Bernard and Ferris copped the applause honors. Bernard, dressed as a chef and has a healthy base voice, and Ferris possesses a natural choir boy soprano voice, getting an ovation on each number. For an encore they sang the Hebrew classic, “Ell Ell” Stopping the show completely.
“Bric-a-Brac,” a miniature musical comedy, with two men and five girls, plenty of scenery, took the class laurels. Eugene Carrey, Beulah Hayes and Leon Leonard deserve credit for making this miniature production what it is, especially Miss Hayes, who, besides her beautiful soprano voice, has oodles of personality, looks and appearance, and could at any time step out and do a high grade single. The chorus is a perfect working one, and also assists in putting this tabloid across in high style.
Jerry and Gretchen O’Meara were left in tough sledding, but as soon as possible brought smiles to the faces of the benumbed crowd. Jerry, a character comedian par excellence, characterized a tramp and old man, getting laughs, a throb out of his lines and work, while Gretchen, with a million dollar appearance, did her share for an encore and four bows.
Sibyle-Sammis Sisters four girls in evening dress, sang several different harmony songs with no punch nor delivery, and they put no enthusiasm in their work. They all have good voices and would do much better in Chautauqx work.
Harris and Harris, two men to sport costumes, performed some nifty hand-to-hand balancing, but are not strong enough to close big-time bills and the audience took advantage of this.
Bernard and Townes also ran high for applause honors with some comedy, popular melodies and original gags, both boys having pep, vim and vigor accompanying same, and at the finish Bernard doing a never failing dance, forcing them to make a speech. They crack one or two old gags, such as “Fat Burns,” which they might eliminate with credit to the act.
Janet of France and Charles W. Hamp went on for another hit. Janet getting lots of good laughs out of her French dialect and comedy, and Hamp, with his certified voice and excellent delivery, put over two popular numbers. The act works in front of a very pretty special set in “two.” Hamp besides being a good songster, put over some snappy lines.
Green and Pugh, two colored men, one in comedy dress sailed their talk and hoak across like two showmen, the straight man doing some nifty steps, while the comedian put over a ballad in good form.
Henry and Adelaide, in “one and a half,” with a very pretty special set with electrical effects, though handicapped by opening the show, got all they wanted and a little more with their classy, neat song and dance offering. Adelaide made four very pretty changes in costume, while Henry makes a complete change in dress, dancing simultaneously, getting a good hand on same. Could have held a later spot.
“Patches” patched up would be a big-time act. Will J. Harris deserves credit for the idea and miniature production, but he did not pick the best of talent to carry it over. Two girls, one a dancer and the other a soubrette; two men, one of whom with a few more years in vaudeville will be fit to step into a production and take an active part, the other man having only a voice and not too much of that, the former playing piano and saxophone, making these instruments do everything but talk, dances and outs some good lines over, having plenty of personality, looks and everything to go along. The act is gorgeously staged, with a very pretty setting, both girls making several throughout the act.
