In the variety farce, called, “The Information Bureau.” A pleasing number, full of good laughs and rather entertaining. It is a lightly threaded skit, intermingled with songs and dances and is all right in a properly balanced bill if one before three and nine. Twenty minutes full stage.
While this act is accorded some advance applause, there does not seem to be any weight to the name of Donlin. I might say, in describing their work, that Donlin is a ball-player and Tom Lewis a comedian, in other words Lewis is funny and Donlin only a fair straight man. Their specialty consists of some patter, which is very light, impersonations that are far-fetched and a bit of burlesque ventriloquism that gets a few laughs. At the money, they are an absolute frost and, in order to go the rounds (for the money they want – four figures) a great many changes are necessary and then some more. Twenty-one minutes in one.
Assisted by Mlle. Jeanette. Impersonations. Mlle D’Arville attempts four characters and allows the jury to see how she makes the changes, which naturally keeps them quiet. Her voice is very bad and the act is impossible. Thirteen minutes, opens and closes in one.
With Charles Wyngate, Tom Maguire and Halbert Brown, giving the first presentation of a one act play, called “The Woman Intervenes” by J. Hartley Manners. The story tells of the infatuation of a young bachelor for the wife of an army officer and his visits to her home on the plea of consoling her for the apparent neglect of her husband. “The Woman,” a one-time charmer of the bachelor, learns of his visits, interferes at the critical moment and offers a made-to-order explanation. The play is very interesting, with situations cleverly introduced can carried out to a nicety. The action is rapid and complete. There is a little drawing power to the name here and, if the price is not too high, will be good in all the big cities. A splendid feature is the manner in which Miss Roberts presents the sketch. She is a very clever actress and is given admirable support. Twenty-two minutes, full stage.
This young man gives us quite a novelty in music. He opens in three with all the atmosphere of Gypsy life, showing the wagon, camp-fire and drop, quite picturesque, which serves to introduce Saranoff, hence the title “The Gypsy Idol.” He gives a splendid repertoire on the violin, clearly proving that he is a “master” of instrument, and finishes with several ragtime selections. Notwithstanding his musical ability, one cannot but admire the fellow for his very pleasant manner in which he presents his offering. At every performance, he is the applause hit and leaves them wanting more. If the salary is not consideration, Saranoff should have immediate booking. Sixteen minutes with about three minutes in one.
This place has been rather an unfortunate position. At the Monday afternoon performance, Creighton Brothers were an absolute fiasco, their material is bad, in fact, everything they attempted failed to get over. At the evening performance, Jerge and Hamilton, man and woman in songs and dances tried to fill the gap. They were a little stronger than Creighton Brothers but fell short. The woman makes a pleasing appearance, good voice, but extremely weak as a comedienne, trying to force her work. The man is a poor assistant; while he has a good voice, he lacks finish. Bert Terrill, a Tyrolean Yodler [sic] with an excellent repertoire, including a clever impersonation, negotiated the place in splendid manner. He is a good Dutch character vocalist, works fast and covers the entire stage during the rendition of his songs. Ten minutes in one.
Man an [sic] a woman in an acrobatic comedy. The woman makes a pleasing appearance and goes through some fairly good acrobatic and gymnastic dancing. The man works in eccentric make-up and is a fair acrobat. While their routine is good, they don’t seem to have the ginger or succeed in getting laughs. They finish with the “Melrose Fall” using four tables, which sends them off to good applause, but not as good as the “original Melrose Fall.” However, they manage to open the show fairly well. Thirteen minutes, full stage.
By Phillip Bartholomae, author of “Over Night” and “Little Miss Brown.” A novel comedy from the German. The cast contains three men and two women. The idea is, that while a novelist is reading his work, actors illustrate it by interpreting the words literally and grotesquely. It is really a novelty and can go the rounds. Fourteen minutes, full stage, special set.
In a Scotch comedy called, “The Concealed Bed,” with a cast of five, three women and two men. As a New York feature, this man’s name is great, being the author of “Bunty Pulls the Strings” and “A Scrape o’ the Pen,” and I presume it would be a novelty all over the circuit, as the players are genuine Scots from Glasgow. Like “Bunty,” “The Concealed Bed” deals with Scotch life. The bed is not an unusual feature of tenement house in Glasgow. Only insofar as it is used as a place of concealment during the course of the play, is it of importance in the amusing situations and development of the plot. The real humor of the story is in the lines and the antics of a couple of comedy characters. The offering is novel and worthy of booking. Twenty-eight minutes, full stage.
Is a comedy offered by J.W. Mumsey and Edgar Mac Gregor. Edgar Peple is the author. There are three characters, the Man, the Boy, and the Servant. The man is rich, the Boy, working for a salary, and both are in love with the Girl. The Man offers $10,000 to the boy to leave town and the Girl. The offer is refused and the Man produces two revolvers and decided one must die. The Boy is reluctant to fight but has no alternative. The Servant drops a handkerchief as a signal and the Man falls. His shot puts out the single light in the room. Believing that he killed the Man, the Boy escapes taking with him the $10,000 and the Servant. After the curtain has been lowered for a few seconds to denote a lapse of a few hours, the Servant returns bent on robbing his employer, but finds the Man very much alive. The Man explains that it has been a trick to frighten the Boy and that the Boy’s revolver contained only blank cartridges. He gloats over the success of his scheme, while the servant tells him that the Boy left on a midnight train and, to the surprise of the Man, the Girl goes with the Boy. Hall McAllister plays “the Man,” Albert Latscha “the Boy” and Cyril Young “the Servant.” The characters of the Boy and the Servant are very well played, the Man a little nervous. It is novel presentation, well played and the audience seems to like the play. It would make a corking act for a man star. Twenty-one minutes full stage, own set.
