Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-10-14
DUFF'S "MIKADO."
The best Performance of the OPern
Ever witnessed in This city.

The Salt Lake Theatre was once more
crowded last evening by an audience Of
fashionable and cultured people, all Of
whom seemed anxious to judge of the
merits Of the Duff Company by seeing
this most trying piece performed.
The scenery in both acts was remark
ably beautiful. 1t was unusually rich,
bright and striking, as well as being ex-
actly the correct thing. The costumes
were, like those in "Iolanthe," very rich
and very pretty. The costume of Nanki
Poo in the second act, both costumes
worn by Ko-Ko, and all the dresses of the
leading ladies were particularly striking
Jarbeau rs Yum Yum redeemed her
self from the unfavorable impression she
created as the Fairy Queen, and made
the hit OF the evening. The lady is such
perfect actress, so graceful in motion
and so expressive in tone, that she does
not allow one point to pass her by with
out making it count for a good
round of applause. Her voice, too,
is to so much better advantage
in the "Mikado" music that it would
scarcely be recognized as the one which
struggled through the Fairy Queens
score. The lady was here about ten years
ago with Rice's "Evangeline" company,
and she made great hit at the
time, recollections OF which were recalled
by her success OF last evening. There is
now no doubt that the choice OF Jarbeau
for Yum Yum was wise one, and the
endorsement she received by the audi
ence last evening is ample proof of the
fact.
OF the ladies', Zelda Seguin as Katisha,
was the next in popularity, and would
have been first but for the fact that the
character is not pleasing one. The
music, whose beauties have heretofore
been little more than suspected, was
brought out by her for the first time on
the Salt Lake stage, and it was equal to
the expectations OF all and was great
surprise to many. Her makeup was
more appropriate than beautiful. Peep
DO and Pitti-Sing were well up in the
business OF their parts and sang them to
perfection.
OF the gentlemen, Ryley again stood
at the head. His conception of what Il
Lord High Executioner should be was Il
bright and an original one, and his idea
was carried out with snap and zest
which made it very taking and which
won thunders OF applause. As compared
with Drew, who played the part with
Carleton's company last fall, he was, on
the whole, much more entertaining.
Drew made few "breaks" which were
exceedingly laughable, but he let his part
drag in places, thing OF which Ryley
could never be accused. Ryley labors
under the disadvantage" of being I'M
able to sing, but he converts it into one
OF his-greatest advantages by perfect bur
lesques. He, in fact, handles everything
from his feet to his tongue with neatness
seldom seen.
billiard was in excellent voice and
made firstrate Nanki Poo. He, how
ever, made himself look much more
"plain" than was necessary, and in that
way lost considerable popularity, which
he would otherwise have gained, with the
ladies.
Nash's Mikado. the Poo Bah and
the Pish Tush were all good perform
ances, all being well up in their music
and business.
The choruses were once more at their
best and did another big share oil the
successful work. The ensemble at the
end OF each act was simply granl, and
formed beautiful climax to what went
before.
The company appears once more to-
night, presenting an opera entirely new
here but which has gained an excellent
reputation under the name OF ga Trip to
Africa"