The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-04-26
THE COHAM FAMILY.
They Will Be Given Hearty Welcome
When They Come 10 Town.
They Are a Product Of Providencs s-Mr.
Cohans Long Ssvcs on The Stage.

PROFESSIONALLY, are preparing 10 give
them a big welcome when they return
| TO Providence next week for weeks
engagement.
The Cohans have long been consid-
| cred as Rhode Island product, for
| Providence was for a time their home,
| in that city both George and Josephine
attended school and the former studied
| the violin under Mr.. Van Olker. and in
| Providence and Pawtucket they have
| so many friends that they always refer
| 10 this as their home.
very interesting family 1t is, and
! rather unusual spectacle IL presents.
| with father, mother, son and daughter,
| all capable actors. playing in sketches
| written by the son. and the record or
| their success is practically contempor-
| aneous with that of the development o;
| modern high-class vaudeville, in which,
| today they stand on top notch, which
| they have attained not only by the pos
| session OF real ability but some of the
| hardest kind of work against a good
many obstacles.
Jerry" cohan, as he Is everywhere
| known, the father OF this remarkable
".
| ness for 81 years. having been origi-
! nallly a minstrel in the days when thu
| good old-fashioned negro minstrelsy
4 was in it's prime Since then he has
seen about every phase OF theatrica,
| life and served in and about every
| branch of the service. including star
| ring tour in which he won no little re-
| nown and a good deal of experience.
Mrs. Cohan has also enjoyed long
| and varied experience with her huS-
| band, and is today most important
| factor I'm the breezy sketches the fam
| lily presents in the highest class vaude-
| VILE houses throughout the country.
! Both she and her husband find less sat
| isfaction i'm their own work than in tho
| marked success OF their children, eact
| of whom has We'll earned the promi-
1 nence now enjoyed by George and Jo-
| sephine.
The latter who is we'll remembered
| by her former schoomates and friends
| here as always bright and wnsome
| girl. has by dint Of earnest and con"
| scientious work aided by the posses
| sion of natural aptitude, become one OF
| the cleverest performers in vaudeville.
| as she is also one OF the prettiest; anG
| her songs and dances never fall 10 find
| ample reward in the demands for en-
| cores.
Without disparagement 20 either pa
| rents or sister. IL must be said, how
| ever, that George NJ. Cohan, now only
entering his majority, has brought
! both himself and his family into prom
| inence To an extent that probably neveN
would have been reached but for the
| ability he has displayed as a play
| wright Few young men have risen 50
rapidly as he in the vaudeville ranks;
and there is none other of his age to-
| day TO be compared with him as
writer of vaudeville sketches or author
| and composer of stage songs, especi-
| ally coon" songs. Indeed probably ne
| other performer in vaudeville, today.
| of any age, has written so many sue
| cessful sketches and songs for vaude-
| Vile or gained so high a reputation or
| so great fame for such work as young
George M. Cohan, who, as a result has
has been termed both ''the Sardou OF
vaudeville" and 1.-The Hoyt OF vaude-
ville," though perhaps the latter is tho
more apt.
His connection with the stage has
been from early childhood. though at
first IL was not constant and always in
connection with his father and mother:
| and as a result of his instruction and
study under Mr.. Van Olker in Provi-
dence he was for some time known as
''the wonderful boy violinist."
Later. the family begau playing little
sketches in the line OF comedy: and the
boy developed with remarkable rapid
ity and marked ability as a comedian
of rare fun-makng powers. Ii vas on
ly about six years ago that the Colans
mada what was perhaps Ihcir biggest
leap upward, when they secured an en-
Sagement in New York and az once
sc ired h most upmlgt1ha ,in sin, If n
| hii. and from that time on, thsoughuUt
| tie country, their popularity IA. N
creased constantly, the clever work of
| both George NJ and Josephine, with the
.s<n mead nf thnt~
being widely recognized US of a high
| order.
Young George Cohan's work as
| playwright began in the production of
| several little comedies which the fam
| fly produced with great success; and
then he wrote several more as a favor
| for certain friends in vaudeville who
| fancled the original ideas and peculiar
flavor of those he had Written for the
Cohan family. IL was not long before
| the success of these efforts gave him a
reputation all over the country. and
orders for vaudeville playlets began TO
| pour in from all sides, and almost with
| out warming certainly without expec-
tation, the young Cohan found himself
| q famous and successful dramatist in
| the field of vaudeville while cOincident
with the development OF his fame in
that direction he had attained wide
celebrity as a successful song writer.
/
vaudeville playlets being produced in
various parts Of the country all with
! marked success: and fully ten more
| have been produced by his facile pen.
| while II would be hard TO say how
many OF his numerous coon" song hats
| are being sung not only i'm vaudeville.
| but on the so-called Legitimate" stage,
| lie works quickly and easily. and so
| has not overtaxe1 himself with the pro-
| duction OF an amount cf work that few
| OF the most experienced dramatists or
song writer's would think OF attempting
| in double the time: and i'm the midst
! Of all his success. he speaks Of his work
| i'm the most modest terms and is said
| 20 wear hat no larger than several
| years ago when he was only the boy
| violinist."
During their engagement at Keith's
| the family viii present one OF young
| Cohan's playlets whiGn ~ Is said has
received more praise and been received
| with more universal favor than any
other he has ever written.