Sons of Ham Williams, Bert performer Walker, George performer Walker, Ada Overton performer Theatrical Performance 1900-10-15 Star Theater A musical comedy in two acts, 6 scenes. Book by Stephen Cassin and Jesse A. Shipp. Music and lyrics by Bert Williams and George Walker. The first major success of Williams and Walker, cakewalk and eccentric dance specialties, Williams as Tobias Wormwood, always with a kick; Walker as Harty Lafter, always with a scheme on tap, two young tramps from Swampville, Tennessee who are mistaken for a pair of rich twins expected home from boarding school who are slated to inherit a large family fortune. Even the real boys' father, Ham, cannot see these newcomers are not his sons. The tramps wallow in luxury, knowing that at any moment the return of the twins will bring their high life crashing down; their biggest problem being the knowledge that the twins are fine acrobats and that they will surely be asked to demonstrate their acrobatic abilities. The fact that one supposed twin was considerably shorter than the other gave the fun an added flip. So did the supposedly rich boy's color, which was white--the marauders were as black as the rest of the cast. Ada Overton Walker as Caroline Jenkins, a college girl, sings "Miss Hannah From Savannah." Williams' "The Phrenologist Coon" (fortune Telling Man), lyrics by Ernest Hogan, contrasts with Walker's "Elegant Darky Dan." Opened 15 October 1900 at the Star Theatre and closed 20 October 1900 after 8 performances; returned 29 April 1901 to the Grand Opera House and closed 4 May 1901 after 8 additional performances for a total of 16 performances. (Norton 1900.46). Performing Arts Encyclopedia http://www.loc.gov/performingarts Bordman, Gerald: American Musical Theatre: A Chronicle. New York: Oxford University Press (1992). Norton Anthology of Drama: Norton Anthology of Drama: Nineteenth Century to the Present (Vol. 2). W.W. Norton & Company (2009). Tap Dance America http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/html/tda/tda-home.html Ada Overton Walker (biography) loc.music.tdabio.182 tda IHAS 151216 loc.music.tda.354