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 218a

George Wood, 15 min. in 1--Blackface comedian, who talks amusingly about doctors. With the afternoon audiences he did not make much of a hit until he told screamingly funny burlesques on nursery rhyme stories, which were applauded to the limit. With the regular evening audience, I think, he will score a hit all through. Very good.
Culver's Bicycle Loop Wheel, 10 min. full stage--Went just as strong, if not more so, than last week. The men have now got accustomed to the circle that they race with one another, which makes it much more exciting than at the outset. Best novelty in vaudeville today.
Elfie Fay, 10 min in 1--First time here for this clever singing comedienne. She went very slow at the start, but finished strong with her "Belle of Avenue A" song, and was compelled to repeat the last verse. In this city she is not worth the salary, however, by at least H R. A Fair act.
Quaker City Quartet, 21 min. open in 4, close in 1--Appearing in their old "Fun in a Barber Shop" act, which has decidedly lost its grip. They just manage to cover the time for which they were scheduled but their close was decidedly "frosty", although this may have been due to the fact that they were scheduled pretty well down the bill.
Herras Family, 12 min. full stage--First time here for this troupe. It is composed of 3 men, 3 women, and a small boy, all working in full dress. It is better than any similar act, I saw at Madison Square Garden last week, and all that was represented by the agent. The small boy is not the feature of the turn, as with the Athos family/ but the clever work of the women, creates unusual enthusiasm, there is some lively tumbling at the finish, which is about as good s I have seen for a long time. Consider the act the hit of the show.
The Three Mitchells, 13 min. in 1--Colored singers and dancers, a man, woman and a small girl. Their vocalism does not amount to much, and the act is a little slow at the start, but it is saved at the close by some excellent novelty dancing by the man. In a small place in the bill it went big.
Emmonds, Emerson and Emmonds, 18 min. full stage, closing in 1--It is a long time since this trio appeared here, and I do not think that either the management or audience will shed any tears if they are absent equally as long in the future. They have a new sketch that is a night mare, but closes with the same old business of the theatre hat.
Cook and Sylvia, 12 min. in 1--Man and woman in a singing and dancing act, the feature being some clever wooden-shoe dancing by Cook. Went strong in a very hard spot on the bill.
Sam Drane, 12 min. in 1--Singer of coon songs and a jokesmith, did not go very strong and came off after 8 minutes. This was due to the fact that he was closing a 5-hour shoe, not lack of ability, for I think he would make good if he was put on before a fair sized audience. I notified him that he would have to make good his time or else quit, which he promised to do so.
Comments:- The show as a whole is not so strong as that of last week, although it seemed to give exceeding great satisfaction to the audience this afternoon, which was a limited in size, but as usual on rainy days, made up largely of men. I do not think it will be necessary to make any changes in the schedule arranged.

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George Wood, 15 min. in 1--Blackface comedian, who talks amusingly about doctors. With the afternoon audiences he did not make much of a hit until he told screamingly funny burlesques on nursery rhyme stories, which were applauded to the limit. With the regular evening audience, I think, he will score a hit all through. Very good. Culver's Bicycle Loop Wheel, 10 min. full stage--Went just as strong, if not more so, than last week. The men have now got accustomed to the circle that they race with one another, which makes it much more exciting than at the outset. Best novelty in vaudeville today. Elfie Fay, 10 min in 1--First time here for this clever singing comedienne. She went very slow at the start, but finished strong with her "Belle of Avenue A" song, and was compelled to repeat the last verse. In this city she is not worth the salary, however, by at least H R. A Fair act. Quaker City Quartet, 21 min. open in 4, close in 1--Appearing in their old "Fun in a Barber Shop" act, which has decidedly lost its grip. They just manage to cover the time for which they were scheduled but their close was decidedly "frosty", although this may have been due to the fact that they were scheduled pretty well down the bill. Herras Family, 12 min. full stage--First time here for this troupe. It is composed of 3 men, 3 women, and a small boy, all working in full dress. It is better than any similar act, I saw at Madison Square Garden last week, and all that was represented by the agent. The small boy is not the feature of the turn, as with the Athos family/ but the clever work of the women, creates unusual enthusiasm, there is some lively tumbling at the finish, which is about as good s I have seen for a long time. Consider the act the hit of the show. The Three Mitchells, 13 min. in 1--Colored singers and dancers, a man, woman and a small girl. Their vocalism does not amount to much, and the act is a little slow at the start, but it is saved at the close by some excellent novelty dancing by the man. In a small place in the bill it went big. Emmonds, Emerson and Emmonds, 18 min. full stage, closing in 1--It is a long time since this trio appeared here, and I do not think that either the management or audience will shed any tears if they are absent equally as long in the future. They have a new sketch that is a night mare, but closes with the same old business of the theatre hat. Cook and Sylvia, 12 min. in 1--Man and woman in a singing and dancing act, the feature being some clever wooden-shoe dancing by Cook. Went strong in a very hard spot on the bill. Sam Drane, 12 min. in 1--Singer of coon songs and a jokesmith, did not go very strong and came off after 8 minutes. This was due to the fact that he was closing a 5-hour shoe, not lack of ability, for I think he would make good if he was put on before a fair sized audience. I notified him that he would have to make good his time or else quit, which he promised to do so. Comments:- The show as a whole is not so strong as that of last week, although it seemed to give exceeding great satisfaction to the audience this afternoon, which was a limited in size, but as usual on rainy days, made up largely of men. I do not think it will be necessary to make any changes in the schedule arranged.