Street in one, 11 min, 3 shows. About as shine a Dutch act I have ever had the misfortune to witness. Their talk is cheap and their act scarcely fit for the house. I have changed them from their position of next to last to next from first. They did not get a laugh in the whole act and scarcely even the courtesy hand at the finish.
In one, 25 min, 2 shows. In what I think is the best monologue I ever heard him give. He had the people from the start, had plenty of laughs, and got a good solid recall for his encore, the encore being the one thing that was old in the act and which consisted of short poems that he has been delivering for some time.
CDF 3, 3 shows, 18 min, can close in 1. 2 men, other straight other black face wearing eccentric clothes. The act is familiar to the circuit and is about as old timey as anything we play. The one feature of the act is the comedian’s work on the musical bottles, for which he got a good solid encore. Their musical work is acceptable in their place in the bill. They will have to drop down to a better place on the bill on account of the bad ones on the bill.
Full stage, 15 min, 2 shows. These people brought along a new set evidently supplied by the Uneeda Biscuit Co., and given over entirely to the advertising of that product. They did their usual juggling and plate smashing act, which went with screams in the new house, but did not touch them nearly so well here. The act was half over before they got on to Arthur as a comedian. The act went well but not so big as it did at the other house.
2 shows, full stage, 18 minutes. This act has been over the circuit, and has been changed entirely around since I saw it. The last time I saw him he was doing the barber shop and the boxing match, but now he is doing an entirely new act and to my mind the funniest he ever did. The monkeys were a scream from the time they were on until they were off, and it seemed to me they made the hit of the day.
3 shows, 14 min in one. Two genuine coons, man and woman, with the regulation coon idea of brilliant dressing. The act is a good one for this place and was the first to give them a good waking up chiefly on account of the man’s acrobatic essence and his dance and acrobatic stuff at the end of the act. The woman is a bright yellow wench with their usual bright zinc voice. The finish was very good and they got a recall and had to do an encore.
Drapery in one, 19 minutes. First real reception of the day. Doing his familiar monologue act in his eccentric make up. Gilbert did not go so well as usual this afternoon, not seeming to catch his audience until near the close of the act. However, his close was very good, and probably as strong as he has ever gone in this vicinity. 2 shows.
Palace in 4 with own mirror effects in 4. A local novel singing and dancing act. They open with six girls in back and 2 girls, Fitzpatrick and Tapper, who have previously played the circuit, singing the song, after which they do a fake mirror dance, the mirrors being constructed of thin gauze (on the line of the act formerly done by the Leigh Sisters and the Eight English Roses) after which thy do a waltz clog using fencing foils during its progress. Each number of the act was well received today, closing to very good and general applause. Properly dressed and with better music, the act would go very well in almost any position on almost any bill, the girls being young and attractive and dancing very well. We are arranging to introduce different music and will do so within the next day or two.
‘The Two Minstrel Boys.’ Drapery in one, 18 min. Regulation minstrel costumes, one man blackface, other straight. They seemed to catch the audience at the start, all of their jokes pleasing, and their songs being particularly well received. The audience was loath to part with them, and they were called back twice. Act can be said to have gone very strong here this afternoon and they could easily stand a better place on the bill. 3 shows.
The original Johnson of Cole & Johnson. Street in one, 15 min. Johnson was accorded the biggest reception of the day, but he hardly got by with his first two songs. However, the third song: ‘I’m Working for the Government Now,’ was funny and pleased the audience mightily, with the result that he earned a recall. We may have to move him up, but it is possible he will get by in this place on the bill.
