The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-29
The vaudeville at the Grand.

Mr. and Mrs Gardner Crane are acting
at the Grand Opera House in an excellent
" written sketch entitled 1.-The Happy
Pair" They succeed in impersonating a
man and a woman OF considerable refine
rnent. a quality that one rarely sees in
vaudeville and in ending the sketch seri-
ously. almost pathetically, which is the
most dificult task that a performer in a
vaudeville house can set for himself The
plot of the playlet is that a husband sick
ened Of his wifes endearing terms and be-
came tvrannical. She took the advice OF n
friend. given in a letter, and changed from
tenderness to haughtiness. Her husband
picked the letter up from the floor, read it
and discovered that his wife was only act
ing lie Haunted this at her and she froze
in truth. but melted when he put his arms
around her. The idea Is worked out clearly
and Mr.. and Mrs. Crane act their little
farce so cleverly that IL seems consistent.
There are two acrobatic acts in the bill
Hacker and Lester are trick bicycle riders.
One Is made up as a tramp and carries out
the part by leaping frantically over and on
his companion, while the latter rides. The
tricks are quickly and gracefully done. The
Faust family of seven. graduated. dresses
with good taste, and shows no new mate
rial. but the work is interesting, especially
that OF the smallest boy, who IS bright and
remarkably agile.
lemma that always should have sympathy.
They sing with unusual precision and har-
mony and when they use their voices prop
erly they please greatly. But they are
saddled with the old inane schoolroom
sketch and Miss Cushman keeps alive the
squeaky child song imitation. which most
soubrettes helped to bury-at the request
of a long-suffering public-years ago Cur
us does the giant schoolboy trick, which
passed from a thing of amusement to one
of annoyance when vaudeville young.
AS singers, these three are at or near the
top OF their class.
Burton and Brookes have freshened the
old Sidewalk form. and while they have
few new jokes they do not beat each other
easy and amusing. They still sing "A Lit
tie More Work for the Undertaken and
they sing IL well. They can not refrain
from touching on the death of President
Mckinley in a topical song The song also
treats OF the yacht race and the Sampson
Schley matter, which are handled In the
newspapers much more interestingly.
Stuart. female impersonator, is pleas
ing the audiences with glittering gowns and
manipulations of falsetto soprano voice.
He comes on first in an elaborate ball
dress, changes TO a handsome Spanish cos
tune and ends in short skirt deemed ap-
propriate for ragtime song. lie whlrls
the short skirt SO as 10 exhibit his opera
length stockings and his red silk, gold
buckled carriers. His complexion is mulatto
and his stage presence is like that of a
wench rather than that of a woman.
Rialta, a calcium-light dancer. offers no
new invention but the colOrs she uses are
refreshingly harmonious. She begins by
posing in full suit of white tights. while
series of colOred pictures of flowers are
thrown on her form and the inside of her
outstretched mantle from a stereopticon.
Pictures of President Roosevelt, eX-Presi-
dent Mckinley and the American flag are
thus simultaneously exhibited and win ap-
plause
The biograph shows a series of new
views.