The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-20
LARGEST OF THE SEASON
AN IMMENSE AUDIENCE ENTER
TANNED BY WEBER & FIELDS.
Lillian Russell, Dave Warfield and the
other Stars Applauded-How the
Company Was Received.

Brilliant and enjoyable TO the last degree
was the ending Of the season at English s
Opera House last night. Weber & Fields.
| accompanied by nearly all of their New
| York Music Hall Company Of burlesque
entertainers, gave indianapolis theater-
goers big taste of metropolitan amuse-
ment of the most up-to-date variety, and
they seemed to like the flavor immensely.
1t is altogether probable that the two able
opponents of German dialect comedy Will
contrive at the end of next season to have
business which will take them out West
again. All records of the season for large
audiences We're broken by the immense
crush of people which literally jammed its
way into the theater last night. If the or
chestra had not been indispensable to the
performance it would have been swept
| away by the crowd, which, however, had to
content itself with extra chairs in the
aisles or standing room in the rear. The
orchestra, by the way, deserves special
mention. 1t is composed of capable must
clans. under able leadership, and by it the
| famous Stromberg music, so full of tune
| fulness and spirit, was made to fairly throb
with life. Beginning with the opening
chorus Strike. Strike" this feature of the
| programme was applauded almost continu-
! ously.
The first half of the double bill presented
last night bears the catchy title of "Whirl-
| i-gig," and it could not have been more ap-
| propriately named. 1t is a veritable whirl-
| i-gig of fun and frivolity; at times the
| movement becomes rapid enough to sug-
| gest cyclone. There isn't any sense or
continuity in the piece. Nothing Of the
! kind is claimed for 1t. 1t is simply one of
| those affairs which is intensely pleasing
| for the time being, but which carries with
it no feature taxing to either intellect or
| memory. Some one has said that "Whirl-i-
| gig is a series Of introductions, and that
is true. as far as it goes. The various stars
make their entries in tolerably regular or
der. give exhibitions of their peculiar abil-
ity, and then retire-most of them, how
ever, returning later. One that failed to
come back was George Ali. who played the
performing BEAR. but that was not the
fault of the audience. Mr.. Ais bit of ami
NAL burlesque was one of the best things
in the performance. In Ii the strong lean
ing towards travesty in all things, which
marks the Weber q Fields idea, was splen-
didly illustrated Even the makeup of the
fectiy natural, while the head might have
been that of a dog or sheep. In fact,
Trainer Gilhooly John I. Kelly) said the
animal had been taken for everything else
but bear. Kelly was instantly recognized
and given a cordial greeting when he ap
peared in his Irish disguise. He wasted no
time in preliminaries. but proceeded at once
to make hit with his song, There's
Nothing Comes Too Swift for Gilhooly.
This was closely followed by the slide
splitting dance and cakewalk executed by
himself \
Weber * Fields next introduced them
selves and were received just as If they
had been coming TO indianapolis season
after season The heartiness of their re-
ception seemed to add a little spice to
their comedy work, which was so good
that at times the laughter provoked by one
funny saying swept away the next one
completely.
Lillian Russell given an ovation for
old times sake. but, after the audience
had looked her over thoroughly and noted
how much, how very much she had faded
since her last appearance in Tine Wedding
Day." keen disappointment was mani
tested. This feeling was accentuated when
the song It's Not for a Day" revealed
the further fact that the birdlike sweet
ness of the Russell voice has all but depart
ed forever. 1t is a sad fact to chronicle, but
it is nevertheless true, that If Miss Russell
has not been doing better the past season
in New York than she did In Indianapolis
last night, she has not been earning the
fabulous salary which 1T is said she has
been getting.
Dave Warfield made one of the strangest
entries imaginable, his makeup as Sigmund
Cohenski being almost repulsive in its
fidelity. The consummate ability of Mr..
Warfield was powerfully demonstrated in
the success he achieved despite his hideous
disguise.
Charlie Ross, Irene Perry and Peter
Daley followed Warfeld in rapid success
sion, and, the group of stars being COM
plete, the programme proceeded with a
ff. In
ish. The travesty of Miss Hobbs
by Mr.. Ross and Miss Perry
was neat bit of work. This was
limitations. Pete. Daley may have
thought he could get out of Indianapolis
without singing all four of his coon"
host" The audience evidently knew what
he was holding back each time for they
kept up the encores until Sue" Chloe"
Lu Luz and "Josephine"-the entire
repertory-had been given. Daley is a Co
median of exceptional versatility in addi-
ton 70 his ability a vocalist "Whirl-i-
gig wound UP with delightful travesty
on Sousa and his famous band, in which
brother as announced by the business
manager of the band (g. Mr.. Ross. The
musicians were Weber & Fields and Peter
DALEY, and the performance given by them
completely battles description.
When the curtain rose on the second half
OF the performance ii disclosed a scene
Jnat was almost exactly q Qupncate or the
first scene of Barbara Frietchie." This
part of the entertainment was good but
very tiresome. May Robson as Barbara
Fidgety. sort of BoweTy edition of the
Frietchie maiden, in ludicrously incongru-
Gus wartime dress, was the bright central
figure or the burlesque. Peter Daileys
caricature OF Colonel Negley, under the
name Of Colonel Jagley, crowded Miss
Robson's Barbara Fidgety closely for the
honors. Dave Warfield showed himself
equally at home in something beside He
brew roles when he portrayed Jack Neg
ley. Charles Ross found abundant opportu-
nifty for provoking subdued chuckles by his
mock-seriousness as Captain Grumble, Bar
bara's accepted sutton. John T. Kelley
dropped his rich Irish brogue completely
in his character of the elder Fidgety
Weber and Fields appeared as Tim Grentz
and Fred Giblets, precious pair of polit-
ical trimmers." All OF the dramatic and
thrilling situations in the original play
were merctlessly travestied- The folding
stairway came n great surprise and
made one OF the big laughing hits Of the
evening. The incident of the sharp-shoot-
ers threatening the life OF Barbara's
lover was burlesque carried to its extreme
Several pleasing songs We're introduced
into barbara Fidgety." one of the best of
which was For That They Made Me
Colonel sung by John T. Kelley
The "Weberfeld" chorus, composed prin-
cipally of large number of as pretty and
shapeiy women as have visited English's
the past season. contributed greatly to the
success OF both burlesques. There were a
few men In the chorus, but the main idea
h0 IL - ~ 50