‘The Unexpected.’ This is a good sketch throughout. Davis is a very conscientious worker, and is ably supported by Miss Macauley, whom we consider a good actress. She is neat and dainty and makes a good appearance on stage. The situations are funny, the act goes with a rush, and seems to please our audience greatly. Full stage, 19 minutes.
2 shows, 25 min, full stage. Can close in 1 if necessary. This man presented one of the most interesting and humorous acts that we have had in this house for an age and it may develop throughout the week that he will do strong that we shall be obliged to continue him for the balance of a fortnight. It is the biggest thing in the shape of a trail act we have ever had here.
(Supplementary report)
I wish to add to the report of yesterday that this man has certainly made the biggest hit scored in this house for a long time, and the quality of the audience last night demonstrated the fact that he draws the best people, as our higher price seats filled first, while reverse has been the case for several weeks past. His work is unusually interesting, and I never saw an audience give such undivided attention to anybody, from the topmost seat in the Balcony to the Orchestra floor. Not only is his material of interest but it is highly humorous in spots, and one of the contributions to vaudeville that is such a novelty that it becomes talked about by everybody. While I have no doubt that he would draw even better next week than this, I will wait until the later part of the week before finally deciding. There is evidently intense interest in the subject of palmistry of which we have but little knowledge and people are only too glad to avail themselves of an opportunity of witnessing the man upon the stage who enjoys such a worldwide celebrity as Dr. Perin. He will stand strong advertising and I think should be booked over the circuit without fail, as this probably the hardest community he could have gone up against with such an act.
2 shows, 35 min, full stage. Presenting ‘Why Walker Reformed,’ which I consider the best thing in their repertoire. It is full of chuckles, rather than provocative loud laughter. Being capitally acted, it stands as one of the most artistic sketches in vaudeville. The chief fault with Mr. Noble’s farces, as far as Boston is concerned, is that they are about 15 min too long. As a result, we will be obliged to put them on at an hour that will not do justice to them nor be satisfactory to us.
3 shows, 14 min, full stage. This boy is a wonder. He is only 15 years of age, weighs 105 pounds, but is the most perfectly developed youth whom I have ever seen. He first gives an exhibition of his muscular development, a la Sandow, then does a lot of weight lifting that is astonishing, because not one man in 50 of the candidates for firemen and policeman can accomplish it, I am given to understand. Then he gives an excellent exhibition of various sorts of punching. He has a lot of handsome apparatus. The act went well, and could stand for a better place in the bill than we have given it.
2 shows, 22 min in 1. Blackface comedian with an odd mixture of humor and philosophy, at times it is almost a stump speech. He is inclined to be risqué in his stories, and I cut out that in which he tells of the baptism of the children on both ends, although he assured me he had related it all over the circuit. I do not think his stuff, as a whole, is entertaining as that he used when here last year. Wood is better suited to night audiences than afternoon assemblages.
2 shows, 18 min in 3. First named singer, with brilliant voice but unpleasant habit of ‘flatting,’ which detracts from her work. Miss Stevens is a graceful dancer. The setting of the act is something of a novelty, each girl having a section of the stage to herself, and with a bit of ‘scrim’ to cover up the change of costume, which are frequent. For the salary it would be all right of it were doing 3-turn, as it is not a strong enough act to be included in the 2-show section.
3 shows, 26 min, open full stage, close in 1. I think this is a capital 3-a-day comedy sketch. The woman is a cross between Mrs. Chas., Ellis and Margie Cline, the tone of her voice being at times like both. She does the talking while the man appears as a half witted person, making capital foil for his partner. The woman is also fair singer, her Irish ballads seeming to be appreciated by those left in the house to hear them. This is the sort of act I could give a better place to in the bill, if it were not so over crowded with other good material.
2 shows, 19 min, in 1. Eccentric comedian and vocalist, well known to legitimate audiences from his long connection with musical comedies and comic opera. Did not go so strong as I expected this afternoon, but I believe he will win out with the night audiences. He had a very stiff contract in following Cressy who had drawn out so much laughter that they needed a rest. He is an exceptionally clever chap, as vaudeville entertainers go.
3 shows, 13 min, in 1. This is a Scotch girl, recently arrive in this country, whom I put on for trial. She is all right in every respect, having pleasing voice, of good appearance and rendered Scotch songs with effectiveness. She was liberally applauded after each selection. Can be booked on the balances of the circuit and elsewhere on my certificate of being all right, if not given too stiff a place on the bill. Along about 2:30 and 3:00 she would made [sic] good.
