The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-10-13
Cbe CbeatreS
.1 r,eId,e Great Minstrels

show bearing the gooo name oi Al G. Field has come to be a matter Of no surprise in this section or the country.
 This truth was again demonstrated bv inc two great audiences that crowd ed into the Montgomery Theatre yes terday matinee and night to laugh and enioy Fields Minstrels. At the mati- nee uerformance every seat was taken, inc audience being mostly women. but they seemed to take as much pleasure in the excellence of the performance as the most 3ovial man did last night. People had to be turned away at the night performance because every seat was sold and standing room tickets are prohibited by . city ordinance.
 The fame of Al Field as producer of minstrelsy is greater in Montgomery this morning than 1t was yesterday morning and the reason for 1t is the two excellent performances of the min- strels yesterday. Clean, modern min- strelsy of high class. iavishly staged with gorgeous scenic effects together with a. score of excellent voices and four comedians as good as could be de- sired place the performance at the top notch of successful entertainment.
 Like everything else. minstrelsy changes with the times and for lovers of the good old fashioned minstrel show where there was only dancing, sinriur and jokes with a trayesty slkit this years show might not have been as much enjoyed as some of those of previous years. Modern minstrelsy in its highest state Is Al Fields plan and his plan has been executed in its en- tirety. N
 For the opening. the first part. the veteran minstrel man has given the public a view of the most magnificent minstrel setting that has ever adorned a Montgomery stage. When the cur tain rises, the stage is darkened in a Bubdued light and out of the haze myriads of vari-colored electric lights. studded everywhere in the setting give a charming effect to the beautiful pie escaped from the audience at this dag zling display of beauty and g spontane- ous burst of applause greeted the rising of the curtain, lont the first part.
 Following out the modern, the stage is unocpupied by the performers and the vocaltsts,; end men and interlocutor come into the view of the audience pre- eedsd by the orchestra in a spirited
 Taste and elegance are combined in the costumes provided for the company. 1t is certainly fact that there has never been seen handsomer costumes Tn a minstrel show here and probably no minstrel show has ever been costumed like 1t before.
 A notable feature of the show was moro music and less jokes. Most of the songs were new and meritorious and it may be said that the Al c. Field choir would make any song ap- pear to be fine. This choir could blend the voices together if they had to do 1t and get harmony out of "Iiawatha-" The extravagant success of the per- formance was due as much as any thing else to this collection of singers, who made the body and background for the soloists.
 The great Montgomery favorite, Reese Prosser, again added laureis to his crown as a ballad singer. by his rendition of "'Tis All I Ask" and "The Little Church Where You and l Were wed" He was encored warmly after both songs, which he sang in his own expressive manner.
 The popular March song, Goodbye, Little Girl, Goodbye" was well sung by Harry Goseline in a cleaE we'll mod uiated tenor. which pleased his hearers into several encores. This song was the best in the new crop brought by the minstrels to Montgomery. It is a song that will make good everywhere 1t Is sung.
 Albert Tint, a young fellow with a voice verging from the pitch of a wo- mans soprano to a high tenor, sang a pretty sentimental medley song, com bInIng a number of old favorites, into The Songs My Mother Used to Sing" He was greatly assisted in bringing out the beauty of the song by the choir.
 Happy Tommy Donnelly used his longs to good advantage in his song, "Lindy Lou" and brought down the house by his strenuous singing. He also crak ked few jokes that were new and clever.
 The funny man in the show Is John Healy, a small, wiry man with a keen sense of humor and an idiotic face, which said idiotic face undoubtedly pays him we'll. He is the most thor oughly ludicrous minstrel biackface man that has travelled in this. part of the country in years. To look at him Is to laugh, and when he opens his mouth and cocks his head to one side, you have to hold on to the seat to keep from falling out. He is unknown in but his name will be well comed when he comes here again. He sang Isabella until he was biue-b1ack fin the face and still the audience cried for more. He has gone out of the cus- tomary actions of the end man and put some clever originality into his work.
 Billy Clark brought fun in his song, Marian" and his jokes were 1aughable and new. Tn a monologue he proved himself the equal of George Wilson or Billy Van, and put the audience into with his wit.
 The olio began with a travesty sketch of Judge Parker and President Roose- welt, Al Fields as Fudge Jarker'" and Tommy Donne1ly as "Roosey Tedfelt. /" The political hits in the sketch were received with enthusiasm by the audi ence. and were not offensive to parti- sans
 Cornalla and Eddie, comedy acrobatlc team, are peerless in their sketch-a ridiculous juggling and acrobatic act CornaIla is a juggler of rare merit and Eddie would be funny lying in a coffin. The act was well received and justly so.
 A beautiful scenic Advertisement, Where the Moonlight Falls and the Waters Ripple" introduced a number of buck and wing dancers who danced into instant favor.
 The Quaker City Quartette, composed of John Pieri, Harry Earnest. John Healy and B l.. Carnes, did some ex- cellent musical work with voices and instruments The deep. rich bass voice of Carnes was shown of in the songs of the four and only made one wish for a solo by him. His voice is of won derful depth and of unusual strength and sweetness.
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