The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-23
NENTTCT DR.. A. E. BUCHANAN
UuN11NA 1898 When Building.
ADJUSTMENTS.


EnEIfsh's-"The Governors"
Any one with trouble on his mind and
wanting to forget it should not fail to see
Ward and Vokes in 1.-THE Governors at
Englishs. The theater will never be given
over entirely to unreal melodrama or stlted
and dyspeptic tragedy so long as such Ii
censed funmakers as Ward and Vokes live
and keep out of Bloomingdale. Their ap-
pearance in a community is as good as a
course of blood medicine in springtime. The
aspiring and sedate legitimate drama Is good
in its place, but it grows soggy if taken to
excess. All seriousness is cast to the wind
in 1.-THE Governors" The stage resounds
with noisy farce. tuneful songs sung by clev-
er actors. grotesque dances and a general
running fire of all the jokes. both old and
new. that are likely to be heard in the
burlescue shows during an entire season. In
1.-The Governors" are more ''rube" jokes
than were ever crowded into a pastoral
comedy, more nonsense quips than any two
burlesque shows afford and more dynamic
fun than has echoed through the flies above
English's stage since it was remodeled.
Throughout the three lively acts Happy
Ward and Harry Vokes are masquerading
in their famous stage tramp characters OF
Percy and Harold and imposing on an inn
possible section of South Dakota as the
Governors of Oregon and Idaho on a stump
comedians ever employed on the variety
stage are introduced at some place or other.
They are there to make laughs, ana they
do anything from eating gold fish to turning
fiipaars; !. -. rtorarv nrodro-
ton Happy o Ma brc sn wh Who has had
to walk all the way from Terre Haute
VolSes, with his toilet looking like gentle
rel, inquiries: Percy, how did you get them
marks on your face?" Ward replies:
went in swimmin and a catfish scratched
me-" This is real old variety stage wit and
is followed by a hearty laugh. After the
play is all over one remembers no plot or
story, but there is distinct recollection or
Louise Montrose in blue and her Just one
Girl" song, whose simple rythm rings in the
ears for hours, and Margaret Daily Vokes,
with many of the eccentric ways OF her
brother, Dan DAILY. including that teethful
smile. and little Johnny Page. the biggest
hit Of all, who is absolutely the limit
spoken of by the ladies as too cute for
anything" Johnny Page and Miss Montrose
have a number of duets. some with senti..
ballad, and others trimming with topical
comedy as in the 81 Want to Be Sol
der song. Whatever they do there it is
followed with Misunderstanding applause.
Then there was the Boston'Quartet, of four
male singers who were called back and
held for twenty minutes giving a series of
comic selections and a new parody on ION
the Wabash" Margaret DAILY Vokes. with
her country girl makeup could not entirely
disguise ner interesting FEATURES ana IN a
duet with John Keefe in his "Rube" clothes,
sang a "comic hymn about a Baby on
the Shore" with almost as much JUNCTION as
Dan DAILY sings Il am a Philosopher"
There was an unusual scene following the
song where Uncle Sam introduces Sampson,
Schley, Fftzhugh Lee, Hobson and Dewey
in exact counterfeits of those celebrated
characters. 1t rekindled the patriotism of
the audience and the sextet refusing an en-
core the people kept up the applause until
1t nearly broke up the show. Johnny Page
and Miss Montrose with a chorus singing
their Cinderella" song, were drowned out
through an entire verse, even the orchestra
playing forte could not be heard until the
second verse. There were any number of
wide-awake features in the show, but one
of the neatest and most artistic was called
q Conversation Waltz" In which Warde,
Vokes Margaret DAILY VolIes and Louise
Montrose went through an entire dancing
number while telling the story of their past
lives with many farcical filings. THE Gov
errors" is surprise to English Opera
House patrons, who seldom nave an oppor-
tunity of witnessing anything that APP
proaches it in the broad comedy line There
Is only one such company on the road and
IT will remain here the rest of the week.
where Lillian RusseIl's Money Went.
Interesting gossip on the ways of Lillian
Russell is furnished by Hilary Bell. in the
unit