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.
15 Mins.; Full Stage. La Graciosa is offering a posing turn with the aid of lantern side effects and a cartload of scenery. It is entitled “Visions in Fairyland.” There are eight drops of scrim showing scenes leading to the inner circle of fairyland where the beauty poses. La Graciosa is a beauty of the brunette type, possessed of a figure which she exposes in fleshings. After the eight drops are slowly drawn up and the beauty is shown standing on a pedestal a number of slides are flashed on her which make her the center figure of views that seem to be enclosed in a frame. Some of the scenes are well worked out and very pretty, although the coloring is at times a trifle garish. There is a red-fire finish in the form of a “Let Us Have Peace” tableau that brought big applause. Several of the other views shown also brought applause Monday night, especially those showing the water scenes. One fault may be easily remedied. That was in focussing of the lantern. This means so much to an act of this sort every precaution should be taken to have it perfect in the matter of alignment. This act goes further in the way of effects that are brought about with the use of the lanterns. A rain effect and a snow effect are pretty and sure applause winners. The turn shows class.
8 Mins.; Two (2); One (6). “The Singing Blacksmith” The singing blacksmith could have posed for Longfellow’s hero if there had been a spreading chestnut tree on the stage at Hammerstein’s, but as there was not a tree in sight the smithy was not a hero. He opened in “two” with a special set, showing the inside of a shop with an anvil. His first song got over fairly well. At its close he went to “one” with two other numbers. They were, “I Had a Gal” and “Tip Top Tipperary” the first did not show his voice to advantage but with the last number he passed of course, a blacksmith in a red flannel shirt and leather not a very pretty stage picturesque “The Singing Blacksmith’ will manage to get over on the smaller bills.
17 Mins.; One. Of the trio the tallest wears a plain suit, affects the mannerisms of a simpleton and in addition to singing alone and with the other boys does a bit of Russian legmania that is about the best of the act, one of the trio has a prop smile used overtime. The piano player, who also sings, has pert assurance that gives the wrong impression. The boys sing harmoniously and get plenty of applause.
22 Mins.; Three (Interior). “At Home.” McConnell and Simpson, assisted by Laurence Simpson, have a new act, “At Home,” by H.H. Winslow. The action is supposed to occur in the McConnell and Simpson home at Kansas City. Living with them is Grant’s brother’s Laurence. The men return from a ball game, arguing, and the wife at home has a meal waiting. There’s talk of spending the evening out when the suggestion goes that a rehearsal of the new McConnell-Simpson act take place. In a jiffy the trio enacts a farcical little skit with Miss McConnell playing the role of an insane asylum superintendent, Grant Simpson, a lawyer, who makes believe he’s a new patient to study real conditions at the institution, and Laurence Simpson, a Chicago drummer, who plays doctor, attendant and patients with the aid of wigs that the “lawyer” may be fooled on the supposed “filled up” business the place is doing. After the act Laurence refuses to rehearse it a second time and rushes out, leaving his brother and wife quarreling over him. The phone rings. Grant is informed that his brother has been killed by an auto. Here Grant breaks into tears and a transformation comes over his wife when she realizes the boy she has been berating is dead. It’s a quick change and very well done. The new act gives Miss McConnell opportunity to use her old laugh mixed in with some hysterical tears, while there’s a mixture of comedy and pathos. The act was well received Monday night.
17 Mins.; One. Of the trio the tallest wears a plain suit, affects the mannerisms of a simpleton and in addition to singing alone and with the other boys does a bit of Russian legmania that is about the best of the act. One of the trio has a prop smile used overtime. The piano player, who also sings, has pert assurance that gives the wrong impression. The boy sings harmoniously and get plenty of applause.
22 Mins.; Three. “At Home” McConnell and Simpson, assisted by Laurence Simpson, have a new act, “At Home,” by H.H. Winslow. The action is supposed to occur in the McConnell and Simpson home at Kansas City. Living with them is Grant’s brother Laurence. The men return from a ball game, arguing, and the wife at home has a meal waiting. There’s talk of spending the evening out when the suggestion goes that a rehearsal of the new McConnell-Simpson act take place. In a jiffy the trio enacts a farcical little skit with Miss McConnell playing the role of an insane asylum superintendent, Grant Simpson, a lawyer, who makes real conditions at the institution, and Laurence Simpson, a Chicago drummer, who plays doctor, attendant and patients with the aid of wigs that the “lawyer” may be fooled on the supposed “filled up” business the place is doing. After the act Laurence refuses to reherse it a second time and rushes out, leaving his brother and wife quarreling over him. The ‘phone rings. Grant is informed that his brother has been killed by an auto. Here Grant breaks into tears and a transformation comes over his wife when she realizes the boy she has been berating is dead. It’s. a quick change and very well done. The new act gives Miss McConnell opportunity to use her old laugh mixed in with some hysterical tears, while there’s a mixture of comedy and pathos. The act was well received Monday night.
: 23 Mins.; Full Stage. Prodigies of the midget or lilliputation size are no longer a novelty on the American vaudeville stage. Singers Midgets, a recent importation from war-bound Europe, make their play for popularity on the strength of their numbers and their versatility of the little people. The midgets combine a mixture of variety, the act making the best impression with its concerted vocal efforts at the closing on the “Tipperary” number led by two of the company. This “Tipperary” song is put over in typical musical comedy style and is a valuable asset to the entire act. One midget is a miniature Sandow and makes some wonderful lifts for his proportions. One of the older little men puts two elephants through an interesting routine. A woman does pony riding which availed little. Nine of the midgets offered acrobatics, one showing more agility than the rest. Pyramids were in the majority. After a song-violin obbligato number by the man-woman “team,” the finish came with the song. There are 17 in the company. The program says 40. The remainder may have been too small to be seen.
9 Mins.; One. Two boys, one taller than the other, both dressed in black cutaway suits, wearing silk hats and black gloves. They try eccentric dancing, something after the style of many better-known dancers. The opening is different and odd but not well worked out. Position was against them.
: “Piano Songuluslerese.” 12 Mins.; One. Helen Trix put over the surprise of the evening Monday night at Hammerstein’s. She did a clean-cut single that carries with it more legitimate versatility than has been witnessed in a similar turn in ever so long. The result was that Miss Trix scored one of the biggest hits on the program, and left the regulars around the back rail, wondering why she hasn’t been playing in the New York big time houses before this. Opening in a modish wrap and hat, Miss Trix sang “I Don’t Care What becomes of Me” (rather light), and then sat herself before a concert grand, having removed the wrap and coat, revealing her self as a handsome girl in full evening dress. At the piano Miss Trix used “The Land of Coocooco,” not a bad rag, and followed this by a quick change off stage to a very agreeable boy, returning to the stage singing a pretty melody, and closed this part, still at the piano with “I’ve Joined the Squirrel Family,” a comedy number that got right over. After that Miss Trix accompanied herself while whistling pleasantly, and for a final encore sang “Ragpicker,” the only published number in her repertoire. When it may be said that Miss Trix looked as nice as a girl as she did as a boy, and vice versa, besides putting over everything of the many things she did in a first-class workmanlike shape. Helen Trix turned out a turn that can go on any bill, and she made her record Monday night, notwithstanding a poor position, “No. 9,” following much singing, including another singing woman single, but a couple of turns ahead of her. Miss Trix is proving herself a perfect little artiste this week, and compared with the many others, she is entitled to that word, clever.
