The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-03-14


iestc CUB benefit. has passed into history,
and With II there Is satisfaction on the part
os everybody who vas concerned Ia It's pre-
sensatton and also On the part CT every BODY
who was sor-rnats enough 20 witness
either ore Of the two eredftaose entertain
mNhts that were given ~ the Seattle thea
ter Friday and las night The public has
been trained 70 expect much from the q n
C. people and ths public has never yet been
disappointed Nobody expected profess
sional performance and In this respect no.
body vas disappointed The ethics and
traditions OF uslnstrelsy were not regarded
Asses ttals 20 the performance. and cons5-
quertly those qualities were sueo-esnsted
20 making show that would be acceptable
20 the many who believed thai the benefit
was worthy OF patronage. There are GER
tain features Of minstrel shows tina: nu-
rle-1cai4y approach the first part given BY
the 2. A. C. that are laid down as rigid
rules. and one OF these Is In tina matter Of
solo singing. a baiIadist o. sentimental
song singer n q professional show Is en-
pioye6 upon the superstition that his share
OF the work Is serious. and during his sing
ing enjoys that enyiabls position known as
the center OF the stage" The end men, as
Q rule. have had part OF their fling and
sit back quietly TO give tbs part
OF The audience that enjoys SEN
rimentA singing chance for it's
innings. u IL considered unprofes-
sional for the end men 20 be funny during
such singing. and 20 be anything else than
quiet destroys the effect Another thing
that prevails IN professional shows Is the
elimination Of end voices from the choruses
of ballads. I suppose this sensible ruling
IL so that the usually exaggerated makeup
OF end men viii not intrude itself into q
branch OF the work that Is taken seriously.
For al OF the breaches OF professional
etiquette that the S. A. G.. Ministries were
guilty OF they gave q splendid snow, that
from many points OF view was superior TO
any professional show going. Their COS
tunes were very fine and had been de-
signed expressly for the occasion. Those
for the end men were appropriate for the
places, and Mr.. Noble and the gentlemen
OK the chorus We're gorgeousIy gotten up
ana looked as though they might have
stepped out of some old court picture OF
the renaissance or from g bit of the rare
china art OF Dresden.
The singing OF the choruses was good
and oy the second night ali effect of new
ness and strangeness was worn CT. and
with the twenty-four hours expert
enoe before the footlights, the time OF
giving the performance was reduced
thirty-hve minutes, feature IN Itself
The clio consisted OF but two numbers
that any degree OF excellence attached
itself to. and those were the exhibition
OF versatility of Mr. Coombs as a must
clan and the banjo playing of Messrs
Paul Hoibrook and Ed Long, both gentle
men being experts. who -ucceeded in draw
Ing out or those modest instruments a vast
ceai OF good music that was distinguish
able above thu inevitable humming and
srumming that goes with banjo music
The closing part was an extravaganza
adapted by Mr.. William Inglis entitled
was considerable merit In the skit. out
there was also too much OF Mr.. IngiIs
who played the part much harder than
Salvini sver played Othello or Booth
King Lear. both OF which ara decidedly
heavy and exaottng IN their oratory. In
this connection do not wish TO be mis-
taken as comparing Mr.. rnglis with either
Booth or Salvini. but Just TO remind the
adapter of the PIP Pa that there Is no
use OF his working so hard, and that BY
occupying nearly all or the scenes he de-
tracts from the merit OF his own work
| II his support was capable, then IL was
worth representation. The extravaganza
was withdrawn last night and some ad-
| citional clio turns substituted.
Tonight Mr.. william Russen's occu-
| pancy OF the Third Avenue theater will
be inaugurated with the Imperial Oper-
| attic Comedy Company" which Is an
| nounced as something unique in the
| way OF entertainment. The engagement
| is for week. and the advance notice, for
| which the press agent Is responsible, Is
printed below.
Concerning the attractions that are ~
come. Manager Russell announces that
| he is booking Up his time as fast as pos
| siele. Town Topics" thu first farce
| comedy OF the season at the Third ave-
| nue. theater. and which made favorable
| impression when here last, is 10 return
for week. after having played q tour
| across the continent
Mr.. Heilig's lieutenant, Manager Paul
| Hyner. says that there Is little doubt that
sufficient announcement will be accorded
| the proposition for Fanny Davenport's
! appearance IN this city 10 bring the Ia
| nous star In one Of her magnificent Sar-
| dou productions. In the meantime two
| nne attractions have time az the Seattle
| theater. the efTerveTEcent Fanny Rice and
| the stately James A. Herne in his own
! beautiful piece 'Shore Acres" WIRE this
| short list in view there are things enough
| Tor people to plan 10 be entertained.
am told that DeKoven's Mandarin
| company Is headed for the Coast. and a.
| It IL now In 81. Paul It IS a fair thing Il
! speculate on its chance Of q Seattle ap-
/ pearance. Mr.. Heiiig has said that there
! wind up tho seaeon OF 1861 on the Coast
just now Dit. Dckoven &C. with Che com.
/ pany. Il Is doubtfui II the composer would
| accompany the opera on its tour across The
/ continent. bat should he DO so he woult
| f0d generous welcome awaiting lin
| from his many admirers in the Northsest
oehoven tells story about the New
/ York production of the Mandarin thai
/ II worth repeating Il IS as follows
/ During the New York ergaeeren. "a
/ the Mandarin the Chinese minlsfei
! passed through the city and came oni
evening with his suite 20 witness the per.
| formance, As iR fhe eyes of his suhiectf
| the emperor q China Is Nt.l.- NOR,
/ sacred than their gods 7 was somewnat
/ anxious % see how fhe CeIastIate to-.x oral
/ barlesq9unE him. So 7 W-ent down and taaa
/ a scat IN ire box imgn ealately in the PEAL
/ Of the parry, % try aHG overHeer u po4
/ s!nie. Some OF the expressions Of theu
| opinion OF H. Z sat Through the nertsru
/ ance. hut nos one sign couli 1 detect
/ either az approval or disapProta Ts.ar
/ sat lmwovahle. ard nc; q face En- rae rar-5
5 changed a particle though ala II tAa7r
| understood English thoroughly. Some
/ what perpicxet. i sent the press rearesau
/ tative OF tbe theater the falIow day G.
! cali upon them. and xas. X pos N3e ar
expression 81 tae.- opial0n. Cgs4tly ID
/ u7y surprise. BE was informed th4t thes
/ hat ihoTos grlF enjoyed the performance
+ aad, questioned about the liberties Sc mad
takes wlth tae naHne % theis reler they
/ assured hlu thRt thcy thoroughly uaEer
{ sf2a1 thac ac 6lsrcspect was intended p.
/ h1s sublime majesty. They weas on 20 s8y
/ t5at Waaic tze costumes O. rhe gsr5s az ths
/ company were hardly accurate. rae.
/ underwood " rs tn3z was the case. and la