Blanche Ring

Singing.

Without altering her methods, Miss Ring has changed all her material. From a routine of war songs and flag waving, she has returned to topical stuff in which she depends entirely on the Ring personality. It may be a hardship to her, but it is a relief to vaudeville. "Bing, Bang, Bing 'Em" may have been a great applause winner and encore earner, but it was just one atom removed from a nuisance, especially after the armistice. She now closes with an audience song which doesn't go as powerfully, but which is more suitable to entertainment of folks who pay to be amused, not harangued. She closes in "one" with it, holding a gavel and making it a club meeting of which she elects herself presiding officer. She sings verses placing questions before the house, and the chorus is "The Ayes Have It." She uses a plant to call out the topics, and they are current ones such as Ford, Wilson, Prohibition, Suffrage, Returning Soldiers and the like. The chorus repeats meaningless singsong lines to often, otherwise the number is perfect for Miss Ring, and a fine type of the true Ring vaudeville feature lyric. With her own director in the pit, Miss Ring enters center into a shallow house set, removing handsome minks to show the single costume, a costly work in charmeuse and Russian sable. She chants the Rotarians' greeting, a little howdy verse, then goes into a novelty song of hotel life, bringing in bits of character monologue about the maid, operator and manicure. She exits momentarily, in fact unnecessarily, and does "When Ireland Comes into Her Own," a published ballad, which leads into "Since My Boys Came Home from the War," a comedy Mick ditty not notorious for its wit. The idea is a corker, though. The Aye song concludes. Miss Ring has a warm personality and a welcome presence, and is one of the institutions of the native stage. Vaudeville is not her first forte, yet she fits it, the more so since she now honors it with subjects that may stand on their own feet without the aid of patriotic crutches. She is on midway in the bill, which is wise, placing, as she graces a show rather by who she is than by what she does. Thus everyone is pleased and the new act is across.

Variety, 53:13 (02/21/1919)