William T. Houston and his company

              WILLIAM T. HOUSTON and his Company
MR. WILLIAM T. HOUSTON
"THE LITTLE GERMAN BAND”
MR. HOUSTON is probably the most versatile entertainer on the Lyceum stage today and holds a position all his own. He presents an original and novel entertainment and always has an agreeable surprise for his audience. As a reader and delineator of character he stands high and as was recently said of him, "his irresistible humor upsets the dignity of a judge." He is an ardent student of mysteries, and will present new ideas of his own along this line. As an imitator of musical instruments he is undoubtedly without an equal. In his many imitations of musical instruments he uses compositions written for the instru¬ment imitated, and played by the noted musicians of the world. For his imitation of the 'cello, "the instrument of the soul" he uses the "Star Song" from Tannhauser, "Simple Confession," etc., etc. (Read what Prof. Zedeler has to say.*) For his imita¬tion of a cornet solo (with triple tongueing) such compositions as "The Signal" by Brooks, "The Levy-Anthen Polka" by Levy, etc., are used and so on through the various instrumental imitations. And then his marvelous imitation of a complete "Little German Band" giving the "clash and bang" of the drums and cymbals, the shrill notes of the cornet, the "screech" of the "yellow clarinets" and the "grunts" of the bass horns so clearly that one can almost see the actual band passing before them In his impersonations of various singers Mr. Houston uses the enormous range of five octaves and as in the imitation of instruments, he uses songs suited to each individual voice. The "old fashion contralto," the "throaty tenor," the "facial bari¬tone," the "nervous soprano," and the "timid child" are all wonderful not only in their correctness of tone quality, but also in the individual mannerisms.     Mr. Houston has
devised an original style of entertainment for this season, in which he will be assisted by Mrs. Houston and Mrs. Mowery. An entirely new idea for the Lyceum stage, inter¬spersing many impersonations, readings, piano executions and novelties.
OUTWARD EXPRESSIONS OF INWARD THOUGHTS
Washington (D.C.) Times —William T. Houston is a humorist of fine ability, and furnished i good part of the entertainment.
Owosso (Mich.) Evening News — The musical imitations of Mr. Houston proved the popular feature of the program, he being recalled several times.
Lawton (Okla.) State Democrat—Mr. Houston, the impersonator, was gladly welcomed by those who saw him last year in company with the Male Quartet.    Few equal him in his wonderful art.
Watertown (S. D.) Times — Perhaps the finest thing given and perhaps the finest thing of the kind ever given on a platform in this city, was the musical novelties of W. T. Houston. He was simply immense, and brought the house down.
Canton (Ohio) Repository— Mr. Houston's vocal imitation of the violin and phonograph were pro-nounced unequal on the local stage. His imitation of the varied instruments in "The Little German Hand" put the audience in an uproar of laughter, and he was called back again and again.
Milwaukee (Wis.) Free Press—Mr. Houston's imitation of "Singers I Have Heard" and of the bass violin and German Band were startling in their range and variations and amusing in their accurate interpretation of the various comical features.
Ottumwa (Iowa) Saturday News—Mr. Houston, "The Little German Hand," is a whole show by himself. His imitations of the phonograph, the cornet and the violoncello, were decidedly unique, and he was compelled to respond to several encores.
Ft. Fairfield (Me.) Review—But perhaps Houston, " The Little German Hand," was the most popular occupant of the platform during the evening. Versatility is no name for this gentleman. He is anything from the smallest child to the big man with the ponderous baritone, from the betwisted and acrobatic schoolboy orator or the highly sensitive and nervous soprano to the toothless, vacant-minded and grotesque old superintendent of schools.
*Franz Zedeler, Professor in Violin, Augustana College, Rock Island, Ill.— Mr. Houston's imitation
of the 'cello was just marvelous      A person blindfolded or with back turned would  have thought the
MRS.  HOUSTON                               selection rendered on the real instrument.    In "The Evening Star," he drove his bow like the real artist.
MRS. WILLIAM T. HOUSTON
MRS. HOUSTON is one of the few women on the Lyceum platform who has successfully read the difficult Shake¬spearian plays before critical audiences of the larger cities. She has great dramatic ability, and is equally at home in either tragic, pathetic or humorous roles. As a monologist, story teller or reader, she always entertains her audiences, and they seem never to tire of her presence on the stage. Her reper¬toire is a large and varied one, and includes many little sketches in which she is ably assisted by Mr. Houston.
EVERYBODY   HAS   GOOD   THINGS   TO   SAY   OF   HER. THESE  ARE  JUST  A  SAMPLE.
New York Times—Mrs. Houston was a favorite and won well merited applause for her efforts.
Chicago Ill.) Daily Tribune—Mrs. Houston in her character of "Lady Ethrelda" founder of the "Grove of Single Blessedness" acted the typical "horrid man" hater to perfection.
Eaton (Colo.) Argus — The most pleasing entertainer who ever visited our city was heard at the Opera House last evening. We refer to Mrs. W. T. Houston and cannot speak in too high terms of her entertainment.
Cincinnati (0.) Commercial — The audience was very enthusiastic in its reception to Mrs. Houston and she responded to several encores, with selections of a lighter vein. She is certainly at ease while on the platform, and wins her audience at once.
Bloomington (Ill.) Plantograph—Mrs. William T. Houston responded to a third encore and gave James Whitcomb Riley's "That Old Sweetheart of Mine," thinking per¬haps that this would quiet the audience, but it only added to her popularity and she was obliged to appear once more and give a short number.    We hope to hear her soon again.
What a well known Chicago critic has to say — Mrs. William T. Houston is one of Chicago's most effective readers. Her rendition of "The Closet Scene " from " Hamlet " is possibly unexcelled on the reading platform. Of winsome presence, easy and graceful manner, she is very popular with her audiences. Her work covers all departments of literature.—ARTHUR   EDWARD   PHILLIPS.
MRS.   MARY    ATHLENA   MOWERY
MRS. MOWERY is a charming, graceful woman, a brilliant pianist,  and  that   rarest  of  artists,  a  sympathetic  and thoroughly satisfactory accompanist.     Her work along this line
will increase the success of each in¬dividual member of the Company and her solo numbers will be enjoyed by all who love good music well performed. Mrs. Mowery will this season introduce besides her solo work several of her original selections. They are of a humorous nature and are called "Illustrated Piano Stories," embracing among others. "The Story of the Girl from Dixie," "The Whistlers." "Silken Symphonies," etc. Mrs. Mowery has graced the concert stage for many seasons, and  is  always a great favorite with  her  audiences.
ONLY A FEW OF MANY PRAISES FROM THE PRESS.
Chicago Record-Herald — Mrs. Mowery is a talented and versatile pianist and accompanist and her numbers were received with great applause.
Rhinebeck (N. Y.) Journal—Mrs. Athlena Mowery is a brilliant pianist and her work always receives commendable praise.
Bangor (Me.) Daily News—Mrs. Mowery, pianist, deserves all that is said of her as " brilliant and accomplished."    She is truly pleasing and artistic.
Toledo (Ohio) Blade—Few pianists are accompanists, but in Mrs. Mary A. Mowery we rind both. Her solo numbers were faultlessly rendered, and those who depended upon her accompaniments may give her credit for a good share of their suc¬cess, in the entertainment given at the Methodist Church last evening. She was a favorite.
Torrington (Conn.) Evening Register— Mrs. Mowery opened the evening's en¬tertainment with a piano solo, ''Old English Dances" which was finely executed. " The Girl from Dixie" the fifth number on the program, brought out the applause it so richly deserved. It was simply " Dixie" played for dances, church music, music-box and a funeral march, and showed the players' ability, as did also the encore, "The Whistlers."    Mrs.  Mowery was accompanist for all the musical selections.
MRS. MOWERY
FRED S. STUBER, THE KING OF BANJO SOLOISTS

Commended by the Representative Press
Boston Morning Journal, Nov. 11, 1901—Stuber is the most ac¬complished banjo player Boston has heard for half a generation.
Philadelphia Evening Item, May 18, 1901—One of the hits of the year has been scored by Fred Stuber, the banjoist.
Kansas City Morning Times, March 10, 1902—The best feat¬ure of the performance was the banjo playing of Fred Stuber.
St. Louis Star, March 3, 1903 — Fred Stuber is ace high on the banjo. His rapid finger-work is simply marvelous.
Providence (R. I.) Morning News, Nov. 11, 1902—No musi¬cal artist has elicited more flat¬tering praise than the clever banjoist, Fred Stuber.
San Francisco Evening Call, March 31, 1902 —Fred Stuber, the banjo king, is one of the few performers who can get real mu¬sic out of this most difficult instrument.
New Orleans (La.) Daily States, March 18, 1902—The banjo pyrotechnics of Fred Stu¬ber were amazing. Not only is he rarely accomplished technic¬ally, but his musical ear is won¬derfully developed.
Portland Daily Press, Nov. 19, 1901—There may be some in Portland who imagine they have heard all that is possible to be gotten out of a banjo. They should hear Stuber. He is the most artistic manipulator of a banjo that Portland has ever heard.
Mr. Stuber is unexcelled
Washington (D. C.) Post, Jan. 6, 1903—The "Great Stuber," as he is called, is a perfect master of the banjo, and his phenomenal execution of rapid passages brought forth the most spontaneous approval.
Boston Traveler, Oct. 20, 1902—The feature of the evening was the re markable performance of Fred S. Stuber, whose claims to the greatest banjoist in America, were fully sustained by a manipulation of a common and much abused instrument which was marvelous. His execution was a thing to admire, but the effects, the harp-like tones he secured from those few insignificant looking strings made the audience breathless with surprise and admiration.