The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1905-04-12
he THEATRE<

Providence people owe distinct note oS
tts nks To Proprietor Afbee OF Keaths Tor
giving them the opportunity 10 hear this
week at his popular playhouse one OF ths
most famous pianists in the world, Blind
Tom, the famous blind negro pianist. Ger
tstnIy Blind Toms engagement ~ one OF
me notahIe musical events Of the local
season and everyone Interested In mkslo
should not fail 10 hear him. Blind Tom 10
the child OF paren 70 born In Georgia, SIM
Pile minded and blind from infancy. he
has never received any Instruction, out
II terprets with marvellous percfsfon ana
expression the severely classical compo-
sers.
His marvellous ability 10 repeat accu-
rateiy sounds has astounded musical and
scientific eIpsrts ard stamped MIN the
world over as an anomaly or musical sci
enoo HIS tendency 10 repeat all sounds IL
noticeable In the fact that he Invariably
initiates the audience appiauding, and II
Is q pathetic sight 10 see the sightless.
simple minded genius applauding himself
at the end of each selection played by
| hirl and repeating In mechanical tones
| anc In the third person the announcement
speeches made during his concert tours
| by previous manager. Blind Toms re-
II ni ke BILE memory enables him TO remem-
her accurately every name ever heard ~
| him and every date He will give accu-
| rately the names of every musical direct
| or ir every theatre and OF every concert
in which he ever appeared, and will tell
the exact date ~ his meeting with the
famous musicians whom he met during
! his trips abroad.
He tells. with face lighted up with
pleasure OF playing for Verdi in Paris at
! the studio OF Heller, the musical critic,
giving the exact date OF the meeting and
the location of the studio. This he re-
peatedly does In the other big European
cities. detailing win the pleasure OF a
child the famous personages before whom
ne played and where and when. To show
| Toms power TO remember names, his
manager tells OF hts having been intro
| dI ced recently TO newspaper man In
Detroit who sought an interview with
! him. The mans name was Sage"
'I met Mr.. Sage In Cleveland twelve
years ago said Tom "He was editor OF
the Cleveland Plain Dealer and he came
around 70 my dressing room when was
! pls wing at the Cleveland Opera House"
The newspaper man replied, mo. Tom.
| That was my father. whose name Is the
same mine He Is now editor OF the
| Cleveland Plain Dealer, and ! have fire.
| qJently heard him tell OF meeting you"
''N es know now" replied Tom: You
talk I'm G., and your father talked IN F."
Although marvelously accurate as To
names and dates, he has no sense OF
space OF time or distances. His first I'm
pressions are lasting ones. Once. when
playing in a cretain city where the
theatre was but a block from the hotel.
II was bitterly cold and his manager
remarked that II seemed like 10 miles. To
this day when asked how far the theatre
in that city is from the station. Tom will
reply 40 miles. And II took us FIVE
minutes TO walk tt
When asked how old he Is. Tom says.
Eighteen years old. sir. was born
May 25th. ls49. We had nothing to eat
but beet tops and ctscumbers." When
asked what his favorite vegetable is, Tom
will say ice cream" The discordant
notes Of the orchestra or other musical
artists make Tom very uneasy His sole
pleasures are his music and his dog, and
he Will sit for hours talking 20 his dog
as II II were human, likewise his piano.
This simple-minded genius Initiates
rather than creates. The few musical
compositions he has originated are innita-
tions In music OF something he has hea I'd
| for instance. one OF his most famous
compositions IL Blind Toms Rain
Storm" which isn remarkably like a
| thunder shower. and one can almost
| imagine he hears the rain drops pattering
and the thunder rolling. Toms Cod
| given powers were first discovered when
! he was three years old by his slave
mothers owner. The family were seated
| on the veranda Of the old Georgia home
one evening. when soft, weird sounds OF
music came from within Going into the
dra awing room. they found the chubby
little black figure. nothing but baby.
seated upon the stool where he had
| climbed unaided, and laughing to himself
gleefully while playing the difficult se-
iections he had heard played by the
daughters OF the house. He became a
nine days wonder and was a little later
taken on a tour OF the world. He has
| played In Providence several times The
first time, he says. WAS In 1861 just after
the war. Later he played here at the
Providence Opera House. He asserts ac-
curately that he stayed at the Aldrich
house and tells accurately its location.
He has frequently played at the White
| House.
Woodland which has the endorse
| ment OF long runs in New York Boston
and Chicago viii be the attraction at
! the Providence Opera house the last
three nights OF next week and a capital
| performance is promised. Harry Bulger.
| who plays a jay Bird, has one OF the best
roles for displaying HIS broad infectious
! comedy that he has ever been seen In
| Frank Doane, as the Rooster, is very
| amusing. Stanley II. Forde. as Judge
| and the other male principals arc salts
factory. Ida Brooks Hunt as Lady
Nightingale. sings with a voice worthy
| the character she plays; and Helen Hale,
as Jenny Wren; Louise Tozier. as Prince
Eagle; Emma Carve. as Lady Peacock:
and Ida Mule, an Mrs Parrot. all make
hits The costumes IRE novel and strtk-
! ing The canariee. blackbirds. doves and
| peaoocks. make groups that are artistic
| and pleasing far beyond other chorus
! pictures.
AZ evidence Of their confidence IN the
ability OF william Courtleish. Florence
| Rockwell and the other members Of the
Imperial Theatre Stock company 10 pro
duce creditaby any ~ the best plays
ever written. the managers ~ the I'm
pertsl theatre have decided To produces
shakespeare's great love tragedy. Romeo
and Juliet" during next week. Several
experienced scene painters have been en-
90 eed and the production will be staged
| under The direction of one 81 the ahlest
/ ,yiv.csnrs To- No~ varL .ho Al. A.~>