The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-10
Reilly and Woods ut Empire.

The show presented by Reilly and Woods
at the Empire this week fully sustains
the reputation this firm has established by
the excellence of its productions in years
past. An unusually large audience greet
ed the opening performance yesterday
afternoon, and the company should. and
will, undoubtedly. play to crowded houses
all week If the patrons of the Empire
want high-class burlesque, they have it
this week.
There is scarcely dull moment from
curtain to curtain, and to mention the
good things would be to cite almost every
feature of the performance! In the first
place, the production is exceptionally we'll
staged, the scenery and mechanical effects
being far in advance of even the more
meritorious of burlesaue shows. The
chorus is shapely, handsomely costumed
and exceptionally we'll drilled, but the
thing about the production that takes is
that everything moves with snap and VIM
showing that the people on the stage real
ize they have something good for the
audience and are anxious to present it in
the best possible style.
Pat Reilly, inimitable as the low Irish
comedjon, is at the head of the company
and la. makeup and his mannerisms are
such that 1t Is wonder wonder that the Irish
toward him long since He carries the
burden of the fun-making. and carries it
easily ana well, dltnOuSn ne is ably as
sisted by Nat Leroy and r. w. Craig
The opening burlesquc, Down at Reil-
ly's," is new and all good. The action is
rapid, the situations full of fun, and the
principals get off line of gags" that
keep the audience in continuous laugh
ter The scene is a villa by the sea, and
is an effective piece of stagecraft. The
songs and choruses are all good, the clos
ing one, Keep On a-Shining, Silver Moon"
by Bonita and the company, with its I'M
usual light effects, calling for numerous
encores.
George and Lila Brennan open the clio
with a singing and dancing turn that is
catchy and sets pace that the other num-
bers fully maintain. Craig and Ardell
sketch that keeps the audience laughing,
and then comes Bonita with her Cuban girl
and two African midgets. Bonita has an
unusually sweet voice. has the singing of
coon songs reduced to fine art, and with
the assistance OF her trio of pickaninnies,
made such pronounced hit yesterday
afternoon that in the end she forced
to make little speech, thanking the audi
ence ana explaining that they could respond
to no more encores because they were ''all
NatsLercy has clever monologue, not
entirely original but most of it is new and
his own and went we'll. He made number
of local hits that scored. The olio is closed
by the Orpheus Comedy Four, an aggrega-
ton that is always assured of a warm
welcome in Indianapolis because Ii is an
indianapolis product. 1t is one of the best
quartets the road.
Reilly & Woods have revived the bur-
lesque, "Hades and the 400" which made
such a hit several years ago, to round out
their performance this season. 1t serves as
a vehicle for some fine mechanical effects,
drills and musical numbers, and gives
Reilly, Leroy and Craig abundant opportu-
mites for comedy work. Few more gro
tesque sights than Pat Reilly as Mac
phisto" have been presented at the Empire,
and few more pleasing pictures than Bonita
in her white military uniform.