Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-07-13
HARL AN M|NSTRELS
SCORE BIC HIT FOR
SOLDIERS SMOKES
Present Three Hours of Fun,
Music and Specialties at
Playhouse.
GIVE TWO SHOWS TODAY

4 corking good show with plenty ot
music, handsome costumes and elaborate
scenic effects made the Harlan Minstrel
Frolc on it's first night at the Playhouse
last evening a pronounced success. Some
there, were. who said il was the best and
most preteutiotIs local performance Of It's
character ever gwen in this city.
To AN audience that filled every nook
and Granny OF the theater the shipyard
workers joked and sang and danced and
cavorted with all the abandon and sci
possession of the professional performer
rs many of them had been for wears
prior To coming to thus city to build ships.
II would be hard to criticisc the show
either adversely or for dispensing favor
able comment. II was all good: every
man did the best he could: the program
moved swiftly considering the length and
breadth OF II and the audience which was
in jovial mood applauded and applaud
ed. practically every member of the troop
being cnCorcd and compelled to respond
Music that featured the entire show
featured particularly the first part. In
both ballads and comic songs the circle
and soloistS showed their proficiency as
artists. The end mon in gorgeous satin
costumes, had Jokes that were new many
of them being hits on the shipyard and
its workers The entrance Of the last
two end men via the serupianc route was
the first notice 81 the elaborate scenic
effects and this portion Of the program
closed with beautiful patriotic tahleaux,
showing n group of soldiers at attention
while John Heraclc held n silvcred she'll
and the circle sang like Washington
Crossing the Delaware, SO PcrshiuE VIII
Gross the Rhine
The Ohio consisted Of three numbers,
all scrntillatirg hits Downing Broth,rs
consisting of Top Downing, aged 81
years, and his son gave a wonderful
exhibition Of dancing such rs was tho
vogue among tho colored folks of thr South
fifty year~ ago Pop has pleased thous-
anda of people while on tho stage rs
professional dancer and his son has
nbaritCd all Of tho parents talent and
SKILL
liancy and Carvin late Of Honcyloy
Evans MlnstrelS hut now working AT
AarlanC were q scream IN their musical
sketch Thcv also showed their pro
uclrncv IS coIuctIstS From the attitude
If the audience they could have listened
dei'Gitely 70 tho Jokes and funny stage
play # this p@lr
Billy RAYMOND tho sweet silver throat
Cd singer who before coming u Harlans
Was ON kciths circuit pleased and DC
hghtcd WITH his vocal efforts Biilv is
wondcr and deserved the many cncores
and calIhacks lie received for his work
Tic lcaped al once into favor and he viii
always be a welcome addition to any
local performance
DAY IN HARLAN TRENCHES.
The show closed with button bursting
sketch cnttlcd "A Day in tho Harlan
Trenches The first scene showed the
employment office at Harlans and the
scenes tvplted common daily occurrences
at the Ing plant 1t gave the shipbmlders
excellent opportunity to display their
efficiency as comedians as well as ship
workers and the selection Of the varied
characters was excellent
The second scene showed the boat ward
with the yard restaurant and men working /
on boat 1t was = case OF a laugh every
minute and often times oftencr through /
oct the sketch and many OF the incidents /
we're true 10 the life Of the plant
The closing tI.blcaux represented the I
launching OF a ship The craft "A large
model twelve feet in length was gaIy .
decorated with electric lights and flags /
and the scene was an excellent representa-
ton Of the launching OF really truely
ship.
The performance will bc repeated this
afternoon and tonight and all of the pro-
"eedS except bare expenses goes into the
smoke fund for the boys across the water
I q each man who took part and the direct
ng heads, the greatest credit is due |
Many who attended said they enjoyed
The show better than they have profession
j performances.
Between the first part and olio. a
song written by J Drlscoll, blind Della
ware boy of tins city. was sung by J. A.
Sullivan entitled ~ hen | Get Back to
Delaware, scored q hit and copies Of the
song were afterwards offered for sale.
PERSONNEL OF CAST.
The performance was directed by John
4. Sullivan. and the manager was Frank
Gold. The program:
Harlan Quartet Mcssrs. John Mallov.
crrence Riley. Wllli4m Mclaughlin,
Michael Malioy: opening chorus The
Dixie Volunteers overture; Back 10
Nlahama in the Spring solo, Just Ba-
VS. PRAYER at Twilight, John Collins;
ole, Struthcrs Ball, Samuel Ireland;
Ole, Rlucbird, Howard Butler. solo.
they Go Wild, Simply Wild over Me.
William Derncy; solo, When the Great
2ed Dawn IS Shining, Frank ORourke:
olo, Musical Sam from AIabam. Warren
'rier solo, Deep as the Deep Blue Sea,
Iirtus Doelze: solo, That the Kind of
iaby for Me, Leslie Burns; solo, Just
s Your Mother Was, Hugh Brainard
by Sal Marshall. solo. There's !
Service Flag Flying at My House.
William Henlon; solo, If He Can Fight
ike He Can Love Goodnight Germany,
,ew Cohen; solo, Keep the Home Fires
Surning, William Gamble, solo, My Home
own in Ireland. James A Keyes.
'atrlotic Finale, Like Washington Crossed
he Delaware, Pershing viii Cross the
thine.
Act No 2-Haney and Carvin date
{ Honey-Boy MlnsIelsl entitled, The
Act No Downing Brothers. South
m Hospitality
Act No. L. Billy RAYMOND. Whining
on's favorite tenor, will take YOU back
b songland
Act No 5.-A Day Ill Harlan Trenches.
lrst scene, Employment Bureau, Harlan
liant Second scene, the Trenches at
HARLAN S
CHARACTERS
Employment agent klrtus DocIze.