The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1895-12-22

"a. naW
r.s.dav night and Crcston Clarke held
=, boards Wednesday aud Thursday
.,;pys. with Thursday matinee. The
,tness about Mr.. Clarke is his want
', ,eelinc. All Is defamation with him.
M, patronage was good, however, as
l.s that of each of the other attractions.
All, week we shall have three very ex-
MT attractions--"Uncle Josh Spruce
~ wednesday (Christmas), DeWolf
,iorner Thursday, and Richard and Prin-
Ill minstrels Friday. The tout en-
..uble constitutes II very fine Christmas
week collection of theatrical drawing
cards.
The Christmas matienee and evening
.,,formance, Uncle Josh Spruce
Nv will prove TO be something
mime. con the order of tn
1,shua Whitcomb comedy. The
hos Moinos uowa) Leader says of this
.t,raction. THE storm interfercd some
chat in the attendance, but could not
mar the excellence of the performance
Gsen at Fosters last night. The play
was Josh Spruceby,' and it was in :he
lands of capable players. 1t is a story
II New England farm life. its even tenor
temporarily marred by the visit of
INV villain who runs off with the farm
srs daughter. Then follows city scenes
and final happy denouement at the old
farm There is Il great deal of excellent
arling, several stirring and strikingly
realistic scenes, and happy comedy enough
10 eniyen the whole. The musical spe-
dalties introduced are all good. Mr..
Burt liodgklns appears as Uncle Josh
Sprucehy, John Il. Kelly MS Luke FAY,
Will W. johnson as Major Wellington,
". X. Jones as Hank Mont, com
psnionahe villain to Fay; Pearl Hight
Is Sally Spruceby. whose songs and
dances pleasps every body; Lillian Berkrly
Is Nancy Spruceby, the wrongod daugh-
Ter Of the old farmer, aud the other parts
we're in good hands. The saw mill scene.
where Nancy il rescued by her father
inst as she was being carried to the teeth
of the cruel saw blowing its way through
solid log, reached the acme of realism.
Thursday night come DeWolf Hopper.
There is no comedian in light comic opera
who depends so much upon wholesome
methods AS DeWolf Hopper, and TO the
Nst army of American heater-goers, none
sppeals more strongly and with such sue
cess He possesses brains, n magnetic
rersonality and real sense of humor. to
which are being added, as the years roll
%, the numerous small arts and graccs
d the veteran actor, and just at present,
when We have not had comic opera of
tie genuine sort in satisfying quantities
70, some time, Mr. Hopper, with his great
wmic opera success, entitled DIR Syn
ur" which is said to be merry. tuneful
nd picturesque viii bc more than usually
Welcome. Mr.. Hopper devoted moiety
II bis spare moments during his we'll
earned vacation last summer, when not
Witnessing his favorte club 1.-THE Giantsl
EiI baseball ut the. polo grounds, New
lwk City, or astonishing the wiseacrcs
Tha wonderfully humorous and artistic
zaosration of Falstaff, the leading
sAe Shakespcare's comedy. "'i'hc Merry
WIe of Windsor" to injecting new fun.
wHnes. new songs, new situations and
hIAsntine freshness into the delightful
NE Of DIR. SyntaX, which critics unani-
nsuAy agree. is the most artistic and
rhtuous since his advent upon the light
ttnic opera stage, and doubtless the CO.
nAlan'S intensely funny creation Of the
iy up-to.datc pedagogue will be
1sSS S' an ny ad Rls "0s' as we'll VI 0 as
these who have never yet seen him. res
dent in this city. Many sparkling musical
numbers have been contributed to the
Sore by the composer. and the lihrcttiSt
las furnished multitude of funny lines
.nd witty sayings. The opera will he
BEAUTIFULLY mounted and staged, rs six
supsrb stage settings and Il bcwildering
array Of brilliant costumes, have been
Hecialy provided for the production this
season.
Friday night comes a minstrel perform
ace, one of the best on the road.-Rich-
nds d PrinGle. The appearance of n
Minstrel organization is now SO rare a
heatrical event that, 10y striking contrast
With the past, it forcihly recalls to the
minds of all old thcatcrgoer the time
wen similar troupcs were counted by
.ae tens where they now only figure in
wv units. The burnt cork artist Is dis
ulcily an American product, and with
more or less prominence he has been i'll
violence on the stage for over three
quarterS of century. As early as lSlD
negro Representations were given in con-
aecllon with mclodrama, hut il was not
saul 1919 that special minstrel troups
Are organized, the first consisting of
ipSe famous quartet. Dan Emmett, Frank
plower Billy Whtlock and Dick Pei
Han' who gave their initial performance
me hrst of its kind ever given any
Suere-on the 18th of February, 1913.
s:ace this date the passage Of years has
, s,anesssd hundreds if not thousands, of
s a.aar organizations, and this arm Of the
ulniatlc art has raised into National,
n aa IN some instances, international re-
%Mh' such familiar names as Dan En-
rstI ,, Charley White. George Chrisiy,
XXI Horn, NelSe Seymour, Billy Birch.
ppny Backus, Ben Cotton, Bob Hart,
IN Gardner, Luke Schoolcraft, Gus
inward, Billy Gray. Bob Slayin, Tony
W.T. Lew Benedict, Billy Arlington, Cal
r,asher and Billy Kersnnds. The last
o ~ has outlNed all other performers
A., ~ note and today is as popular rs ever,
Im Is the star of Richards X Pringle's
nous Georgia MINISTRIES, who appear
n .ne opera house Friday, December u.
s,Ssy nave large and strong company.
ssu ar spoken Of highly by the press
=" entertainment this season has Gre
eu such favorable impression as has
.T rH achieved by Donnelly ~ Girard IN
~ "e Rainmakcrs," says an exchange.
lAe'e Is constant stream Of fun in
wy comedy, which begins with the rise