The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-03-07
The Ghost of Minstrelsy.

What we see to-day labeled as Modern
Minstrelsy" is but the painted ghost Of
the old-time article. The soul OF the
thing is departed The sentiment is dead,
and it must be conceded that the only
original American contribution TO this
form OF stage entertainment has passed.
What was once a vehicle for the inter-
change Of brilliant repartee. the recital
Of the inimitable story. the rendition of
sentimental songs, in intermixture with
the comic variety. the grooming Of planta-
ton melody and the lively shuttle OF
real dancers has become a vaudeville
function, where all the stale jokes Dor
Irowed from musical comedy are rehashed.
all the grotesquely-W orded and hlched-
tuned songs heralded as popular" are re-
rendered. in conjunction with motley
array Of specially or vaudeville stunts
Now all this may constitute an enter
tanning programme, or it may not; but
in either case it is not minstrelsy. And
why masquerade? Must everything in
these days have something Dlagiarized
about il IN order 10 insure good luck7
The cause OF the descending must be a
all these things done, and much better
done. at the variety and vaudeville
houses at a much lower rate per head.
II pure miustrelsy is OF no further value
as an entertaining feature. or as an edu-
cational function, in its comparatively
primitive and Unsullied form. II had bet
ter be dropped altogether. II is impious
10 attempt to conjure monetary success
for the modern and commonplace by an
nouncing il under the honored appella-
ton Of the ancient and great.
Few are now living who remember this
remarkable American theatrical institu-
ton in ali its glory, and even those who
caught glimpses Of its expiring brilliancy
are approaching the middle mark OF life
Those were great old days when the
real minstrels came TO town, when the
carefully boarded quarter changed hands.
and the rise OF the curtain disclosed the
seni-circle of grinning, hap-collared fun
makers. The jokes were new, or. from
lack of persistent reiteration, appeared
to be so The dancing was OF the real
old plantation variety, and. above all.
the musical features were pleasing, orig
inal songs. sometimes OF comic procIivi-
ties and sometimes Of true sentiment.
and always interpreted by inteIIigen.
vocalists The holy remembrance of the
enjoyable quality OF the Fosterian style
Of music. rendered by sympathetic vocal
lists. is acutely recalled 10 mind by the
extraordinary bad quality OF this feature
as now exploited. Il is depressing to be
hold on the one hand a singer who has
several good high notes. and who might
have known something about vocal ex-
preston, had he taken the trouble &c
have been present at a few elementary
singing lessons. putting on a lot Of airs
with simple song; and on the other
an alleged humorist chanting forth in ex-
| aggerated ragtime some verses OF IN
anity. There is absolutely no connection
whatever between Old-tine minstrel mel
ody and modern ragtime One is music
elemental, maybe-but the other is per
vertism.
/ II real old-time minstrelsy can be sue
cessfully exploited. let Us have Il: but,
sad 10 say. we believe otherwise. 1t is
dead, and, for decency's sake. let its
remains repose in peace. Let it be a
memory But let not that memory be
distorted by views OF the thing now her
aided as miRstrelsy. for it is an impostor.
a fraud. sham. hoping TO lure the IN
wary by the use Of a once honored name