Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-11-30
ADJUSTMENTS
ELKS' MINSTREL SHOW Is
An EVENISGFUL OF Fun

An EVENINGFUL OF Fun
In the contradictory slang OF the day.
there's nothing TO it.; that F;lks Min
strcl Show. which opened it's season of
two nights at the Academy OF Music
last night. is the grandest little even
inSful of fun that ever packed u theater
to its doors, locked EN- In and rocked
'em with laughter. Let the rest OF them
come on--Dockstadcr. Algy Field. Neil
O'Bricn and ALL we dare EN- TO come.
why? Cause the black faces Of the
whole merccnary gang would turn
white with envy. hatred, malice and
all Observation-Disclosures. cause. again. we
gotta show right here I'm Richmond that
will make EN- look like iivc-;,-day ana
pictures.
From the time the house lights go out
ana the curtain goes up until the very
end. there is something doing on that
stage. And generally it's something
that isn't just like everything else. To
begin with. the rising curtain does not
disclose II prim scinicirclc. Not at ALL;
all you see is "A lot OF chairs and, In tho
background Glenroy stein and his or
chestra--in the back. up-Stayc, mind
You. like the orchestra usually isn't for
amateur minstrcls. Then the voices
begin to sound off stage, and here they
come. Ana when they do come. you
know that something WAS a-coming
It's a Garden OF Flowers. that first
part setting, so the troupe has to look
| like II lot Of blackface flowers The
guests. most of whom are singers
quartetists. doubl" puartctista. soloists
and sob-singcrs, are one beautiful
dream Of lavender and white Tn.
waters. on the other hand. are "A night
mare OF dark purple. III other words,
tn" singers are lovely lilies: the come
dians are painting. purple panaies.
Gov. Bowen has trained those men
until they move and dance and sing as
one joyous. graceful person, SO they
come Oh like professionals and 20 to
work IN III. same manner. except that
they work FOR the joy OF the working
and each Is not Il separate star. but one
bit Of star dust milling round for tho
welfare Of the whole. Gentlemen. be
seated and--bing.- the show
There's no use trying. TO describe
! that first part: it's too big and too
Lee O'Dei. Sidney Clay, Charlie
Vaughan and Gov. Bowen Joke
, and sing. dance and inooch round until
tn. house trips its own laughs.
Singers Joseph Whttcmore. Colin Bur
ncttc--A tenor and \ base J. Pardo.
l.. b. Slaughter and "Richmonds Favor
Ito Four"-Messrs. ChaIsa, Byrnc, Til
ley and Owcn--liE their voices In sen
timent until tn. audience thrills and
shivers with happy qutvcrs OF love
and home and all that and the curtain
falls on the closest. tho sGueeziest. per-
formancc OF The Rosary" that ever
recorded Itself on the Acadcmy's grid
iron.
There follow Scenes in Dixie with
boys and girls dancing everything in
the way OF steps ancient. medieval.
modern ana tangoist!c, and then comes
that burlcsque-the Outlaw Baseball
Club. Some OF the blackfacc boys have
got all washed up and uniformed in
clean, white Elks baseball suits. but
they ar" JUS: the substitutes; they
stand round and yell and look pretty.
The actors are Lee O'Dell, Billy Burke.
Gov. Bowen and Charlie Vaughan,
in the name parts. and II lot OF capable
assistants. Such game Billy
BuTkc's mask is birdcagc and GOV.
Bowcn's chest protector is "A little hot
water bag, ana ,hey all play up 20
their properties.
Fitz Shields and Al Schrader con.
tribute as clever "a vaudeville song and
dance sketch as followers of variety
could desire. and Ward and OROrls
follow with a remarkably good cXhi-
billion OF comedy acrobatics. Then the
scene shifts to the Recruiting Station
where tho :un proceeds N the same
rapid tempo. and The Grandest Flag
That Flies" brings the show TO n rpus-
Ing finale.
There will he one more performance
tonight; If YOU want to see a regular
minstrel show, don't miss II.
Douglas Gordon.