The U. Of M. Minstrels

Last Fruiay nigbt the opera house was crowded by a large and fashionable audience to hear the U. of M. minstrels. About $450 were taken in. It was probably the first minstrel show that scores of laJies in the audience had ever seen. The boys well deserved the hearty applause they received. There was a dearth of bone and tambo work, but in jokes, singing, iuDuy business, and comicalities, the entertainment was a great success. Sam Ireland and Frank MeDonell as the chief end men displayed surprising talenc. The other end men, Billy Griffin, Ted Smith, Jim Duffy, Hank Brown, Roy Farrand, and Sam Park did their work well. Mr. Duffy's topical song, "Wby certainly," and Mr. Brown's "In 1909," were full of local hit? of the richest kind which brought the house down several time. In the end men's clashes of wit, the boys used one oíd device dear to negro minstrel men, which is the bet on which one can teil the biggest lie. MeDonell and Smith told pretty large ones; but, as is always the way, the last man told the largest Ireland began his, and he had got no farther than saying that he was eating some strawberry short-cake at his boarding house the other day, when the stakes were promptly handed to him, it being considered hugely improbable that an Ann Arbor boarding house ever furnished any such luxury. The audiecce saw the point, and enjoyed it, and the landlaqies will not be offended at the boys' jokes. DTË. Ewald's fine voice sounded excellently well ia "Out on the deep," and S. H. Crowl won hearty applause by singing "Drifting in the moonlight down the bay." S. K. Pittman sang ''They all love Jack," and Messrs. Crowl, Waggoner, Cole, Carpenter, Pittman, Ewald,Vantine,Wiseman and Pennington, of the Glee Club, sang "Soldier's Joy." LOf course the pronouncing contest and Loisette memory seheme had to be taken down, which was done in "Prof. Bluebood's pronouncing contest. Messrs. Harkins and Grangerdid some very clever clog dancing. Fred McOmber and Earnest Parry were recailed after their eccentrio musical spasm. Sam Ireland again displayed his choice wit. As was announced, he made a "gash" in the program. R. W. Griswold, W. C. Hebard, J. B. Miller, and W. H. Muir, with their banjos and guitars, made most excellent effect with popular melodies. Ireland and McDonnell appeared as Irishmen. Harkins and Granger did some dancing, singing and funny business, and then cama "Amaryllis, or the tale of two Donkeys," a one act pastoral (?) said to have been written by McAndrews, a former lit. now of Hyde Park, Hls. It is a clever thing and was well put on. The chief hit was made by R. T. Farrand, who as Amaryllis, the daughter of Chlorophyll, was made up like a modern ballet girl, and who oarried his part out to perfection, bewitching the bald heads and tender youths on the front rows with all the ease of the real dancing girl. Farrand is something of an athlete, and henee displayed more muscle than is popularly supposed to be usual ; but it was a great success nevertheless. L. C. Boyle and C. T. Alexander, who will be remembered as leading actors in the M . . of the D . . , were prominent in the pastoral; Alexander, as "Sillycus, a poet," doing some very good work in mocking Irvicg and other actors. E. H. Smith was "Wordycus, a philosopher," J. E. Duffy was the Roman emperor, and F. L. Smith was "Exercitus, the donkey."