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Keith-Albee managers' report book, March 9-December 14, 1908

Page 18

Reports on show, Keith's Theatre, Providence, R. I., Week of March 16, 1908. (Chas. Lovenberg, Mgr.)
The show this week, as I feared, is not very good. Again it is a  case of being handicapped by two expensive K. & E. acts  The general tone of the bill is mediocre, not containing any one real first-class act.
Kit Karson. Wire walker and sharp shooter. Well-known 3-a-day act and is satisfactory in it's way. 10 Min. Full Stage, 3 Shows.
Francis & Rogers. Man and woman. Not a very good offering, even from the 3-a-day standpoint' The woman is decidedly amateurish; barely got by. 12 Min. in 1, 3 Shows.
Wm. Craven. Concertina player. Very good 3-a-day turn. O. K. for the smaller 2-a-day houses. 10 Min. in 2, can work in 1, 3 Shows.
Kennedy & Wilkins. Two men, singing and dancing. Good dancers; good for 3-a-day or smaller 2-a-day houses. 9 Min. in 1, 3 Shows.
Ben Beyer & Bro. A most excellent 3-a-day comedy bicycle act. Good enough to open the show in any of the 2-a-day houses. 13 Min. Full Stage, 3 Shows.
Diamond & Smith. Illustrated songs and motion pictures. Didn't do quite as well as on previous visits. 17 Min. in 1, 3 Shows.
Staley's Transformation. The only thing about this act of consequence is the transformation scene. The musical part of it being really bad. Having had the transformation two or three times there is no novelty to it, consequently no value to the act. It is worth $100. to the house. 10 Min. Full Stage, 2 Shows.
Thos. Dempsey. Monologuist, formerly Burke & Dempsey. This man has a very good personality indeed and delivers some poems of a humourous and serious nature, in an excellent manner. It is too bad that a number of his jokes are so old,-as that handicaps his act somewhat. However, at the money, it is a positive find. Worth playing anywhere. With some better material he would be one of the best monologuists in vaudeville. 15 Min. in 1, 2 Shows.
Linton & Lawrence. Singing and dancing sketch. About as good an act as we have on the bill and I think the audience liked it quite as well as anything else. 17 Min. Full Stage, can close in 1, for about 2 Min. 2 Shows.
Akounine Trio. Fairly good musical act, not up to expectations however. 12 Min. in 1, 2 Shows.
Edwin Forsberg & Co. In "The Card Party." A splendid sketch, poorly played. The strength of the piece itself holds it up and they will probably get by, but it is too bad that it is not a better company. 28 Min. Full Stage, 2 Shows.
Hibbert & Warren. Well-known blackface act that didn't do very well until their closing dance. Ragtime Piano playing is a thing of the past, at least for this house, consequently the early part of the act fell flat, and as I said before not until the closing eccentric dance did these people score - in which they made a hit, but I do not consider an act first-class that gets a lot of applause at the finish for about three minutes work when they waste ten minutes with dry material getting up to it. 13 Min. in 1, 2 Shows.
Avon Comedy Four. The same old slap-stick act which got a number of laughs, but by no means made the hit hoped for. Not worth the money by any means. 20 Min. open Full Stage, close in 1, 2 Shows.
Clermont's Animals. This act is a decided novelty, and contains a number of unusual and very good features, but the whole thing works slowly and detracts from the better part of the act, for that reason. I consider the act about $200. overpaid. 18 Min. Full Stage, 2 Shows.
Motion Pictures O. K.

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Reports on show, Keith's Theatre, Providence, R. I., Week of March 16, 1908. (Chas. Lovenberg, Mgr.) The show this week, as I feared, is not very good. Again it is a case of being handicapped by two expensive K. & E. acts The general tone of the bill is mediocre, not containing any one real first-class act. Kit Karson. Wire walker and sharp shooter. Well-known 3-a-day act and is satisfactory in it's way. 10 Min. Full Stage, 3 Shows. Francis & Rogers. Man and woman. Not a very good offering, even from the 3-a-day standpoint' The woman is decidedly amateurish; barely got by. 12 Min. in 1, 3 Shows. Wm. Craven. Concertina player. Very good 3-a-day turn. O. K. for the smaller 2-a-day houses. 10 Min. in 2, can work in 1, 3 Shows. Kennedy & Wilkins. Two men, singing and dancing. Good dancers; good for 3-a-day or smaller 2-a-day houses. 9 Min. in 1, 3 Shows. Ben Beyer & Bro. A most excellent 3-a-day comedy bicycle act. Good enough to open the show in any of the 2-a-day houses. 13 Min. Full Stage, 3 Shows. Diamond & Smith. Illustrated songs and motion pictures. Didn't do quite as well as on previous visits. 17 Min. in 1, 3 Shows. Staley's Transformation. The only thing about this act of consequence is the transformation scene. The musical part of it being really bad. Having had the transformation two or three times there is no novelty to it, consequently no value to the act. It is worth $100. to the house. 10 Min. Full Stage, 2 Shows. Thos. Dempsey. Monologuist, formerly Burke & Dempsey. This man has a very good personality indeed and delivers some poems of a humourous and serious nature, in an excellent manner. It is too bad that a number of his jokes are so old,-as that handicaps his act somewhat. However, at the money, it is a positive find. Worth playing anywhere. With some better material he would be one of the best monologuists in vaudeville. 15 Min. in 1, 2 Shows. Linton & Lawrence. Singing and dancing sketch. About as good an act as we have on the bill and I think the audience liked it quite as well as anything else. 17 Min. Full Stage, can close in 1, for about 2 Min. 2 Shows. Akounine Trio. Fairly good musical act, not up to expectations however. 12 Min. in 1, 2 Shows. Edwin Forsberg & Co. In "The Card Party." A splendid sketch, poorly played. The strength of the piece itself holds it up and they will probably get by, but it is too bad that it is not a better company. 28 Min. Full Stage, 2 Shows. Hibbert & Warren. Well-known blackface act that didn't do very well until their closing dance. Ragtime Piano playing is a thing of the past, at least for this house, consequently the early part of the act fell flat, and as I said before not until the closing eccentric dance did these people score - in which they made a hit, but I do not consider an act first-class that gets a lot of applause at the finish for about three minutes work when they waste ten minutes with dry material getting up to it. 13 Min. in 1, 2 Shows. Avon Comedy Four. The same old slap-stick act which got a number of laughs, but by no means made the hit hoped for. Not worth the money by any means. 20 Min. open Full Stage, close in 1, 2 Shows. Clermont's Animals. This act is a decided novelty, and contains a number of unusual and very good features, but the whole thing works slowly and detracts from the better part of the act, for that reason. I consider the act about $200. overpaid. 18 Min. Full Stage, 2 Shows. Motion Pictures O. K.