The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-05-23
Minstrel Show Given by the
Hammond Lodge
Amusing.
LARGE CROWD PRESENT
Percy A. Perry Makes Hit of the
Evening With End Song
"Foolishness."

If Lew Dockstader could have been
present at the minstrel show given by
the Hammond Lodge of Elks last night.
he would have had to laugh himself at
the clever burlesque, as did the large
audience, when with blast of music
from the orchestra the curtain was lift
ed. The men in blackface showed the
intent and purpose of the show and as
the alleged end men cracked joke and
sally in song and story at well known
people In the audience, the laugh was
really genuine.
1t was evident from the opening
chorus that the audience enjoyed seeing
their friends portray. as best they could
the characters of jovial colored men,
and when several of the end men trans
posed the dialect into the broad brogue
of a resident of Erin's Isle, it was all
the more amusing. Some of the boys
took the task Of amusing an audience
too seriously ana from the painful ex-
preston visible under the makeup it
was evident that they did not enjoy
the fun as did the audience. However,
everything went along smoothly the
jokes were timely, and those who were
present showed a loyal spirit and com
PEELED the artists to respond to numer-
Gus encores.
Virgil S. Reiter. in colonial costume
was stately in the extreme as inter
locutor He handled the end men well
indeed, and did his best to keep the
front from dragging. On the ends were
II. e. Sharrer. Mike Kelley and James
Carr as bones, and r. A. Parry, Claude
Potter and Will Hastings as tambos-
The chorus included circle of "a mem
bers, and the choruses were well rend-
cred and showed that the members had
taken great interest in that part of the
program
James Carr opened the festivities
with his song The Turkey and the
Turk" and although like most of the
others he did not figure on the range
of his voices. he showed some life The
end men as a whole lacked the go and
snap that usually takes the curse off an
amateur performance, and while suffer
ing from a slight attack of stage fright
they neglected to let the people in the
back of the house in on the jokes and
songs.
The titles of the musical selections
were hardly we'll chosen and they ex-
pressed the sentiments of the author of
this article: The Moon Has It's Eyes
on YOU" Sweet Jessie Dear and I'D
Rather Be Outside" as IT'S Lonesome
Tonight" And a Little Bit More" with
this 'Foolishness.
Claud Potter made the hit OF the
evening with his song about the moon
and it's eyes, assisted as he was by a
sextette of the chorus. He had evil
IDENTIFY ironed the wrinkles from his
voice before he came to the opera house.
DIR. Sharrer was funny enough as he
spoke the song, And a Little Bit More"
and moved his long legs in a grotesque
manner "FooLshness" was Percy Par
rvs part and ii was rightly named.
Mike Kelley was there with Not in
a Million Years" while James Carr
with his Turkey and the Turk" A.
Stephenson with Sweet Jessie Dear"
Will Hastings I'd Rather be Outside"
and DR.. T. W. Oberlin expressing I'm
Lonesome Tonight" also ran.
In the olio. Homer A Elliott filled
in with dancing and singing and was
the best thing in the show. Mike Kel-
ley as jovial Irishman gave n few good
steps and sang some good songs and
Peter Ripley as Sir Thomas Upton,
made one of the hits of the evening.
He came TO the fore a la Gus Rogeds in
a tiny yacht and as no wind had been
provided he was compelled TO furnish
his own by means Of bellows. He al
so furnished his own water with a
sprinkler and when huge rock appear
ed in his path. his auto horn with a
'-honk. honk' removed the obstacle.
williams and Healy closed the evenings
entertainment by song and dance spec
ialties.
As amateur performances go, the
show was q success and the audience
had a. laugh whether it was produced
in the manner intended or not.
The most satisfactory thing about
the whole affais is that $500 was cleared
at the box Office.