The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-12-06
ALI BABA IN FRONT.

on the Chinese plan. te last a week, with q
section given every afternoon and evening
Iwould take a weeks vacation AID pass it
amid the delights OF Spectacular extrava-
ganzas"
Things by the same name that are already
three acts too long do roll this way once In
while; but there is no bad taste in the
mouth or any of those tired feelings in the
neighboThood when the curtain goes down
at the Grand Opera-hOuse these DAYS. 1t
Is about the brightest. richest, cleaniest and
funniest thing of the kind that has yet been
staged in this city.
What was it like? Well. when the cur
tain went up IL was soon plain that 1t was
one of those plays where you laugh and
use opera-glaSses. and very likely applaud
between times. You don't laugh when you
use the opera-Gasses and Won don't seek the
nearer vision when you feel like laughing,
but the two processes alternate.
When the curtain went up opera glasses
did too.
The Heights of Bagdad was the scene
and in the front Of the palace and its great
staircase. that really led to the left wing
there was q burst of song and motion from
the cosmopolitan population there.
There were nearly hundred of them In
all-the rich and extravagant costumes that
the art of burlesque and the ballet is cap
able of producing. That is one reason why
"Ali Bahia or Morgiana and the Forty
Thieves" draws such crowded houses. sup
pose.
Some people seem to like to see well-fitting
clothes on the stage when the footlights
burn and the orchestra revels In eighth
notes.
Net all the fairy creatures wore the IN
wTinkled raimeut Of every tint and shade
that the lenses were turned upon.
There we're familiar pictures of Oriental
harems suggested in the pot-pourri of rich
and sparkling costumes, and others were
the exlravagant inventions of a costumer's
fertile Imagination.
The characters in the dazzling opening
dance and chorus disappeared, and then
fun had an inning. Alibazan. the best
Caliph Bagdad ever had, elected on the plat
form THE Forty Thieves Must Co." and
Arraby Gorrah, chief OF the Bagdad police.
said something funny, and down from the
flies in startling way dropped Cassim, the
vaga bond brother of All Baba, who agreed
to give tip on tAe cave of the Forty
Thieves.
Good! Meet me at midnight" said the
Caliph.
"Where?"
''At the ruins of the Republican head
quarters"
The crowd thought this was funny, and
1t may seem funny TO some people.
Find the cave of the Forty Thieves 2"
said the funny vagabond when alone. You
bet will. If don't find it at the City
Hall will on Third street."
Won will hear Eassirn einu 10 rou
"Ali Baba." and you will hear him sing
song with five encore verses it that every
body will swear is funny. One of the
staBZas runs like this:
There was man. he had an eye. he bought 1t In
store,
And they hadn't any more
One eye was like eagles, aud he was deaf and
dumb.
And the other eye was bum
He tried to mash girl one day as she was passing
She passed him the wrong side where he had the
showcase eye;
She gave him quite winning smile, but be could
not reply,
For be couldn't wink the glass.
The play was full of those new and funny
songs that were made fanny by the music
as much as by the lines. The music of
funny stage songs is, somehow. like the
mule jokes. 1t is funny at first hearing,
but we want it in another form next time.
The string Of jokes in "Ali BaDa" is a
bright one all through, though some seemed
better On the stage than when told next day.
Now 1t was reasonably funny for the Caliph
70 say: IT'S just like a woman. When
she wants to keep secret she forgets it."
But then somehow people laugh easier in a
theater than they do elsewhere, when
things IN ha
"Have you heard the joke on the police 9''
asked the vagabond. "Why. the Forty
Thieves robbed the Palace last night and
took everything but the elevator. They'd
have taken that, but they didn't have time
to wait till it came down"
Everybody at the theater thought that
was funny, but the friend l told it to after
ward seemed to laugh only because he was
q gentleman.
And. ah, the balletsi The "danse orIen-
tai" the "danse diabolique" and the grand
ballet OF Jewels" There was but once that
lot Of girls In shining silver scales. with
shining helmets and spears and shields. an
peared at the top of the broad palace stair
case. as they generally do, the pretty can.
tain, rlgidly erect, marking time a moment
NJ every turn, aud all the shining. seaIv
beauties marking time at every halt and
turn az they march and march on the broad
stage. That was abouG the only spectac-
ular chestnut in the spectacular extraya.
CANA.
The rest of the ballet-girIs and the ballet
dances were-but then they can be seen with
more propriety than they can be described
one OIL the many striking and original
things there, by the way, is the way the
danse diabolique" is introduced to the
stage The cave Of the Forty Thieves grows
very dark, and at once from tho vince
writhes the most horrible dragon fancy evsr
pictured
From his enormous nostrils red fire shot ~
every breath.
When the dragon had crossed the stage IL
sprang up transformed into twenty graceful
girls, costumed in rich but weird beaptv
and dancing with an abandon fitting the
scene.
The laughing and the peering were inter-
fupteo now and then by the magnificent
spectacular views. that elected sober Though
enthusiastic admiration. Some were en-
trancing and all were pleasing.
ne cave OF the Forty Thieves wa. Tho
most picturesque mountain dell that many
asu eSer SEEN and large foaming stream
oi real water poured noiselessIy over ito
'ochs ana moses during whole act. Tbere
was long, moving panoramic chance ~
scene and sudden and unseen transforn,a
tlon scene in the dark with the cnrtoin -,
lhere were other wonderf,,, .nao...,