The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-02-24

"a Gaiety Girl" which runs all this
week at the Baldwin Theater, has so much
to recommend it that its success is not
surprising. First of all it has the pretty
women, and they help to make any play
go. Then, in addition to handsome cos
TUNES and graceful dancing the all-round
cast is a good one. The music, if there is
not much TO il. is certainly not dull, and
the somewhat himsy plot gives occasion
for number of good. humorous sltu-
ations.
1t is when one comes down to the
dialogue that the way in which "a Gaietv
Girl" has caught on in San Francisco be
comes a little surprising. The jokes are
smart enough in themselves, but they are
English, a number of them being locally
so; and in addition to this, many of the
parts are take-offs either of public charac-
tiers or of types of society familiar to the
British public, but that lose much of their
significance in crossing the Atlantic.
And vet IN spite OF this the San Fran
cisco public has graSped the points and has
laughed at and appIauded the jokes in a
way that has surprised and delighted the
actors themSelyes Before the Opening of
the play all the company was very dubious
about those same Jokes. q don think
they Will understand us" MOnkhouse
said gloomily. "Come to think of it, do
not see how they can. Suppose you took a
local San Francisco comedy over to Eng
land. where would the points be, Ell? Sim
ply they would fall fiat"
West of New York the Jokes have fallen
pointless' said Maude Hobson with the
same touch OF anxiety in her voice that
MOnkhOuse had shown. "They have come
to the comedy because they wanted to see
no Ga1,rarS and ba GraSSaS and 70 l-r,oy,r
what we were like. OF course, in New
York they are more in touch with England,
but San Francisco is so far away that | am
afraid il viii be here as it was in Milwau-
kee and Chicago and those other places
where what we thought the best Jokes did
not arouse ripple OF amusement. The
people Just sat StOlid. Oh it was awful -
Needless to say, the above remarks were
made before "A Gaiety Girl' opened at
the Baldwin. Very few of the Jokes have
fallen fat in San Francisco, even those
that one would think could only be appre-
ciated in the city of London have met with
spontaneous appreciation from the large
audiences which have nightly crowded the
Baldwin.
Miss Madge RosselPs spirited dancing
in the first act largely helps toward the
success of the play, and the carnival dance,
performed by Mesdames Maggie Cross
land, Lucy Murray and May Lucas is one
a
latter the kicking Is as high as the points
OF the high sugar-loaf hats worn by the
dancers. The two actors who have made the
greatest hits are Fred Kaye, who plays the
irascible major in the guards, and Harry
Monkhouse, the unctuous doctor who at
tends the arlstocracy and IS always in a
penniless condition because they only re-
pay him for his services by occasional in
YitatiOns to dinner.
1t has been decided 10 give a special per
Torrance Of "a Gaiety GRIP this evening
The attraction at the Baldwin Theater
after "a Gaiety Girl will be Miss Marie
Burroughs, who was so identified with E
S. Willard during his stay in this country
The California actress comes at the head
OF her own company in one of the sue
cesses of the present dramatic season
1.-The Profigate," by the well-known Eng
hsh dramatist, Arthur Pinero. This drama
deals with the moral relations of the sexes
and breaches against the sowing of wild
oats, etc. 1t is said, however, not to be one
of those dreary plays with a purpose so big
as to swallow up the human interest of the
plot. English dramatists have invaded
the domain of the pulpit good deal o.
late, and sometimes in a manner which
though II may point moral, has also toe
much sUggestiveness to serve moral end
1t is said, however, that 1.-The Profigate'
is not one OF those plays that daily with
rlSque subject in a preachy -preaChy
manner. On the contrary, it is said to be
healthy, wholesome and Astounding in in
terest. Miss Burroughs company in
cludes John Z. Kellen, Louis Massen, Harry
Saint Maur, Theodore NJ. Brown, II. a. Bar