minstrel show and draws a comparison to the "modern" circus before pointing out how the Forepaugh Show had chosen the path of returning to the roots of the circus shows of years past.
Source:
The Lewiston Daily Sun (Lewiston, Maine)(Vol. 2, No. 146): August 8, 1894" (1894).
Great many people remember when there was a time when the most popular form of indoor amusement was the minstrels. But the minstrel managers were seized with an ambition thet o'erlept itself, and soon the old-time minstrel that was so much loved by the public was shoved to one side to make room for alleged comedians who were dressed in velvet garb of gaudy colors and bore no resemblance to the popular minstrel whatsoever, excepting that he still blackened his face. Everybody knows the result. Minstrelsy is dead, or nearly so. One of its greatest exponents said recently that it could never be revived, and while he expected to spend yet very many years upon the stage he had blackened his face for the last time. Such is almost the case of the circus, although, of course, the circus remains the most popular of all forms of amusements. From the olden time circus which had its skillful artistic performers, its clowns and its elephants, monkeys, etc., the circus, as well as the minstrels sought strange gods and began to devote a large portion of its programme to spectacular performances and the like, until the circus with all its pleasure giving features was lost sight of. But the circus will not be allowed to die as minstrelsy has died. There is too much capital engaged in it for it to be allowed to be seriously injured by anything, much less a sentiment of rivalry and jealousy which would impel them to duplicate the performances of rivals even if the performances did not belong under a circus tent. As a proof of this the Adam Forepaugh Shows which have always taken the lead in innovations in the circus world, has returned to the old time circus, retaining all its good features, eliminating all its bad ones and adding novelties until a programme has been made up that will please everybody. They will be here in a few days and many a man will be strongly tempted to go who has not seen a show for many a day, but who will be only too glad to see a show that will bring him back to his boyhood days. It is safe to say that the tents will be none too large to hold the people, especially for the night performances, after those who have attended in the afternoon have have had an opportunity to tell their friends just the kind of a performance the Adam Forepaugh Shows give this year. Their date here is Tuesday, August 14.
It is learned upon good authority that the immense tents under which the Adam Forepaugh Shows are given are actually water-proof, so that the audiences are dry and comfortable, no matter how hard it way be raining outside.
Forepaugh Show
The Great Show So Popular With the People.
Great many people remember when there was a time when the most popular form of indoor amusement was the minstrels. But the minstrel managers were seized with an ambition thet o'erlept itself, and soon the old-time minstrel that was so much loved by the public was shoved to one side to make room for alleged comedians who were dressed in velvet garb of gaudy colors and bore no resemblance to the popular minstrel whatsoever, excepting that he still blackened his face. Everybody knows the result. Minstrelsy is dead, or nearly so. One of its greatest exponents said recently that it could never be revived, and while he expected to spend yet very many years upon the stage he had blackened his face for the last time. Such is almost the case of the circus, although, of course, the circus remains the most popular of all forms of amusements. From the olden time circus which had its skillful artistic performers, its clowns and its elephants, monkeys, etc., the circus, as well as the minstrels sought strange gods and began to devote a large portion of its programme to spectacular performances and the like, until the circus with all its pleasure giving features was lost sight of. But the circus will not be allowed to die as minstrelsy has died. There is too much capital engaged in it for it to be allowed to be seriously injured by anything, much less a sentiment of rivalry and jealousy which would impel them to duplicate the performances of rivals even if the performances did not belong under a circus tent. As a proof of this the Adam Forepaugh Shows which have always taken the lead in innovations in the circus world, has returned to the old time circus, retaining all its good features, eliminating all its bad ones and adding novelties until a programme has been made up that will please everybody. They will be here in a few days and many a man will be strongly tempted to go who has not seen a show for many a day, but who will be only too glad to see a show that will bring him back to his boyhood days. It is safe to say that the tents will be none too large to hold the people, especially for the night performances, after those who have attended in the afternoon have have had an opportunity to tell their friends just the kind of a performance the Adam Forepaugh Shows give this year. Their date here is Tuesday, August 14.It is learned upon good authority that the immense tents under which the Adam Forepaugh Shows are given are actually water-proof, so that the audiences are dry and comfortable, no matter how hard it way be raining outside.
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