The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-18

That was the best stunt 1 ever did, and /
got more money for it than 1 had ever got
before. 1t was worth all I got. But ex-
cuse me. I'm on now for the wind-up of the
first part
And with these words the property man
limped out before the audience. At the
same time the orchestra struck up a lively
tune; the chorus girls poured forth from
the wings, attired in new costumes of daz-
zling splendor, and the principals of the
company took their places down near the
footlights. This ensemble was the closing
musical number of the first burlesque-a
medley of popular songs in which every
body took part AS the buxom prima donna
struck her highest note at the conclusion
of the last chorus the comedians and sing
ers former themselves into a tableau and
the curtain fell, the star comedian bestow-
ing upon the unfortunate property man
generous kick just by way of topping off
the performance In an artistic way.
The regular programme at a burlesque
show is TO present an opening and clos
ing musical travesty, with an olio of
specialties in between. Everybody appears
in the travesties. but it's only the true
artists who are allowed to have anything
to do with the olio. Now came the oio.
First there were a couple of slrightly
young ladies who sang coon songs and
danced buck-and-wing dances While out
| in the middle Of the stage, with hundreds
| Of pairs of eyes upon them, they were ex-
tremely affectionate toward each other.
| Their sisterly devotion dhey were down
on the bills as ''sister team') was love-
ly thing to witness and aided greatly in
winning for them the approval of the
| downstairs portion of the audience. The
7 gallery was not to be won over with this
| display of sentimentality (the gallery hates
| sentimentality), and it was not until the
| fair maidens had got down to business with
| a tremendously energetic dance that the
! critical gods UP in the top of the theater
| condescended to give 'em a hand" The
| girls came off the stage bowling sweetly
| and blowing kisses to the right and to the
| left They were such sunny-natured girls
| so happy and so contented with every
thing. Just as soon as they were in the
wings they went their separate ways for
it seemed that they refused to occupy the
same dressing room, and one of them was
overheard to remark, Minnie makes me
tired! She hogs the center of the stage
an tries to spoil me woik!''
Two instrumental musical artists" came
next on the programme. In the parlance
of the profession, one of the men worked
straight comedy" and the other Ibid black
| face" which means that the one who had
| not smeared burnt cork over his face did
not attempt to be funny, save in a quiet
refined, they call it in burlesque-manner.
while the burnt-cork performer endeavored
| to create laughter through the employment
| of the most boisterous methods. They
| played on tin cans, cow-bells and other
! things that are famous for their exquisite
| musical tones. and succeeded in producing
| harmonies such as Wagner had never
dreamed possible. They wound up with en-
| imitation of minstrel band coming down
the street"-one with a cor let and the
other with a slippery horn (trombone)-
and made SO much noise that the gallery
| warmed up to them and gave them several
rounds of applause. The gallery loves noise.
A ballad singer appeared. He was tear
fully sentimental and the gallery didn't ap-
prove Of him at first. But this ballad
singer knew his business and stuck to
| songs about soldiers and poor little girls
who were in hard luck. 1t is inexplicable,