Imperial Valley press., 1914-06-15
NOTES FROM NEW
YORK THEATRES
(BY BEAU RIALTO
written for the United Press)


tier and the songs have new words,
but those changes are not enough to
make the summer show of 1914, dis
tinctive. The summer show is upon
us once more and it comes up to our
expectations as well as down to our
apprchensions. Girls, whirls, patter,
chatter, airs, stares, "ribbons and
laces to set off the faces"-that's the
summer show of the common or Broad
way variety and it goes for all of
them.
Ziegfold's Follies of 1914 was among
the first to open the silly season. 1t
is at the New Amsterdam, and real
ly is very good of it's kind. Florence
Ziegfold, Jr., he who was divorced by
Anna Held and then gave the Rialto
a jolt in the solar plexus by marry
ing chic Billie Burke, puts on "Fol-
lies" every hot spell and his shows
always usher in the summer season.
This year he has what is known to
VIC 'iouC do d ouft llIe SuCCcSS. IL
is successful because it is good to
look atm spots-and contains more
than one joke that can be laughed
at in a pinch. The Folies are frothy
to a degree and are utterly innocent
Of plot. The New York summer thea
tre-goers, Mr.. and Mrs. Tired
Businessman, have come to look upon
Ziegfold's undraped brand of dog-day
entertainment as an institution. They
have been seeing them on Broadway
for seven years.
But the first-nighters of this year,
of whom Diamond Jim" Brady was
among the foremost, were forced to
admit that the Folles are not up to
the Ziegfold standard. For this there
are two contributing causes. Ziegfold,
as bridegroom has been busy with
lot of other things and George V.
Hobart, the so-called "book" and the
major portion of the lyrics, has been
at work for several weeks writing
most of the recent Lambs All-Star
Gambol stuff. Raymond Hubbell, who
wrote the music makes of his private
life closed book, so it is impossible
to say what caused him to write such
music for the latest Follies.
The Ziegfold offering is a summer
show and as such it ought to fill the
New Amsterdam all season. There are
scores of girls and most of them are
pretty. Those who are not, are shape
ly and they wear next to nothing.
The songs are catchy-some of them
and the music is whistleable-some
of it. And last but not least in this
tango-mad and mathematical town,
the Follies offer some distinctly new
dance steps. That alone constitutes
a "sure fire hit"
Arthur Hammerstein opened the
Roof Garden on the Victoria Theatre
on the same night Ziegfold's Follies
made their premiere. The Hammer
stein Roof is cool and comfortable
and in times past has proved pop
ular resort For the first week the
usual vaudeville bill was the attrac-
ton but the press agent promised some
real summer show novelties later on.
Another of the same kind made it's
debut a few nights later when the
Passing Show of 1914 replaced the
Whirl of the World at the Winter
Garden. The Passing Show and the
Follies are always rivals. They are
built on the same plan in that their
alleged aim is to portray the foibles
of the day. But if the man and girl
on the street had the freakish foibles
that we see on the summer stage.
they would be in Matteawans in less
time than it takes to tell it. The Pass
ing Show has a chorus of the peach
lest sort of girls and the tall and
stately show girls in front of the
chorus and just behind the "ponies"
are the haughtiest beauties to be
found hereabouts. Outside of that, it's
the same story, with slight variations,
as the other hot weather shows of
this and many other summers.
A certain newspaper dramatic critic
who is war correspondent when he
is not working at his regular trade,
came up from Mexico the other day.
after reviewing the vaudeville and
burlesque at Vera Cruz and again
began to dope out the daily best bets
in the theatrical handicap. In one of
his yarns he happened to mention Au.
gustus Thomas, the Missourian-play
wright.
"Huh, shake leg and get hep"
jibed the office boy" Augustus
somewheres over'n Yurrup, like Nor
gam Frenziedly the critics grabbed
the telephone and called up the Lambs
N1,,k