The record-union., 1896-05-31

large over the production Of the Japan
ese musical play, THE Geisha," story
of a tea house and the joint authors of
AN Artists Moder' and "A Gaiety
Girl" have fresh laurels wherewith to
adorn their already well laden brOws.
When the curtain rose in the
lovely scene representing the Tea
House of Ten Thousand joys the eye
was at once captivated. Long ago at
the Savoy we saw in THE Mikado" what
a Japanese setting would offer in the
way of charming effects. Well in THE
Ceisha" all the delicate minutiae of
artistic blending have been elab-
orately studied with the happiest
results Every detail in costume and
every point in picturesqueness have
been carefully kept in view. and the
achievement is in itself a triumph Of
artistic perception. Travellers who
have gone around the world retain as
their most lasting impression the subtle
charm and fascination of Japanese
life and character. Now we all have an
opportunity to admire with an enthusl-
asm equal to Sir Edwin Arnold's, the
dainty kimonO-clad maidens whose
sweet smile and soft laughter make up
for the national want OF melody ana
kissing. By-the-way, these two wants
are amply supplied in The Geisha," for
there are a number of sparkling melo-
dies sung by fresh and tuneful voices;
and the pretty Geisha, early in the play,
is initiated into the mysteries Of Oscula-
ton, which she finds has charms she
can't explain.
The favorite Geisha of Wunhis tea
house is O NIimosa San. She refuses to
marry the Marquis Imari. preferring to
wed a young japanese Captain. She also
carries on an ardent Irritation with an
English naval Lieutenant. Imari, who
is Chief of Police, has the tea house
sold up. AIimosa is bought by an Eng
lish lady. Meantime Molly Seamore,
having disguised herself as geisha in
order to pay her lover out for his fiirta-
tion, gets knocked down" by public
auction to the Marquis. In the second
act, where the intrigue considerably
hangs fire, she finally escapes with the
help of French mousinee, who cap
lures the Marquis for herself. 1t will
be seen that slight as is the plot, there
is more conference in it than is usually
the case
The London correspondent of the New
York dispatch" says:
1t was. I suppose, the apocryphal feat
of William Tell that suggested this item
of sensational business" to the crack
rife shot, Nile. Diana, who recently
fulfilled a London enga agement But the
analogy is not complete. It is no low
ing, fearful father that takes aim at
the apple" Cn this case an evil-snell-
ing. hollow globe Of resin). but just a
Winchester rifle Of uncertain habits,
and addicted to the vagaries and Gus
sedness common to all firearms
In the first place the resinOus ball IS
suspended in mid-air by a string. and
then the stand is rugged up with its
rifle. The latter is then sighted by the
expert with scrupulOus care. so as to
cover the pendant globe. After this
has been done, Mile. Diana takes up her
position, rifle in hand, exactly beneath
the apple" and blazes away at the
trigger of the gun. Simple, isn't IL?
The discharges are practically simuita
neous, and the lady's dark hair is in
most cases instantly powdered with
particles of the shattered ball of resin.
l say lin most cases advisedly, be
cause it sometimes happens that the
bullet passes over or at the side Of the
apple" and on one occasion the rifle
Ddii dCiUtA1N IdtSStu Dtl " eel GtiE = lDBE
and Mile Diana's scalp, the weapon
having been aimed a shade too low.
II must say" remarked the lady rifle
shot, that it wants a lot of nerve to
face and fire at that rife. You see, the
slightest deviation in sighting may be
fatal, and then, again, the cartridge
may be a poor one, causing the rifle TO
hang fire In such cases the first thing
TO be done. Of course, is to get out Of
the line Of fire without a moments de
lay, for the rifle may go off immediate
y on its own account, as, indeed, il
has done more than once"
A very different kind Of entertain
ment is provided by the blindfold child
pianist. Jennie Gabrielle. a Birming-
ham girl, who at the age of I, could
positively play anything that was set
before her \ few years ago the child
was taken to the Gaiety Theater to see
3 burlesque, and next morning she
surprised her parents by sitting down
TO the piano and playing off the whole
Score-songs and ALL
Not only is Miss Gabrielle blind
folded by any members of her audi
ence who may wish to undertake the
task. but the keys Of the instrument
are completely covered with silk. and
yet, under these difficult conditions,
you may give her elaborate pieces
from such masters as Beethoven, Men
uelssohn. Bach and Schubert, which
Mil be rendered with surprising accu-
facy and delicacy of touch.
Rose Coghlan has secured Hearts
Ease" a new play by Max O'ReI, and
expects to produce it in New York next
fall It deals with the artistic and lit
erary circles Of the higher Bohemia in
Paris.
The recent death OF Henry Howe
leaves only two survivors Of the origi-
nal cast Of Money" These are Walter
Levy. who was the Sir Frederick
Blount on that occasion, and Lady
Martin CHclen FauciO. who was the
Clara Douglas.
Arthur Bourchier's next production
at the London Royalty Theater viii he
the new version which Herman Meri-
vale has made Of Sardou's "DivorCons.' %
It is called The Queens Proctor"
Louis y. Parker viii write new
English version Of "Heimat" for Forbes
Robertson. and will follow the original
text as closely as possible
At the unveiling Of THgner's new
Mozart statue in Vienna the veteran
Reinecke Of Leipsic played one of Mo
zarts pianoforte concertos. Richter
conducted. and Brahms. Goldmark and
BruH We're among those in the hall