The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1913-10-14
AL FIELD The
ATTRACTIONON
OPENING NIGHT
PENSACOLA OPERA HOUSE IS
CROWDED TO GREET THE WELL
KNOWN MINSTREL MAN-NEw
MANAGER IN CHARGE.

Spick and span after a thorough
renovation, the Pensacola opera house
under the management of Sidney Levy
was filed to overf1owing with an au-
dience hungry for humor, the dazzling
scenic creations and the music and
1ancing of a minstrel show.
That Al G. Field and his two score
OF artists satisfied the hunger of the
Pensacola theatergoing public entirely
is merely mild term for expressing ~
for the applause called for encore af-
ter encore, and the singers and dancers,
enthused by the appreciated audience,
responded most generously.
Persons who have seen the Field
minstrel year after year and have grown
familiar with some of the characters
who have contributed largely toward
making 1t an entertaining aggregation
Of distinctive individuality, even amid
j the glamor and beauty of last nights
production, could not but feel saddened
that the old face of Doc Quigley and
his trombone did not appear. True
Quigley died more than a year ago, but
Doc was too close to the hearts of the
lovers Of minstrelsy to be forgotten SO
soon.
Without an adequate orchestra a
minstrel performance would lose its
SAVIOR, and the Field orchestra this
year has excelled this feature of any
of his successes of the past twenty
six years. It was used overtime, there
being scarcely a period Of three min
utes when the soft, mellow strains were
not issuing from the golden horns and
the stringed instruments Of the orches-
ira happily reposing in the scenic back
ground.
Bert Swor is not exactly the whole
show-it would be unfair to the CO.
workers OF his to say so, for not one of
the performers failed to hold the au-
dience with wrapt attention--but Swor
Is the one character of all which will
be remembered by the audience most
especially until Field comes again next
fall. His conception Of certain kind
Of negro character and his ininitable
way OF expressing his views keeps his
headers In perfect uproar Of laughter. |
Billy Clark also divided the honors |
with Swor.
There were no singers In the cast |
who stood out as stars, but there were |
nearly a dozen of first class ones. Jack |
Richards was probably received with |
more favor than the others, his seIec- !
tons being OF the character which can !
not help but taking when rendered as I
Richards sings.
Al Field. as usual, only made his APP /
pearance for a short period.
The bill was divided into three /
parts, in each of which there was much
singing, dancing and funmaking, the |
scenic spectacle being respondent with
beauty. Opening was a gathering Of
military officials of all nations at Pana- |
ma to celebrate the opening of the |
Panama canal, which gradually worked
itself into the old fashioned minstrel /
show clio.
Next came the aviation meet at
Panama. which was the most amusing /
part of the program, and in this, as in /
every instance, none of the humor was I
OF the reserved kind A burlesque on
the moving picture business had its |
amusing side, at the same time show |
ing the Panama canal scenes and the I
first ships going through.
The chorus singing and the eccen-
tric dancing should be given especial I
mention. but it was one of those well |
balanced shows which can be enjoyed
so thoroughly with features too nu-
merous to enunerate. Among the song
hits Of the evening were:
"Old Maids BalP'--West Alvey.
'Tn Change the Shadows to sun
shine" and When the Maple Leaves
Were Falling'-Walter Sherwood
Chicken Pie" and "He Blew on His
Bugle- oo"-Bil1y Clark.
Across the Mason-Dixon Line
Bert Swor.
when It's Apple Blossom Time In
Normandie" and ITO Have To Hold,
To Love"--Jack Richards
Popular Melody" and Il Love Her,
oh, oh, Oh"---Johnny Dove.
Let AL Obey" and "A Son Of the
Desert Am I'--Harry FriIlman.
Where is the Love of Yesterday?"-
e. w. Won Berggrun.
Because Love You"-Birch Logan