The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-10-19
MINISTRIES DULE HERE THIS WEEK
Al Fields Organization De- lights Crowded Houses At
 Jefferson Theatre
Birmingham

Minstrelsy ruled in Birmingham Wednesday night, when Al G. Fields Minstrels opened an engage ment of six performances at the lief ferson theatre, playing to house crowded, despite the indictment weather amid an atmosphere of sweet singing, elaborate settings and most attractive costumes and the wibaldry attendant to minstrels since Al G. Fields organized his company in 1SS6-and years before.
 The coming of Al G. Fields Min strels to Birmingham is always an event. Every lover of minstrel bal lads makes it a point tp be on hand when the curtain rises Ln one of the performances. In Jack Richards, Billy Church and one might well add Ed Jones. Field has three of the ranking singers in minstrelsy.
 Jack Richards has good LOOKS, splendid voice, but an apparently ex- alted opinion of himself which spoils the effect somewhat. Billy Church is the same old Billy Church, with tenor voice ideally suited to the sing ing of ballads. He was al his best Tn ~The Babbling Brock" and with sl bers. Richards was given rounds of applause after singing the prophetic .sTen Thousand Years From Now, '.NVhen You And I Were Young, Mag gle" and Morning Will Come Ills work in the grand finale left pleas ing remembrance with his audience.
 The minstrel proper was laid in an ingenious setting. Maple Villa, with a real fountain playing in the back ground and the orchestra grouped on a terrace. Pete Detzel, John Healy, Nick HuffCrd, Rody Jordan and Bllly Doran were the fun makers, gettlng many laughs from jokes not strictly fresh.
 Ola Ellwood sang with feeling ~Hush. My Baby, Hush, My Honey Gal" Rody Jordan's rendition of Jail House" and that doleful strain about Sitting On The Inside, Look 1ng On The Outside, Waiting For The Evenin' Mail" brought crocodile tears. Ed Jtnes brought hush with inc tender melody Somewhere For Me There's Someone Waiting
 Billy and Leo Doran can be best described a dancing fools. While on inc subject, it may be said that the dances in the afterpiece are the best presented in Birmingham for some time, in a similar production. BlIly Doran is due credit.
 Maurice Sharr is a violin master and ten minutes was well used by his concert orchestra playing medley overture. MT. Sharr's s sole, Aloha De-" won many admirers TOT , him. IL.
 Exploitation of King Tut found It's way on the stage when the curtain rose on a scene dominated py Illrt@- tatfCus Sphnix which moved her eyes in most coquettish manner. Ihe dances which featured this number
 alr Hurry Cane" reputed Egyptlah ouadruped, brought gales of Iaugn- ter. It featured Rody Jordan, Fete Detzel and John Healy.
 Nick Hufford, despite his best ef- forts to describe Newcastle and It's citizens, could not speed up mono logue. though he preached a "poWah- flI sunmun." Jack Richards and Billy Church added quite bit of en- iovment with their singing team work. Carl Cameron's Saxaphone Five, in odd black and white check ed suits with instruments to maton, diverted for about ten minutes, aided bv Rody Jordan. Jordan is some con ductor, especially when Poet ana Peasant" is considered.
 "T,ost in Luray," a subterranean fantasy is laid in the famous caves of Virginia. Pete Detzel makes a speedy change from masculine at tire to feminine for the movies sake. John Healy is certainly "cute" as Harley Slapman. Boni Mack is the female impersonator proper, net so much Leslie Berry deserves much praise for his work as interlocutor He never failed to make the business of the entertainment move snapplly, incidentally displaying good voice in ITO The White House In Wash ington."
 The chorus this season is unusual ly good. The voices are well trained. There is one bass worth listening to at any time.
 Though, perhaps, not the pest pro duction of Al G. Flied's Minstrels which has visited Birmingham, those who go Thursday matinee. Thursday, Friday or Saturday nights or Satur- day matinee will not be disappointed: They will enjoy the performance 1T they love minstrelsy.-H. w. 5.