Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-10-08
THE l.mTKADon MAKES A HIT.
Last Nights Performances OF the New
Opera a Great success.

] There have been many performances IN
! the Savannah Theatre since any that
took as the HMIEado" did last night.
The house was jammed with an audience
/ which testified its appreciation Of the
/ beauties Of the opera by bursts Of hearty
\ applause after each succeeding aria. Like
/ all OF Messrs. Gilbert and sulliVan's
! plays, the "Mikado" is bright and enter
tanning, although occasionally there is,
l perhaps, q family suspicious resemblance
/ between it and some Of their earlier work.
I The dialogue is even more enjoyable than
/ that in "Iolanthe" or PinafOre." 1t spar
I kles with wit and abOunds in quiet sa-
I tire that is more appreciated than broad
! humOT. AS piece Of keen and pleasant
/ irony, the "Mlkado" is exceedingly
! clever.
The chiefpersonage in the play is Ko-Ko.
The Mikado, the Emperor Of Japan, who
considered himself very humane, decreed
that any OF his subjects who fiirted should
be beheaded. Ko-ko is caught flirting and
condemned to die. His Majesty, however,
relents, liberates ko-KO and appoints
him Lord High EXecuuOner, whose duty
1t is to execute at least one person
every month. "Ko.Ko" has three charm
ing little wards, "Yum yuma" "Pitti
SING and "Peep Bo." daughters Of a
which the scene Of the play is laid. "Yum
YUM is very sweet and fun of girhsh
giee. Her guardian takes her from school to
make her Mrs. K0-Ko. She happens, how
ever, to be engaged 10 "Nanki Poo" who,
although the son OF the Emperor, has
fled from the royal palace in the guise Of
a second trombone and joined a band of
wandering Ministries to escape the love
OF ''Katisha." THIS lady "Katisha" is
rather elderly, and she thinks that
maiden is all the better and will last
good deal longer when she's tough. "Yum
Yum" knows that she must marry ''K0-
ho," who is desperately in love with her.
When "Nand Poo" learns Of "Yum
Num's" decision he resolves to commit
suicide.
It so happens that just about
letter from the "Blikado" ordering
an execution, as there has not
| been one in the empire for month.
| "Ko-Ko' Is at his wits end, for there 10
no one TO behead. "Ko-KO" seeks ad-
/ vice of his friends. Among these is
! "Poo Bah" who is Lord High Everything
Else; First Lord Of the Treas
/ ury, Lord Chief Justice, Lord
! Higl Admiral, Commander-in-Chief,
Master Of the Buck-HOunds, Groom of the
Back-Stairs. Archbishop Of Titipu. Lord
Mayor, Trial Justice, etc. This functionary
draws his salary FOR each Office regularly
| every Saturday. "POo Bah" advises
''Ko-Ko" to execute himself, and the ar
! gument between the two is most deli
| ciOus bit of logical tOmfOolery. "Ko-Ko'
is in this dilemma when the second from
bone appears with rope round his
! neck. The happy thought strikes "KO-
/ Ko" that perhaps "NanH Poo can be in
! duoed to allow himself to be executed.
| The lOve-lOrn minstrel does not see the
| force Of it at first.
"Nanki Poo" is overcome by the argu-
ment, and he consents to be executed at
the end Of the month if"Ko-Ko''w allow
/ him him to marry ''Yum Yum'' first.
No sooner is the arrangement effected
than the "Mikado" is announced unex-
| pectedly. He is chiefly anxious to know
| If his people have been amused by an exc
| cutiOn. "KO-Ko' and his friends put up
| job on the emperor, show him traudu.
| lent certificate OF an execution, and en-
terrain him In song with a CORY desorip.
ton Of the decapitation, which has not
/ yet taken place. The "Mikado" is
! searching for his lost son, and has traced
! him under the assumed name Of "NankI
| Poo to Titipu. "KaHshaD discovers the
| name of the heir apparent on the certif-
| cate. "Ko-Ko' is at once con-
! demned to death. 'Yum Yum" is
| also in trouble upon the dis
cOYery that the WIDOW OF man who Is
| executed must be buried alive.
While the "Mikado" is at lunch "Yum
! YUM" "Nanki Poo aud "Ko-KOr meet.
"Nanki Poo" suggests that ''KO-Ko" WOO
| the fossil maiden "Katisha." "KO-KO's"
| famous "Tit-willow' song melts her to
| tears and wins her.
| The ''Mikado' enters and "Katisba"
| falls on her knees and pleads for sKo
Ko." "Nanki Poo and "Yum Yum"
enter, and the prince announces that he is
| not slain, when a general reconciliation
takes place.
Mr.. G. w. Danham, as ''Ko-Ko," was
inimitable in his facial expressions and
movement throughout.
| The life Of the opera depends in great
measure upon "Ko-Ko," and Mr.. Denham
was ''immense.v Mr.. Louis Carlberg, the
"Pooh Bah" was also fine, although he
| looked more like a Jolly triar than a Jap.
Mr.. Joe Armand sang "Nanki Poo's'
lines very effectively The "Mikado," L.
| w. Raymond. was quite amusing. Miss
Alice May, who takes the part OF "Ka-
tisha." sang well, Notwithstanding a
hOarseness, and her acting was
splendid. Miss Mabel Haas,
Miss Marie Cammeyer and Miss Ca
| price Van LISA, who represented the
three sisters, Yum Yum, Pitt Sing and
Peep 30, were very clever, Miss Van
LISA being especially so.
The company is a strong one as a whole,
making up in movement and action any
thing that may be lacking in vocal melO-
! DIV. The tempo is very fast throughout.
Nearly every song was encored from two
to four times. The "MikadO" will be re-
peated tonight.