wings. It was not capacity Monday night, a holiday. The business there certain- ly hasn't improved with the passing of the Square, if the Washington Birth- day crowd is the criterion it should be. 8lme.