The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-20
ADJUSTMENTS

was statement made by S. r. Wells,
the manager of the New Novelty In
discussing the plans for his house dur
ing the first week that it was open.
And this was no idle boast as events
have proved for the shows at the
house have been better with each
succeeding week and the one which
Mr.. Wells has put on the board for
this week is far and away the best
that has been at the pretty little play
house since it's doors were thrown
open. Probably this will give the
patrons of the house some idea of the
merits of the show which was greeted
| rather uproariously by crowds that
packed the theater to the doors on
yesterday afternoon and last night.
For the other shows which have been
seen there have not been poor ones
| by any means. A good many people
| thought that the show at the Novelty
| last week was about the best vaude-
Vile bill that had been seen in town
for long time. But this weeks show
is considerably better and is bound to
draw record breaking crowds to the
house during the entire week.
Porter J. White and a company of
two present without doubt the best
dramatic vaudeville sketch which has
ever been seen in Topeka. Mr. White
is an actor Of ability and he made a
tremendous hit at the performances
yesterday. The play shows the study
of a public prosecutor who is about to
conduct the trial of a man for muir
der and the murder of a friend of the
prosecutor. A fellow who looks the
part of a hobo-this is the part played
by Mr.. White-calls on the attorney
the night before the trial. He de-
clareS that he committed the murder
and goes on to describe it and the rea-
sons for it and draws out from the
prosecutor the statement that under
the circumstances no jury in the
world Of
murder. Then the hobo throws off
his mask and announces that he is the
counsel for the accused man and will
pursue the tactics in his defense as
suggested by the prosecutor. 1t is a
cleverly worked out little play with
action. in it from start to finish and
with three or four real strong dra-
matte situations which Mr.. White and
his company make the most of.
Harry Thornton, who lived in To-
peka for number of years when he
was a youngster. and his wife whose
stage name is Miss Cummins, assisted
by little mulatto boy. put on a
comedy sketch. which seems to make
just as much of hit in its way as
does the intensely dramatic efforts of
Mr.. White. 1t is called "A Mail
Order Wife, There is no wonderful
plot to the piece but Mr.. Thornton
and his wife do a lot of good comedy
work and especially clever is Miss
| character of a Swede chambermaid
| She is also a gushing milliner and she
and Mr.. Thornton liven things up
with some good songs and they are
| helped in their successful laugh pro-
ducing efforts by the colored lad.
All of the other acts on the bill
are high in their respective classes of
| vaudeville and include Redwood, who
does a lot of difficult aerial stunts on
| rings; Mike Quinn, with a wonderfully
|
| Brothers, Italian street singers and
| team of singing comedians, one of
| whom is black faced artist who will
| give most folks pains from over
| laughter. For an illustrated song Mr..
Irwin sings RED Wing and fine
series of views in the snow clad noun
tains of Switzerland are shown for the
moving pictures.
| Two acts on the bill at the Majestic
| for this week stand out pre- eminently
| from the rest of the bill, and they go
! long way towards making the show
| one of the best which has been seen at
| this popular house during the current
| season These acts are presented by
| the Original Bootblack Quartette and
| by Mr.. Frank Stafford and Miss Marie
Stone. in a skit called "a Hunters
Game" There is nothing to the skit
| in the way Of 1t being a play. 1t mere
| ~ furnishes medium for Mr.. Stafford
to give countless limitations of the birds
| of the forest and the field and domestic
animals. He is unusually clever in this
| line of work. In fact he is the best imi
| tator Of birds who has been seen and
| heard here and as might be expected
he is an excellent whistler. Miss Stone
presents a charming stage presence and
sings a song to which Mr.. Stafford
whistles an obligato, which brought
forth all sorts of applause from the
large audiences that attended the per-
fomances yesterday afternoon and last
evening.
But perhaps the real hit of the show
| was made yesterday, and will be made
during the week by the Bootblack
Quartette. Messrs. Heating, Adams,
Weber and Haynes comprise it. Each
of them Is something of a singer. Their
ensemble work is particularly good but
| where they shine is in their comedy,
especially on the part of one of them
who makes a noise like a messenger
| boy and whose antics are ludicrously
funny
There is another act on the bill which
| might also be classed as a top liner.
1t is given by Noblette and Marshall
and is called Hints at Soldiery." 1t
| might just as we'll be called anything
| else for that matter for there is moth
| ing in particular to it but Miss Mar
shall and Mr.. Noblette present a num-
| Der of good songs, one of which was
encored two or three times at the per-
an excellent line of repartee, which they
handy about and are really entertain
ers of delightful sport.
| Among the other acts on the bill are
the ones presented by Shean and Will
liams in an exchange of funny talk
which is labelled THE Discovsfy of