The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-01-21
| PRIMROSE COMMENTS fEELINGLY
ON THE PASSING OF KIASTRELSY
1t Isn't Passing at ALL, Believe
Me, and lust Watch My
Smoke Next Season.
Drama Is Dying Out, Vaudeville
Is Great, but the Genuine
BlaCkfaCe and Bones for
Primrose.
BY z. V. EITZ GERALD.

CT =. v. - L OEnhEO
This is my first and last appearance
in vaudeville. believe fne," and George
Primrose gave such an emphatic stamp
with his foot, that he alTnost-almost,
said-fOTgot to keep time with the
music downstairs for the preceding act
George Primrose, it may be said in
passing, just can't keep his feet still
when there's music-good, bad or in
different-in the air. And what Is bet
ter. he doesn't try.
This business of being a guaranteed
attraction in vaudeville ne was taking
off his frock coat lis a mighty t1ne,
soft thing. Nc worry, not much work,
plenty of time to get around and see all
your friends, everything fine-it's great
But, sayN-his hat was hung upside
down on a hook in the little dressing
room, his collar and tie deposited in
the hat, his dress shirt on an aJjoin-
ing hook and he was performing the
delightfully."- simple task Of dancing on
one foot while he unlaeed the shoe on
the other-'if you knew just what was
going to happen twice a day for year
to come, just what you We're going TO
make, just what you We're going to be,
you wouldn't want to live that year,
would you?"
The trousers were off and the shoes
replaced with white canvas ones. and
he was donning his silk minstrel trous-
ers, somewhat petuIant because the mu-
sic had stopped. When he started again
ne was smearing very black grease
paint on his hands and his feet were
twinkling while he rubbed on the black
face
Understand NE. I'm strong for
vaudeville. it's great. As an entertain
ment to the public, it's second only to
minstrelsy. Martin Beck has done-do
you know that the hardest thing ever
had to learn was 10 black uD without
taking my cigar out of ray mouth
Martin Beck has done more for vaude-
vile than any other living man. Think
of the thousands of people that he en-
teTtains every dav with his fine, clean
acts. Keith and Proctor? They can't
touch him. Do you know-and / want
you to quote me on this-I would rather
take Martin Beck's word than con-
tract with the United?"
MinstFeIsy Passing, Not Yet.
The cigar was fitting at such al angle
that the lighted end was dangerously
near his right eye. In another second
it was his left eye that was in peril.
Then the light on the end took sudden
dive, while the black went on the upper
lip. The cigar then formed thu radius
of circle conferred on the white teeth
of the minstrel man. while the black
filled in the wrinkles of the good-na-
tured face.
"Minstrelsy passing? Well, 1 should
think not The plaid trousers were
going on over the silk ones. Why, the
biggest minstrel show that ever was OF
the road-of course, I am referring to
Conan & Harris 7Iinstrels-is now On
the eastern circuit. There, is nothing
that can take the place of minstrelsy
Of course We all like vaudeville. But
the brass band, the street parade, the
bones and the tambos for mine. ASH
me if minstrelsy is passing, and III
show you the kid i'm the back yard rat
Ting the polished beef bones"
The music from the Orpheum stage
was of the act preceding that cf Prim-
rose, and his feet refused TO b. digni-
fed Several times they came danger
ousiy near carrying him round the
dressing room in a cakewalk.
"Minstrelsy is the parent of vaude-
Vile We had the minstrel show in the
early days and the variety snow. We
didn't know what 'vodevee' was. II {
man said let's go to polite vode-vee,
we would have sent him to the insan,
{ -
! tragedies and something lighter, say
/ 'Fanchon, the Cricket but we certainl,
never had 'vode-vee.'
The Song and the Dance.
THE song and the dance were il
minstrelsy. The song, that's the matt
/ thing, but the dance, no, the dance lead
well, anyway, the song and the dance
or the dance and the song, are what Jh'
people want. These were the origina
/ elements of a minstrel show. TheI
/ came the olio-that was the graduate
of the variety show. And from the oliI
you know, the Juggling Johnsons. ant
1 that junk-came 'vode-vee.'
But minstrelsy IS not passing. TIT
drama is dying out. l mean the blood
and thunder melodrama, and. YOU
Know. the problem play and such. WheI
| the young are always old ami the ole
/ are never young, when circuses go on
of business and bands stop playing
/ then, and then only. will the Tninstre
/ show fail to draw and fail to amuse"
/ George Primrose was born in London
/ Canada, quite a while Ggo, he says
/ How long quite a while ago Is, ma!
/ be judged by the fact that Georgi
! Primrose's dancing was featured a
I early as 1867, and has been featured il
/ minstrelsy every year since that time
/ George Primrose came to Salt LAX
/ first in 1871, and has come and eon
4 every year since. which is, as ne says
coming and going some"
/ Tor tho first time in his rncs- Genre