The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1909-09-16
THE HIT
OF THE SEASON IS THE RED
MOON.
Cole and johnson and their Peerless
Company Win Enthusiastic APP
Plause in the City Of BrotherIy
Love.
(flOrace d. Slatter.D

ionstrating beyond the peradventure
OF doubt the right of the Negro to
enter the field Of legitimate drama,
and to be as successful therein as
in the much talked of minstrel, Cole
and johnson, in THE Red Moon"
= perform as distinct service to the
| race itself as the successful artists
| In any other line of endeavor.
Playing to record breaking houses
IN Philadelphia, they have just clos
ed the first big week of their sea-
sons tour and now go west to- win
the laurals and plaudits of the thea
ire going people wherever they go.
The cast Is made Of good, strong
artists, Boosting Of more than one
or two actors who can really be
called stars. Encores are the order
or performance given by Cole and
Johnson, and once an audience gets
onto big folks, their every, appear
ance is greeted with that enthusi-
astic applause that could well turn
the head Of many a seasoned actor.
Cole and Johnson are there with
the goods. When It comes to pIac-
Ing before the public a clean, spicy
and attractive show, they must nee
essarily plead Guilty." Cole and
Johnson themselves would make a
show. Add to their we'll earned
reputation, that eqqally we'll deserv-
ed popularity Of Aida Overton Walk
err, the melodious voice of Fanny
Wise, Frank Brown, the superb ten
or who plays the part of Red Feather
Edgar Conner, the Kid Of the show,
and the perfect Sambo, add to these
If you please Leona Marshall, who
as far as acting goes fills the place
of Miss Abbie Mitchell as success
fully as that we'll known lady her.
self filled it,, which indeed is saying
much, and then consider that back
Of these stars is to be found the per-
feet support OF a Well balanced cast,
Istrong, able men, beautiful aud
graceful women, and you have the
Cole and Johnson show In a nut
shell.
FROM 'Pickaninny Kids" to
phoebe Brown" one can see how
dear to the hearts of the theatre go
ing public is Aida Overton Walker.
Graceful, perfect Of limb and body,
with a soft, sweet, mellow voice,
she is more generally loved by the
people who go repeatedly to see her
IN action than any woman of the
race on the stage. This story is
not written by stage critic. Rath-
er, the writer glories in the per-
torrance as any other lover of the
stage will do, and from his preju-
diced eyes can see nothing but good
in 1t. For her general beauty and
grace, Aida Walker, to my mind, is
as great dancer as Nine. Genee,
and receives as much applause from
her Philadelphia audience, which in
every respect was fully as represent
alive.
Cole and Johnsons costumes are
gorgeous, brilliant and the stage set
tings perfect. The Red Moon seem
cry cannot be excelled by any show
OF it's class on the road, and the big
choruses in their music dances ex-
cite the admiration Of their vast
audiences.
The opening chorus in the first
act sets the pace for all to follow
"Checkers," by Herbert Sutton and
the College Boys, Frank DeLyons,
William Phelps, Lewis Mitchell and
Samuel Craig, is followed by keep
on Smith," by the four Bills, which
places the audience in an uproar Of
II ~
Gibson, the saloon keeper and i'm
portant man Of Swamptown, plays
we'll the part and with Wesley Jen-
kins, as Bill Armour, the butcher,
venerable Sam Lucas, as Bill Web
ster, the barber, and Benny Lyons,
as Bill Simmons, the whitewasher,
| make quartet good enough for any
, show.
Bob Cole; Rosamond Johnson!
These tWo-,no more! Sure cure
for indigestion. Their mere ap-
Dearance on the stage sends a thrill
of expectancy over an audience that
| is not long in the realization. One
very soon In Don't Tell Tales Out
Of School," learns what to expect
from the people most important to
the development Of the plot, for in
this catchy little quartet appear, be
sides Cole and Johnson, Fanny Wise
+ and. Truscalina White, Lcona Mar
shall as Minnehaha. "Pickaninny
Days and Aida" give the audience
the first glimpse of that wonderful
woman Aida Overton Walker.
1T is In the brilliant setting of the
second act that the real big things
happen. Fanny Wise demonstrates
her ability when as the prophecies
she performs operate stunts in the
| beautiful soprano obligato in "Bleed.
ing Moon Rosamond Johnson
supported by gorgeously costumet
chorus brings the house down with
"The Big Red Shawl" and on "The