12 Mins.;
Full Stage
A very classy bicycle act. Closing the show at the Colonial within a minute or two of 11 o’clock, it held the audience in till the finish. It is made up of two girls and a man, the girls attired first in abbreviated Watteau dresses, with little hats to match. The act is backed up by an artistic sateen cyclorama drop on which are painted a couple of fancy portraits in medallions, the figures being in Colonial costumes in keeping with the dressing of the girls in the act. After going to all this trouble to secure such an artistic effect, the man in the act is attired in modern Tuxedo raiment, not at all in keeping with the “picture.” Later the girls strip to tights with ballet-length skirts and knickers, and are at all times comely in appearance. All three ride their wheels well, performing single, double and trio work of good quality. A very pleasing act of its kind.
Trained Pony.
11 Mins.; Full.
Man in bed snoring. Wife enters and informs audience he has been out all night. Man awakes. Some crossfire. Pony who has been concealed beneath the bed clothes appears. Pony is bone of contention In domestic wrangle Which follows. A travestied drama with the pony as the hero wrestling with and ejecting the villain It the finish.
13 Mins.;
Full Stage.
Besides the seals, Captain Betts has two monkeys and a fighting cock which contribute their share to the entertainment. A girl works the seals, and Captain Betts takes care of the monks and fighting cock. There is some little novelty to the combination, and also in the fact that the animals work together. One trick in which a seal goes up and down a flight of stairs, balancing a pole upon which the cock is perched, pleased the audience immensely. The monks work well and several very good laughs are gained with them. One of the monks plays ball with the seals and also throws them fish. This is the sort of stuff that Captain Betts should work up to, for it is meat for an audience. The seals, four of them, go through the regulation tricks. The act is a pleasing and entertaining one of its kind and where, an act of this description is needed, will fill the bill very nicely.
9 Mins; One.
Apparently two acrobats who are trying to get away from a straight tumbling turn and have devised a quantity of “nut” stuff and dancing to serve as a novelty. They are not yet sure of themselves and do their clowning in an uncertain way that leaves the audience at times wondering If they are kidding themselves or the customers. One of the men lies prone on the stage and waves his arms while the other displays a sign “impersonation of a swimmer.” The comic flops about the stage when the banner reads “a hooch hound.” Both men seize every opportunity to make announcements, with the usual results when an acrobat talks to an audience. They have a burlesque lariat manipulating bit that might be developed, but most of the stuff needs remoulding by an expert hand. This is not true of the acrobatic dance which serves as the finale, and which is a first rate performance.
15 Mins.; One.
Clean cut, personable youths, they affect an eccentric make-up only as to shelltex “cheaters,” which they maintain until the final bend. The turn is built for comedy, and good comedy means plenty of laughs. They delivered on both ends in full measure. While a portion of the crossfire listens familiar its treatment lent it a nascent sound. The Windy City review also makes no mention of the burlesque instrumentailzation on “kazoo” saxophones, and since this consumed some six or seven minutes, it must be something new to the act. The response It earned warrants its retention permanently.
The Fox of this combination was formerly of Gilday and Fox, a Hebrew dialect team. In this specialty Fox la essaying the well-dressed straight man but at times gets back into the old dialect The comedian tries a hair-lip character at the opening and does a semi- drunk at the finish. The talk contains nothing that would be worth remembering. There Is little point to it and at no time does it become funny. The one funny bit Is the short leg incident, done well and repeated for a good laugh. The singing of a ballad by the straight man will gain results in these houses where ballads are about as sure fire as anything that can be secured. Any time two men, straight and comedian, come on It. Is a cinch bet that a ballad will be forthcoming.
10 Mins.; One.
If she was not nervous then there is little to say excepting that her offering will not do for vaudeville. She does all her material without leaving the stage. Most of the time is taken up with a bride song in which she introduces pictures of her five husbands, delivering a monolog on each one. The pictures are of a comic variety and the material might not be bad if properly done. For a finish she strips a trick dress appearing in Turkish garb for a burlesque dance which, like the rest, seems forced and awkward, rather than funny. It may all have been due to newness and nervousness as before mentioned. In that case Miss Kane should go out and work the sticks not for ten days, but for tan weeks until she gets the points and rids herself of the trying to be funny air which is now there.
8 Mins; Full Stage.
This turn was formerly of the Gelli Family, a French acrobatic act which was first seen here two years ago. The letter box expose of the midget is used at the opening. The two young men who perform most of the work are classy workers and are “good looking.” The routine is varied, with foot Juggling of one of the men who tosses the other and the midget about… The body swing stunt done in spotlight drew’ a big hand. It is probable the act was cut in numbers because of the price five persons must have called for. In the present form the Gellis rate a first rank acrobatic act. Closing the show they held the house.
The name of the act was taken from the principals who are all South Americana with the exception of a nut comedian, solely North American. The act runs quite a little to the dances of the southern countries. The principals are evidently but recently Imported for they do not attempt either talk or songs in English… The comedian is sort of an acrobatic nut comic with some ability and very little material. ‘ He is’ doing all of the usual nut bits, picking here and there from those who have traveled before and not landing any place in particular. He is not altogether to blame for he is out there on his own most of the time, getting very little assistance from the material 01 the other principals. He seems to have ability as a dancer, but only attempts one short routine. Properly placed he might give a good account of himself. The special set gives the surroundings a sort of a southern atmosphere and is fixed up to give the idea of a hotel lobby. There are nine people, six men and three women. A leader may also be carried. The size of the act makes it too big to handle for the small time, especially at this time of the year and the act for the big time is not there. It has all the ear marks of a small time girl act and used as one would do very well as a feature. Monday night at the Broadway the act took several curtains. Most of the applause came from the balcony.
10 Mins. One.
A male pianist is carried to accompany the artist’s vocal efforts. Opening in a pretty evening gown, Misa Kean opens with a classical number, exhibiting a cultured soprano. A popular number follows with a ballad next, followed by “Somewhere.” The singer has a good voice but lack* the experience, delivery and personality to get by in the big time houses. For the three a day she would get more by deleting the classical offerings entirely. Just another voice and piano.
