The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1917-03-01
Glib SHOW Is
MONDAY MARCH
THE TWELFTH
Managers Cloak Plans in Secrecy
But Some of the Stunts
Leak Out
Rim ACTORS ARE ELIMINATED
Bunch of Brand New Stars are to be
Rounded Up and Hub Davis
Swings Chair Round

Ever since it was first announced
several weeks ago that the Commercial
club was soon to stage a minstrel
show, this paper has made a persis-
tent effort to get a line on the pro-
gram that the public might be given
an idea as to what, if anything, they
are to get for their four-bit pieces on
the evening of March IL. The papers
every effort in this direction has been
spurned by the managers who have
repeatedly refused to divulge word
as to the personnel of the troupe or the
nature of the show.
When one of the managers was in
terviewed he said: "I'll tell you this
much and no more. In selecting our
performers we have taken pity on the
public by expurgating the commun-
ity's possible minstrel material. By
expurgating I mean that we have ap-
piled the axe to all the Bill Wuths,
the A. R. Gardners, the j. B. Thomases
and the Tom Swayzes, ct all who have
figured prominently in former burnt
cork abuses. The only one of the old
guard that we have kept is E. w.
Trenbath. We had to keep him be-
cause he's the fellow that collects the
rent on the Commercial club rooms"
Other than this the only information
which the public has been able to con-
meet up with is the fact that the bunch
have been holding frequent rehearsals
in the club rooms. 1t has been inn
possible for the managers to cloak the
rehearsals in secrecy. Far from it.
On rehearsal night the Princess thea
tire, three doors down the street, has
been forced to suspend operations be-
cause of the disturbance and close-in
residents have made numerous COM
plants to the police.
One night last week a representa-
tive OF this paper slipped quietly in
on rehearsal night and here are some
OF the discoveries made. F. r. Jeffrey
the youthful president of the CONNER
clal club, is to tog up in dress suit
and act as interlocutor. In the sing
ing circle was found such surprises
as "Hub" Davis. No, Club" wasn't
In the circle, either-he was up in
front of the bunch beating the air with
chair round and telling them how to
DO it. Everett Sherk was there but
the writer would hesitate to take oath
that he was singing and he, by the
way, is billed for one of the solos.
A. c. Hall looked entirely comfortable
In one of the arm chairs and seemed
to be perfectly at home in such fast
company. He is another of the SOLO
lists. - 80.
But really the biggest surprise was
Frank Bentley, who is going to do a
solo stunt. The boys say that Frank
is regular village cut up when mas
querading in darkie dialect. Oh, yes,
Trenbath was there and he is per-
mltted to sing one Of the solos because
OF the aforesaid rent matter. Fred
hrug, of the famous Highland quar-
tet, was rubbing the wrinkles out of
his tenor and getting ready for his
solo. - ..-...-..s -.
~ In giving the chorus hasty once
over such celebrities as these were
( noted: "Fuzz" (who until he was 10
years old was known as Byron Elmo)
Reser, Tom Warnock. Now, Tom is
scheduled to do something besides
sing, but just what nobody seems to
Know; John Penn, whose vocal train
Ing has been acquired in competing
with Big Buick Six with the muffler
cut out; Sidrey Whitehorn, of Damon
and Pythias fame; Harold Oliver, who
sang his way thru the local high
school, j. Long, whom Frank Bentley
entlced into the show so he wouldn't
nave to ride in from the hills alone,
Eddie Barg, also of the Highland
quartet. The only real singer of the
punch seemed to be Harry Kennedy,
VINO refused to be canned along with
'he "uthgardnerthomasswayze aggre-
cation.
Back in one corner sat Kit Clifford.
ne wasn't doing anything worth men,
(Contirued on page eight)