Typed as
spelled and written
Lena Stone
Criswell
THE MARLIN DEMOCRAT
Eighteenth Year - Number 6
Marlin, Texas, Thursday, April 4, 1907
THE ELKS MINSTRELS WERE THE REAL THING.
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Bill Turner Does Sensational Dancing Stunt--George R.
Carter Wins Admiration of the Fair Sex.
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Reeves and Levy Central Figures in Dramatic Stage
Tragedy--Chambers,
Hill and Cortinas are Great. Monday an Artist.
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MILLER AND DRAPER AND MUSICAL CLUB HAVE THANKS OF
ELKS.
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The
theaterical (sic) firmament was a grand halo of resplendency in Marlin Thursday
night. There were stars so thick the sky resembled a veritable shower of
diamonds. Modern minstrely (sic) received a new impetus and new and high
standard was set for the guidance of those who in future essay to become famous
as shining lights in the realm of the burntcork, bone and the tambo.
It was the
Imperial Elks minstrels on their first annual appearance before the footlights
at the Arlington opera house. The entire first floor, including the boxes
was filled to capacity and the galleries were well represented. The cast
was extensive, gorgeous and bewildering. Some superb specimens of physical
manhood were in evidence at close range and voices that exhibited both natural
ability in its pristine purity and the cultivated, modulated and extenuated tone
that wafted its cadences to the utmost recesses of the building, enrapturing the
vast audience with its wonderful melody.
A fresh
supply of jokelets and local hits, wrapped in special packages and never used
before, was turned loose and the crowd cheered, yelled, applauded and encored in
an almost continuous round of laughter.
The
end-men were there with the goods. There were eight brilliant specimens
with faces polished like ebony, teeth that would make the whitest pearl look
dark beside them, eyes that shown like white door knobs revolving in hardened
balls of printer's ink. From their expansive lips came salliles of wit and
humor that would plunge the proverbial wooden man into convulsion of laughter.
Chas. B.
Monday, the interlocutor, discharged the function as only an artist can.
Bill Turner's sensational dancing stunt captivated the crowd and brought from
George Walker of Austin, a speech congratulating modern minstrelsy upon the
discovery of a fit successor to Al B. Fields in his palmiest days, Will Allen
executed the figures as only a cornfield negro parson can, when the music moves
him, Ikey Aronson in his song, "Where is Brown," appeared to great advantage,
Nick Goodrich, Cam Fannin and Gersey Epstein covered themselves with credit for
the splendid work; Clint Draper and Harry Miller, the leading and end-men, are
professionals and they fully sustained their reputation as burnt cork artists of
exceptional ability.
The
Imperial chorus was composed of 22 voices and gave some fetching music.
Special songs by D. J. Cortinas, Horace N. Hill, M. E. Chambers and members of
the Wednesday Matinee Musical club were numbers that were very highly
appreciated by the audience. The Elks are especially grateful to the
ladies for their assistance, without which the show could not have been the
great success that it was.
In the
second part, the "Death of the Gladiator," was intensely dramatic and tragedic.
Dr. Reeves in his portly magnificence, represented a Roman senator. Albert
Levy, with chic and abandon all his own, appeared in the role of Penny Anto, the
senator's daughter, while the long, lean and cadaverous, Archibald was
impersonated in every respect by George Hardeman Carter whose "makeup" was
faultless.
Miller and
Draper introduced some specialities that are hard to excel as fun producers.
They are wise to their job and the Elks lodge was fortunate in securing them.
The
performance closed after two and a half hours of solid fun, with a
realistic act entitled "Moonlight on the Mississippi."
The Elks
Lodge is about $200 to the good and those who attended got full worth of their
money.
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Copyright permission granted to
Theresa Carhart and her volunteers for printing
by The Democrat, Marlin, Falls Co.,
Texas.