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

Page 314

314

NEW YORK SHOW, WEEK OF AUGUST 31, 1903.

STEREOPTICON.--Usual selection of views. 8 minutes in one.

ER 3--THE DE VANS.--Two men in an acrobatic act introducing [also?] a little black and tan dog who displays a great deal of intelligence. He works with the men and seems to have a thorough understanding of everything that is required of him. The men are quite clever acrobats, and the whole act is a very strong one for an opener. 8 minutes, full stage.

NH 3--THE WHITESIDES.--A young woman and a boy about fifteen years of age--evidently brother and sister. They do a pretty fair act of singing and dancing, and are entirely harmless in the early part of the bill. 11 minutes in one.

NH 3--THE LA VELLES.--A man and woman in the whirl wind dance act. The man being a brother of De Forest who does the same sort of a turn. It is really quite a clever act and the finish in which he introduces Svengali's doll is about as good as anything of the sort that I have ever seen--barring a tendency of the woman to move once in a while after assuming an awkward position. 12 minutes, full stage.

KR.--3--ROBBINS & TRENNEMAN. A man and a woman in a pretty little singing act introducing solos and duetts [duets]. It is a bright, clean singing turn and it seems to please the audience. 12 minutes in one.

GRR 3--THE KOHL-ROSS CO.--This is an act by two men and a woman, the men both being German comedians. The sketch was put on here at a rehearsal two or three weeks ago, and was recommended to me as being an exceptionally funny act. There is no question but what they did get a lot of laughs this afternoon, but it is certainly about as crude an affair as I ever saw in my life. The dialect of the men is pretty good, and there are two or three funny lines, but the thing has been loosely put together and is not at all suited for asset. Owing to the tremendous scarcity of acts I have moved it further up the bill, cutting off five minutes, but it won't do for the rest of the circuit. 20 minutes, full stage.

AR 3--MABELLE ECKERT.--Maybelle will not make a tremendous hit any where I think. Her voice is just about the same as it ever was--rather foggy in a way--and she does the same old recitation that she used to do in the team of Eckert and [Mackett? Hackett?] She has grown considerably stouter since she was on the circuit last, but still dresses very nicely and retains a pleasing personality. I have booked her largely on account of her husband, who is orchestra leader in the Philadelphia house, knowing that she would be neither very good nor very bad. 13 minutes in one.

Yah 2--HOLDIN'S MANNIKINS.--This act duplicated its success of last week and introduced several new features. It is far and away the best marionette show that has ever been seen in this country, and interests not only the children but the grown people who manifested their appreciation at every performance by calling Holdin in front of the curtain. 17 minutes, full stage.

AR 2--SPENCER KELLY.--Baritone songs. Mr. Kelly sings as well as ever, but I did not exactly like his selection of songs this afternoon. 9 minutes in one.

[WALLEO? WALLNO?] & MARINETTE.--This is a French couple (a man and a woman) who do an eccentric singing and dancing act. There is not a great deal of dancing to it, but there is quire a bit of grotesque acrobatic work which is v very good indeed. I presume that in the hands of American performers the act would be only passable, but with the grace and magnetism which is the all-pervading feature of the French performers it certainly develops into a first class turn. There is an atmosphere of novelty about it which makes it stand out and it is going to prove a very acceptable act every where. 12 minutes, full stage.

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314 NEW YORK SHOW, WEEK OF AUGUST 31, 1903. STEREOPTICON.--Usual selection of views. 8 minutes in one. ER 3--THE DE VANS.--Two men in an acrobatic act introducing [also?] a little black and tan dog who displays a great deal of intelligence. He works with the men and seems to have a thorough understanding of everything that is required of him. The men are quite clever acrobats, and the whole act is a very strong one for an opener. 8 minutes, full stage. NH 3--THE WHITESIDES.--A young woman and a boy about fifteen years of age--evidently brother and sister. They do a pretty fair act of singing and dancing, and are entirely harmless in the early part of the bill. 11 minutes in one. NH 3--THE LA VELLES.--A man and woman in the whirl wind dance act. The man being a brother of De Forest who does the same sort of a turn. It is really quite a clever act and the finish in which he introduces Svengali's doll is about as good as anything of the sort that I have ever seen--barring a tendency of the woman to move once in a while after assuming an awkward position. 12 minutes, full stage. KR.--3--ROBBINS & TRENNEMAN. A man and a woman in a pretty little singing act introducing solos and duetts [duets]. It is a bright, clean singing turn and it seems to please the audience. 12 minutes in one. GRR 3--THE KOHL-ROSS CO.--This is an act by two men and a woman, the men both being German comedians. The sketch was put on here at a rehearsal two or three weeks ago, and was recommended to me as being an exceptionally funny act. There is no question but what they did get a lot of laughs this afternoon, but it is certainly about as crude an affair as I ever saw in my life. The dialect of the men is pretty good, and there are two or three funny lines, but the thing has been loosely put together and is not at all suited for asset. Owing to the tremendous scarcity of acts I have moved it further up the bill, cutting off five minutes, but it won't do for the rest of the circuit. 20 minutes, full stage. AR 3--MABELLE ECKERT.--Maybelle will not make a tremendous hit any where I think. Her voice is just about the same as it ever was--rather foggy in a way--and she does the same old recitation that she used to do in the team of Eckert and [Mackett? Hackett?] She has grown considerably stouter since she was on the circuit last, but still dresses very nicely and retains a pleasing personality. I have booked her largely on account of her husband, who is orchestra leader in the Philadelphia house, knowing that she would be neither very good nor very bad. 13 minutes in one. Yah 2--HOLDIN'S MANNIKINS.--This act duplicated its success of last week and introduced several new features. It is far and away the best marionette show that has ever been seen in this country, and interests not only the children but the grown people who manifested their appreciation at every performance by calling Holdin in front of the curtain. 17 minutes, full stage. AR 2--SPENCER KELLY.--Baritone songs. Mr. Kelly sings as well as ever, but I did not exactly like his selection of songs this afternoon. 9 minutes in one. [WALLEO? WALLNO?] & MARINETTE.--This is a French couple (a man and a woman) who do an eccentric singing and dancing act. There is not a great deal of dancing to it, but there is quire a bit of grotesque acrobatic work which is v very good indeed. I presume that in the hands of American performers the act would be only passable, but with the grace and magnetism which is the all-pervading feature of the French performers it certainly develops into a first class turn. There is an atmosphere of novelty about it which makes it stand out and it is going to prove a very acceptable act every where. 12 minutes, full stage.