BRENNAN'S VAUDEVILLE CO.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1340, 18 January 1912, Page 6

BRENNAN'S VAUDEVILLE CO.

THE "MISSING LINK" FOUND. / The great audience which Ciled the Opera.' House last ovening, when Brennan's Vaudeville Company commenced a brief season, bad the Darwin theory as to tlio origin of man thrust upon them in such a, manner as to utterly annihilate all doubts as to its correctness. Living evidence was produced in favour of the view that originally man was a treedwelling animal, with tail, four hands, and a prominent Y nut-crunching jaw. Who could doubt it after seeing Prince Charles, the bhio-blooded monkey, who is human in all but outward guise, and even that is not so remote from the human being. Prince Charles is a wonder. Ho mate you rub your eyes and pinch yourself to" make quite sure that you are witnessing the performance of a monkey, and not a man. Accompanied by a lady monitor, who purposely or otherwise adopts a cross-grained attitude to her charge, this man. monkey enters a miniature dining-room, in full dinner dress, and top-bat, and Inverness cape. With all tho nonchalance of the real thing he doffs tho superfluous, scats himself at the tabic,.hands a serviette to the 'ladv, takes one- for himself, yind rings tho bell for tho waiter. With the graceful use of a fork he eats his own and partner's portion, wipes.his mouth, rings for tho waiter to clear the table,' and" orders a bottle 'of wine. Charles opens tho bottle himself, helps his partner then himself, clinks cups, and drinks a silent health. Then fronVhis pocket ho produces cigarettes, offers the lady one, and lights up himself, all with a certain sang-froid that is almost distastefully veal. Having dined well, Prince Charles, by an easy transition of scene, goes to bed, disrobing for all the world like a man. Then he rises, has a wash, cleans hia teeth, and is once more ready to face the world. But this gifted animal, not contont with mimicking man at board and bed, goes further. He is.fitted with a pair of tiny skates, and quickly shows that tho rollers have no terrors for him. Subsequently, to the amazement of the audience, tho monkey rode a safety bicycle with an ease and grace that compelled astonishment. He not only rode, but did tricks that would have extended many a competent cyclist. He rodo up a see-saw and fell off comically at the steep pinch iu tho centre, and like his prototype man tried again and _ again until he did it. Ho then showed his skill by riding through a maze of bottles, which proved him to have a perfect idea of the centre of gravity. At times ho rode with one hand only on the handles, shaking the other glad hand irresponsibly at the audience. Brainan's Vaudeville Compan.v is a very presentable show indeed. Miss Eva Mudgo made an instantaneous success in her protean specialty, "The King's Highway," in which she completely changes her dress half a dozen times, without being out of sight of the audience more than a few seconds. With each costumo came an appropriate song, and in one case where she assumes tho role of a highway robber of the seventeenth century she introduces a little sketch, tivhich was very nicely done. She also sang the old favourite, "Won't You Come Home, Bill Bailey," introducing a lively bit of American character into the reading. The most amusing turn on. the bill was provided by "The Two Sons of Israel," Gordon and Harvery, two clover patter comedians who simulate the Bowery. "Yiddisher" to the life, iiolh of these performers are cap- ! able .comedians, who make countless jokes, '■ 'and'scoro a laugh with every line. An- ! other comedian, with a strong Yorkshire ! burr at the end of his tongue, raised 1 plenty of smiles as "The Boy Scout," and, 1 in tho catchy lilt "O'Brien." Ho also sang an alleged comic song attired as a ; civrale. It was both witless and vulgar, and should be cut out. Miss Nellc Kolle '. has a strong, musical voice, but she sings ' a class of song in which thoro is too 1 much bathos. Miss Kolle is a clever ' trick pianist, who plays quite well with 1 her back, to the instrument, and through a light cloth thrown over the keyboard, the latter performance when blindfolded. , Johnson and Wells arc a coloured couple; who sing and dance with real coon.cn--1 thusiasm. Wr. Johnson is a talented ; eccentric dancer, and Miss Wells sings ' of the moonlight and love with fair ea- ' parity. I*= Petits Totos are a couple of ' voutlis, who have attained a certain lacil- • itv as ground tumblers, and head-to-head 5 balancers. The ladder climb, head to ' head, is a daring act. which earned them 1 hearty applause. Experience will jrivo i them' more linish in their work. Mr. f Charles Howard's rendering ,of "The Ads' mind's Broom" was quite acceptable. The '. present programme will be repeated until further notice.