The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-09-05
AL. G. FIELDS MINISTRIES.
\ Great Fun Organization That Is to
Visit Raleigh.

The indianapolis News Says of Al
| u. Fields MinStrelS soon to visit Raj
! eigh, its date being the 18th of Sep
| TENDER.
"English's opened with a hurrah
last night when AL G. Fields Ministries
as usual, opened the season The
theatre was literally packed with hun
cry amusement seekers and enough
people were turned away to have fill
ed it over again. The show was a
good one, bright sparkling and anus
ing, and the audience went away
pleased with the evenings entertain
ment. Mr.. Fields has made a great
many changes in his minstrel show
since it was here last year; he has
revised 1t utterly and has reduced the
vaudeville features to a minimum. He
still has fine gathering of singers,
IN able corps of comedians and the
scienic display is as pretentious as that
Of most comic operas.
The first part which shows a hand
some interior he has chrlstened The
Gridiron Club getting the name
from the famous Washington Club.
After all it really approximates the
)ld-faShioned first part with it's row
of black-faced MINISTRIES on the end /;
it's interiocutOr and it's bunch of gay
~ dressed white-faced singers with
tlIe HluSlCldIlS DICK Oh lneIH. mere
was the best singing of the evening
intersperesed with good jokes of the
Did minstrel kind, most of them new.
all of them laughable. Here was
Reese Presses, who made a hit with
his ballads, when My Sweetheart
Whispered Yes" and "a Message from
Home, Sweet Home" which was loud
ly encored. Harry Earnest made hit
with II Wonder if They'll Miss Me-"
Nellie Dean" by Gilbert Lossie: my
Old Sweetheart" by B. B. Bathrick,
and Hes my Pal" by George Blye.
Then came the comedians with their
cheered ditties, chief among which
was the song, Nobody" by Billy
Clark, who also sang Gimme de
Leavin's." Tom Powell sang '"Parson
Jones" in way to make the house
pleased, and Davie Nowlin sang Hal
elujah." while John Healy sang "Old
Black Joe" in the good time way.
Then came the Gridiron Club with
burlesques on Chauncey DepeW, Ad-
miral Togo, Carrie Nation and others.
The olio was short, but good Pow
ell and McClain. 1.-THE Darktown
Band did clever musical stunt: the
Quaker City sang songs well; Ryan
Lester and Ryan did an acrobatic act
that won much applause and which
was d ulSlltlCl W TIE SIIOW,
and then came Billy Clark, who kept
the audience laughing half an hour
with his clever monolOgue. The last
part of all was the Dances of all
Nations" in which Scottish, Indian
and Spanish sailors and negro dances
were introduced with elaborate scienic
effects. The biograph was called on
to aid the scenic effects in some of the
dances and the pictures of the Span
ish bull fight were intensely realistic
and exciting. Another fine scene was
the sea picture, with the battleShips
showing and the sailors in front dane
ing the hornpipe The Scottish scene
was also good. with it's kilties, includ-
ing the black-faced kilties, and the
whole ended with the Feast of Flow
ers'' which introduced a genuine dar
key hoe down, a riot of melody and
fun Throughout. the show moved
quickly and entertainingly; there was
b heap of fun in it. much laughter
and healthy amusement. and altogeth
er it was an suspicious opening of
English's season.