San Francisco Minstrels

Description of the nearly-completed new hall; names of company members.

Grand opening in their new home.

“The new hall of the San Francisco Minstrels was opened last night. It is conveniently situated near the junction of Broadway and Twenty-ninth st., and it is a comfortably fashioned and cheerfully decorated theater. The opening ceremonies last evening were of formal design but facetious character, and they gave great satisfaction to a numerous assemblage. The preservation of Negro Minstrelsy as a form of entertainment that families can enjoy and the most fastidious need not shun was long ago proposed as an object to be sought by the San Francisco Minstrels.They have done much to merit the reward of creditable success—which is the support of the respectable classes. Their entertainment, last night, was refined, without dullness, and broadly comic and very amusing, without inartistic exaggeration. The leading performers possess distinct individuality, and are able to impart the true negro character to their antics, sports, dances, and songs. Performers of this class are apt to err in displaying rather too evident and encroaching relish of their own fun—forgetting Shakespeare’s wise monition, that ‘a jest’s prosperity lies rather in the ear of him that hears it than in the mouth of him that utters it.’ The San Francisco Minstrels, though, are not hopeless sinners in this direction. There was much variety in the entertainment afforded last night, and each part of the programme was fresh. The attendance numbered about 1,000 persons—the hall being crowded. It will comfortably seat about 900. Messrs. Backus and Birch in various grotesque situations were, in particular, warmly greeted; they are old favorites and their company is worthy of them.”

“The San Francisco Minstrels began their season last night in their new hall under the most auspicious circumstances. The theatre was crowded, and all present testified to their pleasure and amusement by liberal laughter and applause. The entertainment offered by Messrs. Birch, Wambold and Backus is the best imaginable of its kind, and its success will doubtless by commensurate with its merits.”

“Thursday night was the opening of the San Francisco Minstrels in their new hall in Broadway, between Twenty-eighth and Twenty-ninth streets.  The hall is one of the finest in the city, and is gorgeously fitted up. Everything is new. A splendid carpet covers the floor, the private boxes are elegant, and the stage, with its fountain and beautiful drop curtain, is a perfect picture.

The performance excelled all the previous efforts of this celebrated troupe. A crowded house greeted the company, and at the conclusion of the first part Messrs. Birch, Wambold, and Backus were called before the curtain. Mr. Birch returned his thanks to the audience for past patronage, and hoped to continue to merit their applause. Previous to this Mr. Add Ryman read an appropriate poem, which was loudly applauded. Standing room only was announced after the raising of the curtain.

The audience, among which were many well-known New-Yorkers, vigorously applauded at the close of the performance. The announcement by the company that ‘street cars might be ordered at 10,’ was uproariously laughed at, and when the throng poured out of the hall and the cars were seen in waiting, the laughter was greater than ever.”

“The popular trio, Birch, Wambold and Backus, who seem to be the very incarnation of fun and jollity, have established themselves in very comfortable quarters on Broadway, above Twenty-eighth Street. Their new hall is very pretty and cosey and roomy enough withal. The opening bill was full of clever hits, rich humor and side-splitting jokes, for which Birch and Backus were mainly responsible. The ballads in the first part, sung by A. H. Pelham, Eugene Tremaine, D. S. Wambold and Carl Rudolph, were sung in a style superior to the general standard of negro minstrel vocalists, and Mackin and Wilson were very amusing song and dance performers. A screaming lecture on ‘Temperance’ by Add Ryman was the next in order, and the veriest cynic could not help bursting his sides at Birch and Backus in ‘Parlor Theatricals.’ A capital burlesque on a scene from ‘Il Trovatore,’ in which Ricardo made the best negro minstrel prima donna that the boards of cork have ever seen in this city, was followed by a farce of ‘Married Life,’ which brought a very laughable performance to an end. The San Francisco Minstrels have begun a season which promises to be and certainly deserves to be successful in every sense of the word.” 

“The San Francisco Minstrels dedicated their new hall on Broadway, at the corner of Twenty-ninth street, on Thursday evening, Sept. 3, in the presence of a large and enthusiastic audience. The hall is beautifully frescoed, and when lighted up presents a bright and cheerful appearance. The acoustics were found to be perfectly satisfactory. The scenery when looked at under the influence of gaslight is fully equal to the best ever seen in this city, and the artist, Thomas C. Noxon, of St. Louis, Mo., deserves high praise for his labor. Every seat and all of the available standing room were fully occupied, and hundreds of persons were unable to obtain admission. Fourteen persons were seen in the first-part, and the instruments used were two violins, a flute, a clarionet, cornet and double bass. William Birch occupied the bone end, Charles Backus the tambo, and Add Ryman was interlocutor. After an overture, arranged by W. S. Mullaly, A. H. Pelham, who has an excellent voice, sang ‘Let All Obey.’ Eugene Tremaine, a baritone, who made his first appearance in this city, immediately created a very favorable impression by his singing of ‘Say You Won’t Forget Me, Darling.” Charles Backus created no little mirth by singing, ‘It’s Hard to Love.’ D. S. Wambold, who was in excellent voice, elicited tumultuous applause by his artistic rendering of ‘Little Daisy.’ Billy Birch vocalized that familiar old melody ‘Get Up in de Morning’ with comical effect. Carl Rudolph, an excellent tenor, sang, with much dramatic power, ‘We Sat by the Riverside,’ which was loudly applauded. After the conclusion of the first-part, Messrs. Birch, Wambold & Backus were called before the curtain. Previous to this, Add Ryman delivered a burlesque lecture, which kept the audience highly amused. Eugene Tremaine sang a ballad. Billy Birch and Charley Backus gave imitations of society actors in ‘Parlor Theatricals.’ Ricardo, Wambold and Add Ryman gave a burlesque operatic scene, which was encored. J. G. Withers performed a flute solo, with variations, and the sketch of ‘Life Up-town’ closed the entertainments. The company is an excellent one, and every performer seemed to exert himself to his utmost to please. The witticisms of the first part were in the main fresh and pungent. ‘Standing-room Only’ was displayed every night after the opening, long before the raising of the curtain."