The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-01-25
Enough to Garry Several Minstrel
Shows.


At last that light OF minstrelsy, Neil
another mans show from darkness. has
what his years of mirt h making should
have obtained for him long ago-his
own minstrel troupe.
Featured" for many d day. o Brien
has in reality been the star of innumer-
able seasons. so that his appearance
at the Academy of Music last night at
the head of his own organization was
welcomed by a great big happy audi
ence. hungry for sight OF the tall.
round -shouldered. big-lipped figure that
had so often sent its constituent mem
bers into spasms of uncomfortable
mirth.
And O'Brien delivered the goods"
to the delight of the many who
wished hiul well. Time and again. his
own line OF new STUFF was interrupted
by the waves of roaring laughter that
swept back over the footlights into
his face, compelling him TO close his
mouth and accentuate again the like
ness of his lower lip 10 the cantle OF a
saddle, while the whole performance
kept the house in an ecstatic state of
laughter.
The first part was of conventional
character though the picture was
greeted by yell of delight from the
gallery, introducing John Burke and
Pete Detzel. who amused the audience
-Detzel achieved real merit later by
the staging of an exceptionally good
dancing act Then Eddie Mazier
gave a practical exhibition of how to
be graceful though fat. and sang until
the threads came out of the rag
Harry Van Fossen talked in gargled
English and sang the infectious
"Hitchy- Koo" until the lights danced.
Throughout this part. there we're the
regulation songs filled with liniment.
as y ell O Brien described them-typical
Old Mill Stream songs-in the perform
ance OF which nobody displayed any
particular voice. except Al Fontaine.
whose very low notes were resonant
and fun. and ". II. Thompson. a real
baritone. who sang in such good style
that the 'liniment showed through
the songs in spite of them. The chorus
ragged" well. but in the mush songs
the first tenors screamed unpleasingly.
Then what we had been waiting for
came on--that Neil O'Brien. He sang
about Luxury and "Fhe Alabama
Dip" in his old manner; bufo'd what
he calls his opera song. and then. TAX
ing mis- seat. he began TO tell the inter
locutor about MS w-i-l-dc-a-t-wife'
until the house became hysterical. He
expressed the opinion that ''On lection
day ali de women should he at de polls
North and South" he told-oh. what's
the uses Get MIN to tell you why he
couldn't 20 20 bed when he came in
very early one morning. and explain
who his steD-husband is. He has never
been more absurdly funny in his long
carce- than ne is this season.
his 7-st part closed with a cleveriy
cor . 3 icea--a musical battle be-
~ - ratio forces and Harry Mazier
'rsGl ~ gang
EoI. owed the dance number mention
ed a. having been staged by Detzel.
well executed by some ten or twelve men
and girls and by Nazier and one Wal
ter Lindsey. female irnpersonator
The girls were not burlesqued. but
were costuned and wigged properly.
while Lindsey was unusually well made
lp. aac looked Ike a woman, without
TIE hideous coouetry 20 often assumed
by these character actors.
fo~ az afterpicce there was present
- slic-eQItfiug "hurlescue N two
screams o1 enc Philippine military ser
vice DOB which % Bren kept the house
shouting actually shouting George
Evans oven rf-r ti- lilly % Dc alley.
as never more iudicrou- than . Bricn
a. Genera >u-arr- Eddie Mszier and
Hftle std Inr <cG-E. as 1iorDs. added
-r thr hUarIfI and tarco mem bcrs ~
an ar r.r1 squad dctrar-4d FROM g.
flf % hHo1 could pay ftc whole skif
hirr-eif ard never jose d laugh he hos
o. rif OF nla.rr-- rifI -fr oid exploding
match art -r.-fr-'-- Ear fnlt would
make ever job peace envoy rock
ir nls ,haI- ff- crallafs arc Un 81
hroors. end frr tras- buttons are
painted cn DIE .e-t
Henry Won fosssn worked hard lr