Four men in a comedy act and dancing act. The vocal end of the act is clearly all right, all of them being good singers; two of the men are pretty fair comedians, the other two are simply sticks so far as comedy is concerned. It will compare favorably with singing quartette, but it is hardly deserving the place in the bill which I am obliged to give it. 17 minutes in one. GYH.
A young girl about eleven or twelve years of age, I should think, doing the regulation second sight act, and concluding with a rather remarkable exhibition of apparent memory in reading a lot of figures on a black-board. The old system of second sight is apparently used, but it is very cleverly worked and the age of the child makes it in a certain sense rather remarkable, although in no way a sensation. 23 minutes in one. HR.
Ventriloquist. This performer has got an entirely new way of introducing his act using special scenery and making it something like a comedy sketch, using dummy figures as the different characters. His interlocutor work is all right, and mechanically there is nothing to be desired about the act, although he is far from being what I anticipated. 18 minutes, open in full stage, and close in one.
A man and woman in eccentric and character dancing. It is about the same sort of an act that they have always given us, and, while it has not deteriorated any in quality, I am rather inclined to think that our audiences are almost too familiar with it. They got quite a bit of applause, and the act can be called good. 19 minutes, full stage.
A man and woman in a rural comedy sketch. The act is about on a par with the usual run of the three-show-a-day acts of this kind, both performers being pretty good delineators of Yankee character, both as regards dialect and action. The act only went fairly well, however, here. 17 minutes, full stage.
A young fellow who does a clay modeling act and closes with a large crayon drawing. He is about on the average of all the clay modlers [sic], but was handicapped a little this afternoon by having the lights over his easel go out, which destroyed the effect of his work somewhat. During his crayon sketch, he keeps up a running fire of stories, which, while not especially brilliant, make the act somewhat of a novelty and holds the attention of the audience. Can easily be classed as a good act. 12 minutes open in two, close in one.
I am of the same opinion as that of every one else who has seen it on the circuit. It is a direct attempt to copy Farham and Hubbard, and is a lamentable failure from that standpoint. They manage to keep their audience fairly well interested while they are on, but that is about all. 12 minutes open in full stage, and close in one.
Black face comedian. John is as reliable as he ever was, and in a bad place on the bill and only a few people in the audience he managed to hold his own. I think that he is about one of the surest propositions in the business so far as holding the audience is concerned. I know that he would go strong in a better place on the bill, and he gets a much better place in the night show, but he is so sure of entertaining the people when there is a small house that the temptation to use him at that time is almost irresistible. 12 minutes in one.
A man and woman in a hoop rolling and club juggling act. It is the same specialty that they have done with us several times and is really a pretty act. Their work is clever and their wardrobe of the neatest. I think in its entirety it is one of the best acts of the kind that we play. 11 minutes, full stage.
Two men in a comedy talking and fancing [sic] act. These people have changed their act around considerably since I saw them last, and they have really got a very entertaining novelty. They did not show up to the best possible advantage this afternoon on account of the difficult place in the bill, but I think will make a big hit tonight. Conroy is a funny Irishman and McDonald makes an exceedingly good foil, besides doing some clever dancing. 14 minutes in one.
