This is one of the best dog acts in the business from the standpoint of ‘straight’ work but there are as many novelty acts coming into the business the old fashioned dog act is not cared so much for and I think this salary is $25.00 more than it should be also. 12 min. full stage, 2 shows.
Singing and dancing comedy sketch. Personally I like this act very much but it made no great hit with the audience and they closed to only fair applause. From the standpoint of ‘salary’ should say they were only fair judging from the way the audience accepted it. 19 min. full stage, 2 shows.
Ventriloquist. This man has some pretty good stuff and pleased the audience who were evidently waiting for something to happen after the first two acts. Very good from a 3 a day standpoint. 20 min. open in 3, close in one, 3 shows.
Comedienne. This is the only act in one that I have in the entire bill. This place is too strong for her, but there is no help for it. She closed much stronger than she opened. I am going to cut the act some and change it about for the night show. She placed a small boy in a balcony box to sing to her and closed with a little soubrette work. Very good, for an earlier place. 15 minutes in one.
Received liberal advance applause. Gave imitations of Ada Rehan, Edna May, Harry Bulger, Miss Josephine Sabel, Miss Ethel Barrymore, Miss Marble Harrison, Madam Sarah Bernhardt. Every imitation was applauded. The audience apparently understood them all. I did not. Miss Loftus received four curtain calls at close. CDF in 2 1/2. Close in one. 14 minutes.
I had to shift Sato to this place on the bill instead of Kokin for he would not work in one. Mr. Hodgson wrote me that the whole act was in one, but Sato demanded C.D.F. in three and, as this necessitated a wait of two minutes or more, I put the wait in here, Sato does nothing new although he is very clever with the old stuff. Received few laughs and very little applause. 12 minutes, CDF in three, close in one.
Owing to trouble in getting his trunks here, we were obliged to have Lafayette combine both his acts into one. In the first part of his act in which he introduces quick changes, burlesque on Ching Ling Foo, etc. he was rather disappointing, and while he held the attention fairly well, quite a number went out, and he failed to arouse any enthusiasm. The Ching Ling Foo business has been done to death in this house, and he draws it out entirely too long. His travesties on noted band and orchestra leaders, in which he is assisted by his ‘TRAVESTY’ band went much better, and created lots of laughter. To-night we will split acts by having Matthews & Ashley follow his quick change work, and I expect his imitations to be a hit. His band is certainly a shine, but as the whole thing is worked out in a spirit of burlesque, it will do. There is no doubt that he is drawing the people, and I think with the new arrangement he will make good. First part 15 min, second part 30 mins, both Spec. in 4.
These boys are giving us their new act called ‘A Smashup in Chinatown’ in which one portrays a dopey cab driver, the other a Hebrew. They carry their own set which represents a street in Chinatown at night, and is quite effective. They open up with an entirely new line of talk which is good, and then introduce some songs and parodies. Closing with the song ‘Nobody’ one singing straight verses, the Jew doing parodies. The whole act went well, and closed very strong indeed. Think they have struck a winner. 20 mins. Spec in 1.
This was Miss Burt’s initial appearance in vaudeville in this house since she was leading lady for Henry Irving, consequently her work was watched with a great deal of interest. She opened with Field’s ‘Seeing Things at Night’ then gave the monologue which she formerly did in vaudeville, introducing the character hat business, which brought a number of laughs. As an encore for this she did an imitation of a London female serio comic singer in costume, which was bad, and she will substitute something else. Miss Burt proved herself a thorough artist, very versatile, and has an attractive personality. 17 Olio in 1.
This is Wormwood’s old dog and monkey act, and they always make good in this house, being well trained. The monkeys supply quite a lot of comedy. Wormwood is getting very careless. He came in to-day with two green property men, no covers for chairs, stools, and so forth, and as far as his share of the stage setting is concerned, it would not do for the Dime Museum. He should be made [sic] get up to date if he is to play first class theatres. 18 mins. House Gar. In 4.
