The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-24
The BiII mt the Grand.

The vaudeville entertainment provided AT
the Grand Opera House this week is more
extensive than the preceding shows there
this season. The bill includes two French
acts and both are interesting. Torcat is a
bunoon. He makes his first entrance in a
basket that seems borne on the back OF a
negress. His second appearance is as IL
he were walking on his hands Again he
comes on the stage in the arms of a Mon
golian giant. His last trick is to ride a
risky horse. His cleverness lies In the
skill with which ne produces the illusions
and the jollity with which he sings his
French songs. The same rarity pervades
the act Of the four Collins, dancers. They
are two men and two women. alert and MINI
BILE and their work is a novelty here.
w. r.. Murphy and Blanche Nichols again
nresent the sketch called The Birfurcated
Girl" IL is a disjointed affair and its
| climax is in Miss Nichols severing her body
at the waist. the low part walking off the
stage. MI. Murphy has some bright lines,
without which the bit would be dry indeed.
The other playlet on the bill is acted by
Charles Bradshaw and company" On The
programme it is listed as "a roaring
sketch" and this is appropriate. 1t is ap-
parent that Bradshaw and his helpers have
think is the best result. for the sketch
moves quickly. The poor mother-in-law is
caricatured. and she returns to her son-in-
laws home just in time to catch a pro-
fessiOnal dancer trying to leave. The
dancer, 1t turns out, is the wife of a friend
of the son-in-law, and the friend is on hand
to cOmplicate matters. The young woman
tells her husband that it was all a trick to
reconcile them after a separation of months.
The material is not original, but it is not SC
dull that il does not please the audiences
even when II Is acted so poorly as ii is by
Bradshaw and his assistants. The star"
and the other male member of his company
waste enough energy In shouting and leap
ing about to give two me performances
a day than their contract CO lis for.
j. Bernard Dyllyn Is using the costume in
which he was seen i'm Johnny Rays "A Hot
and sings a fiery song. Then, without
changing his costume, he sings. or %recites
two stories of q courtroom. where an old
soldier and a wrecked woman are before
the Judge. The woman is sentenced to two
years Imprisonment for vagrancy, which In
most countries is a ten-day offense. pyllyr
closes with a parody on Dolly Gray" His
act is a valuable one. for IL Is received Will
as much or more applause than the Others
in the show.
The Panther trio. which made an espe-
cially favorable impression at this theateI
last season, is in the bill again this week
The young women are freSh-looking, we'll
formed and graceful and IL is the more pain.
full. therefore, that they twist their bodies
so fearfully. 1t would be more pleasant il
they were faithful TO their posing anC
added somersaults to the act. The gro
tesque man of the trio is an exceptionally
pliable contortionist. but he has no good
looks to sacrifice, as have the girls.
w. t. Houston and Charles Leonard
Fletcher are imitators along different lines
Houston mocks musical instruments anC
produces a pleasing cello sound with his
voice that gets applause because it is
musical. There is no reason for his man
dolin imitation. He does an amusing tricl
with his voice and a piano that he calls ar
imitation of a little German band. He also
burlesques common place solo vocalists. H
entertains his audience easily and his
smOothness is a good feature of his work
Ease also contributes TO the success OF
Fletcher's work. which consists of imita.
tons of well known men. This season he il
taking off Chauncey Depew. Ezra Kendall
and James A. Herne. He reDroduces the
scene between Martin and his brother in
the lighthouse i'm Shore Acres Fletcher
makes up his face at a table on the stage
and this insight into behind the scenes
alone interests an audience. The biograpf
! closes the show.