Review of April 24, 1903, performance from Stanyon's "Magic"

 

Aldrich comes on wearing black alpaca cloak covering court dress. Picks up a large flag about 8 ft. square, with pole across top to keep it extended. Pole rests on his head. After about 15 seconds he drops flag and is seen attired as an old miser.

 

This magical quick change is executed quite close to a special drop scene, in which doubt­less is a trap from which he may obtain assistance. The flag is likely permanently attached to a wire and manipulated either from wings or flies. Miser mutters to himself "What a silly old fool I am. I will go out the same way I came in."

 

He covers himself again in the same manner with same flag and changes to sporting man, and a third time changes to black tightfitting suit and crush hat.

 

Throwing aside the first flag he takes another, similar in all respects, and holds it up in front of himself, arms extended high above head, and fingers seen all the time (dummy fingers). After some 15 seconds flag is thrown in the air (wires jerked by assistants). Almost simultaneously performer comes out at wing.

 

Next follows an impersonation of a tramp juggler. On stage to his right is a heap of earthenware, and on opposite side a white screen about four feet high by 2-1/2 feet, standing on stage. There is also a box marked "seed" near by. He comes on attired as tramp puffing an "ogden" which he eventually sticks onto the screen. He also takes three cigars from his pocket and sticks them on the screen. He also sticks his cap on the center of screen. Then he makes a lightening sketch on the screen, creating a pelican surrounded by trees and bullrushes.

 

Poster for Walter Bellonini, another comic performer of era (illustration reprinted from Ziethen's "4,000 Years of Juggling")

 

The cap forms the body of the bird and two strokes of black paint for legs and one for neck finish it. A few daubs of green paint to right and underneath supply tress, rushes, etc. The three cigars on left form heads of bullrushes, finished with a few strokes of paint to ground.

 

Lights and smokes cigar, and puts the lighted match in vest pocket - suddenly takes match out of pocket lighted, with actions that indicate it was getting warm. Repeats this several times, putting lighted match in trousers pocket, between waistcoat and shirt, etc., pro­voking much laughter.

 

He juggles an old top hat with various and bewildering twists (no throwing). Juggles top hat, cigar and one of his dilapidated boots, finishing by catching hat on head, cigar in mouth and boot (wide top) on foot.

 

Picks up silvered ball and knocks it with a hammer to give the impression "much solidity." But when he stops the knocking is continued from the wings. He gets wild and tosses the ball in the air, catching it on the side of his head where it clings and he carries it around stage.

 

Juggles a large bowl full of water, of course spilling water all over himself and the stage. He tries to pick up and replace water in the bowl, gets wild and rolls bowl off stage.

 

He juggles two plates on palms of hand. These plates are seen to stick to the hands when he stops suddenly and seems alarmed on seeing a handkerchief, on thread at rear of stage, moving.

 

He juggles several plates and throws one (cardboard disc) out into the auditorium to the terror (momentarily) of the audience.

 

Leaves stage and reappears wearing long fierce moustache, and announces travesty on Ching Ling Foo, original Chinese conjurer. While talking, long ends of moustache move about in a most mirth-provoking manner, doubtless agitated by threads passing up through eyelets in wig to hands held behind back.

 

Leaves stage again and returns attired in long robes as a Chinese conjurer, wearing wig with pigtail (rigid) standing straight up on top of head. Throws metal plate in the air with a twirling motion, catches it on pigtail (standing straight up rigid on top of head) where it continues to spin as he leaves the stage amidst much applause.