THE CHICAGO MINSTRELS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 245, 3 February 1877, Page 2

THE CHICAGO MINSTRELS.

——— ♦ ; This Troupe gave their second entertainment last night, and notwithstanding the very unpropitious state of the weather, a large number left the comfort of their firesides to be present on the occasion. JSTofc having been present on the opening night, we were obliged to take public opinion as to the merits of the Troupe, but for onc2 rumor had spoken truth, and we must heartily endorse the public verd ct. In fact, we feel compelled to go further, and to declare, without fear of contradiction, that the Chicago Minstrels are far and away the best company we "have ever seen got together. When we make this assertion, we feel that we are in a position to be deemed a competent jncke, having been for years resident in New York, the birth-place of negro minstrelsy. We have heard the Original Christy's—who, we might say, en passant, never appeared in Great Britain—with their founder, old George Christy himself ; we have listened to the Brothers Bryant, whose fame was only second to the Christy's ; and have been present, night after night, at the Peel's, Campbell's. Buckley's, and other houses of less note, but we must say we have seldom seen a company to equal, never to surpass, the Chicago Minstrels. There are no dummies in the Troupe : they do not make a large muster on the stage, but every member is for use, not show, and has his particular speciality. Another reason why the Troupe is so sncc.ssful is that every individual member ii a trained musician. Generally speaking, minstrel companies are formed by those possessing good voi-.es, but without a thorough knowledge of music, and the consequence is that, while able to get through the solos and solo parts, the choruses and concerts.l pieces are a failure. As nearly all the members of the Chicago Troupe have been train eel in the operatic school, it is needless to say this defect is ahsei t, and tiie breathless silence which wa; maintained during the echo choruses whi'e being a high tribute to the merits of the company, was also a proof the keen appreciation on the part of our usually b ''steri in G ds. The programme opened with a plaintive ballad, "Down by the Deep, Sad ciea, : by Mr. J. W. Marshall, a gentleman hig Jy spe-keii of by the Melbourne journals, and who- we believe 1 ciiuie tu Mew Z-.aia.id to join the Lyd.a Howarele Op.ra Company. It was given | in capital style, and the chorus most effective. Nexc cxnii a ciiuie s ;.i/, " Keep ii a S.cret," given in an amusing style by Bi'ot-.er Bones ; after which Mr. H. F. Towle sang, with feeling and pathos, accompanying .himself on the piano, "Let < the Angels In.". Tae next item on the programme was " I'm Waiting, my Dar • ling, for Thee/' by Mr. Cary, in which " his r'ch powerful baritone was heard to ; much advantage, followed by a side- ■ splitting musical sketch—we can deem it nothing else—" Hannah, How's your Ma," in which Mr. Wallace fairly brought el own the house, and the long-pent-up enthusiasm of tiie audience found vent. The last portion of the solo was a most difficult, but sweetly-pretty, air, enliLled " Lullaby," by the alto of the company, Mr. W. C. Hawkins. This gentleman, possesses the finest anel highest aho we have ever listened to, and may well claim his title of the Phenomenal Alto. The air was received in breathless silence, but at its conclusion an encore was vociferously demandeel, which was maintained with such vigor that compliance was unavoidable. Tiie Grand Finale to the iirsfc portion of the programme consisted of the inimitable burlesque song, •'Cany the News to Mary," which was greeted with shvieks of laughter. This particular song was repeated for six weeks nightly, at St.-George's Hail, Melbourne, by the Emmerson Minstrels, but on no occasion was it by any means equal to i that of last night. Mr. Charles Wallace | i 3 par excellence the funny man of the I Troupe, and in burlesque is a host in himself ; his makes-up are inimitable, while Lis bye-play is true to life, and delineates the character sustained to a nicety. As Old Uncle Joe he was immense, anel his antics and eccentricities fairly convulsed

the house. The second part opened with an Overture, followed by the descriptive song, by W. Marshall, " The Will o' the Wisp," liis magnificent bass voice admirably suiting the piece. Thj33 who have i heard Mr. T. H. Rainford will remember that tiiis was his favorite song, chosen upon extra occasions, but we question if he could, when even at his best, equal t':ie way in which it was rendered by Mr. Marshall. In the vocal line, however, the gem of the evening was decidedly Sir Henry Bishop's magnificent quartette " What Shall He Have That Killed The Deer," in which Messrs. Hawkin3, Towle>

Cary, and Marshall took part, and for which an encore had to be conceded. Of the two burlesques which followed, it {is impossible to decide which to give the palm, but certainly the whole credit of success in both cases must be given to Mr. Wallace. It was merely necessary for him to make his appearance on the stage to set the audience in a roar, and had Niobe herself been present, she would have dried her weeping eyes and forsworn melancholy in the future. Taken as a whole, the Show is the best of its line which it has ever been our lot to see, and we predict that, should its members hold together, when they visit the larger cities of New Zealand and Australia, it will not be necessary to make a shift for months. Those who admire music and melody have ample opportunity of indulging their fancy ; while if there be any anxious for an increase of adipose matter, and there is any truth in the saying, " Laugh and grow fat," they need only pay the Troupe a visit to procure the remedy. As there is an entire change of programme, and new songs submitted each evening, one could visit the Hall night after night without the entertainment palling on the taste in the slightest. We understand that to-night there is to be a mammoth bill presented, when we expect to see a crowded house. We had almost forgotten to mention one of the most attractive items on the programme ; we al!nde to t'.ie Clog Duett, by the Messrs. Arlington, which was gone through with almost mechanical precision and effect, the movements of both bting timtd- with a unison and regularity which evoked the plaudits of the Gods and mortals alike.