Lillien Mills and Elida Morris
3 shows, 13 min. in 1. “Blackface Minstrel Girls”, with old jokes and songs, evidently pleased the audience, as they were liberally applauded at the finish of their act.
Nichols Sisters
Blackface character artists. These girls are certainly artistic but it seemed to me that they were not quite understood by the Providence audience, to whom that type of negro is not familiar; however, they may go stronger tonight. In any event, they must be rated as a good act. 12 min. in one, 2 shows.
Clifford & Burke
GHR 2. Drop in one, 20 minutes. Two men in blackface talking, singing and dancing act. (The only good laughing act on the bill). They received plenty of laughs and applause all through.
Cole & Johnson
YHR 2. Full stage, 17 minutes. Two colored men singing their own songs. All their songs being new, each one was strongly received and the manner in which they render their songs caught the house. They went fully as strong if not better than when last here.
Mills & Morris
GYH 3. Drop in one, 14 minutes. Two young ladies in a blackface minstrel specialty. They use the chairs as in the Crane Brothers act, with tambourine and bones, and give an old time minstrel act, which has an essence of novelty about it. While the girls have fair voices, their songs seem to suit and they made the audience laugh. Their jokes are very old, but everyone went with a roar. A very pleasing act on any bill.
Van Fossen & McCauley
GRR 3. Two men, blackface comedians. Singing and dancing, a few stories and some cross-fire talk. One works straight, other as comedian. Good three show act for the early section. They have improved. 12 mins. in one.
Press Eldridge
YRR 2. Well known blackface storyteller. His stuff went quite well following the death scene in Corrigan’s act, for a few funny stories were about due. Good act for this house. 19 mins. in one.
Cooper & Robinson
I will have to go on record and disagree with about everyone else as to the value of this act. They do 13 min. and it is only in the last four or five minutes of their turn that they make a hit. I consider that act decidedly overpaid and I do not think they are as good as Murphy & Francis and some other Blackfaced acts. 2 shows, in one.
Neff & Miller.
On at 7.10; open in 1, 7 min, full stage, 5 min, 12 min in all; can close in 2 or 3 min. in 1, if necessary. 2 shows. Blackface eccentric dancers and singers. The less said about the singing, the better. Neff is a great dancer and with a proper partner would make a very big hit, but Miller is excess baggage. Had to move this act up the bill after the afternoon show, for they did not hold their original spot. Their songs and sayings were more adapted to burlesque than vaudeville; was obliged to make several cuts. But, give Neff a proper partner and he would be heard from.
Will Dockray
Blackface Monologist. Mr. Dockray has a good personality and very poor material, that is to say the material was good at one time, a great many years ago, but it has outlived its usefulness. As the act stands it is of no value at all. 13 min. in 1, 3 shows.