The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-04

tell what he thought about the relative mer-
| its of Mr.. Ross acting and his own
Xxx
The annual hodge-podge at Weber &
| Fields's music hall is called ''Whoop-Dee-
Doo." and it sustained it's first inspection
| by stage folks last Tuesday afternoon.
These matinees on off days are weekly as
| semblages of players from other theaters.
| and the semi-circle of balcony boxes con-
tains always an interesting show of foot
| light favorites. have seen Joseph Jeffer-
son and Henry Irving, Sarah Bernhardt and
| Eleanor Duse in these gatherings, and so,
you see, the serious dramatic artists like
| to laugh at tomfoolery. strange theater
| is this. Built for a cheap vaudeville place.
small and plain, it has been richly embel-
lished till it is anonymously handsome and
ugly, and because our liveliest people with
money are tickle Weber & Fields dare not
try to shift their good fortune to a bigger
and finer house. Doubtless they recall what
| happened to Edward Harrigan when he
built what is now called the Garrick. His
| series of successes with a unique form of
local song and dance farce ended abruptly
when he quit the musty old Olympic. He
still owns the Garrick, but has not occupied
it these dozen years. He has only this sea-
son come back into the edge of the town
| with resolute effort to regain his former
| vogue farcical humorist.
| The new Weber-Fields show is, should
| say, so costly in its plant of scenery and
| costumes, and in its salary list, that hardly
/ any profit is possible in the small quarters,
| but the remuneration will come, no doubt,
4 during the spring tour of big auditoriums.
| 1t used to be thought that Julian Mitchell,
| nephew OF Maggie Mitchell, the in
| dispensable factor here because he was
| the genius who directed the rehearsals. 1t
was said that no one else could inspire and
compel the chorus and ballet-composed of
| what have come to be called show girls in
| current extravaganZa-to achieve an exact
| uniformity of graceful action. But another
obdurate expert, Ben Teal. has done quite
as well in the present production. Extra
wages for young women with extra pliabil-
! ity enabled both Mitchell and Teal to carry
| out their designs.
Lillian Russell wears trousers in ''Whoop-
| Dee-Doo," but frock coat saves her from
| exposing the more trying portions of them
| and she looks very well. STILL 1 think the
exhibit is a mistake. 1t makes folks talk
| advertisingly about her, but the view itself
| is Disseminating. There was little applause
| on Tuesday when she made her entrance in
the guise of young fellow, and 1lenty of
| it when she appeared in the first of her new
| set of gowns. Lillian retains the lead
| among the lavishly modish dressers on our
| stage. Weber & Fields buy very costly
| raiment for their show girls, and perhaps
| they make an extra allowance to Lillian;
but 1 assume that much Of her prodgal
outlay for wardrobe and jewels is borne by
| Mr.. Lewissohn. her present affinity and
| liberal adorer.
| 1t is a curious fact that the two songs
| in which Lillian is put forward to the best
| advantage, and with elaborate environment,
are the only ones not in the libretto and
| score provided by Edgar Smith and w. I.
| Francis. but the work of the negroes
| known in vaudeville as Cole and Johnson.
| But the notion that they are natural-born
| melodists without culture is not correct.
| They are graduates of Southern negro uni
versities and have had thorough training
| in music. Yet they haven't trained them
| selves away from negroism, but Undue
| their verses and tunes with it. Witness
| Under the Bamboo Tree with which my
| readers must be familiar by this time. In
the same vein is THE Maid of Timbuctoo,
which exploits creature who always
knows just what to do" Lillian undertakes
no characterization of the dusky maiden. but
| stands forth in all her natural and artif-
cial blonde loveliness, and in a costume so
| newly fine that women gasp at it, while
back of her the ballet chorus dance and
| sing in slightly additions to the fashionable
undress of Timbuctoo ladies. The other Cole
and Johnson song assigned to Lillian is
The Flower OF Dixie Land" which gives a
| verse each TO the rose, the sunhower and
the magnolia. During the refrain Lillian
fades out of sight in a darkening of the
| stage, and when the calcium lights are
| again turned tableau of chorusing
girls is shown in costumes beautiful with
the flower under description.
Louis Mann is the successor of Dave
| warfeld a dialect German comedian in
the trio of which Weber & Fields are two
| OF the thirds. When Warfield was rehears-
| ing for THE Auctioneer'' he put his finger
| through my buttonhole and said: II am
| broken hearted by the dread that I shall
have 10 play the same comic Jew all my
| life when 1 know 1 could win dIgni-
fed fame as Shylock." When Mann
was making ready for Hook. the Con-
| sul." he held by the lapel and
said ut is a shame that have to
go on making people laugh with broken
! English and can't get the chance for
fame as Shylock." Both should take
| warning OF Nat Goodwin's failure in the
portrayal of Shakspeares Jew. However.
| Mann does not shirk his work in '.whoop-
Dee-Doo." but does even the Glowing as
| though he liked 1t. He is the funniest In a