The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-10-10
Cbe Cbeatre$
Al. c. Fi,,a's Mi.strels.

| | cadent nation, that we have drifte away from the strong and simple wa | of our fathers to the effete luxuries Q modern decadence-that we have driit style minstrels and taken up with fas | and frisky musical comedies. The cry Is wrong. They may pofn out grafters in Washington, insuranc United States Senators from New Yorl to Oregon-and say we are decaden because of all this. but !n other thing minstrel show" is just as much loved just as much sought after as 1t was 25 30 or 40 years ago. And the ''minstre show"--the old fashioned phrase is { good one--is distinctly American in stitution like baseball, for instance And 1t thrives. grows stronger ant makes more money than ever before h looking after it and making mney @ 1T the process.
 Nobody .grudges the genial head ol the splendid company of entertainers g has labored much and accomplished much in maintaining this one American institution up to its high standard. FoI ten years ormore he has set the stand ard. He has planned just ahead of his competitors and just ahead of the pub He. And he came to be supreme in the maintenance of this American in- stisation s naid the he head of the pr9fession
 
 ry last night. It was the best perform ance he ever gave in Montgomery and the largest crowds he ever entertained m the city saw the two performances
 So much for the policy of demanding that everything that goes on in the show shall be stamped with the trade There is something -nysterious about the fascination that a minstrel per- formance has for boys, old boys and grown up boys-and some ladies. It has some grasp on the human heart that you don't understand easily. There was yesterday. a rainy, drizzly day as blue day as one would care to see and to, experience. Now. with the rain falling steadily at bothe performances the Montgomery Theatre was packed just as tight as the law would let them pack 1t. They had to turn people away at the night performance.
 The audience was hungrily eager for s,n 2 minstrel minstrel show" It wanted action, boyish love for the gilt and fan fare, the laugh and the exaggeration of the minstrel entertainment was there, and 1t refused to be repressed.
 There was some scrapinE on the stage behind tho canvas, the music struck up, the audiences yelled-and aas then the curtain went up. It was all after II o'clock. It had no time to think. The spell was not to be broken. MoW 1t was appiauding. some lively intently. that 1t might not miss a note of some tenors sweet song or let the point of some joke escape. again ap- R,xHd,nF ax%1 ,.ef and s afaiR iR laSghinE and en snce first and last had busy time. There was action on the stage every minute of the time. And Al Field won't have anything but the very best
 Al Field showed the most artistic first piece setting that he has ever had In his long and successful career. Each year, one wonders, how Al Field Is go- ing to improve next year on this years handsome and costly scenery. There can be no two opinions about that stage setting, for the first part last night scenery ever shown in Montgomery
 It pictured the corridor and banQuet hall of the Arlington Hotel, Washing. holds its annual banquet. There were paintings on the wall. They showed Washington. Grant. Mckinley, and in- spring scenes from American history. Marble columns rose slender and grace full from floor to ceiling. Fronded were about their base. The ceiling was let, white and green. A wealth of pop pies were in bloom and the large vases were filled with flowers. Picture, frame. ceiling, column and balustrade each and all were studded with bril- liant lights.
 :, And adown through the center of all this glitter and beauty they marched Reese. Prosser. John Healy. Billy Clark, Tom Powell and the others. The best and finest minstrel ought to have a beautiful setting and a beautiful setting ought to have a fine company, The two met in the Al Field perform ance.
 supreme among the ballad singers. He had two songs in the first part, When My. Sweetheart Mary Answered Yes" and "A Message From Home Sweet not dimmed in % the T least. s p2Ta The audienes nes had him back half dozen times.
 William Moore sang with feeling and effect, When the Bees are in the Hive" He shows great promise. Harry Ernst scored in the singing of T Wonder if You'll Miss me"
 The best of the ragtime exhibits, be. done by Billy Clark. But the other burnt cork numbers were up to high standard of excellence. Tom Powell Dave Nowlin and John Healey tickied propositions and with some side issue dancing and limitations that were good.
 Healey is the funniest thing that has come here in black face. Nature in tended him for negro minstrel long before he ever found out that 1t was his chosen and appointed profession. MT. fleld with great wisdom gave Healey wide row in the performance. He really took the bride off and let Healey cut the capers. And when Healey was knocking around on the stage, no matter what act was on. there was fun and laughter going on
 Doc Quigley, he of the eccentric and elastic legs was also much in evidence, Ills dancing was ridiculous as 1t has always been, but he has shown some marked improvement in other lines of his work. Quigley is valuable asset of the show.
 Herbert and Rogers two wonderful little dancers won generous applause and they deserved It.
 The Darktown band act with Tom Powell as conductor appeared at first killer, but further thought showed that Al Field recognized the act as really one of the most absurd, one of the most features of the show And 1t was all that beyond doubt.
 Billy Clark has never failed to make a local hit in his monologue and he never pleased his audience before as much as he did yesterday.
 A splendid feature was the dances of the nations, feature that might be called scenic. a spectacular and hardly less handsome than that in the first part with the added beauty of it's many contrasts. The accompanying songs and dances were in keeping with the merit of its scenic excellence.
 In short 1t was a great performance. So much for the man who demands the hall mark of excellence.
 way Down East" comes to the theatre tonight.
 Entertained Friends In Car.
 After the matinee performance Mir. Field entertained a party of his Mont friends at dinner in hls hand