The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-08
The Vaudeville Mt the Grand.

Mrs. Boucicault, assisted by Herbert II
Pattee and Miss Nellie Mayer. presents at
the Grand Opera House "A sketch written
by Augustus Thomas. 1t Is called "a
Proper Im~propriety." A Mrs. Milton. i'm
personated by Mrs. Boucicault. had been
annoyed by the attentions of a young man
whom he did not know. One afternoon. on
her return from a matinee. he sent in his
card to her. He had looked like a gentle
man. and after some indecision she had her
maid admit him. He returned her opera
glasses, which she had dropped on getting
into her carriage, and began his explana-
ton by saying she was like an old sweet
heart of his. In the strained conversation
they learned that they knew the same per-
sons in San Francisco. Mrs. Milton was a
widow, and their talk drifted into banter
about marriage. The adroit young man
succeeded in persuading the widow that he
honestly wished to be her friend, and finally
she asked him to stay to dinner. The signs
were that each was attracted to the other
and that a wedding would be the end of the
acquaintance SO strangely begun. To keep
this affair, delicate as it is, from being
either crude or interestingly dry is a
hard task, and Mrs. Boucicault, Mr.. Pattee
and Miss Mayer, as the maid. are delight
fully successful.
The bill opens with Derenda and Breen
club jugglers. One of the men is costumed
as a comedian, but the act would be better
If he dressed cleanly and conferred his at
tention on the juggling. This sort of work
is old, and to continue to please the public
club tugglerS cannot AFFORD to turn their
energies away from devising new tricks and
polishing their old ones. Frank II. White
and Lew Simmons offer a sketch based on
the aged stranded minstrelS idea, but they
are clever and carry the sketch out well.
The audiences laugh, and that is the main
object of the thing Hal Stephens has
changed his programme of representations.
He initiates Weber and Fields. the Russell
brothers., Willis Sweatnam, Johnny RAY
and Joseph Jefferson. Each is we'll done.
Mr.. Jefferson is Knocked seriously as rip
shown before ne drinks the magic liquor
and after he wakes from his twenty years
slumber. The stage is dressed for the
scene and the result Is impressive.
Hamilton Hill. baritone. and John Geiger,
violinist. furnish the musical acts. and both
are pleasing. Mr.. Hill arrived in the city
yesterday afternoon just ten minutes be-
fore MS turn came, and he had to go on
the stage in his travelling clothes. which
included tan shoes. His appearance was
somewhat startling, inasmuch as he sang
serious ballads, but he sang so well that the
audience was reluctant to let him go, even
after his fourth song. He could not have
pleased better II he had been able to get his
dress suit out of his trunk. Mr.. Geiger has
not the temerity to depend on his legitimate
violin playing, but his limitations. particu-
larly the one OF the hooking bird. are en-
tcrtafninc. For an imitation of two violins
playing ''The Holy City he gets most ap-
plause. and this should be a sign that If
he played properly he would make a moIe
profitable impression than he does with his
tricks. Towards six trained ponies precede
the closing Of the show by the biOgraph.
A dull spot on the brightness of the en-
tertainment is the act of James II. Cullen.
q singing comedian. The only new material
ne has Is a song about the indianapolis fall
carnival. He says strange girls from out
of the city will be there" and otherwise adj
v~ertises the carnival in the same brilliant
way. He mixes the name of President Nc
Kinley with bad grammar in a crude song.
In a variety theater he would get short
shrift for his stale and vulgar jokes. There
should be no place for him at the Grand.