The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1903-09-25
OPERA HOUSE.
Field . Minstrels.

that ever gathered al the opera house
the building being packed almost 10
suffOcation-the AL u. Field MINISTRIES
opened the theatrlcaI season In Co
lumbis Tuesday night. Standing room
was AZ a premium.
The performance was IN every re-
spect worthy nf what is claimed Tor
n. aud showed that AL Field stands az
the very head of modern minstteisy.
When the curtain rose last niRnt III
revealed what was beyond question the
most gorgeous scenic effects ever seen
in this city. The grand illumination
of Fountain Park was superb
picture, and the brilliant COSTUMES
added much to the electrical effects.
Several of the old favorites were
there and were spplauded as they
made their appearance. Reece Pros.
ser. the golden voiced tenor. scored
the biggest hit of the evening In his
beautiful solos, Dear Old Girl ana
"Dowu In Mobile Long Ago, sung as
only he can sing. He admirably
sustained his reputation rs being the
finest tenor outside of grand opera In
the United States. Tom McKenna, the
young baritone, also scored heavily
with his magnificent solo. dooo
Night Beloved. We don't remember
to have heard McKenna before, but
he's an artist, every inch or him, ana
ID going to make as great favorlte as
Reece Prosser some OF these days. ne
has a line presence and is extremely
graceful. Harry Skunk and Tommy
Donuelly both scored hits In their
coon songs ana jokes. Skunk Is ne"
one, but he's a star In his llne'
There IS NO horse play about him MS
fun and his way of handing 1t out ls
refined, and appeals to you. Inc
grana choir, with Reece Prosser and
the tavorire singers. gave several
classic selections In magnificent
manner.
Aside from the superb singing the
fun of the evening was furnlsneu Dy
Al Field himself. His monologue kept
the house In continual roar FOR
fifteen minutes. HIS Brother Ander'
son stories and his trust remarks were
SIMPLY side. splitting. 1t is by far the
briehte thing Al has ever gotten on
and Of itself was worth the price OF
admission to hear.
The performance closed with
humorous burlesque on circus. IL
was immensely funny and kept the
house in a roar until the curtain fell.
Deserving of especial mention was
the really wonderful acrobatic WORK
of the Walton Brothers. Thew per
formed very difficult tricks
Another feature was the equll1or1stlc
exhibition of Percy Leigh and brother
in balancing on billiard cues standing
uprightly. While performing his most
difficult trick, that of balancing MIN
self, feet over head, Dy standing win
his hanas on billiard cues stood on
TOP of each other, Percy Leigh sus'
tanned severe fall by the ends or two
of the cues separating. 1t was leared
at first that one of the cues stuck IN
his pody, but it did not. The curtain
was dropped and the equillbrlst
carried out. He was UNCONSCIOUS ior
q few minutes.
Field has a great company OF mlu-
strels and they are we'll worth seeing.
The conduct of the gallery last night
was simply outrageous. 1t seemed TO
BIZ full of hoodilms, who hao heltne-
respect enough for themselves nor for
the ladies to behave in decent man
ner. To the credit OF the colored sue
If the house it may be said that they
we're orderly in comparison. Inree OF
tour policemen, it Is SAID, were
stationed in the gallery. but they evil
1ently made no effort to stop the dis
graceful conduct. Al f1eid ala
though. While he was recltIng his
oud-mouthed fellow IN
the right gallery kept lnterruptlng
aim. 1t was exceedingly offensive to
he audience. Finally Al pointed his
finger to the fellow and said to HIN:
I'm not talking tc you; [ M talking
to ladies and gentlemen. Now you
Keep quiet. l shall see you after the
show is over. This etfectually
suulched the interrupter, who shortly
afterwards got up and left. 1t Is
that he was afraid Al was
going to "see him after the show was
)ver.