The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-03-03
LIKED 1T WELL.
The BurIesque of "Romeo and
Juliet" by the Elks
Witnessed by a Large Audience
at the Grand.
THE ADVERTISEMENTS
Aided Greatly in the Sum Total
of Amusement.
One Cake Walker Who Weighed
Over $50 Pounds.
THE ADVERTISEMENTS

Romeo and Juliet" in the hands of
the Topeka Elks and sprinkled with di-
vertisements in the form ofs cake
walk, impressions from the circus and
numerous songs, pleased an audience
that completely filled the Grand Opera
House last night.
The house shook from pit to dome and
from foyer to dressing rooms with ap-
pIause and the tread of the cake walk
ers. In the second act Judge Capulet
announced 1.-The grandest collection or
beauty ever assem- bled outside OF Law
renee" the orchestra started''A Georgia
Campmeeting'' and the cake walkers
appeared headed by that premier OF all
artists. Ben Blythe, dressed in black
tights dress coat, red ribbons, cane and
silk hat. He hoped down the stage and
back again, most effectively.
Then came Miss" ]. W. Haughey
dressed in beautiful creation of black
and red. She weighed 800 and her part
ner tipped an apothecary's beam at
11s Then came Miss Frederick Me-
Giffin in blue skirt and red tea jack
ct. She leaned far back on the arm of
her partner Lon Davis and both gazed
at the flies as they stepped high They
were called back and had to make
second promenade.
weight of the cake walk arena,
Miss" Nose Sarbach, who weighed In
at 800 on July and has been taking
her partner Pick Smith, she shut
fed, waddled and tripped, on the skirt
of her dress, across the stage
She was dressed in a dream or req
and white with white stockings for ell
bow mits. Her partner, the lInmor-
tai Pick" in red, green and Dlack
tights was eclipsed from the audience
nv the well rounded form of his fair
he a
a hot gridiron. The audience appIauded.
stamped and screamed with rnlrtn ana
the couple scored another lap around
the stage.
Miss" Jemima Lacey and Mr.. W. H
Ruff held a Irritation they did de pas
ma la. They read love letters, cooed
and Quareled just as lovers are SAID
to do The smallest couple IN the con-
test. Warwick Updegran and Leo Con
well. stepped as high and leaned as far
hack as any one 1.-The Duke Of Paris
McManus as Mary Queen of Scots
and J. s. Coe had been practic1ng for
a week in a dark cellar and were some
what blinded by the glare of the foot
lights and when they came charging
down the stage like pair of dlsmount-
ed rough riders a score or more or dou-
BILE barrelled opera glasses were IeVeleo
at them. They retreated in bad order
McManus' dress was aesthetic; punk
tea jacket with white skirt trimmed In
black.
The cake walkers were recalled. but
the heavy weights refused to do more
than amble across the stage The con
tract with Miss Sarbach only calls
for a 80 yards dash each night, but ne
consented to cross the stage.
H L. Shirer spent only three days
on the part of Romeo but he carried
the part through without a mistake and
his chum. 'tMercutio," in the hands OF
Frank Bennett was as bold and bad"
as a politician should be. PAU Tor
ringtOn put plenty of comedy into the
part of the apothecary. He deserves
praise for having coached and managed
the entire production
Mr.. Frank Weightman as Juliet made
She started across the stage. but sud
denly stopped. A noise was heard like the
pale. then as red as an American Beauty
rose She looked at Judge Capulet, at
white appeared below her dress skirt She
grabbed frantically at her wardro6e'
ed and fied behind the scenes. The cho-
rus STOOD b in srgnes ana sa Rsy the far
Juliet" step out Of a mass Of lace ace. and nd
the stage. It's all right now she said
in a stage whisper. This was. not ex-
pected in the play, but the audience en-
It be repeated at tonight's, performance.
but Juliet refuses tb to {ake ang more of
IN the fft53 act :.T2ybqIt." AaFon Jet
were lying stretched out on the stage be-
hind some paper tombstones: Inc moor
was unusually hard and rough They lay
on their backs for awhile, then, turned
over: they tried il on their sides, but
could not be comfortable. The floor was
very. rough. and they discoyered that a
spread under the stage carpet where they
had to lie.
Paul Torrington as the "Apothecary'
managed to resuscitate Romeo" after he
had taken poison. with a stomach pump
as large as a gardeners hand-pump, and
to all appearances he pumped a whole
pail of poison out of the respondent
lover.
Between the second and third acts the
orchestra. assisted by the chorus. render
ed descriptive piece entitled "A Day at
the Circus" The parade. drum corps,
bag pipes, calliope. hand organ, sideshow
tspieIer." roar of the animals. elephant
dance and concert were all initiated and
the young man who explained the freaks
in the sidesh0w was applauded.
Julius Wedding as '.Capulet' handled
the part well. and Frank Crane ''Friar
Laurence" looked as bald as an eagle.
but not quite rotund enough for a jolly
friar. Joe Morgan as the Nurse tried