“All the World Loves a Lover”:- 25 min. F.S. 2 shows. ON at 9:25. This is a very clever sketch, although the foundation of it is rather inconsistent. Certainly Rice and Cohen get all there is out of it. The plot is simple and concerns a young man who has invited his fiancée to dine with him, but receives word that she has missed the train. HE then invites a chorus fay who accepts and then disappoints him .. The fiancée turns up after all (though by what code of ethics she condescends to such a thing is not plain) discovers the situation and takes the part of the chorus guest, gets loaded apparently, and cuts up general high jinks. The situation in other hands than such clever people would devolve into something rather undignified to say the least. But it is well restrained right up to the good finish. There are a good many laughs throughout and pleased on the whole.
12 min. F.S. 2 shows. On at 8:55. This is an excellent children’s act. Rafayette himself is a gymnast as well as a trainer. The dogs certainly work marvellously well and introduce a lot of tricks that have never been seen here before, such as backward somersaults from high perch, dog-balancing on dogs, etc. etc. Kept the children in constant laughter and worked up to a fine finish. The dogs show none of the accustomed fear of the trainer that characterizes animal acts usually. An all right specialty for this spot.
Comedy:- 15 min. in 1. 2 shows. ON at 8:40. New line of talk, some of it was of a pretty seamy order, and the best of it was not so excruciatingly funny as to put the audience in convulsions. It deals principally with a matrimonial squabble, mother-in-law and other trite phases of life. The redeeming feature of the act is the finish,- a very good song, well given, and receiving good applause and a curtain call. Went far better in the evening when some of his “undertaker” humor and “hearse”-talk was cut out.
20min. F.S. 2 shows. ON at 8:20. This act has improved since it was here before, both in singing and dancing. The solos and chorus work pleased the audience greatly and worked up to a strong climax with the Watermelon Girls. There is not very much humor in the act, but it is graceful and refined. Applauded throughout and good strong finish, with three curtain calls.
Col. Comm:- 16 min. in 1. 3 shows. ON at 7.12. This is a very good coon act, indeed. The woman is a good singer and the man has a sense of comedy. The cat-duet got many laughs and good applause. The dancing finish is also O.K. The act could go well anywhere on the three-a-day section. Closed with strong gallery hand.
The head line monologist. If I had billed Mr. Golden according to the success that he attained here yesterday, he would have been among the three-a-day for he fell down like a “thousand of brick,” and really I don’t see why – in any house – he should have made a hit for there was nothing in his work, to my mind, that was clever. Following some of the excellent men in his line that we have had this season his “light was much dimmed” by comparison. I note that in the other houses he did 20 min. The best that he could do here was 12 min. in the afternoon and by shifting his stuff at night, he managed to do 13 min. Only fit for an 8.15 turn in Providence. NEVER AGAIN.
At the afternoon show, with a crowded house and practically a holiday audience there being no school and a rainy day, this act made a big hit, but I was inclined to believe it was because of our class of audience more than the act itself and watched it very closely at the night show when they, by no means, lived up to the hit of the afternoon. In any house where the roughest kind of slap-stick stuff is appreciated and where an artistic side is not considered very much, they would make a hit. To say that it was boisterous would be putting it mildly. It is so coarse that it borders very strongly on vulgarity. I made more cuts in this act than I have in any ten acts this season. The girl’s dancing was a big hit at the night’s show as well as in the afternoon and their finish in one scored quite strongly, but I can’t see the rest of the act, altho’ I think it is worth playing, but not again for me. 22 min. open full stage with about 3 min. in 1, 2 shows, should be 3.
Youth violinist who plays exceedingly well and no small part of his success is due to the excellent work of his sister at the piano. Exceptionality good act for the money for any house. 12 min. in 2, can work in one, if absolutely necessary with upright piano and where there is a large apron. I think 2 is the best for it. 2 shows.
This young fellow did remarkably well for us playing both Providence and Pawtucket houses and really made a hit considering his place on the bill, in both places. He works somewhat after the manner of Bert Fitzgibbon, but I wouldn’t say that he is as clever as he, neither is his material as good, but he gets lots of applause and laughs and that’s the whole story. 11 min. in 1, 3 shows.
On at 8.13, 23 min, full stage. Presenting the George Ade sketch, “On His Uppers.” Lennox did very well here to-day, better than I expected. With a few slight changes in the sketch, and with a new woman, I think that this act at $250 would be a find, for Lennox certainly makes good and George Ade’s name is worth a lot in advertising. The sketch itself is full of bright lines.
