Location:
Theater:
Date:
Type:
Reine? Without the question mark is a female impersonator. The query might be placed after his name to keep the house guessing, as he, like most of the female impersonators of present times, does not disclose himself until the finale. Until then a big time audience would wonder what Reine? is doing as a single act. But at the disclosure some applause is gained, as this fellow looks like a girl, has an abundance of “clothes,” and Monday there seemed to be many of his friends in front. He sang three songs, perhaps four. One was something about “Sweet, sweet” or anyway those words were in the chorus. Another number was a “Mermaid.” Reine, with or without the question mark, came from the small time evidently, and will go back there. It will do him good, for this impersonator has a chance if he will or can improve his voice, now too coarse and masculine, without a seeming effort on the singer’s part to soften it. That would be very well if Reine did not use the question mark. He might take a lesson from another act on the same bill that is doing a double-voiced turn. No reason why Reine should not do this also, which would gloss over any vocal defects, and might increase his value, the combination of double voice singing by a female impersonator not yet having been tried on Broadway. But just between us, there are too many female impersonators cropping up. The best only should be given time and that’s not intended as an opening for a bad pun.
Source:
Variety, Volume XXXVI, no.2, September 11, 1914