The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-01-17
Az THE PLAY LAST NIGHT.


Punch Wheeler, the advance agent
for The Show Girl" has been measured
according TO BertiIlOn theatrical identi-
dcation system and his pictures filed
away in the rogues gallery. When
Wheeler comes to Topeka again and
tells the public that he has the best and
brightest show on earth he viii be inn
n1ediately arrested under the Chinese
exclusion act and sent to Lansing. Sing
Sing or Pekin.
But holdi Did Punch Wheeler say
that Rice's Show GirlT was hrst-class2
Methinks on thinking once again that
Punch said not word about the
show and all he talked Of was Wheeler
hours, the twenty fourth hour was the
one just preceding the rising Of the
curtain on the first act Of The Show
Girl" and. in that hour Wheeler made
safe his escaD
The Show Girl is the poorest, even
the most mouldy attraction that has
been at the Topeka theaters since the
much heralded and autographed Little
Egypt or The Cherry Sisters who
did not come 1t was a show which
brought to mind the Dumice after the
apples have been crushed and the cider
driven out; the sparkle was gone, It was
old and passe and insipid.
z. F. Rice refers. in advertising this
show, to his former great success.
-EvangeIne, "Adonis" and 1892 -
When talking about The Show Girl
he has TO TALL back on something. The
fact is many of the cast are older than
~Eyangeline" and the costumes looked
as if they might have come over as bal
last in the Maria Theresa, the flagship
of the Columbus feet, in 1892 It Is
impossible to get -Adonis" into the
smile.
A production under the name The
Show Grip was given at KFallack's the
alter New York city but il wasn't the
same show" that came to Topeka. The
sameness was in name only and what
came to Topeka could not run ten hours
n Osawkie, Medicine Hat. Trego or any
other place to say nothing of 100 nights
at WadaVk s."
What Rice ought to do is to send the
members of The Show Girl company
ahead TO announce and arrange for the
coming Of the press agent, 'Punch"
Wheeler. If that were done the pub
lie might be better satisfied. By the
way, this is the route followed by The
Show Girl Webb City Mo, January
ID. Parsons, Kan. January Il, Fort
Scott January Is; Topeka, January IS,
Leavenworth. January L, St. Joseph,
Mo. January 70. Nebraska City. %eb
January 20; Lincoln, January 21:
AtchisOn. Kan. January %; Hutchin-
son, January q.
Ben Lodge. no relation as far as
known TO Senator Lodge was the
comedian and he was as badly over
worked as the hosting mule on an
Usage coal mine during the coal short
age. Lodge isn't so bad He was quite
funny and he was given only a few
really good chances. Lodge earns his
money and even if Punch" Wheeler
is two weeks in advance of the show
and three weeks behind in his salary,
Lodge ought to be paid
Carlotta GilmaD.who was seen IN To-
peka recently with Richard Golden in
Foxy CUTLER and before that with
Arthur Dunn in "A Runaway Girl
was the prima donna and Miss Gill
mans abilities with those OF Lodge
kept the audience from rioting. Miss
Gilman has q pleasing voice and she
was the only one of the aggregation
that could get within a rod of the right
key
Edgar EIavelle. who played the part
i Of a large. black Thomas Cat should
receive due praise He was funny as
( the cat and nonsensicaI as it was ev-
I eryone laughed Halbertie the dancer
was as sweet a looking girl as one
would want to see and danced better
than the hornpipe dancers with the
f KIlties band. but. she wasn't a she. he
was a he and he knew how to wink
and look saucy just like girl
The proper way to criticise the cas-
/ is TO say:
z Colt Albertson as cap Amor bad
Mamie Scott as Lady Betty 49,. -
And SO on ad infnitum.