Katie Seymour (1870-1903), English actress, dancer and singer (photo: Walery, London, circa 1890)
‘A New Deal in Vaudeville. On to-morrow evening, at the Baldwin Theatre, the much talked of Hermann Transatlantique Vaudeville Company will make its firs appearance in San Francisco. Peculiar interest attaches to this attraction; they have had a remarkable tour throughout the United States, and from all accounts deserve the attention that has been bestowed upon them. It is unquestionably a new departure in vaudeville business, and if the entertainment is what the announcements claim it is Professor Hermann is to be heartily commended. Appearances indicate that the attendance for their engagement here will be both large and fashionable. Such has been the result everywhere in the East, and the organization is appearing only in the leading legitimate theatrers of the country. The list of celebrities that go to make up the entertainment certainly warrant the belief that there is considerable merit in the company. The list is headed by the name of the indescribable Trewey, a clever Frenchman, who has become famous throughout Europe. Trewey hails from Angouleme, in the South of France, and seems to have arrived at the acme of manual dexterity. Column upon column has been devoted to his skill by Eastern papers, notably by the Scientific American, which devoted quite an extensive article to the illustration of the ”shadowgraph” act. His is an entirely new and original style of entertainment, and is said to be as delicately artistic as anything that has ever been presented in a theater. His versatility is almost unbounded; he is a mimic, a prestidigitator, a natural-born comedian, and the quasi discoverer of the latent beauties of shadow-graphing. We will know more about him after to-morrow night. A familiar name on the list is that of Gus Williams, who needs no introduction to our theater-goers. His peculiar talents are well known here, and in certain branches of the comic art he is quite inimitable. John T. Kelly, a monologue comedian, and Ross and Fenton, sketch artists, complete the American portion of the programme. A clever act is that of the Athois, who are from the Empire Theater, London. Under the title of ”The Spider and the Fly” they go through a very ingenious acrobatic performance on a huge web which is stretched upon the stage. A child phenomenon, Freddy by name, from the Folies Bergere, Paris, is said to be very clever, and at once captures the hearts of all the ladies and children, in fact there is much in the entertainment that appeals to the feminine sex and the younger portion of our community, and the result is that the matinees are always crowded. Herr Tholen, from the Hippodrome, Paris, gives a very clever, comical, musical act in conjunction with a live singing poodle, which he has facetiously names ”Boulanger.” ”Boulanger” may prove a revelation, and if Tholen can find something new to do in the guise of a clown it would also be a revelation. The prevailing fancy for skirt dancing is not forgotten. Katie Seymour, from the principal London theaters, is said to be the most skilful and dainty of any of the artists in that line that have visited the metropolis, and there are also four danseuses from the Gaiety Theater, London, who execute a very graceful ”pas de quatre.” The list certainly gives evidence of a very diversified entertainment, and there is no reason to doubt but that the immense success and fashionably audiences that has been the lost of the organization in the Eastern cities will be fully duplicated here.’ (The Morning Call, San Francisco, California, Sunday, 27 April 1890, p. 11b/c)
Footlight Notes 