The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-02-02
The Vaudeville mt the Grand.


The always-welcome Fannie Rice is the
star of a diversified programme at the
Grand this week-a programme that affords
good entertainment with acts of genuine
merit in the ascendant, although speciaIties
containing considerable idiocy are not neg
iected. AS for Fannie Rice she is a yaude-
vile snow all by herself and amusement
seekers cannot fail TO thoroughly enjoy
every moment that she is on the stage She
again appears in her doll house." present.
ing melange of songs. dances and imper-
sonations while made up to represent little
mannikins, and is possessed of so much
personal magnetism, vivacity and comic
force that she is able to hold the audiences
unwearled and applauding through an act
mat lasts longer than the usual vaudeville
turn. Like Fay Templeton, Miss Rice
is comedlenne who does not seem to grow
a day older with each new season and who
Is just as amusing and artistic to-day as
she was ten years ago. Her humor is con-
tagiouS; her voice is as good as IL ever
was and her face and form are just as at
tractive as when she sang the soubrette
role In William I: Cartoons production of
ted down in theatrical history Her act is
improved in many ways over the one she
offered when last seen in this city, and is
TO be classed among the very best things
the Grand has provided for its patrons this
season.
A speciality that scored an unexpected hit
al yesterdays opening performance was the
singing and dancing act OF Gillian and
Murray, two black-face entertainers new
TO Indianapolis. This team was booked at
tne Grand 10 NIL in an opening left on the
Dill by the calculation of another speciality
and the management was not looking for
anything especially good, being Obliged to
take what could be secured at the last mo-
ment. The young men are excellent vocal
lists end their comedy work is really funny
but, best of all, they have used good taste
in nrin ffCfr or
very diverting little speciality. a pleasing
mixture or singing and toe-dancing is given
In the speciality of Adeline Roattina and
Clara Stevens, two pretty girls who recent
ly Joined hands as vaudeville performers
Miss Roattina, as remarked in these col
umns when she was singing in burlesque.
although she attempts as an opening selec-
ton an operate number that is somewhat
too difficult for her. she atones for this i'm
mediately after by rendering some ballads
in pure soprano such as is rarely heard
in vaudeville. Her new partner is a toe
dancer of considerable ability and the
young women make an attractive team.
keit and Rusik contribute a splendid
gymnastic and equilibristic exhibition that
ranks with the very best of its kind now be-
fore the public. 1t is pleasure to watch
their work as it is about as perfect as an
exhibition of the sort could be. The Three
Fortunes have a grotesque act that is pro-
ductlve or loud bursts of laughter from the
audience. The men appear in nondescript
make-upS and perform a series of riduc-
ulouS antics on the horizontal bars that is
mirth-provoking in the extreme. Beatrice
Moreland is on the bill with almost identi-
cally the same monologue which she had
10 offer last season. She is an enterprising
talker and gains her points effectively but
is much in need of new material.
Frank =. Richards and Louise Montrose
are clever in their respective lines-the
man is a comic acrobat and the young
woman soubrette-but their act, which
they term Jack i'm the Box" is too inane
TO be funny They are too good to waste
time upon such pOorly-prepared speciality.
The same criticism holds good in the case
of Earle and Wilson, good instrumental
musicians who make vain attampts-at least
one of them does-to be funny when nature
forb:ds. The admirable biOscope film 1.-The
Great Train Robbery" has been wisely re-
tanned for another week by the Grands
management and again proves one of the
most interesting things on the programme.