The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-11-11
AT THE THEATERS.

Those who like good singing and
dancing, chiefly of the buck and wing
variety, and good fun as well, were able
! to find it at the Grand yesterday after
| noon and last evening at the perform
| ances of the Dandy Dixie Ministries,
company of negroes. Except for the
galleries which were packed with the
| colored folks of the city, there were
not many who attended the perform
ances
There's no doubt about the entertain
ing qualities of negro, who is good
singer and good dancer. They can
not be beaten. And there are several
in the personnel of the Dixie Ministries
who are far better singers and dancers
! than any negroes who have been seen
on the local stage, not excepting those
who travel with the Williams & Walker
show. Two or three of them were CO.
medians of ability and when they had
their chances on the stage they kept the
house in roars of laughter. Charles
Williams, John Crosby and Sam Davis
were easily the stars of the company in
the all around work of singing and
dancing and general cutting-up. Jackey
Smith and Monroe Tabor did some ex-
cellent singing. An olio of vaudeville
acts, most of which were interesting,
was given and for the closing piece a
comedy styled "A Fowl Deed, or The
Coontown Court" was presented. 1t
was a rough and tumble sort of piece
with few good points to it.
Lyman Howe's moving picture show,
which was seen at the Grand on Sat-
urday afternoon and evening, was all
that 1t was promised 1t would be. 1t is
well styled a ''lifeorama." Not only
were all the pictures shown most in
teresting and entertaining but a good
many of them were most instructive.
especially the one showing scenes from
Darkest Africa" These scenes includ-
ed some magnificent pictures of the
famous Victorian Falls on the Zambesi
6iSp0VQrad Henry
M. Stanley; the laying of a stretch of
the Cape to Cairo railroad at the rate
of mile in 60 minutes by a thousand
Kaff1rs and the working of one of the
famous Kimberly diamond mines. Most
realistic, also, was the picture of a pur-
ported battle between Russian and jap
anese marines. Another interesting pic
ture depicted a trip through Switzer-
lands Alps on the Alder railway. Any
quantity of amusing pictures were
shown. The whole show was well worth
anyone's time and money and there was
large crowd on hand on Saturday ev-
ening to see it. In fact it was one of the
largest crowds that has been at the
Grand this season.
Another good vaudeville show has
been secured for the Majestic for this
week by Mr.. Roy Crawford, the man
ager, and the largest crowds in the his
tory of the house witnessed the per- |
formances at yesterday afternoon and |
last evenings performances. At these
performances the acts for this week as
well as the ones for last week were on
the programme and this made a show |
of IL acts, one of the largest vaudeville |
bills that has been seen in this city. |
This double show was made possible by |
a Encouragement of the bookings for the |
house so that the shows for each week |
may be started on Sunday afternoons |
instead of on Mondays, which has been |
the custom until yesterday.
OF the features for this weeks show |
Miss Linden Beckwith in a novelty call |
ed a living portrait which she fol- |
lows with some clever songs, is proba- |
bly, the star. But she is pressed closely |
for this honor by 1.-The Seven American |
unusual ability, and Young and Brooks |
in a most entertaining musical act.
Other entertaining numbers on the bill |
are given by F. F. Robinson, a black |
faced comedian, Henry Roethig, a !
magician, and Iva Donnette with her |
comedy dog. Some good moving pic
lures are also shown.
One of the really good shows which
has been seen at the Olympic this
year is the one which is on the boards
yesterday afternoon and last night,
when capacity houses were played to
at all of the performances. Demenio
and Belle seemed to get the most
favor from the audiences yesterday.
Demenio is a rather elongated gentle
man. who among other things, can
negotiate a standing kick of seven
feet eight inches. He is also A
comedy contortionist. Miss Belle, a
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