The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1885-08-23
THE MIKADO,
Production OF Gilbert and sulIvsn's Latest Musical


America TO stan OF some Of the numerous uuauthor
lied ,roupes which threatened to take the edge OF
the latest musical novelty gave their fret represen
ta,ion at the FUN Avenue Theatre wednesday
night OF the first performance the World said:
| The satire OF "The Mikado Ia masked In an ali
surdiy that Is never extravagant and that never
depends upon stage business. Gilbert's lihrctto
unnn % ,. ~" ~ ~, ~, , , reue ..
placid seriousness In "The Mikado," is the very
qnintcssence of sportveness that asks no extrinsc
| AID from the exaRgcrnting actor The chief person.
| age In the story IL the lord High Executoner, Ko
10, who, having been condemned to death for hlrt-
waited TO this high ONCE. lilo falls In love with Yum
Yum, desires 10 marry her. and they are betrothed,
| II appearing throughout that u In ko Kos lofty
position as Chief Exccuioncr that has overcome all
| her scruplos.
The difficulties that prevent the contamination Of
his happiness are simple andingenious. Nanki Poo,
| the son OF the Mikado, and heir-apparent to the
throne, rather than marry a mature lady by the
name OF kafisha has abandoned the royal home and
| IN wandering about the country Disguised al Sec
ond tronhone-playcr, aud meeting Yum Yum he
falls In love with her. This is the condition OF
| affairs when an order comes from the Mlkado
to 10 no that somebody must be executed that the
people may be amused. The Instructions are I'm
perativo; unless there is an execution In week the
oilcc oil Lord High Execuoner will he abolished
AZ his WITS end 10 no appeals to his friends for ad
exccntioncr and the Lord High chamberlain, in
which the latter reasons that Ko Ko ought 10 exc
cute himself, may stand as one OF the most delicious
bits OF tomfoolcry that we have recently had. While
In this dilemma tho Second Trombone appears with
|
cause Yum Yum has rejected him. The CONVERSE
iion that cnsnes between the two is unique me
| 10 Ko--wnl nothing shake your resoiutIons
| Nanki Poo-Noihing.
10 KoI.Threats, cnireatles, prayers, all useesss
| 10 K0-Then II you really mean what YOU say
and Il ycp are absolutely resolved % die, don't spoil
handsomely at the hands of the public executloner.
Saas GSO doesn't ~ At s &c the force q
| have month to live, and you'll live like fphtinp-
cook, at my expense. When the day comes ihere'll
no one will attempt to deprive YOU OF that iisnc,.
tton. There'll be procession, bands, dead march,
bells tolinS all the girls in tears. um Yum as
and nd, a display Of fireworks in the evening
This argument oyercomes NanM Poo and he con.
will allow him to marry Yum Yum nrst.
MY good friend" says the Executioncr. "be
Yum ium when am going to marry her myself ~
Why shell be a widow at the end of month";"
"Ah, that's true, of course" says 10 Ko, "but
consider my position during the MONTH"
ION. consider mInc." cries Nankl Poo, "at,he end
Nevertheless, the arrangement ia effected, and no
sooner have they concluded 1t than the MikadO is
announced unexpectedly, lie is chieny anxious to
know II his people have been amused with an execu-
ton and Ko 10 and his friends entertain him in song
has not yet taken place When they had excited his
admiration he tells them that they have executed
the her-apparent to the throne and must be boiled
Yum Yum has similar difficulties with her doomed
husband, Nan ,s Zoo for Is found that when man
she objects to this on account Of Its being stuy
Is In the treatment of these absurdIties that Mr.
Gilbert IL inimtable. There In scarcely Character
IN the opera or scene which has not q submeaning
search of her Second Trombone, her conversation
with no 10 belrays new order OF candor. She
my face is plain Hut you KNOW notnnr Won aTe
still unenghtened Learn then that 1t not In the
face alone INA. beauty Is to be sought have LEFT
pie come miles to see it. My right elbow has a fas.
cinaton that few can resist, and have tooth that
1t quite in keeping with the current OF the story
that these arguments should touch the heart OF Ko
ko. He falls In love with the mature beauty and
tries to WOO her. She is obdurate and cpQs 10 the
memory OF her Trombone until he sings to her the
now famous Tit-willow song, which mets her to
| ters.
on tree by river a little toni.tit
sang ",' WHOM ,,,' tt-Wiow. Willow"
Singing Y @a ' t@ SS'td waH silt
Is weakness of intellect, birdie 2" cried,
% w,, rather tough worm IN your little inside"
with shake OF his poor little head he replied,
son willow, tltwillow, titwlllOw!"
lie slapped At his chest as he sat on that bough,
Singing Willow, ilt-wlllow, tit.willowl"
And cold Precipitation bespangled his brow,
Oh willow, tlt-wil0w, tit-wiOw.
He soS DO ,l and he sighed, and gargle he gave;
And an echo arose from the suicide's grave
"oh willow, tit-willOw, tit-willow ="
Now feel Just as sure as I'm sure that my name
Isn't Willow, tit willow, tit-willow,
That twas hlighied affection that made him exclalm
"Oh willow, tt-wlllow, t-willow!"
Ana II you remain callons and obdnrate,
Shall perish AZ he did, and you Will know why
Though Ipronably snail moi exciam as die.
"oh willow, tt-wllOw, tit-willow!"
The performance of last night, being the sinOn-
pure English version under the direction of D'Oyly
Carte, presented the authors business much more
ese color OF the whole representation was sOmethinv
remarkable, and the ensembles were most admira-
BILE In choral work and In dress and action. The
same praise cannot he given TO the vocal qualities Of
the soloiHts. The Nanki Poo, Mr.. q. Pounds, has
good quality OF voice, but very little Of II, and his
action The Ko Ro Of Mr. e. Taorne IS an imitation
OF the original London Ko KO but 1t Ia neither as
funny nor ~ vocay acceptable as Mr. Roland Reed'g
One OF the hits OF last evening made by the three
little. girls from school, of whom Yum Yum is one
The business OF these three young adlies-Miss Ger
aldine Ulmer, yum Yum,) Miss Kate Foster, tPitti
sngJ and Miss st. Manr, (Peep- Bo)-caught the
audience Instantly. The novelty OF the costumes
and the absurdity OF the action were striking. The
Mikado, played by Mr.. II. Federico, was a marvel OF
makeup
The New York Herald said:
AS for the piece itself, its chief merit ia that ia
aim Is obvious aud its method simple. Heretofore
Mr. Gilberts American admirers have had to stretch
their Imagination His aesthetics, his lovelorn
haidens, his sweet girl graduates, his Lord High
Chancclors, his gartered peers, his bewgged judges,
his prancng dragons, his bumboat women his
First Lords OF the Admiralty, have not been person.
ages easily recognizable in an American community
Their satircal significance was blurred They
zens OF harmless wonderland. They appeared
IKE thc images renected Id q concave looking glass
creatures OF fantastic ana ridculously abnormal
In "The M,ka,,op # ia o,he,wi.o u =. mn, :.
nol,tica saire n ia NOT an Sr,is,c se,ra not
social satire i, Io mo-, a. sa,r a'o nac W not
amhen wit ia contemt to MAJ ron, ,. i s m'iu,y
hnn,hnua ia ,.b,ea orc p"y ,"un" DoIos hnu
chii,,ran neraona ~ H., a n, ., Mecoclous
VIVA wriis far rsnhp nan, ,. , people
and Irritating Ia1ghs ..a pnn VIII aDoy nanns
men AMI cn,snS 81 a,ei,f a"y 'gows, comic
Contains the names ~ very nrInarU %ack ist
''"' .io ,,uueS VI seiy "'"'ha'y o"ehoers'-
Therest Inc Niger serenader and the others Of HIS
race, ,
hhd Tue piano orRanlst,
i've gol MIN on my list.
ANA the people VINO eat peppermint and PUT 1t In
n, your iace' ,.,,,
Il Ihey never would he missd
Tney never would be mssd.
inen lne ldiot VINO praises with enthusiastic tone
All centuries butth anu every century but his
Ana the lazy from the provinces who dresses like
,r, "Enny y,,, ,,,..,
Ana VINO doesn't mink she walizcs, but would
rather IKE TO try"
ana tna, singular anomaly, the lady novelist,
don't think shed be mlssd.
I'm sure she'd not he missed.
So in the doom pronounced by the "Mlkado" The
quacks, billiard sharps, amateur tenors ladies' who