DIY History | Transcribe | Keith-Albee Collection | Keith-Albee managers' report book, October 27, 1913-May 11, 1914

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Keith-Albee managers' report book, October 27, 1913-May 11, 1914

Page 155

PITTSBURGH, PA.
GRAND OPERA HOUSE.
MAR. 2nd, 1914.
The eastern blizzard knocked our show in a "cock hat" to-day: three acts, Frank Sheridan & Co., Bert Melrose, and Ward & Cullen failed to appear. In their stead we picked up an act from the Harris Theatre, one from the Sheridan Square, and a team laying off, and in this way, managed to get by. Tuesday the belated acts arrived and, since then, we have had a corking show.
AZARD BROS.
6 minutes, full stage,- Equilibrism. Nothing at all startling in this act.
WARD & CULLEN.
17 min. in One. Pianologue, songs, and patter. This is only a fair act with a tendency to wander off into forbidden fields of scandal. There is so much talk on the stage nowadays about blonde typewriters and "that's why they are not living together now," we felt justified in wholly eliminating Miss Ward's solo number at the piano.
SIX MUSICAL GORMANS.
11 minutes, full stage. Father, two sons and three daughters attractively dressed. They play well, and there is some comedy to the act.
BERT MELROSE.
22 min., full stage. Melrose has developed wonderfully as a pantomimist. His actual work with the tables and chairs now constitutes a very small part of his act. In a quiet way, he keeps his audience roaring with laughter and screaming with the thrill of fear, for he always seems in imminent danger of breaking his neck. He is as subtle and artistic in pantomime as Slivers, but he certainly should eliminate the suggestive throwing up of skirt, a bit of business that gets an occasional laugh, but lowers the artistic standard of his act in no small degree.
MORRIS & ALLEN.
15 min. in One. Parodies and Patter. Two Hebrew Comedians who sing Irish songs. They have a novel entrance, some good parodies, a fairly funny line of sidewalk conversation and a bag pipe number.
FRANK SHERIDAN & CO.
"Blackmail." 27 minutes. A one act play by Richard Harding Davis. A strong tragedy admirably played. Mr. Sheridan gives a magnificent characterization of a western mine owner. His repression and dramatic virility and deeply impressive, and I think we may safely say we have not had an abler example of legitimate acting on our stage.
GLIDING O'MEARS.
Full stage, 10 min. Ultra-modern parlor dancing. The neatest, nicest, cleverest Turkey Trotting and Tangoing we have had and deservedly a big hit.
BERT WILLIAMS.
24 minutes in One. As usual, a riot. No one on the stage tells his stories quite so effectively as Williams himself, no one sings his songs so humorously, no one dances so grotesquely. He is an artiste in a class all alone.
KUMA JAPANESE TROUPE.
13 minutes, full stage. Special beautifully embroidered curtain. Two men, a Jap woman, and a baby girl. The latter does two songs in English and one in Japanese. She is a very clever child. The rest of the act is the usual Japanese barrel jumping and necromancy stuff, but very well done and fit to go any place in a bill.
MOVING PICTURES.
Pathe Weekly. The weekly is good this week, particularly the views of the American Border and Mexico, showing the United States Troops and some of the Mexican bandits.
TAMBO DUO.
12 min. in One. A man and woman in chatter, songs and roller skating. Not a big time act.
FRED LA DUKE & CO.
17 min., full stage, interior. "Alias Mr. Roseberry." A crook comedy; fairly good sketch, but badly played.
N.B. - The substitute acts are Kuma Japanese Troupe, Tambo Duo, and Fred A. La Duke & CO.

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PITTSBURGH, PA. GRAND OPERA HOUSE. MAR. 2nd, 1914. The eastern blizzard knocked our show in a "cock hat" to-day: three acts, Frank Sheridan & Co., Bert Melrose, and Ward & Cullen failed to appear. In their stead we picked up an act from the Harris Theatre, one from the Sheridan Square, and a team laying off, and in this way, managed to get by. Tuesday the belated acts arrived and, since then, we have had a corking show. AZARD BROS. 6 minutes, full stage,- Equilibrism. Nothing at all startling in this act. WARD & CULLEN. 17 min. in One. Pianologue, songs, and patter. This is only a fair act with a tendency to wander off into forbidden fields of scandal. There is so much talk on the stage nowadays about blonde typewriters and "that's why they are not living together now," we felt justified in wholly eliminating Miss Ward's solo number at the piano. SIX MUSICAL GORMANS. 11 minutes, full stage. Father, two sons and three daughters attractively dressed. They play well, and there is some comedy to the act. BERT MELROSE. 22 min., full stage. Melrose has developed wonderfully as a pantomimist. His actual work with the tables and chairs now constitutes a very small part of his act. In a quiet way, he keeps his audience roaring with laughter and screaming with the thrill of fear, for he always seems in imminent danger of breaking his neck. He is as subtle and artistic in pantomime as Slivers, but he certainly should eliminate the suggestive throwing up of skirt, a bit of business that gets an occasional laugh, but lowers the artistic standard of his act in no small degree. MORRIS & ALLEN. 15 min. in One. Parodies and Patter. Two Hebrew Comedians who sing Irish songs. They have a novel entrance, some good parodies, a fairly funny line of sidewalk conversation and a bag pipe number. FRANK SHERIDAN & CO. "Blackmail." 27 minutes. A one act play by Richard Harding Davis. A strong tragedy admirably played. Mr. Sheridan gives a magnificent characterization of a western mine owner. His repression and dramatic virility and deeply impressive, and I think we may safely say we have not had an abler example of legitimate acting on our stage. GLIDING O'MEARS. Full stage, 10 min. Ultra-modern parlor dancing. The neatest, nicest, cleverest Turkey Trotting and Tangoing we have had and deservedly a big hit. BERT WILLIAMS. 24 minutes in One. As usual, a riot. No one on the stage tells his stories quite so effectively as Williams himself, no one sings his songs so humorously, no one dances so grotesquely. He is an artiste in a class all alone. KUMA JAPANESE TROUPE. 13 minutes, full stage. Special beautifully embroidered curtain. Two men, a Jap woman, and a baby girl. The latter does two songs in English and one in Japanese. She is a very clever child. The rest of the act is the usual Japanese barrel jumping and necromancy stuff, but very well done and fit to go any place in a bill. MOVING PICTURES. Pathe Weekly. The weekly is good this week, particularly the views of the American Border and Mexico, showing the United States Troops and some of the Mexican bandits. TAMBO DUO. 12 min. in One. A man and woman in chatter, songs and roller skating. Not a big time act. FRED LA DUKE & CO. 17 min., full stage, interior. "Alias Mr. Roseberry." A crook comedy; fairly good sketch, but badly played. N.B. - The substitute acts are Kuma Japanese Troupe, Tambo Duo, and Fred A. La Duke & CO.