DIY History | Transcribe | Keith-Albee Collection | Keith-Albee manager reports, September 2, 1902 - September 3, 1903

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Keith-Albee manager reports, September 2, 1902 - September 3, 1903

Page 243

NEW YORK SHOW: WEEK APRIL 13.

STEREOPTICON: Usual selection of views. 11 minutes in one.

KR.--Bissonetti & Newman.--Two men in a straight acrobatic act. The act is a fairly goo one. The main difficulty with it being that it lacks finish. They do some very good hand balancing, and their general work is all first class, and if they had the grace of the European performer they could easily occupy a much better place in the bill than they ever can under present conditions.  7 minutes, full stage.

SR.--LUCY MONROE.--This act was put on to take the place of Gilber Saroney, who cancelled. She has a rather light voice, but handles it fairly well and is one of those attractive appearing sort of women who always manage to pull through even if they don't  do quite as well. She does impersonation of several different actresses, and concludes with an imitation of Anna Held, singing a drinking song which goes very nicely and enables her to leave the stage on good terms with her audience. It is a dull sort of act and can be classed as fairly good.  12 minutes in one.

GRR.--LAUDER & STANLEY.-- Man and woman in a little country sketch entitled "Detained on Business." In this particular case the woman is very much better than the man. She is really quite a clever little actress. The man, although not at all bad, is just a little bit wishy-washy in a way and does not show near as much ability. The situations of the act, however, carry it all right and they got quite a lot of laughs. It is an acceptable offer in an early place on the bill  17 minutes, full stage.

HR.--VITAGRAPH.--The selection of views this week hardly equals in merit that of last week as the exhibit is lacking a display of novelty. The feature of the list is a representation of a fire, introducing the fire department from the time that it starts from the house until the fire is quenched, and incidentally shows a little life saving which gets quite a lot of applause. 21 minutes in one.

GNH.--DAVIS & MACAULEY.--A man and a woman in a comedy sketch entitled "The Unexpected." The sketch deals with a horse race theme and is exceedingly cleverly worked. I think that Davis is about the most conscientious worker who was ever put on a dramatic sketch in this house. The lines and situations are both funny and he makes the best of his opportunity. The woman while not quite as good as the man still gives him very able support, and the act can be classed as a mighty good one throughout. 20 minutes, full stage.

GRR.--IRENE FRANKLIN.--this is the Irene Franklin whom we used to play when she was a child. She is now a full grown woman and presents a very nice stage appearance. She has several songs that are new to our audience and, while she does not make a pronounced hit, she does a good act and is especially acceptable from the fact that she is a new face. 10 minutes in one.

GHR.--FREDERICK BROS. & BURNS.--Two men and a woman in a musical comedy act. They have a way of introducing their musical numbers in their comedy which gives it the appearance of being impromptu, and on that account the act has an appearance of being impromptu, and on that account the act has an appearance of novelty which is refreshing. They have one or two bits too that are really novel, among them being the placing of pieces of glass arranged something after the style of a xylophone, only being suspended perpendicularly which makes very pretty music and got our audience extremely well this afternoon. It is a very good act throughout. 20 minutes opening in full stage, and closing in five minutes in one.

[....]11 minutes, full stage.

AR.--YEAGER & YEAGER.--Colored man and woman in about their usual style of acting presented by all colored couples. So far as this house is concerned, I was agreeably disappointed in the act, for I was afraid that it was going to be mediocre, but barring a tendency on the part of the woman to a rather free display of lingerie the act was very satisfactory indeed, and the audience seemed to enjoy it well. 15 minutes in one.

GRR.--MURPHY & WILLARD.--Man and woman in a comedy sketch, in which the man impersonates a sort of happy-go-lucky "rube", and the woman acts as a feeder, and is a very good vocalist. The man is quite an unctious comedian, and has a method of delivering his lines which reaches the audience every time. I have not played the act for for the last two or three years on account of a bad report which I received from the Boston house.  and I guess we were the losers in not doing so. 20 minutes in full stage; could close in one if required.

RR.--ARMSTRONG & WRIGHT.--Man and woman in a comedy talking, singing and dancing act which warrants about the same criticism that has been given it in the other house. The man and woman are both fairly good performers, doing nothing whatever offensive.  15 minutes in one.

AR.--LA CIEL.--This is a very ordinary sort of a turn, and can only be classed as fair. It furnishes a pretty good illustration of what we get usually when we undertake to get down to a low salary. I suppose that in the ordinary house the act could be classed as good, but it is so loosely put together and so sort of inferior to other acts of a similar nature that we have played that it can only be classed as fair. 10 minutes, full stage.

KR.--REIDY & CURRIER.--A man and a woman in a singing act. They are both very good singers indeed, but their attempted sketch work is rather tame. However, the dialogue is not offensive at all and serves a a sort of a thread on which to string the solos and duets, and they are both good singers. 15 minutes in one.

Saving...

NEW YORK SHOW: WEEK APRIL 13. STEREOPTICON: Usual selection of views. 11 minutes in one. KR.--Bissonetti & Newman.--Two men in a straight acrobatic act. The act is a fairly goo one. The main difficulty with it being that it lacks finish. They do some very good hand balancing, and their general work is all first class, and if they had the grace of the European performer they could easily occupy a much better place in the bill than they ever can under present conditions. 7 minutes, full stage. SR.--LUCY MONROE.--This act was put on to take the place of Gilber Saroney, who cancelled. She has a rather light voice, but handles it fairly well and is one of those attractive appearing sort of women who always manage to pull through even if they don't do quite as well. She does impersonation of several different actresses, and concludes with an imitation of Anna Held, singing a drinking song which goes very nicely and enables her to leave the stage on good terms with her audience. It is a dull sort of act and can be classed as fairly good. 12 minutes in one. GRR.--LAUDER & STANLEY.-- Man and woman in a little country sketch entitled "Detained on Business." In this particular case the woman is very much better than the man. She is really quite a clever little actress. The man, although not at all bad, is just a little bit wishy-washy in a way and does not show near as much ability. The situations of the act, however, carry it all right and they got quite a lot of laughs. It is an acceptable offer in an early place on the bill 17 minutes, full stage. HR.--VITAGRAPH.--The selection of views this week hardly equals in merit that of last week as the exhibit is lacking a display of novelty. The feature of the list is a representation of a fire, introducing the fire department from the time that it starts from the house until the fire is quenched, and incidentally shows a little life saving which gets quite a lot of applause. 21 minutes in one. GNH.--DAVIS & MACAULEY.--A man and a woman in a comedy sketch entitled "The Unexpected." The sketch deals with a horse race theme and is exceedingly cleverly worked. I think that Davis is about the most conscientious worker who was ever put on a dramatic sketch in this house. The lines and situations are both funny and he makes the best of his opportunity. The woman while not quite as good as the man still gives him very able support, and the act can be classed as a mighty good one throughout. 20 minutes, full stage. GRR.--IRENE FRANKLIN.--this is the Irene Franklin whom we used to play when she was a child. She is now a full grown woman and presents a very nice stage appearance. She has several songs that are new to our audience and, while she does not make a pronounced hit, she does a good act and is especially acceptable from the fact that she is a new face. 10 minutes in one. GHR.--FREDERICK BROS. & BURNS.--Two men and a woman in a musical comedy act. They have a way of introducing their musical numbers in their comedy which gives it the appearance of being impromptu, and on that account the act has an appearance of being impromptu, and on that account the act has an appearance of novelty which is refreshing. They have one or two bits too that are really novel, among them being the placing of pieces of glass arranged something after the style of a xylophone, only being suspended perpendicularly which makes very pretty music and got our audience extremely well this afternoon. It is a very good act throughout. 20 minutes opening in full stage, and closing in five minutes in one. [....]11 minutes, full stage. AR.--YEAGER & YEAGER.--Colored man and woman in about their usual style of acting presented by all colored couples. So far as this house is concerned, I was agreeably disappointed in the act, for I was afraid that it was going to be mediocre, but barring a tendency on the part of the woman to a rather free display of lingerie the act was very satisfactory indeed, and the audience seemed to enjoy it well. 15 minutes in one. GRR.--MURPHY & WILLARD.--Man and woman in a comedy sketch, in which the man impersonates a sort of happy-go-lucky "rube", and the woman acts as a feeder, and is a very good vocalist. The man is quite an unctious comedian, and has a method of delivering his lines which reaches the audience every time. I have not played the act for for the last two or three years on account of a bad report which I received from the Boston house. and I guess we were the losers in not doing so. 20 minutes in full stage; could close in one if required. RR.--ARMSTRONG & WRIGHT.--Man and woman in a comedy talking, singing and dancing act which warrants about the same criticism that has been given it in the other house. The man and woman are both fairly good performers, doing nothing whatever offensive. 15 minutes in one. AR.--LA CIEL.--This is a very ordinary sort of a turn, and can only be classed as fair. It furnishes a pretty good illustration of what we get usually when we undertake to get down to a low salary. I suppose that in the ordinary house the act could be classed as good, but it is so loosely put together and so sort of inferior to other acts of a similar nature that we have played that it can only be classed as fair. 10 minutes, full stage. KR.--REIDY & CURRIER.--A man and a woman in a singing act. They are both very good singers indeed, but their attempted sketch work is rather tame. However, the dialogue is not offensive at all and serves a a sort of a thread on which to string the solos and duets, and they are both good singers. 15 minutes in one.