The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-02-22
BURNT CORK TALENT.
An Evening OF Music and Fun at the
Theatre.
The Deseret Minstrels Give an Excellent
Entertainment-An Exquisite Con-
cert and Paralyzing Puns

Nat Brigham's home MINISTRIES 'took
the shine'' off all previous attempts in its
heightened elegance, but was wanting in
the ''horse play" that raises the galleries
to cat-calls and other hilarious de-
monstrations of uproarous delight.
There were no break-neck dances, no
plantation hoe-downs, no clog dances,
no musical eccentricities, no flare of
trumpets, and clash of symbols, no guy
ing lof the orchestra, no gymnasts, and
with these eliminated it was natural that
the audience was trife disappointed in
not being able to laugh themselves sore
and jab each other in the ribs. 1t was
not gallery show, but an exquisite con-
cert in cork, seasoned with delicious fun,
and a cargo of cracking good puns.
The first part was the strong feature OF
the entertainment. The budget of well
selected puns flowed forth without once
calling for the chestnut bell. Frank NAL
tese, who is as quaint as Wilson in his
eccentric attitudenizing, broke the ice
and boiled the water of mirth with she
Didn't Split the Wood" Willard Squirrels
rich basso voice was s'Down Deep With
in the Cellar, - and his many friends ap-
plauded him to the roof. Pat Dunbar.
who proved good all around man, sang
Sam Parks song, ''Its Freak of Human
Nature" with funny gesticulation, and
Grant Hampton's fine baritone pealed
the Nightingale's song. Bryant sang
Yes, He Did, " and turned some OF the
verses with singing shots at the junket-
ers. Nat Brigham closed the first part
with that pretty, pathetic melody,
There, Little Girl, Don't Cry,' by
James Whitcomb Riley, which has al
ready been praised in THE HERALD,
though it must be admitted that it is
song better adapted to the parlor than
for the sooty stage, the requisite tender
ness being lost in the surroundings.
The Neapohtan quintette, in selections
on the banjo and guitar, composed OF R.
j. Carpenter, d. @. Shelter, w. Ames,
F. L. George and Frank Clifton, played
adceptably and were redemanded.
The hit of the evening was made by Eli
ason in legerdemain, and his feats we're SO
cleverly done that the spectators were
nonplussed. The surprise at finding that
a Salt Lake boy could duplicate some of
the most intricate tricks of the world
famed Hermann created a furore. The
card trick. the flower trick and the ca
nary bird were all so skiifully manipu-
lated that the audience was delighted and
gaeeted the new wizard with rounds of
applause,
The Deseret octette, composed of
Messrs. Ainsworth, Nelson, Ravens,
Brigham, Hampton, Robinson, Peterson
and Squlres, was perfect in blending and
shading, excelling the work of profess
sionals-if these old stagers can be classed
amateurs. Steal Away" ''Down on
the Mississippi Floating and '.Swanee
RiverH were sung with all the soft mel
ody peculiar to the plantation zephers.
Pat Dunbar's character sketch of Jim
Brannigan's California trip with the Salt
Lake city council was full of humorous
sallles and the fireproofing digs were
severe enough to be dangerous.
Hugh Sprague and Steve Newman went
through their drum major exercises,
twirling their sticks with the rapidity of
Old gun singers.
The concluding number was musical
extravaganza entitled, America Discov-
ering in Twenty Minutes,'' the words
and music by Sam Park. The characters
in this burlesque were as follows:
Kiloo Medicine Man......F. J. Bryant
Orlando, Lovesick Spaniard. Grant Hampton
Columbia, Thinking Part wv w. Bailey
Pedro, aMonk----........------.C c. w. Midgley
Francesca the Dusky Maid /. Frank Maltese
AS a librettist Mr.. Parks music, while
it consisted mostly of an adaptation OF
score of well known operas, was ingen-
iously arranged, and some of the situa-
tons were decidedly original and gro
tesque, so much so that Columbus might
have not recognized their historical sig
nificance. The ship which conveyed
Christopher was supplied (for the occas-
ion) by Lipman & Wallerstien, and is
reproduction of the original craft, even to
the circular shaving mirrors on the ex-
terror of the deck.
G. e. Stanton was the interloctuor and
filled the trying post with gay insouisance
and held the boys will together.