The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-04
THE PASSING SHOW.

The speech making microbe after hav-
| ing successfully attacked a large number
of actors of the legitimate stage, has
| turned its attention to those entertained
| of the vaudeville houses whose names are
printed in black letters, thereby denoting
than anything else.
| During Clarice Vance's local engagement
last week, she made her debut as a before
| the-curtain speechmaker, and may now re-
| gard herself as the equal of Francis VIII
! son, De Wolf Hopper. Frank Daniels, Tim
| Murphy. Roland Reed and others OF the
vast army OF actors who would not be sat
! isfed with their evenings work If they
were not called upon to display their To-
| rensic talents.
| All theatregoers are familiar with VIII
sons speeches. which invariably begin:
! Ladies and Gentlemen You have behaved
/ beautifully YOU have laughed and ap-
| plauded with an intelligence that is almost
| human" ETC., etc.
De Wolf Hobper's thanks to the audi
ence are generally preceded by an alluson
| TO the pleasures of visit to Washington
| after series of one-night stands, and the
necessary travelling in sleeping cars. and
/ one of the elongated fun-maker's stock
cinders in his window when he reaches a
city hotel. that he may sleep well. Then
| Hopper will continue :. But the hour Is
| growing late and | will not detain you any
| longer as there are a great many gentle
| men in the audience and the man who dis
| pcnses hospitality around the corner
| closes early" Whereupon the audience is
expected to laugh, and it does. usually i'm
moderately, which gives Hopper an oppor-
mi. aI1 u ~
so many Of you here tonight"
Frank Daniels is a modest orator and
generally finds evasion in the remark that
| he is in n territory assigned by the Come
| dams Speechakers' Union to De Wolf
| Hopper and Francis Wilson, and that If
| he invaded their rights he would I'M
doubtedly be reported to the union by a
walking delegate and trouble would en-
sue.
To Roland Reed. the popular comedian,
who is at present undergoing a surgical
operation in New York City, which may
result in keeping him from stage work for
the rest of the year, there is nothing so
pleasant or inspiring than the cries of
speech. speech coming fl sm his audi
ences. This speech of Roland Reeds Is
his favorite:
When l first went into the theatrical
profession, / was undecided whether to
become n comedian a tragedian and
the point is still open. l made my de-
but in Scranton, Pa, in play that re-
quired that / should die in the first act.
The Scranton Truth on the morning fol-
lowing my first appearance. in it's criti-
cisri of the performance, said that the
exgencies of the plot required that Mr..
Reed should die in the first act-but why
waste the overture?'
,,.tf ,,ln ct
diences at the Columbia Theatre last
week. has told his famous story of the
burning of the Arkansas opera house as
an excuse for a curtain speech in almost
every city. town, village. and hamlet in
the United States, and the fact that 1t has
served MIN to such good purpose for five
or SIX years Is sufficient evidence that 1t
amused his hundreds of audiences.
Now, however. comes Clarice Vance to
take her position with the speechmakers
and story teliers of the profession. Miss
Vance does not occupy the position OF
prominence In the theatrical profession
that do the cultured gentlemen whose
names have just been mentioned
but in her peculiar line she is unequaled
and there are many people who regard
her as an infinitely better singer of coon
songs than is May Irwin. although the
method OF each is as Numerically OPP
poste as is the physical architecture Of
the esteemed ladies. During last week
Miss Vance told her audiences in re-
sporse to their demands for Il speech,
the following story:
Ladies' and Gentlemen: A few days
ago | was obliged to go into one of Wash
ingtons largest department stores. and in
the rush of custom the salesladies were
| busy calling cash boys.
".Come Z, come 1I-'7'-'11,' was all
you could hear.
IAN old negro woman stepped up to
me ard said:
"'Scuse me lady, can you tell me where
dish we're crap game am agoing on at?"
And the story was so well told that 1t
scored heavily for Miss Vance at each per-
Torrance.
Prof Santelmann has given out the fol-
lowing list of names Of those who have
Joined the new Washington Philharmonic
Orchestra:
Chris. Arth, ir.. Sol Minister Raymond Schroe.
der, William Z. Green. l.. Naecker Emil o. We.
ber Frank 4. King. Taylor Branson, J. W. Beau
champ, William Au. William Taylor. Brook
Anss Chris Arth, ST.. Charles Schroeder. vii.
liam Buckingham Theodore A. Sevenhuysen, c.
Leimbach, L. Kruger, c. Donch. Joseph Finckel,
Robert Stearns. John Lindin. Ernest Lent,
Wenceslad viapando. G. Thicrbach. A. Jatglc,
J. Iocaler, C. Neumann, G. Kruger. W. Donch,
= Ptfarr f. Naecker H. Jaeger, " DE Luca F.
BohI r. Messenger f. Patzschke J. Vanpoucke
Edward Van Loock, F. Brannan, IL. Werres, H.
Lavender, C. Lclnert. II. Wndcrich, W. F.
Smith, b. Baumgartel. V. Petrola. L. Tileux
Herman jaeger, II. Stone, William Walton. J.
Esputa. f. Wacn. S. johnson, A. Giacchetti, and
George So,sa. Mr.. Hermann Rakemann is the
concert master.
Upon scanning this list it will be reen
that it contains some Of Washington's