Monarchs of minstrelsy, from "Daddy" Rice to dateRice, Edw. Le Roy (Edward Le Roy)
History
Monarchs of minstrelsy, from "Daddy" Rice to date
Rice, Edw. Le Roy (Edward Le Roy)
Actors -- United States; Minstrel shows
CHARLES GUY, one of the famous Guy Brothers, entered the profession
about 1873, doing a triple song and dance with his brothers George
and Willie. He subsequently became identified with the Guy Brother’s
Minstrels, and has continued with them ever since.
Mr. Guy is exceedingly clever as a clown.
He was born in Hoboken, N. J., July 4, 1860.
WILLIAM GRAY (his correct front name is “Billy”), prominent for several
years past as playwright and manager, and author of the “Volunteer
Organist,” was one of the Glenroy Brothers, a black-face act twenty odd
years ago when they played an engagement with Carncross’ Minstrels in
Philadelphia.
TOM LEWIS (McGuire). One night about ten years ago, Tom Lewis blacked
his face for the last time, and at that precise moment minstrelsy lost
one of its most brilliant lights and able entertainers. Mr. Lewis is an
unctuous comedian; and that tells the story.
He made his first appearance professionally with Charley Wilkinson’s
“Uncle Tom’s Cabin” in the late 70’s with Jimmy Pell; and as Pell and
Lewis they did a black-face act for several years, with no fears, as
the “Hottentot Musketeers.” Later, and for two seasons he was one of
the American Four.
Mr. Lewis then went into the partnership business, first with Tom
Martin; then Tom LeMack, then Charley Ernest, and finally Sam J.
Ryan; with all of these he did black-face. Some of his more prominent
minstrel engagements were--George Wilson’s; Cleveland’s; Haverly’s
in Chicago; Carncross’, in Philadelphia, and with William H. West’s
Minstrels, which was the last, season of 1899-1900.
For the past few years he has been extraordinarily successful in
“Little Johnny Jones” and the “Yankee Prince.” As Steve Daly in the
latter play, Mr. Lewis has given to the stage a piece of clever, comedy
characterization that is in a class by itself.
Tom Lewis was born in St. Johns, N. B., May 18, 1860.
HERBERT CAWTHORNE, with his brother Joe did a black-face act at the
Grand Central Theatre, Philadelphia, in April, 1876.
Several years later he was again “A Cork Man.”
[Illustration: BERT. WILLIAMS.]
D. W. MCCABE, well known as one of the proprietors of McCabe and
Young’s Minstrels, which toured the country for several seasons, died
at Moorcroft, Wyo., October 20, 1907; age 47 years.
BILLY PAYNE, the well-known banjoist, made his first professional
appearance in his native city in 1875, at the St. Charles Theatre,
playing for Lotta to dance in the “Little Marchioness.”
Mr. Payne’s first minstrel engagement came two years later.
Mr. Payne married in 1881, and as Billy and Alice Payne toured the
variety houses for several seasons; later he worked alone, and played
the vaudeville houses.
He joined Dumont’s Minstrels in Philadelphia, in 1903, for an extended
engagement, and likewise did meritorious work in white-face, playing a
comedy character part with the “Village Postmaster”; also in black-face
was he partly responsible for the “Redemption of David Corson.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account