GEO. THATCHER
has just rounded out forty-seven years of active theatrical life; for it was in September, 1863, that he made his first stage appearance, doing a jig (wonder if he can do it now?), and appearing in black-face; this was in Baltimore. Subsequently he came near being a Dutch comedian.
HARRY ROBINSON’S MINSTRELS.
Middle 70’s.
A year later Mr. Thatcher’s hopes of being a great song and dance performer received a severe jolt; Billy Emerson was the unconscious cause. Realizing that Emerson excelled him so far; Mr. Thatcher in his next engagement told gags between songs that he sang, and claims that then and there he originated the monologue.
Mr. Thatcher says his first important engagement was at Tony Pastor’s in New York in 1873. On November 10, that year, he made his first appearance with Simmons and Slocum’s Minstrels in Philadelphia, continuing with that organization and that of Simmons, Slocum and Sweatnam about four years.
August 20, 1877, he made his initial appearance with Haverly’s Minstrels in Philadelphia; in the Spring of the following year he played a brief engagement with the same company.
Mr. Thatcher joined the San Francisco Minstrels in New York, December 10, 1877; his last appearance there was December 11, 1880. Nine days later he opened in Philadelphia at the Arch Street Opera House with Thatcher and Ryman’s Minstrels, and continued under that trade-mark until the Spring of 1881. Season of 1881-1882 saw George Thatcher’s Minstrels at the same house. At Elmira, N. Y., August 3, 1882, the first performance of Thatcher, Primrose and West’s Minstrels was given; the organization disbanded in the Spring of 1889. The following season he was a feature with the Howard Athenaeum Company, doing his famous monologue.
In 1890 Thatcher’s Minstrels took the road; the three succeeding seasons produced “Tuxedo,” “Africa” and “About Gotham” respectively.
Then for two years with Carroll Johnson he headed Thatcher and Johnson’s Minstrels, terminating in the Spring of 1897.