DIY History | Transcribe | Keith-Albee Collection | Keith-Albee managers' report book, September 21, 1903 - March 14, 1904

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Keith-Albee managers' report book, September 21, 1903 - March 14, 1904

Page 54

54
(M. J. Keating)
Boston Show, Week of Nov. 2, 1903
Stereopticon, 3 shows, 10 min. in 1--Usual collection of interesting home and foreign views.
Naomi Ethardo, 3 shows, 9 min. full stage--Pleasing "sight" act for its place in the program. She does some neat acrobatic contortion and equilibristic work.
Howard and Harris, 3 shows, 21 min. open full stage, close in 1--Comedy, singing, eccentric dancing and acrobatic contortion act, the woman furnishing the latter, her work being almost as good as that of the preceding performer. The comedy and singing does not amount to much, but their specialties carry it off as a 3-a-day act.
"A [Female?] Drummer" Quartet, 3 shows, 15 min. open full stage, close in 1--Four colored vocalists, appearing as waiters in a dining room. They are very good singers, especially the bass and made an excellent impression. The stage idea is a bit of a novelty for vaudeville.
Adelaide Roattino and Clara Stevens, 2 shows, 18 min. in 3- First named singer, with brilliant voice but unpleasant habit of "flatting", which detracts from her work. Miss Stevens is a graceful dancer. The setting of the act is something of a novelty, each girl having a section of the stage to herself, and with a bit of "scrim" to cover up the changes of costume, which are frequent. For the salary it would be all right if it were doing a 3-turn, as it is not a strong enough act to be included in the 2-show section.
Hoey and Lee, 2 shows, 12 min. in 1--Hebrew comedies and parody singers. That sort of thing never went strong here and these chaps are not nearly so clever as I was given to understand. They are all right about 2 and 8 p.m., but could never stand for a later place in this house.
Robertus and Wilfredo, 2 shows, 9 min. full stage--Bounding ball jugglers, and as skilful as they make them in that line of work. The act is greatly strengthened, especially for the afternoon audience, by the utilization of a clever dog, whose few stunts are well performed and who makes a hit with ladies and children.
John Howley and Allie Leslie, 3 shows, 13 min. in 1--Singers and dancers, the woman interpolating juvenile imitations. As vocalists they are a complete failure, but their dancing is clever and the little imitation amusing.
George B. Snyder and Harry Buckley, 2 shows, 23 min. open full stage, close in 1--Musical comedians, clever as instrumentalists and comedy work is laugh provoking in similar acts of which I have any knowledge. First wakeup of the audience, which, however, was a bit lethargetic.


did not turn up, which upset the balance of the show at that point, and Howley and Leslie did not make good so far down the bill as I had them placed, although they have done so on a previous occasion.
I tried out Jas. B. Donovan, in a monologue, and found him lacking as his material does not fit him for consideration among the leaders in that line of entertainment. He is not worth the money he asks, as he cannot make good.
Tomorrow I will add the Todd-Judge family of acrobats to the show and have them work in 1, as they have done on a previous occasion, by eliminating the pole work that he usually does, a la Japanese.
Having done all this I rather fancy the show will be pretty nearly as good as those we have offered during the past few weeks.

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54 (M. J. Keating) Boston Show, Week of Nov. 2, 1903 Stereopticon, 3 shows, 10 min. in 1--Usual collection of interesting home and foreign views. Naomi Ethardo, 3 shows, 9 min. full stage--Pleasing "sight" act for its place in the program. She does some neat acrobatic contortion and equilibristic work. Howard and Harris, 3 shows, 21 min. open full stage, close in 1--Comedy, singing, eccentric dancing and acrobatic contortion act, the woman furnishing the latter, her work being almost as good as that of the preceding performer. The comedy and singing does not amount to much, but their specialties carry it off as a 3-a-day act. "A [Female?] Drummer" Quartet, 3 shows, 15 min. open full stage, close in 1--Four colored vocalists, appearing as waiters in a dining room. They are very good singers, especially the bass and made an excellent impression. The stage idea is a bit of a novelty for vaudeville. Adelaide Roattino and Clara Stevens, 2 shows, 18 min. in 3- First named singer, with brilliant voice but unpleasant habit of "flatting", which detracts from her work. Miss Stevens is a graceful dancer. The setting of the act is something of a novelty, each girl having a section of the stage to herself, and with a bit of "scrim" to cover up the changes of costume, which are frequent. For the salary it would be all right if it were doing a 3-turn, as it is not a strong enough act to be included in the 2-show section. Hoey and Lee, 2 shows, 12 min. in 1--Hebrew comedies and parody singers. That sort of thing never went strong here and these chaps are not nearly so clever as I was given to understand. They are all right about 2 and 8 p.m., but could never stand for a later place in this house. Robertus and Wilfredo, 2 shows, 9 min. full stage--Bounding ball jugglers, and as skilful as they make them in that line of work. The act is greatly strengthened, especially for the afternoon audience, by the utilization of a clever dog, whose few stunts are well performed and who makes a hit with ladies and children. John Howley and Allie Leslie, 3 shows, 13 min. in 1--Singers and dancers, the woman interpolating juvenile imitations. As vocalists they are a complete failure, but their dancing is clever and the little imitation amusing. George B. Snyder and Harry Buckley, 2 shows, 23 min. open full stage, close in 1--Musical comedians, clever as instrumentalists and comedy work is laugh provoking in similar acts of which I have any knowledge. First wakeup of the audience, which, however, was a bit lethargetic. did not turn up, which upset the balance of the show at that point, and Howley and Leslie did not make good so far down the bill as I had them placed, although they have done so on a previous occasion. I tried out Jas. B. Donovan, in a monologue, and found him lacking as his material does not fit him for consideration among the leaders in that line of entertainment. He is not worth the money he asks, as he cannot make good. Tomorrow I will add the Todd-Judge family of acrobats to the show and have them work in 1, as they have done on a previous occasion, by eliminating the pole work that he usually does, a la Japanese. Having done all this I rather fancy the show will be pretty nearly as good as those we have offered during the past few weeks.