Arizona republican., 1911-03-14
OWLS DELIGHT
 LARGE AUDIENCE
MINSTREL SHOW A SCREAM
 AND SINGING GOOD.
Cation Given to Amsteurs-House
 Applauds Clever Acting.

Nest No. 1888 endures, and a few years longer. for although the audi ence had come with the expectation | of seeing a well ordered stage. and | hearing good music. and clever dia- | logue. the actual performance far eX-
 ceeded the expectations of every per | son present. From the rise of the | curtain on the first act until the | fall on the last there was not a dull | moment, and between the apt jokes of various end men who knew how to
 be faeetious, and the numerous songs by well trained vocalists who knew how to sing. the audience applauded
 until there was not a pair of hands in
 the house that were not red from clapping.
 The first act of the program pre- scented a stage picture which was as l fine as has ever been seen on the
 stage of the Elks' theater, the min | strels being seated in long rows. seven to the left and seven to the ! right of the interlocutOr MT. Civille
 and five on each side of the plat | form which had been arranged in the back of the stage for Miss Halls entrance in the last song of the act. There were 26 songs in the first act, every one well sung, and every
 one warmly applauded by an andi- ence. made up of people who came to applaud through friendship for the actors, and who were so carried
 away by their singing and acting
 that they forgot the personnel of the cast in the cleverness Of the show. The opening chorus of the act was
 strongly sung. and with more express
 sion than is usual in such shows. The
 solcists-wcll they were funny. and
 entirely too funny to he described.
 The effect produced b. the jokes
 cracked by Mcssrs Tilley. Simpson.
 Lightfoot, Axt, Hayt. Clafin. Williams
 and Doheney was not far removed
 from that which is ordinarily ex
 pected to be produced by an undig-
 nified poke in the ribs, and more than
 one man laughed aloud. heartily and
 long. who came with the idea of
 meroly-enduring.
 But what was the feature of the
 show? The quartette. decidedly IF
 there has ever been any better mus
 ic heard in Phoenix by any singers
 of any prominence or reputation
 Aittil lip'fiiA NblliF
 time or other has heard some cx-
 traordinarily fine music. for the rem
 dition of old songs of the south was
 beautiful. and the voices of the sing
 CTS carried the house away with
 enthusiasm. The curtain rose on the
 second act with the stage set for a
 plantation scene in the south. Four darlkies lolled about on the grass
 before the door of the mansion house. and it was at first thought that they were there for the sole purpose of throwing dice The audience watched them They threw again and again. and in a moment began to sing "Old Folks at home" Softly at first and the melody was carried through the theater in a beautiful. simple and perfect flood of harmony. There was not a single person in the house who did not feel the swelling of the heart which Fosters old plantation melO- dies always bring when they are well sung My old Kentucky Home followed "Old Black Joe" and here the audience broke out in applause that made the theater ring. It was encored once, and then again. The curtain fell on this act with the quartette still singing "In the Even ing By the Moonlight and although the applause was continued for fully five minutes after it's drop, the sing CTS did not appear again. In reply to the encore they sang the chorus of the closing song behind the cur tain. This was an act which can never be forgotten, and every sest hn1lar Hx-ill fA ho rector of the minstrel show for staging and producing such beau tiful and perfect scene of the idea plantation days of Dixie
 The finale of the first act. The r. s. A for Me" in which Miss Hall was well sung. and the solo ist received the exclamation of tho audience Miss Hall was in good voice 1 and has never sung better than she did last night. Later in the evening she appeared again in a moonlight scene when she sat on the curve of the new moon with some lucky i to represent two lovers 1 "spooning' in the moonlight The | moon was hung in the center of the | stage. and was lighted in manner | which made the illusion almost per feet
 This is not a criticism. It is an It is simple state ment of the fine work of the owls as minstrels. Amateurs the.- are. but | better amateurs never attempted to 1 stage minstrel show. and from the | result of his labors. amateurs never had better training than these Phoe- nix owls were given by MT. H. J. Tillev. |
 Every man in the show carried his part well To describe the work of each singer would require several col- nmns. for they were all good, and no could be given to one which could not be extended to an other with equal justice. The clos ng act of the play was farce which was given the name of The Phoe- nix Patent Office" and it was 'arce with a vengeance. The work was clever, and the parts well stud ed.
 The same show will be given again his evening at the Elks' and it is that the theater will be backed to it's utmost capacity. Last light the house was good Tonight it will be better. The men will give , more finished performance this ev- ming and there are still several hun lred people in Phoenix who win he by the owls minstrel show the first they have ever given. but lot the last
 The parade of the Owls yesterday Ifternoon was only sample of the hinSs which were. carried on at the ctk's theater last night They marched down Washington and back