The Washington herald., 1913-01-22
BELASCO.
Primrosc and Dockstadcr's Min
strels.


AS reunions seem to be the order Of
the day, Weber and Fields having set
the fashion. we have with us this week
Primrose and Dockstader. reunited after
some ten years of single activity and
now heading one OF the best minstrel
shows that has been enjoyed here for
long time. The large audience at the
BelaSco last night was lavish in its
appreciation of the excellent quality of
mIrth and melody offered by the reunited
twain and from the first curtain to the
last laughter and applause greeted every
number of long and varied programme
Beginning with the introduction of sew
eral of the old Primrose and Dockstader
favorites in the first part overture, things
were doing. With Harry Sievers presid-
ing in the interlocutorial chair Johnny
Foley detached himself from the smiling
semi-circle long enough to tell us that
Uncle Joe Plays a Rag on His Old
Banjo" and Mr.. Sievers stepped TO the
fore with a basso-profundo rendition of,
The Girl l Left At Home" Frank Far
ron displayed an appealing tenor in You
Are Just as Sweet at Sixty and Happy
Jack Lambert had to repeat Lead Me TO
That Beautiful Band" in which number
the excellent orchestra, or do we al
ways says Band" in minstrelsy, played
an important part.
Primrose and Dockstader were intro
duced by Mr.. Primrose. After indulging
himself in a few laugh-making Iulps,
he sang when I Waltz with You," and
on the encore offered a satisfying sam
pie of his famous soft-shoe dancing.
Then followed Raymond Wylie, who Is
possessed of a remarkable falsetto and
boasts top note that some of our prima
donnas might well envy. Mr.. Wylie sang
the AIiserere from I'll Trovatore," and
sang il SO well that even after numerous
encores the audience was loath TO let
him go. And then came a real, big. long.
hearty laugh. Mr.. Dockstader has an
automobile monologue that can be best
described as a-"scream" from start to
finish. In it he is at his best, and that,
as you know, means a great deal. Last
night the house fairly shook with laugh
ter.
After an intermission even shorter than
the programme specified the Four Har-
monists-Sdney, Pierson, Webster, and
Steinman-presented a medley of songs
and scored especially in a thoroughly
ludicrous and exceptionally clever imi-
tation of a country band. the quartet
itself being without instruments. but the
band in their hands being possessed of
many. Mr.. Dockstader again made his
appearance to discuss his old standby,
Uncle George" and contribute a farcIcal
imitation of one of our ex-Presidents ad-
dressing a band of suffragettes.
After several dance numbers by Mr.
Primrose, assisted by the Johnny's Foley
and Murphy, the six Brown brothers, led
by Tom Brown, AN excellent comedian
and one whose burlesque directing sug-
gests Harry Watson, made their appear
ance, armed with six saXaphones, and
proceeded to score an emphatic hit by
virtue of their spirited rendition of vari-
Gus popular successes. said hit being aug
mented in no slight degree by their lead
er's comical activities
The performance closed with a song
and dance melange entitled Down
Home during the progress Of which
tie Robert E. Lee moved majestically
down the river, carrying that cotton
away