The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-02-01
Cbe CbedtreS
Doclkstader,n NIinatreIa.

OOCABthuEE1 MhMHtEGA0s
 It is but just to title Lew Dock stader the savior of minstrelsy, and the thanks of those who love good old fashioned minstrelsy are due him in overflowing measure.
 The two performances of the Lew Dockstader Minstrels yesterday. mat inee and night, at the Montgomery Theatre, gave pleasure to two of the most enthusiastic audiences that ever filled the house, and they had cause for enthusiasm. They saw the ideal performance in burnt cork-the ideal that has been striven for by other com panies. but has never been reached in Montgomery or elsewhere. Many min streI performances have many excellent features and one or more commonplace ones. It may be the result of luck or 1t may more probably be in this case the result of keen insight and judg- ment that there Is not one ordinary feature in the performance that Lew Dockstader and his company give.
 In the face of the movement in the past few years among the twentieth century minstrel companies to intro duce every year more vaudeville and leave out less pure minstrelsy, Dock ! stader has shown the courage of his conviction in doing away absolutely WlLu LuS OllOs COulpOSeu OL of vaudeville sketches that are cus- tomary in all minstrels of the latter day It was refreshing not to see men juggling vari-colored Indian clubs, turning somersaults from a horizontal bar. or playing on freak musical instru- ments in the second part of the Dock stader show.
 All that does not belong to pure minstrelsy has been thrown out. and the true minstrel idea Is held intact, With the elimination of a bad feature, he has gathered together the greatest collection of singers and comedians that has ever appeared in a minstrel performance on a Montgomery stage. To substantiate the truth of this as- sertion, one has but to glance at the roster. Lew Dockstader, Carol John son, Neil OBrien. John King, Frank l Leighton and Bert Leighton, to furnish l the fun, ano Manuel Romain, Matt Keefe, William Mcdonald, Ora F. Weller. Harry Ellis and Martin Won | Bergon, to furnish the song to melt into harmony of a magnificent chorus and orchestra are signs that speak for themselves.
 | Some of the grandest pieces of the scenic makers art give beautiful set ting of background to the performance and few theatrical companies carry in l their productions based on scenic grandeur such effects to make the equal of the stage picture "Springtime-When the Water Lilies Bloom.' which con l cludes the entertainment.
 The curtain rises with the introduc- tory chorus, when every performer on the stage is in black face and seat | ed. This fact in contrast to having the soloists and musicians in white face is clearly an improvement in style and appearance.
 The songs were of good quality and most of the jokes were fresh and new and the execution used in both was ex- cellent.
 Leighton and Leighton started mat ters of in great style with their scng l"Youv'e Done Me Wrong" The words were clever and the music was the rag time that made Bill Bailey" a success They worked overtime on account of the repeated encores they received and incidentally made a hit
 Little Colored Lady in the Moon
 was sung in a high soprano voice by Ora F. Weller in way to bring ap- pIause. John King sang himself into favor with The Countess of ~Alaga-
 gam" and was forced to sing a number allow him to stop.
 The golden voiced lyric tenor. Man uel Romain, the prince of ballad sing CTS, contributed one of the beautiful