Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-04-10
E7HANS IN BURNT CORK
Minstrel Extravaganza at the
Opera House.
Stirring Chorusee, Pleasing Songs. New
Jokes and Amusing Specialties
Make up q Programme That Fur
nishes Much Entertainment.

"Mr. Lowrcy. can YOU tell me when
| George Washington hired the first car
Iragc?"
NO, Mr.. Ross, / cannot. When did
George Washington hire the first car
lragc"
when he took Il hack at the cherry
tree"
The minstrel extravaganza for which Il
| large number of the members of the Ethan
Allen club have been diligently rehcarsing
| for the last two months was given al the
| Howard opera house Thursday night and
was splendid succcss.A magnificent audi
encc. filling practically every seat in The
building, was apparently in just the mood
to thoroughly enjoy the performance, and
the efforts OF the performers were most
cordially received The new jokes found
instant favor and the stirring ChoruSCS
had a most pleasing swing.
| The performance began with medley OF
plantation songs, the curtain being rung
up on My old kentucky Homo. The emo
rus of GO. attired in evening dress ana each
member wearing n boutonncrc, was scat
cd on rising platform, with the intcrlO IL
tor, Mr.. George w. LOwrcy, in the center
and "Uncle' Daniel G. Barber. the oldest
habitue and possibly the oldest member of
the club, i'll the scat of honor at the en-
IRENE top center and under "A circle of cleo
trio lights containing the letters Il. y. Two
columns bearing clusters of electric
lights rose on either side of the i'll
terlo cutor. Fourteen pichaninnies were
seated in a long row in front OF the older
singers, with the four bones and four
tambos on either side Of the stage. The
grouping was very effective Calci.m light )
added to the beauty of the scene during
the evening.
The medley continued for Is minutes AMI
| then came the jokes and songs. The tor
| .ner were entrusted to McSsrs. ROSS,
Woodbury. Whecock and Buell., bones"
and Mcssrs Taylor, Jones, Wclch and
Lane, "tainbos." All were well given and
as cordially received, the dissertation by
| Mr.. Ross in the course OF which he
brought in names of many members of he
club being particularly clever. Mr.. Low
rcY made "A dlgufod and entirely acceptI-
BILE intcrlocutor. Mr.. Woodbury. scored
hit with his song, Nancy Mr.. Mltch"!l
clear terror voice was heard TO good =
| vantage in the ballad II Adore Thee {;
Duck Foot Sue, "a rendered by MIR ROSS.
| CONFUSED the audience, 'Swccth art
was the ballad which Or. ]. e. llindcs of
Ncrgenncs selected as being admiral ly
suited To- his magnificent bass voice. Til n
came a song, when jasmine Flowers ar
Blooming, by the pickanninnieS, many of
whom might have been recognized, mad it
not been for the burnt cork OH their faces,
as belonging to the boy choir at St. Paul s
The song was finely rendered and by way
;, Of accompaniment there was a. cake walk
by two real pickanninnies, which hroug t
down the house. Charles +. Lowe, Mont
pelicr'S popular baritone, sang III be with
You when the Roses bloom Again ="
| Messrs. Mitchell Gardner and Hill joining
| with him in the refrain, and the selec-
| ti0n deserved the encore which it got Mr.
| Taylor closed the first part of the lno-
gramme with a song The Last Three
Seats for Smokers" the chorus by the club
forrpipo no eli finale