New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-04-05
=" THE MIKADO."
GILBERT AND SULLIVANS NEW OPEhA'
WITH OTHER THEATRICAL NOTES


and narrow road from the Embankmcnt. AS the
hanson turned in on Saturday stout policeman
sgnalled to the driver to pull up. Inc ROAD oe'hg
clear for some distance humby asked the olhcer
of the law why we might not 60 on. "eil' Sill
Won see some of tho royalties is coming ana our
orders is to keep the road free so that they may
drive in without stopping" And tho carr'ageway
in front of the theatre being wide enough for one
vehicle ONLY this meant that the hundreds OF people
who were arriving all together about O'CLOCK had
to advance from the Embankment 10 the uoors Vi
the Savoy in q series of jerks Inc royaities III
opestion were the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh
with whom came suite numerous enough 10 IL"
two boxes. The loyal Briton is so well drilled to
waiting upon the convenience OF princes tnae ne
bore the delays IN this good-humorediy enough
NOR did the stalls and boxes grumbe audibly at the
late arrival of these great personages. 1t was the
nit which sgnifed its impatience The curtain
which wa. TO rise at Sl5 did not go up till the hall
hour was well past
first night at Mr. D'Oyly Carte's pretty theatre
in the Savoy is always an interesting OCCASION ana
last Saturday was no exception to the rule PERSONS
of quality and other celebrities mustered III force
amono them, So - one chronlcer, MISS forteScue'
smiling in gentle agitation on the scene OF her
former triumphs. Mrs Rouads occupied her usual
box; Mrs. Gilbert in the next but no Mr.. GiIDcrt'
lie. we are told, does not caro- for his own hrst
nights: dimes out, goes to some other theatre. ana
turns up at the Savoy in time to answer tho call
berore the curtain. The professional world sent
MANY representatives, dramatic, musical. journal
stic. legal. and suppose an Englishman would add
artistic since art this country has come to signify
pretty commonly the same thing as painting. and
painting only.
Mr. Gilbert il had been given cut. was to surprise
us nv the novelty of his ne libretto. Aware that
the critics. whom he respects none too much' had
won over the public to their opinion that he was
growing monotonous. he resolved to he original
Hence the choice of Japanese subject. so lar as
costumes aud scenery go. there Is no dsputlng the
freshness or beauty of "Thc Mikado." Not many
prctier pictures have been seen on the stage thall
the courtyard in 10 Kos palace or the garden OF tho
same. The grouping was managed by soneoody
who we'll understands picturesque effect; presum-
ably Mr.. Gilbert himself. who stage-manages MS
own productions taking counsel. no doubt. with
Mr.. DOyIy Carte and the japanese villagers from
South Kensington and Mr.. Milford, and other com
petent authorities But it would be going too far
70 say that the story of I" Tho Mkado" is original {;
or ANYTHING but trivial The Savoy audiences do
not care very much about plot. Mr.. Gilbert wiiully
takes YOU out of the real world. remote from any
possible world. You are to be amused by whlns'-
calities; not interested in the fortunes OF anybody
Oh the stage. The treatment of The Mikado,' tho
method of handling. the means relied on for pro-
ducing effects are precisely the same as in " Pima
fore +" or The Pirates of Penzance."
Colum non aniInum mutant" said more or less
classical critic discoursng Oh these new characters
between the acts.
aWhat does that mean 7" asked another whose
recollectons of the Latin grammar wore less fresh
q Means that Gilbert has Japanned his Old Jokes"
growled q macOntent.
But the malcontents were in minority of one.
The piece was received with enthusiasm throughout.
The long period in the first act during which no
women appear was redeemed by the quaint brill
iancv of the trio between Yum Yum, Iiht-Sing and
Peep- b. the three little maids from school. Their
makeup and their manners. their fans and ther
nrtng their singing were irresistible ana the con-
clusiOn of their dtty was received with sucn roar
of delight as is seldom heard inside theatre.
The opera safe from that moment People
had thoughtHhe overture too long. ana there are
passages where the piece drags and there IL perhaps
less go" in the last than in the first act But sir
Arthur iSullvan's music had taken last hold OF the
house. lie Is no more Japanese than Mr. Gllnert rs,
and have learned to-day with much regret that no
ignores the pentatOnic scale and the minor Keys
without a leading note Affected by the musicians OF
Japan. Yet notwithstanding this unpardonabe
OMISSION perhaps never before was his singular git
of composition or heard 10 better advantage:
His Is the work of a learned and accomplished
musician and yet fitted to the nonsense verses OF
is melOdious graceful and delightful throughout;
The hOnOrs of the evening In respect OF musical
execution have to be divided among Miss Braham.
Miss Jessie Bond and Miss Brandram-Mr
Grossmith was nervous from illness and LITTLE un-
certain about his part, the Lord High Erecufioner.
which has elements of humor, surpassed perhaps by
those developed in Mr.. Barrngton's Pooh Bah a
japanese noble who sacrifices his family PRIDE by
accepting dozen offices from an upstart Emperor,
Temple as the upstart was excellent. but what was
most excellent of all was tho ensemble; OF which
English theatres within ten years past have begun
to understand the value.
Few of the London theatres are reported as
thriving. The last two weeks of AS You Like IL =
at the st. Jamess Theatre was announced, although
| it is but six since the play was produced with a
costly splendOr Of mounting which betokened a
belief in much longer run: This is the fatality
of modern management. If you do not spend
thousands on scenery and dresses, the public will
cannot keep the boards for months, il is financial
| failure AS You Like 1t" was thought sur.
| card. Mrs. Kendals Rosdltnd had been seen and
the critics chose to say that Mrs. Kendall was toe
mature" o heroine to suit them. and Tor once the
public sccms to have accepted the dictum of these
gentlemen. One of those mysterious plebfscite,
| which govern the social world was taken society
upper and middle voted it did not care to see tho
piece and 80 Of the stage il goes.
9The Hunchback" at the Lyceum was failure
from the start and will speedily give way to some
other experimental revival OF !" ingomar,r , aud
perhaps ana ta srs is '
TO precisely how low figure the nightly receipts al
the Lyceum have fallen. and Others who know for
fact that Miss Mary Anderson has lost her hold on
the British public. and will never regain Il. Thi;
does not prevent them from describing with equa
confidence the circumstances under which she has
boneht piece of land in South Kensington; how
much she paid for IT, and what kind Of honse she
is going to build and occupy. But the London
napers. though often innocent in the matter Of
publishing advertisements pleasantly disguised a'
news paragraphs. have grown shy, OF relating
further incidents Of Miss Andersons llfc and these
stories have now to circulate by word OF mouth.
Perhaps the most successful of the theatres so fal
as business goes is Coyent Garden. with its grand
| international cirquep No man has ever yet cx
planned why the British public should more readily
| part with It's money to SEQ cirque than circus
but SO it is, or SO, at any rate, think Mr. HOLLAND
| and his rival Mr. Hengler. whose "crque" IN
Argyll-st is grand without being international Tn