The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-01
The Vaudeville at the Grand.

Although there are three specialties on the
Grand's programme this week that far out
shine all Of the other acts on the bill, the
entertainment is one in which meritorious
features dominate over those of mediocre
quality, and the show may be classed among
the strongest of the season. The three star
specialties are presented by Henry Lee,
Lewis McCord and company and Ellie Fay.
Mr.. Lee has often been seen in Indianapolis
In past years as a legitimate actor but new
er before as a vaudeville entertainer. He
with the most important headline acts
now before the public. He is seen in va
rious representations of great men of the
past and present. Being a master of the
art Of makeup and stickler as to de-
tails in stage business" his portraits of
celebrities are excellent in every respect
With his perfect knowledge of the effects
TO be produced with grease paints and with
carefully prepared wigs boards, mustaches
and accurate costumes, he submits striking
ly good representations Of Shakespeare, Bis
marck, Pope Leo XIII, Mark Twain, Presi-
dent Roosevelt General Grant and Cen
eral Robert h. Lee. He makes his changes
in full view of the audience. with the as
sistance of four young men, thus sustaining
the interest of the spectators from the
time he comes on the stage until the drop
curtain. falls upon his last impersonation.
He will vary his act during the week, CIV
ing different portraits from time to time
At present he has in preparation impersona-
tons OF the Car of Russia and the Mikado
of Japan, and hopes to ''try on these new
ones during his present indianapolis en-
gagement.
Lewis McCord's act, though not billed as
a leading feature, proved to be the speciality
OF secondary Importance on the programme.
Ii is so seldom that really clever farce
Is seen in vaudeville that this one, which
was written by Herbert Holcomb and which
is called Her Last Rehearsal, deserves
special commentator. 1t tells of a young
woman who is fired with ambition to act,
but who possesses no talent whatever. A
young stage manager takes her in hand for
a certain sum, and tries to coach her in
Romeo and Juliet. The scene of the
piece is the stage of a theater during the
rehearsal. The characters are the would
be actress, the stage manager, the leading
man engaged to support the amateur the
amateurs buxom mother and a noisy stage
hand. The trials of the, stage manager,
in his attempts to teach the poor girl to
act, furnish the fun of the thing, and Mr..
McCord makes the most of every opportu-
nifty. Ali of the characters are well played,
and the little farce keeps the audience in
roars of laughter from beginning to end. 1t
Is we'll worth seeing.
Fife Fay fulfilled all expectations. Much
has been heard of this little comedienne,
but she has never before been seen in In
dianapolis. She Is spontaneous funmaker
and her stage work is all the more enjoy
able because of her success in making the
audience feel that she is having a Jolly
good time herself and not merely going
through mechanical routine. She sings
Smiles" little English ditty and her
famous "Belle of Avenue A" She is in
imitable in her portrayal of a New York
tough girl, her Avenue A maiden being
Immensely amusing.
farcical sketch entitled TOO Many
Darlings' is offered by Georgia Gardner and
Joseph Madden. 1t is another case of
team of good farceurs with a poor We
hicle, although those in the audience who
are not particular as TO the quality of the
comedy dished up to them seemed to find
the sketch laughable. Walter j. Talbot
and John r. Rogers are a couple of I'M
usually good singers-especially Rogers
and if they were content to stick to their
songs they would command respect. Their
jokes are of a rare old vinta ge-most of
them-and their dialogue, a whole, too
inane to be funny. Sherman and DeForest,
in their Battle of Dan Dago," have one
of the most idiotic acts in vaudeville, but
the nonsense is not without its amusing fea-
lures and the audience at yesterdays per-
formances found 1T mirth-provoking.
Ford and Wilson contribute a black-face
singing and dancing speciality of the usual
sort. They work very hard and earn ap-
plause with the more boisterous sort of
negro dancing ValmOre and Horton, who
open the bill, are terpsichorean artists of
ability and their ''whirlwind dance scores
a success. series OF attractive bioscope
pictures rounds out the programme