The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-06
The Vaudeville at the Grand.

One of the best vaudeville programmes of
the season is offered by the management of
the Grand this week to amusement seekers
and well-pleased audiences witnessed the
opening performances yesterday. The at
fractions of the ball are amply varied, acts
of genuine merit being in the ascendant.
Several features new to local audiences are
presented, but the greatest interest GEN.
tiers in the one-act play, 'Shipmates,"
which is admirably acted by Edmund Day
and his little supporting company. The
piece is somewhat suggestive of w. w.
Jacobs's delightful nautical tales, and 1t is
all the more welcome on that account. The
scene is laid on the deck of a stranded
whaling vessel on the New England coast,
and the stage setting is one of the best
seen at the Grand. The story tells how two
old seamen, who have been lifelong friends
asked to take care of little orphaned
girl whose mother had been a relative of
one of them. Kind-hearted Captain Har-
vey wants to adopt the GIRL bluff Captain
Tom does not, and they have a bitter quar-
rel over the matter. The little girl, how
ever, wins her way to the heart of Tom,
and the curtain falls upon pretty scene,
better friends than ever and that the orphan
has found a comfortable home on board the
little ship. The lines are bright and the
piece Is quite refreshing from beginning to
end. Edmund Day is excellent Captain
Tom, and is given able assistance by Elmer
E. Potter, as Captain Harvey, and Miss
Latrice WinStan, as Lucy Cringle, the
orphan.
Although Eva Nudge has been seen at
the Grand before in almost identically the
same act which she is now giving this
little artist fully deserves the second place
of honor on the programme. Her songs
are we'll rendered, despite the fact that
her voice is one OF very limited range, but
ii is her wonderfully quick changes of cos
tune that entities her to be classed as
a most interesting entertainer. Her spe-
cialty Is We'll worth seeing several times,
for ii never fails to prove a source of
amazement TO her auditors. How it is pos
sible for her to be transformed from
private soldier to sailor and sailor TO Con-
federate general and then into a feminine
attire-and each transformation taking
place almost in the twinkling of an eye
lash-is "a little mystery which only Miss
Nudge and the maid whe helps her can
explain-and they won't. She scored a
great hit, as usual.
Smith and Fuller, who may always be
counted upon for high-class musical act,
among the best contributors to the pro-
gramme. They play various musical in
struments with great skill, and Miss Full
er's songs. with her harp accompaniment,
are very enjoyable. Hanley and Jarvis,
in funny conversational speciality, re-
ceived as much applause yesterday any
of the performers on the bill. The majority
of their jokes and stories are new, and
they have a comical way of rafting off
their chatter that proves amusing. Inez
Mecusker, who was once a soprano soloist
with Sousas band. is heard in a repertoire
OF songs, and her vocaizations We're
warmly received by the first audiences of
the week She sang a negro melody, an
operate selection in Italian and the ia
miliar old English ballad. Sally in Our
Alley" Marvellous Frank" as he is
billed, gives an unusual exhibition. He is
an athlete and gymnast with only one
leg, but he manages to perform a series
of feats that any two-legged gymnast
would find extremely difficult of accom-
plishment- Curtin and Blossom have a
speciality that is clever mixture of coon
songs and acrobatics, and McCue and Ca
hill ballad singers, entertain with num-
Der of weli-chosen new songs. The bio
scope is more than usually interesting. the
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