The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-03-18
MINSTREL CROWD
WAS TOO LARGE
FOR HALL
Hundreds Turned Away From
Entertainment
TO BE REPEATED TONIGHT
Local Talent vooallsts and Black Face
Artists Amuss Record. 6rsak
Ing Audience.

closing of the doors at night he would
naturally think he had good day, but
he would, comparatively speaking,
have done no better business" than
the local talent minstrel entertainment
given last evening for the benefit of
st. Francis de Sales church. Benning-
ton people and many from adjoining
towns not only packed Academy hall
to the doors, but long before eight
O'Clock the crowd that was attempting
to push its way up the stairs became
so large that it was necessary for
Father Barron to apear on the stage
and turn away the overflow with the
announcement that the MINISTRIES
would repeat the entertainment again
this evening.
The hall was appropriately decorated
with the Irish and American flags and
the stage setting was unusually attrac-
tive The background of pink and
white was we'll set Off by the chorus of
young ladies all In white, each wear.
ing little knot of green in honor of
the occasion. The chorus during the
entire first part added spirit and dash
TO the music. Ii had apparently been
well selected, balanced and drilled. Oc-
cupying the body OF the stage were the
interlocutor, Joseph J. Daley, support
ed by four vocalists and six end men.
Woods orchestra furnished excellent
music and during the intermission
gave medley of old time Irish airs.
John III. Daley at the piano was the
ever sympathetic accompanist and
helped not little in carrying the anna
tours over the difficult passages.
The first part patterned after the
usual minstrel show opening consisted
of four excellent comic songs by the
end men, Just Because He Couldn t
Sing Love Me and the World is Mine"
by John Whitney; Afraid to Come
Home in the Dark" by A. Barron Fitz-
gerald; when the World Don't Treat
you Right" by Joe McDermott and
Big Chief Battle Axe" by William Nc
! Gurn, and four solos. The end men So
| loists, who were assisted by Louis Nc
| Dermott and William Lonergan, put
| a large amount OF action into their
| work and as they are all the possess
| ors of good voices their efforts were
roundly applauded
| The vigorous work of the end men
was well counterbalanced by the four
solos, Rose of Killarney" by p. j
| Dunn; Where the Wild Vine Clings,'
by Joseph ]. Daley; When You Smile
by Walter Houran and "Aileen," by
Miss Eliza McGurn. Miss McGurn and
Mr.. Daley also gave selections In the
| olio.
The topical song hits were provided
| by two star performers from the Ben
| nington club minstrel aggregation
Municipal Judge Il. l.. Bates and Post
master Collins M. Graves. The post
master gave a parody on Everybody
Works but Father" with local adapta
tons. Judge Bates song Some Sons
of st. Patrick I've Known also con
tanned number of local hits.
The olio opened with banjo selec
ton by Messrs Talham and Gooding
Mr.. Talham's makeup was one Of thu
hits of the evening. Two soprano so
los, Happy Birds" by Mrs. Lena Down.
and Come Back to Erin" by Mrs. Mary
s. Healy were deservedly encored
Much Obliged to You" by the Master!
McGurn was an artistic piece of worl
that brought down the house. Tit
violin medley with piano accompani
ment by Masters Mccormick, Hurley
Kelley and Shea demonstrated tina
there is some excellent musical talen
in Bennington rising generation
Misses Plunkett and Fitzgerald addet
pretty element of vaudeville to tn,
entertainment in their song and dance
"Maying," that ever popular duet TO
tenor and soprano voices was excel
lently given by Mrs. Downs and Z. {
Long THE Girl from Tipp'rary" b.
Master John and Miss Marguerite Lar
in was a juvenile duet which please'
everybody. The entertainment closes
by the singing of Star Spangled Ban
ner by the full company and the aud
fence.
by the singing of America" by the full
company and the audience.
Considering the length of the pre-
gram the entertainment made good pr
gress. Encores were numerous an
! showed that the efforts of the con
, pany were appreciated. Bennington
possesses some excellent musical ia
ent and 1t Is to be regretted that tn
people are not given more opportun
ties like that of last evening. The er
tertainment will be repeated this eve
ming and will undoubtedly be give
the large audience 1t deserves. Wit
the experience of last night 1t shoul
be even better at the second perfol
nance.