This number from ‘The Isle of Spice’ contains 11 girls including Delight Barsch a pretty little woman with a captivating voice. The chorus is one of the liveliest ever seen in vaudeville. They appear in two scenes The Maid of Nicobar and the broomstick witches. They carry no scenery but went very big with the audience. 15 min, FS.
2 shows, 18 min, full stage. Trick bicyclist, introducing jumping and somersaulting on the wheel. First time in 5 years. Some of his tricks are so reckless that they created considerable stir among our audience, in fact, too much. He was not in good working order, and failed in many of his tricks. As a consequence, we will move him up till he at least gets in better working order.
20 minutes, interior in a comedy sketch ‘A Friends Advice.’ This is a very good sketch and Miss Morris does very well in it. Her support, Mr. Arthur Hoops and Mr. Ph. Sheffield, are about the worst I have ever seen. I do not know what their former business was but whatever it was I feel sure they could do better at it than acting. In spite of the alleged actors, the act is going very well.
30 min, FS. This act has a great many vey good points, but is also lacking in others that are essential. First of all, it is too long, even cut down from 40 min. to 30. Morris and his men do seem to have such a strong hold on the act that the several stunts follow each other with rapidity and dash such as is necessary in an animal act. Palpable imitations of Berzac’s features, notably the revolving table, were also patent. For all that, there are some very good things in this circus feature. The bear on horseback, for instance, and the dogs doing the high-jumps, were strongly applauded. After it has gone through a month or two of hard work and a constant hammering down in time, this will prove one of the best animal acts on the circuit.
Original monologue. 19 min. in 1. Quite agree with all that has been said about Crawford and his work. As an entertainer he is certainly A.I. His character sketches were faithful to life and full of genuine and individual humor. Beside that, he is high class in all that he does, and his characterizations are the best. The poem by Kipling was an encore, and got by all means the strongest hand. His second encore was a story that has been seen in print a good deal of late, but his manner of telling it was immense. Regard him as a strong acquisition. He will do even better with our night audiences the rest of the week I feel sure.
Note: cut ‘Don’t thank me, madam,’ story about the woman with the six children. Also story of the boy with the fifth rib. This cut was previously made in Boston, he should have known that a cut in one place on the circuit means all. Vaudeville performers will learn this after a while, but at the present time they seem to think that they can break out wherever they want to, trusting to luck.
17 min. in 1. Coming after the foregoing they had a very hard place to fill. They were some minutes getting hold of their audience. Their work is somewhat of the Smith and Campbell variety, and while not an imitation, at the same time they have profited by the success of those favorites. Are using much of the old Haines and Vidoqc material. Some of their lines savor a little vulgarity, and will have to be cut. Finally caught their audience pretty strong. Closed very well. With a few emendations, this feature is OK.
‘A Lesson in Opera.’ FS, closing in 1. Man and woman in Spanish costumes, making a very good presentation, giving selections from the Operas, with comedy between. Both have excellent voices and sing with taste, displaying accurate training. It is the kind of musical act that always goes well here. Selection well applauded and a strong hand and encore at the close. 20 min.
Talkative trickster. 12 min in 1. Makes a good presentation, his talk bright and original. Tricks are not particularly difficult or brilliant, but they seem to hold the attention of the audience quite well. Very good three-a-day feature of parlor entertainment variety, Cut out, ‘How can she lay in bed when everything lays in the chair,’ which is neither funny nor apropos.
European novelty acrobats and are a decided novelty. Two fairly good-looking young ladies, who go through a series of rapid acrobatic stunts. Do a few tricks on the horizontal bar and closed with one of them doing a cart-wheel on a platform supported at one end on the back of the other sister. A good act and well received. 8 min, full stage.
Singers and dancers. This delegation had the house padded in great shape this afternoon, for they made the hit of their life. Went very strong. Compelled to take several encores. The dancing is excellent. The harmony of the voices is not as strong as we have had, but the act is mighty valuable to the three-show section. 18 min in one, 3 shows.
