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 54a

54
Henry Lee, 2 shows, 23 min. full stage--Comment scarcely necessary, as he is the greatest living imitator. His act is greatly improved by the view he gives the audience of his method of making up. Went big all through.
George H. Woods, 2 shows, 22 min. in 1--Blackface comedian with an odd mixture of humor and philosophy, at times it is almost a stump speech. He is inclined to be risque in his stories, and I cut out that in which he tells of the baptism of the children on both ends, although he assured me he had related it all over the circuit. I do not think his stuff, as a whole, is as entertaining as that he used when last here. Wood is better suited to night audiences than afternoon assemblages.
May Edouin and Fred Edwards, 2 shows, 18 min. full stage--In "A Bachelor's Dream", in which the lady makes a number of costume changes and introduces some songs, the best being the laughing song made famous by her mother, the late Alice Atherton. The act went big.
Rosie Rendell, 2 shows, 10 min.--English character dancer, making several changes of costume. Better than an ordinary act--much better than I had been led to believe--and worth a better place which we will give it.
Biograph, 3 shows, 20 min. in 1--Least interesting series of pictures they have given us for some time.
Comment:- The show is fairly good, with reconstruction will probably pan out better than we now think. Owing to a misunderstanding of some of the acts, I did not get the early part of the bill arranged quite right, but that can be corrected. John Harty 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 Henry Lee, 2 shows, 23 min. full stage--Comment scarcely necessary, as he is the greatest living imitator. His act is greatly improved by the view he gives the audience of his method of making up. Went big all through. George H. Woods, 2 shows, 22 min. in 1--Blackface comedian with an odd mixture of humor and philosophy, at times it is almost a stump speech. He is inclined to be risque in his stories, and I cut out that in which he tells of the baptism of the children on both ends, although he assured me he had related it all over the circuit. I do not think his stuff, as a whole, is as entertaining as that he used when last here. Wood is better suited to night audiences than afternoon assemblages. May Edouin and Fred Edwards, 2 shows, 18 min. full stage--In "A Bachelor's Dream", in which the lady makes a number of costume changes and introduces some songs, the best being the laughing song made famous by her mother, the late Alice Atherton. The act went big. Rosie Rendell, 2 shows, 10 min.--English character dancer, making several changes of costume. Better than an ordinary act--much better than I had been led to believe--and worth a better place which we will give it. Biograph, 3 shows, 20 min. in 1--Least interesting series of pictures they have given us for some time. Comment:- The show is fairly good, with reconstruction will probably pan out better than we now think. Owing to a misunderstanding of some of the acts, I did not get the early part of the bill arranged quite right, but that can be corrected. John Harty 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.