HEW ORLEANS JUVENILE MINSTRELS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2499, 5 February 1902, Page 57

HEW ORLEANS JUVENILE MINSTRELS.

Pettitt's New Orleans Juvenile Minstrels opened at the Agricultural Hall on Saturday evening to a fairly numerous audience, which, to judge by the continuous applause aud frequent demands for encores, was thoroughly well satisfied with the merits of the performance. The oldest member of the company is said to be only lfTyears of age, and one of them, Joey Ross, who appeared in a specialty,

"A little yellow coon,' is very juvenile indeed to judge by his size and his thin treble toice. The company boast of no less than six " end men " in the minstrel portion of their entertainment, and these manipulate tha tambourine and bones very cleverely. There is no attempt made at the running fire of ■witticisms which usually accompanies a minstrel! performance, but the juvenile shigeis go straight to work to sing the songs allotted to them, and in a good many in°tance3 their vecal efforts were, for such young performers, very creditable. An overture on the pianoforte,, played by Mr F. Greenwood, whose accompanying of the singers was noticeably good all through the programme, served as an introduction, and the 12 " men. " constituting the

" circle '' concluded it with a chorus. A comic song by Master Leslie Dodds, one of the '" end men," entitled " Move up, Johnston,' 1 was> well received, arid a ballad, " Baby's prayer," was then given by Master Ernest Cochran Masters Arthur Smith, Harold Fraser, and Will Woods were the next three singers, antt encores followed the concluding verses of the songs they sung. Master Alfred Brinsmead; the eldest of the company, appeared in a character song, which also met with an encore. Masterd George Bossen, James Cranston, Fred; Lamplcugh, and 7mile -Beller were the next to contribute to the harmony of tha evening, and the first part was brought to a close by Master Laurence Matcham singing " Dolly Gray." This lad has a rather pleasing voice, and lie sang tile popular song with very good effect, which was heightened by the introduction on the stage) of a small body of miniature soldiers bouncS for the front. In the after part the pathetic* song " Dixie," which has of late been rendered) familiar to frequenters of variety entertain.-,' ments, was sung by Master Smith with a fai<> amount of taste for one so young; and it watt after this that little Joey Ross amused the. audience with his " Little yellow coon." Th"< ballad " Pictures of father and mother " ira/ very creditably sung by Master Fraser, and a snort, smart sketch of a humorous charactei followed by two members of the companyj This, it is understood, was put together bj; the youngsters themselves. A national sonrf by Master Cochran pleased those present s4 well that he was emphatically called upon tv, repeat the last verse. A couple of specialties, by Masters Beller and Brinsmead and thd song " Virginia " by Master Cranston proved acceptable to the audience; and Masten Matcham then sang " You can get a heart any day, but not another mother." Thet lad sang the song very well, and the recalT he received was deserved. It might be thought that in a building of the dimensions of the. Agricultural Hall the juvenile singers would? not make themselves very well heard, but tha 3 is not so. Their voices carry wonderfully weV: in nearly every case, and can be distinctly! heard at the extreme back. An exceptionally amusing farce, " Education Gratis," in whictr MRstert Gardner, Brinsmead, and Beller tools part, brought the evening's entertainment tq :i close. On Wednesday afternoon a matine^ for children will be gWei -, „.,.'" ..-,;:...• •" -