The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-05-06
ELKS GIvEAGOOD SHOW
With Some Local Hits Inter-
spersed Through the Piece.
The Ballet advertisement Is:
s. Yellow Kids s.
Sherman RowIes the Giant Belle OF
the Opera and Paul Torrington
a Sylph-Lik Dream.

Leavenworth is on her ear,
And it's all on account of Topeka
Because we'll roll high again this year,
And it's all on account of Topeka
She can have her little red apple show
Down on the banks of the muddy,
But she can't have LORNA, that we
know,
And it's all on account of Topeka
Will Haskell's manly MARBLE twined
itself around these lines and foated out
over the audience at the Grand Opera
House last night, and when he con-
cluded the applause rolled in on the
stage with such tremendous force as
to shake the foundations of the Royal
George inn and other appurtenances
of Southampton harbor, carry him
back in full view again and compel him
to go through another stanza, not to
speak of sU2dry bows.
With an all male cast, a chorus of the
same material and a corps de ballet in
Yellow Kid gowns, the Topeka Elks
made their debut in comic opera at the
Grand last night. The performance of
''Billee Taylor" was possibly not as
Side-splitting in character as some of
the entertainments given by the Elks
in the past, but to view the array of
manly forms in decollette drapery and
variegated hose, and witness the kan
CARGO leaps of Paul TorringtOn as a
premier artist, was alone worth twice
the price of admission, and the audi
ence went away thoroughly well
pleased.
The opera "BiIlee Taylor contains a
number of pretty airs and in these the
excellent voices of the principals in the
cast were heard to excellent advantage.
The burlesque was well arranged and
local hits were batted out at frequent
intervals.
A splendid response was accorded
Mr.. Edward Henderson when he cast
loose his tenor voice in the first act and
touched up the dancing fad in this city
In regimentals and mutton chop WhiS-
kers Mr. Henderson looked like self
made man, which the programme SAID
he was last night, and his ditty ran as
follows:
I soon became a members Of all the
dancing clubs,
BY which the town is OVerrun.
The Bunglers, the Lotus club, the OK
ford crowd I joined.
AS also the perennial Just For Fun.
I could dance a twO-step as well as
Colonel Hughes,
And do it with the grace of Charlie
Guild
But I had to give it up. for when
took the floor,
Some couple there was sure 10 pc
spilled.
And when Mr.. Henderson had bowed
sufficiently to satisfy the audience, ne
turned to the assemblage of SWANS ana
charity girls of Southampton harbor,-
Mr.. Henderson was just at the tune
Sir Nincing Lane, who was about TO
give the villagers a feast IN honOr OF
the marriage of Billee Taylor and
Phoebe Fairleigh,- remarked:
well now my manly men and cOmely
maidens We'll just adjourn to the City
park for our feast, and incidentally see
what progress has been made on the
auditorium. If time hangs heavily on
YOUR hands, we'll, step over and look at
the foundation of the new bridge, or
watch the airship, or any old thing you
care to do. Wen play Julius Weld
Hng's two-step every 10 minutes, ana
everything IL be free including the
grass"
"Hurrah." shouted the charity girls
as they slapped their lower right limb
with the regulation and wholly profess
SiOnal slap of the chorus girl 'Hur-
rah.' shouted the villagers as they
waved their hands as all stage villagers
do. And with anxiety to see the audi
torium, as Sir Mincing Lane had prom
Used, they left the stage on gallop.
Julius Wedding entered into the bur
lesque thoroughly, as can also be said
of Sherman Rowles. who took the part
of Arabella, Lane, rival for the hand of
BiIlee Taylor 1t was not so much
what Sherman Rowles did, but the way
in which he did it, that convulsed the
In a red wig and dress of a sailor.
viii Haskell looked fully as well as h9n
did in the costume of a premier dam
seuse, and this is saying a good deal.
Haskell took the part of Ben Barn
acle" and did little speciality with
which was one of the best features of
the performance.
Paul TorringtOn does not wear curls
as a regular thing, and for this reason
he was unable to keep at least pOr-
ton of his locks from straying into his
mouth while he was speaking his lines.
Not that the audience saw the locks
stray in that direction, but that they
did so was evinced by Paul picking
stray hair out every few minutes. Mr.
TOrringtOn made very lOVable maid
en-, as he is a young man, and sang
pretty duets with Ed EPps, ~Billee
voice, and he made his part of the per
Torrance a success, even to catching
three times his weight in avOirdupois
in the person of Sherman Rowles, who
at the time of the catch was supposed
to fainting for love of him.
There are but few amateur perform
ances in Topeka that Harry Overholt
is not mixed up in, and he never did his
part better than last night as Captain
F1apper." He was never known to sing
anything but love songs in his career
before the footlights, and he ran in a
few of this description last night They
were all pretty.
The" ballet advertisements was some
thing unique. 1t was in reality
through advertisement, for it would
divert persons attention from almost
anything else. To see eight prominent
young men of Topeka, draped in yellow
sacks and long lace fringed white paja-
mas, with enormous ears surrounding
their naturally we'll shaped heads run
was to see something that has never
been eclipsed this side of the Fiji is
lands.
On the whole the burlesque of Bill
lee Taylor was a great entertainment
and one of the best that the Topeka
lodge of Elks has ever arranged. The
performance tonight will well deserve
a crowded house.