The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-04-01

THEY DIDN'T KNOW.
Programme Had Been Printed
For Three Acts.
Richard earle Proves Himself
Prince of Fun Makers.

Richard earle is funny. AS Profess
sor Bonaparte Hunter" in 1.-THE Tx
plorers'' at the Crawford last night ne
introduced himself to Topeka as a new
comedian with a new brand of humor
He has gone even farther than Frank
Daniels and Arthur Dunns four full
quarts for 1920. There is competition
Garlic is handing out jokes ana WITH
cisms at the rate of about six quarts
for $780, IN comparison with other
funny mems efforts.
The Explorers is under the guild
ance of the Dearborn Theater company
of Chicago, the same that piloted The
Burgomaster" to success. The new
connection is good The audience which
filed the Crawford gave evidence Of
that fact with laughter and applause
The programme announced three acts.
When two acts had been finished il
was Il o'clock. The audience thought
there was another act coming and re-
fused to bulge. 1t was long after
curfeW time and the people should have
been ready to go home, but they would
not until the manager of the company
appeared before the curtain and ex-
planned that the programme was an old
one that was printed by mistake, and
that the audience had seen all that
was to be given for the night Then
there was a football rush for the
street.
When the performance began there
was something lacking. The whole af-
fair dragged. It really seemed as if it
would be failure. Then earle arrived.
1t was not a minute after he appeared
with his hard boiled eggs and"the funny
bone of a mastodon" that the fun COM
menced. earle kept it up to the end.
He worked hard. Great beads of per
spiration stood out on his forehead and
soaked through his wig He was on the
stage most OF the tine. The Eerculean
task of keeping up the hilarity depended
upon him. It seemed to be as hard
work as blowing but he was equal to it.
In fact the greater part of the business
and the funny dialogues and witticisms
of the affair are the handlWork OF Carte.
He was the same to the show that the
bubbles are to soda water He per-
meated the two acts and made them
sparkle.
There is nothing to THE Explorers
Not as much of a connected plot as
there is to The BurgoInaster." It is
series of songs, dances, monOlOgues, di-
alogues, specialties and other vaudeville
features with a few ch0ruses in be-
tween. The success of the piece is on
account of the funny lines. pretty girls
and excellent chorus work There are
few songs, solos or chOruses, that leave
a lasting impression unless it be the
SINGING
double quartette, which really had nine
members, led BIZ Knox Wilson. There
are no songs such as THE Tale of a
Kangaroo" or 7 Drink from My Heart
to YOU as in THE Burgomaster.'
Though Cupid Might Have Been Lit
tie Coon" was whistled by part of the
audience leaving the theater.
Ruth White is called the star of the
female forces. She is the soprano Of the
company but Miss White failed utterly
to carry out the requirements of the
part She was not equal to the high
notes of the finaleS Miss Agnes Paul,
who sang Loves Highway should be
credited with the best vocal efforts.
Another point about the music is that
it bears too strong a resemblance to
other musical comedies. There was more
than a dash of 1.-The Belle of New York
effect in the choruses. The same may
be said of the ideas used to make up the
Maid" is nightly much like Williams
and Walkers, the cOlored comedians,
MY Little Zulu Babe"
Know Wilson was on hand with his
concertino and saxophone- He played
the same pieces and received the same
amount of applause as he has received
before. Josie Intropidi as Mrs. Fuller
F'runes'' and Carlton King as "AnaniaS
F. Dubbe" did novel song and dance.
Riley Hatch did not have any great oD-
pOrtunity as the savage chief though
he demonstrated that he can still sing.
man who could not tolerate a graphic
phone, was good. He did not speak
word.
The euDids and the hotel scrub girls
were novelties and their songs We're
well received. The amount of applause
ence evidenced the success of the per-