The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-30

1t seemed strange at Englishs last night
to gaze at the familiar semicircle of sing
ers and blackface comedians, during the
first part" of Vests minstrels. without
seeing the tall form and smiling features
of BILLY" West in the middle of the stage
where the interlocutor always holds forth
The performance was the first one given
in this city by the West organization since
the death of the well-known minstrel man
whose name is still the company's trade
mark as well as it's sole claim to recogni-
ton a high-class minstrel show. A
burnt cork entertainment is always sure to
draw good houses in indianapolis. and a
large audience greeted the West show-an
audience that was goodnatured enough to
laugh at many old jokes as well as some
very welcome new ones. and appreciative
of everything on the programme that was
worth applduding. The entertainment is
not the spectacular affair i'm which West
was won't TO travel, but a rather ordinary
show with few good features scattered
here and there through the commonplace
In the first part several good ballad sing
ers were heard TO advantage so long as the
orcnestrai accompaniment was of the
piano kind, but the moment that the
wind instruments contributed TO the har-
mony, the vocal portion of the selection
seemed TO Iade away, as the
lacked strength and volume in its concerted
singing. T. j. Baldwin, a baritone who
sings In a natural. easy style. rendered a
ballad. The Song Ny Mother Sang"
Annie Laurie" Robert Hardy. a tenor
with pleasing voice, sang only a Soldier
Boy with good effect until drowned out
by the orchestra in the chorus. and Clement
Stewart, a man with an awkward stage
presence, but possessing a rare contra
tenor voice; sang the pretty ballad. Be
were furnished by Frank Hammond, Jules
Bennett and John King. and were all rem
dered In way that won applause. Vests
place was filled by E. w. Chapman. who
made very self-conscious middle man"
but who helped out the choruses consider
ably with his rich bass. The comedy of the
show depended almost altogether upon the
popular Billy Van, who Is a great favorite
in indianapolis He received quite a warm
reception when he made his first appear-
ance last night and responded with some
very funny parodies and recitations that
kept his audience I'm an uproar His mono-
logue later or In the programme however.
not up to his old standard at all as
several OF his jokes were OF a decidedly
ancient brand. IL Is surprising that a
comedian as clever as Van cannot mana ge
To keep supplied with fresh material The
afterpiece 10 the first part. given by John
King and Fred Huber. was very inane
thing that served merely to bring down the
curtain.
The olio opened with a clog dancing
speciality by the Ford brothers Ii was one
OF those old-fashioned hard shoe dancing
acts. once an indispensable part OF every
minstrel show. Few specialties OF the kind
are to be seen nowadays and this one
seemed almost novel. The dancing al
though not so attractive as soft-shoe dane
ing. was extremely well done by the two
men: Mcmahon and King followed in a
nondescript blackface singing turn that
caused some laughter. After Billy Vans
monoiogue, very unmusical musical
act was given by Swift and Huber. IL this
team Is capable OF playing any musical i'm
struinents In the wide world they failed
20 displa" their talent last night. Huber
is clever IN giving limitations with whisk-
broom and with bones. but that seems to
be about all that can be said of either OF
fnem. The team introduced a bull dog
named Blootch' who was a real musician
however, singer with remarkable
range biooteh threw back his head and
sang Justify when the musical team