The Lightener Sisters-Newton Alexander Revue closed and pleasantly shocked the customers with its lavish costume display, colorful ensembles and Winnie Lightener’s abandoned “nutting.” Newton Alexander has done himself proud with this production of his own authorship and composition and has provided a pleasant addition to the ranks of the rather abundant crop of revue turns extant in these parts of late.
O’Rourke and Adelphi, a couple of saucy misses, found No. 2 easy and might have done more of their piano act songalogue had they desired. Miss O’Rourke, a brunet colleen with a pleasant personality and delivery, advised them she was going to spend her honeymoon in Dixie-land for her opening number, thereafter the house was heartily interested in her further domestic and social affairs. Accordingly she let them in on the secret, “My Family’s Gone Jazz Mad,” whereupon she exited for a change to allow the titian-tinted Miss Adelphi a solo at the ivories. Saucily, naively, almost daringly, she pounded “Manyana,” all the while nonchalantly disregarding a persistently sliding shoulder strap.
Bobby O’Neill in “The Joker,” a Herman Timberg production scored strongly following. It is one of the best acts of its type seen around and O’Neill has wisely surrounded himself with some clever girl assistants. Mabey Ferry, Dorothy Godfrey, Fay Tunis and Babette Busey are the lookers who help the general effect. The girls can sing and dance, with Miss Ferry’s personality registering. The act is prettily produced, and O’Neill is fitted with a vehicle that will stand much mileage before it is ready for on overhauling.
Eddie Foyer found the Royal a soft spot for his monolog and poems. He has brushed up his toe opening talk and interpolated several new laughs, but the punch remains in his rendition of poem requests from the house. He pulled several standards, but ducked “the Kid’s Last Fight” in favor of Kipling’s “Boots.” He went over strongly.
Merritt and Bridewell in their piano and song offering were deucing and got over with some excellent solo and duet character songs. The girl is an excellent delineator of the negro character and the girl at the piano, assists cleverly. Both make a neat appearance.
“Welcome Home” with Lizzie R. Raymond, third, caught the interest of those out front, but failed to cash in as heavily at the finish as the act deserved. Miss Raymond does a remarkably able characterization of an Irish woman in this sketch. Mot a caricature but a character bit that would pass muster in a Belasco show. The act is played legitimately. Miss Raymond’s male assistant who does excellent work.
Martelle, No. 2, seemed to fool the house as a whole with his female impersonation. Martelle is different at least in one respect from the other female impersonators. He retains his falsetto throughout the act, removing his wig as customary at the finish, but refraining from the usual barytone male tones to contrast with falsetto stuff that has gone before. The Martelle act is beautifully costumed, the four numbers landed for fair returns.
Armstrong and Downey opened and pulled out with a good average of laughs and applause for the spot. Mr. Downey affects a make-up almost identical with Joe Jackson, riding and attempting to ride a bicycle in the same comedy was that Jackson does. There is some business Downey has with a pair of falling trousers, however, that Jackson doesn’t do. That’s about the only original thing in the Downey routine, and it’s altogether too strong for vaudeville.
Jimmy Lucas and Francene next to closing were the big noise of the vaudeville section. While the house was filled, it did not seem a regular vaudeville audience, and most of the preceding turns had passed away with perfunctory applause. Lucas, however, seemed to sense the type of audience he had to contend with, and he went the limit with his rough and ready low comedy hoke. He worked like a truck horse, but he got ‘em in the end and got ‘em for more than any of the others. Francene, always a dependable performer, counted largely in results secured.
Al Lydell and Carleton Macy in John J. McGowan’s “Old Cronies” enacted their irresistible “Old Cronies” next to closing. When the act first showed a season or more ago, it was predicted that the caricature characterizations of the men would endure in the big houses for many seasons, and that still holds good several new and hearty laughs were introduced, and that is about the only thing this act need from time to time.
