New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-07-09
VARIETIES, ROOFS, PARKS
Houdini Does Another Wonder
Stunt at Hammerstein'S.
STELLA MAYHEM AT KEITHS
Raw Samuels and Troisi Head
Proctor's Bill, While Marceline
Appears at New Brighton.

Appears at New Brighton.
Harry Houdini made the most COM
mendable escape OF his career last night
on the stage OF Hamnerstein Roof Gar
len IN escaping from the medical profess
sion who, in accordance with their much
heralded challenge, had him bound 70 an
operating able and dehed him TO free him
self from It With head, arms, body, knees
and ankles strapped tightly 10 the white
table Of horrors. and each fastening ex-
amired and approved by the committee
OF volunteers who crowded the stage
IL looked altogether hopeless for the
why little prison breaker when he
started 10 vriggle his way 70 freedom.
Most OF us. when the doctors get US
dashed TO the chopping block, are done for,
but not so Houdini After ten minutes or
so of manful struggling his neckgear
snapped and released his head. Next
with muscles swollen to the bursting
point he writhed an arm out OF its
tethers and the other straps were flung
aside in no time The stillest audience
! that ever watched turn on Hammer
STEMS Roof broke into cheers OF ap-
plause while the three physicians
who had challenged the unchatnable
man 10 this supreme test OF his skill
skunk away crestfallen There are many
things to wonder at about Houdini, but tho
chief wonder OF them all IS that he does
not take 10 crime II only as a benefit 10
humanity. for II there was constant need Of
keeping this unprisora Bile man under the
eve Of the law. there would have 10 be re
forms in iail building.
Among other bright spots on the pro
e. anime OF the week IS Gertte Van DycK'
whose little escapade IN Times Square the
other night served 70 bring her into prom-
hence Miss Gertie sang coQuetttshly at
bust OF Wagner until her accompanist got
mad and knocked the master OF Bayreuth
irto the wings with a single punch OF his
ternperamental fist The audience cheered.
The Texas Tommy Dancers. guaranteed
originals this time. danced In couples for
silver cup, the decision Of victory being
left 70 the plaudits Of the auditorium.
Some gingery Barbary Coast rags were
twirled and the audience awarded the cup
70 the last couple 10 dance. Besides being
the tuiriest ~ the lot. the victors were
the most graceful.
Don YOU tax tub me. chie-don' YOU
prcgrosticate or single SYLLABLE. Steller
Mathew am all right, an 80 am Iii Ashley
an them other singsters-theys amply SUI
| Nciont. amply sufficient But. lordy. chile,
lordy. when e come to real, genuwine, me
lodious carollin'-the kind what yer us ii
tub heah down on the Old plantation, with
the coons all rhalCin' their feet an joinin'
- l'npalanA
boy, Go'ly All amt never done heard no
pickaninny IN Dixie
II vas great stun. too Les" Copeland
IL a Keith discovery and h happened
into vaudeville for the first time Yesterday
afternoon az ? Keiths Union Square
Theatre. which IS putting across IT'S sixth
week of CLASSY VARIETY \ few more Ike
les" VIII bring back the good old times
when nearly every number on tho bin was
worth somewhere near N" time g. took NJ.
Those . ere the tunes whom vaudeville vas
fgn'irg for its existence and there WASH I
50 much room on the variety boards for
"nrArs"
Mr. Copeland's number is called Songs
Bout Colored Folks. and, unlik" most
modern compositions with Ike pretentions.
they really are. There Is the spirit Of the
cotton field IN them. and the music--if you
call ~ rusic-ot the camp meeting
, Whether us music or not II has the lit
and the favor OF the darby nature. or.
as they would say along Broadway, It's
got the goods"
All Of the songs ar" composed by Mr..
Copeland himself and sung in his rich
baritone 10 his own accompaniment Once
during hts act he breaks or Tor real tear
across the keys IN a riot of rollicking rag
time and BY the way he does II YOU can
see that he's not doing ~ altogether because
there's a pay check waiting fer him IN the
wings It's in his system. and he hos 70
get n out When Mr. Copeland got started
yesterday there were AZ least few people
In the audience who hoped ne wouldn't stop
tin the scared coon he sang about did
Next week-some time"
BY a coincidence, no doubt. the next best
runlbe, on the programme was an imita-
ton Of darktown fun Stella Mayhem. max
ing her vaudeville debut with Billie Taylor,
was q. her best when she sang some songs
in the manner that made her famous. A
combination OF the old with the new, That
Society Bear" wasn't at all bad II told
Of the rich and great doing the latest
wriegles around the floor with
Mister schwab. on the Job,
Playing the plano in a fancy manner
Alfred Kappeler and Jackyn Brunay. In
A Hawaiian Filtration" were also good
The skit Is a condensed version OF The
Bird OF Paradise" with Miss Brunay in
the Laurette Taylor role. Others on the
programme wero Lillian Ashley, I'm her
songs and stories; Haydn, Borden and
HAYDN, presenting Bits OF Vaudeville;
George p Reno and company. in twenty
minutes OF harmless absurdty, known as
The Misht Army; Milton and Dolly
Mobiles. in a rather clever satire on Sub
conscious affinities," and Bertisch In a
physical culture exhibition.
At Proctor's Fifth Avenue Theatre the
dull feelings OF midsummer In the city
were driven away by the brightness OF the
programme submitted for the amusement
Of the hot weather audiences. The theatre
Is summer arrayed. with its batteries OF
electric fans, its inviting looking draper!es
and Rankings, and the attaches attired In
their natty uniforms OF white duck and
khaki
The feature Of the bill was the continued
succession OF high Cs sung by Renato
TroIsi. the silver throateh cantor" who
makes his frst bow TO American vaudeville
audiences Another bright spot on the
programme was Ray samuels with new
budget OF character ditties which served