20 Mins.; Full Stage. The main idea this trio of musicians (two women and a man) want to impress is that it is their first appearance on this side in 17 years. The man and his partner are probably the two over here at that time, for the little girl who handles the large hard does not look as if she had yet seen 17 years. The man’s playing on the small harp is about the whole act. He shows real ability and easily outdoes the two other members. The older woman plays a little silver horn affair and she keeps up until the audience is decidedly tired of it. The little girl plays the large harp fairly well for a child. The selections are mostly Irish numbers and the others sound as if they might have been held over from the last visit. The closing number makes them finish strong. A fair musical turn of its kind that will find the audiences in some houses most appreciative.
19 Mins.; Full Stage (Special Set). This team has a sketch full of bright lines and something of a story that may pass on the small time. It seems too bad the playing isn’t better. The man is playing a familiar type of rube one-night stand manager, while the girl is the advance agent for a turkey girl show. The man’s rube dialect is bad and his sing song manner of delivery instead of being funny is monotonous. The girl also has poor deliver of lines. If someone took the team in hand and they followed advice there should be no reason for them not getting a route on the small time, at a regular salary
20 Mins.; One. Wopman and Horton from the usual male team consisting of straight and comedian. The comedian gets the majority of his laughs on appearance. His partner does not possess anything unusual in the way of a voice. The comedian does a Scotch number that gets a big laugh on his costume (not different from the others) but he made them roll in their seats at the 58th Street. In the pop house his team should find the going easy.
“La Petite Revuette of Successes, Past and Present.: Toby Claude, lately returned from England, deserves much credit for having quite an original vehicle. During Toby’s stay in England, every idea gone before had been utilized by every short revue produced there. Toby, however, has gone them one better in this way and put something new over. William Smythe, who plays in the act, produced it/ The turn opens in real Parisian Revue style, with the Compere and Commere seated at a restaurant table, the Compere telling his companion about a certain actress he has seen in different productions in various parts of the world. As he describes the star in “The Belle of New York,” he and his companion are put in darkness and Toby and Smythe come out from a back-drop and sing the “When We Are Married” number from that show. In the same way songs are introduced from “The Chinese Honeymoon,” Folies Bergere, Paris, and from the Palace, London. After this the Compere and the Commere leave the stage and enter one of the boxes in the front of the house. Miss Claude and Smythe finish the act with “Tipperary.” Little Toby Claude has picked a very useful vehicle besides a clever helper in William Smythe. The rest of the company help.
3 Mins.; One. “All wrong.” Two men. One a vaudeville actor acting as relief for a lighthouse tender (just so they can get in about “light house keeping”). This must have gone big in one of the smaller burgs for the team has a back drop with a lighthouse painted on it. For this, they should be billed as a light comedy act. Very light. After the lighthouse keeper sings a song the comedian (German) arrives and three or four gags are exchanged (including lighthouse keeping) and then the straight sings, received lightly by the audience, followed by the comic putting over a parody on “The Curse of an Aching Heart,” which saw the light of day so long ago it’s time to set a tombstone for it. A double number got one bow at the finish.
12 Mins.; One and Full Stage. The Shentons, Australians, have something ab it different in the song and dance line with their dancing ability standing out considerably in advance of the vocal efforts. The turn consists of two men and a woman, the taller of the males doing practically all the singing, with the other couple dancing through the various choruses. The opening is a short introduction carrying an explanation of the ensuring work. It is followed by a Dutch number in costume, but for some reason or other the dialect is faulty, running a bit more to Scotch. AN Eskimo number is also added with an Indian song utilized for the finish. This is by far the best of the three and allows for some excellent dancing on a mat with moccasins worn. It brought the Shentons over to big applause and should guarantee their safe passage over here.
10 Mins.; Full Stage (Special Set). The present Palace engagement of the Okabe Japs marks their American reappearance after an extended tour of Europe. The aggregation, eight in number, work within one of the prettiest Oriental sets ever displayed on a vaudeville stage, carrying everything down to a special ground mat. Seven men and one woman make up the troupe, with a youngster featured in the work. This little chap who resembles in a way an overgrown Billikin, is a marvel at topmounting and ground work, keeps continually active and is very prominent in the most difficult routines. The turn consists of the usual ground and foot juggling with some exceedingly sensational work done on the box platforms. A few pyramids on hand-stands are also injected with excellent results. The okabes make a splendid vaudeville number for their particular line of work, running up with the two or three of the best in their line. They opened the Palace program and scored an emphatic hit.
15 Mins.; One. The Crescent Quartet equally mixed, having voices above the average found in small time vaudeville. Mostly operatic selections starting with the “Sexette from Lucia” are sung. They handle this very well for a fine start. The contralto did a solo that went over with a bang. The dressing is so far superior to the average operatic quartet it deserves mention. The men wear evening dress that looks as if it were made for them, while the two women have attractive gowns which look spic and span. It is an act that should make the big time on ability and appearance.
7 Mins.; Full Stage (Special Drop). Opening the show a man and a woman show something new and neat in a cycling act. Single wheels, both high and low, are used, the man riding as sort of an understander. He displays extraordinary skill in balancing. The neatness and good looks of both make the turn a dandy opening one of any bill.
13 Mins.; Full Stage. The best eccentric acrobatic act since the days of Rice and Prevost. It was the lifesaver of the early part of Hammerstein’s bill this week and the clown of the duo was a scream from the start to the finish. His work is exceedingly funny and his pantomime throughout got lots of laughs. The straight man is a mighty clever tumbler. Several of his tricks were applause winners. With a back-drop the scene represents a seashore. The straight appears as a naval officer with the comedian as a sailor. The straight opens with a few tricks which the clown tries to follow. The pace is swift and the comedy falls follow thick and fast. The final fall into the orchestra pit, and the general rough-house that follows, with the pulling down of the back-drop brought no end of laughs. The slaps off stage to mark the falls are very noticeable from the front and it would be better if they were worked with the drums.
