The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1904-12-14
PROVIDENCE OPERA HOUSE.

Comedians-Arthur Deming. William
West, Eddie Leonard, All r. Gibson
Jimmie Connors, Charley McAvoy, John
ME Corroran
vocalists-wm II. Rieger Bert Loriot
Spenser Kelly, Hugh Brady, Frank
Coombs, ". S. whitney. Gus Reed. Ed
ward Won Bergen. Harry Webster, VIM.
Sternberg. Walter Moore.
Interlocuter, Harry NJ. Morse.
Niklss Schilzonyi and his original Hun
gsrian Boys band.
At the Providence Opera House for the
week. with matinees today and Saturday,
George Primrose and his Big Minstrel
company under the management of James
II Decker.
II last nights audience that saw the
opening OF this wondrous show had been
allowed to have it's way the performance
would have hardly been concluded by the
midnight hour. As IL was. proceeding
with the swift Ret-up-and-get character
istic OF "nigger minstrels." the curtain
did not fall until almost IL O'Clock.
As an evenings entertainment the new
Primrose minstrelsy Is an amazingly de-
lightful success. IL is about the biggest
and finest medley OF excellent music, vo-
cal and instrumenTa1. dHnCTHg rnHt 5tfrs
the pulses funny dolugs no end. magnih-
cent scenery and stage appointments all
invested with an atmosphere or merriment
and artistically finished i'm every detail.
that ever struck this town.
There are two 1rst parts, the opener
assuming 10 represent the old minstrelsy
Of calico suits and toussle topped end
men: the transformation, the evening
dress sweldom that marked the height OF
modern minstrel glory as II did also what
for a time seemed 10 be the end OF min
strelsy al a popular entertainment. For.
I'm the effort to retain popular favor
that waned with the dying out OF the old
traditions that made this form of enter
tsinment interesting and it's replacing
with new fashions. the minstrel men
sought by a demonstration OF managerial
gorgeousness 20 keep I'm the game with
the musical comedy and the big burles-
que, the new favontes of the fickle pub
lie. And the attempt was not wholly sue
cessful
wo doubt very much II the Primrose
first "hrst part" literally does depict
mnstrelsy IN It's humble beginnings. but
Il does better than that--it reproduces the
pictures that used TO grace the primitive
blllboG rds I'm these early days of min
strelsy. We recall. even now. the BIT
ter disappointment that used TO assail us
upon the discovery that compared with
those gorgeous visual announcements the
actual "hrst part on the old Harring-
ton Opera House stage was thin and
shabby array for all those calico trous-
ers and the galety of flannel upholstery
rendered Goubly Spectacular by red fire
blazing On a shovel In the wings. The
posters on the walls aud the small bills
IN the barber shop used 20 show row upon
row anu tier upon tier ~ bTrnt cork art
ists ali working strenuously and I'm unison
with bones and tambo and n veritable
forest of band instruments. The actuality
well. it was only after n became y mat
ter-of- eonrse 20 discount the iIIuFTons
of the billboard that We ever became re-
conciled TO tho real thing as done on the
stage and fcit satisfied that we were get
ting our moneys worth In the gallery
rows
The Primrose arst "frst part how
ever IL y dream realized For the nrst
time Ne behold the 80 lendid promise ~
the potter and the small bill actually done
in life here are the costumes, the good