The Washington herald., 1909-02-28
The CoIumbia-NInstrels


( The COhan and Harris Minstrels. which
/ appear at the Columbia Theater next
week. wiz present a minstrel star new
20 Washington In fact. one with actually
only two weeks experience. but who has
in that time scored one Of his greatest
successes IN a career Of many successes.
/ Raymond Hitchcock, well known 10 all
Washington thester-gOers as one OF ifs
most popular and versatile comedians. has
/ temporarily replaced George Evans, who
has not yet entirely recovered from his
recent operation for appendicitis. Mr..
( Hitchcock has been appearing with the
company during the past two weeks IN
Boston. where he has met with much
favor from both critics and public alike.
Il seems 10 be the consensus OF opinion
that Mr.. Hitchcock as a negro minstrel
Is as much OF a success as he was as
! King DodO or the Yankee Consul. Al
though this Is Mr.. Hitchcock's first actual
appearance as a blackface comedian. he
has been voted a winnef T. this line OF
work at several az the lambs gambols.
AT their clubhouse in New York. This
doubtless gave him sufficient courage 10
Z
called upon by Messrs- Conan and Har-
rs 70 don the George Evans quaint make
| up and besmesr his long and angular
| features with burnt cork. To the unini-
tated this would appear an easy task
for man OF Mr.. HitchcOck's stage ex-
perience. but as Mr. Hitchcock afterward
expressed Il, It's the hardest task I
ever tackled, this making good with only
the eyes snd mouth 10 help ne Nothing
thai Mr. Evans did 70 create a laugh has
been side-stepped by Mr Hitchcock. who
sings all OF Mr. Evans songs. wears his
clothes, his funny little hat. and has
even tackled the honey boys mOnOlogue
stun IL is in the afteTpiece. The Belle
OF the BARRIERS Ban. that Mr Hitchcock
/ Is said 10 excel. and as Kid Jones the
tough boOtblack, he Is said 70 be fun
nier than Mr.. Evans 1T IS the fastest
show IN which ever worked % Hitchcock
remarked the opening night ia Boston 70
his manager. Sam Harris. Why. these
minstrel boys OF yours should all be ar
rested for the speed hsbit There never
vas q musical show IN the world that I
ever appeared IN where Il was necessary
10 keep lodging all the time as in this
one This is no place for a lazy actor or
fellow who can't keep thinking ell the
time
Julian Eltinge. whose feminine I'm
presentations have already aston
ished Washington on several occasions,
still remains a star feature OF
the performance. IN his particular line
Of w0ra. MT. Eltinge's performance has
never been eQusied BY any other artist
In this country. He has the art OF make
up down TO a complete science. and would
easily fool the most careful and knowing
observer. No woman OF the stage has
ever been more exquisitely gOVned. and
few have possessed better looks The
singing and dancing OF Eddie Leonard.
assisted BY e large ensemble of dancers,
still remains the feature. while Rice and
Provost, in their seemingly impossible ac-
robatic stunts and Waterbury Brothers
and Tenney, expert instrumentaiists,
round out programme OF vaudeville fea-
lures of the most entertaining descrip-
tion. In addition, the company announces
such well known minstrel stars as John
King, Ernest Tenney, All Gibson. and
Harry Morse. while the vocal end OF the
programme consists OF ballads rendered
by such Well-known singers as Frank
Morrell, Matt Keefe. and Earl Benham.
George COhan's One-act minstrel comedy.
The Belle OF the BARRIERS Ball" was
unanimously voted by Washington audi
ences as the funniest black-faeed shit
ever presented on a local stage. and IS
stin utilized for the finale Of the enter
tainment