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
Steve Crimmins died in Chicago, March 3, 1889.
Mike Crimmins was born in Detroit, Mich. March 5, 1864; he died in
Peoria, Ill., July 8, 1890.
GEO. M. DEVERE made his first first appearance at Booth’s Theatre, New
York, in 1872, in King Henry V, as a page--now for a new paragraph.
The following year he made his first black-face appearance in the
concert of Cook and Nelson’s Circus.
From 1874 to 1878 he did a nigger act with Matt McElroy; 1878-79 he
was associated with Joe. Flynn, of subsequent McGinty fame; also in
black-face.
When Tommy Devere died, George DeVere took his place with William
Devere, and continued as the Devere Brothers, until the death of the
latter in 1882.
Some of the minstrel companies Mr. DeVere has been associated with
were--Skiff and Gaylord’s, Welch and Barlow’s, Andy Leavitt’s, Welch
and DeVere’s and Bill Friday’s--this troupe did not open on the 13th.
Also did he play both white and black face parts in “Ninety and Nine”;
“The Clansman”; “Rudolph’s Ambition”; “Captain Barrington”; “When
Johnny Comes Marching Home” and many others.
In 1889 he assumed the stage management of the Eden Theatre in
Paterson, N. J., and remained ten years; subsequently was manager of
the Bijou, same city, two years.
Seasons of 1909-10 Mr. DeVere played the black-face comedy part in “The
Traveling Salesman.”
George M. DeVere was born in New York City, April 28, 1860.
GEO. T. MARTIN, who was also known as George Trewellyn, began his
minstrel career in Wales, 1874, where he sang in the choir, under
Caradoc; subsequently, and for many years, appearing in concert work.
[Illustration:
“BUCK” SHEFFER
HARRY BLAKELY
(SHEFFER & BLAKELY.)
WM. H. DELEHANTY
THOS. M. HENGLER
(DELEHANTY & HENGLER.)
BILLY ASHCROFT
JOHN W. MORTON
(ASHCROFT & MORTON.)]
In 1887 he made his first appearance in the United States, at Great
Falls, Montana. Season of 1888-89 he was with the Bostonian Opera
Company.
Mr. Martin was instrumental in forming the famous Verdi Quartette of
Boston, and was a member of it until 1897; subsequently he appeared on
the Keith circuit.
In October, 1899, he joined the Harry Davis Stock Minstrels in
Pittsburgh; the organization was short lived, and Mr. Martin then
identified himself with Primrose and Dockstader Minstrels, and
continued with them until 1901. A concert tour was next; then William
H. West’s (Ricaby’s) Minstrels in 1903, and Haverly’s (Nankeville’s)
Minstrels, 1904.
Mr. Martin joined the Al. G. Field forces in 1906, and has been a
valuable acquisition with that company until November, 1910.
A feature of Mr. Martin’s repertoire is the singing of the old Highland
ballads in full Scottish costume. His voice, a pure cultivated tenor,
after thirty-five years’ usage, remains as sweet as ever.
George T. Martin was born in Cornwall, England, July 23, 1860.
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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