The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-02-15
THEATRICAL GOSSIP.

Primrose and West, the minstrels,
will celebrate the twenty-flfth anniver-
sary OF their partnership as performers
and managers on March 0. They have
taken the Madison Square Garden, New
York, for that night and promise one
Of the most unique and colossal enter
tainments ever presented at that place
There will be three hundred performers
upon the stage in the first part an or
chestra of fifty musicians and brass
band of fifty. The programme. which
is not yet entirely completed, will in
clude many novel features. Messrs.
Primrose and West will also appear,
for the first time in years. in . double
clog, song and dance, giving the same
speciality In which they first appeared
together.
/ The history Of this firm il an inter-
esting one. George Primrose was born
in Detroit, and William II. West first
saw the light Of day in Syracuse. Mr..
Primrose made his first appearance on
the stage In Buffalo, in 1869, as va
riety performer. At another house in
the same city William II. West was also
filling an engagement. There was very
great rivalry between them. and as q
ship. doing double song and dance.
In 1912 they Travelled with a circus.
under the management of Doris &
Batcheler, after which they Joined Sim
mons and Slocum's Minstrels. in Phil
adelphia.
In 1873 Primrose and West made their
first appearance in New York at the
old Olympic theatre. on Broadway near
Houston street During this engage
ment they issued a challenge to the
world to compete In a double clog song
and dance tournament. In the COM
pany at the Olympic theatre there were
at the same time Sol Smith Russell,
the Berger family of bell ringers, Geo.
s. Knight, Delehanty and Hengler. ].
w. McAndrews. the famous Water
melon Man." and other popular per-
formers. On November 20,1S74, Prim-
rose and West Joined the famous Hav-
erley's Minstrels, then playing in Hoo
ley's theatre, in Brooklyn. This en-
gagement lasted three years, after
which they organized company called
the Barlow. Wilson, Primrose and
West Minstrel company. This organl-
cation was continued until 1882, when
the Thatcher. Primrose and West Min
strel company was started.
In 1888 the now famous Primrose and
West company was organized. This
company has at different times includ-
ed Chauncey Olcott, Billy Emerson, Lew
DockstaGer, M.lt G.. Barlow. Frank
Cushman, Hughey DouCherty. Bob
SlaVin. ReyMoN Moore, Frank McN,sh,
Burt Sheppard, Carl Rankin and other
popular performers. In addition to
their minstrel show they have also been
the proprietors and managers of the
Eight Bells" company.
The admirers of genuine comedy will
have treat on Tuesday evening at tine
Academy when William c. Andrews
and his fine company viii present the
latest success. MY Wife's Friend"
Charles Aunt was a pretty good
fellow. and as Mr.. Frohinan said, the
best card he ever offered to the public,
but 1t is pretty well admitted that MIR.
Andrews play will go one better" 1t
is mere consistent, more laughable.
and. what is more, truly American.
not English you know. 1t Is written by
one Of our own authors, Fred Marsden.
aud he has located his story in famous
New Jersey. 1t must not. however. b..
understood that MY Wifas Friend" is
a farmer. On the contrary, he is a
regular city fellow. one OF the thor
oughbreds OF the metropolis OF Eliza
beth. Mr.. Andrews knows what he is
about when he plays the Jersey chap
pie. for he Is of the manor born and
bred. In short, we will see u great