The San Francisco call., 1896-11-10
FIRST NIGHTS
: At THE THEATERS
Darkest Russia" Well Re-
ceived at the Cali
fornia.
Della Fox Mode a Hit in "The
Little Trooper" at the
Baldwin.
MAY BUCKLEY IN A NEW ROLE.
Ccrinne Repeated H,r Success in
"Hendrick Hudson Jr."-The
Dog Orchestra.

: glance last night round the big house
at the Baldwin, which turned out to greet
Della Fox as a star, showed conclusively
that the election excitement is all over
and that audiences are returning to the
theatrical fold.
1.-The Little Trooper" which Miss Fox
chose as the vehicle for her appearance
was modestly described in the program me
Jas a French vaudeville operetta, by Ray
lmond and Mars, adapted by Clay NJ.
Aireene, and set to music by William Furst
and Victor Roger.
The.plot is an amusing tissue of ab-
surdities, which arise from dashing Of
ficer in the hussars passing off his ex-
sweetheart as his wife rather than face
the painful duty of telling her that he
is already married to another. The
lawful spouse, of course, appears on the
scene, and finding "Opf Wife," as she
scornfully calls the ex-sweetheart, already
in possession, she VOWS to make it hot for
her husband. and succeeds most perfectly
in her design, though incidentally she
also has a red-hot time herself. Part of
her plot is carried out by Disgusting her
self as an officer of the gallant Thirteenth
Hussars, AID one of ner first achieve
duel
The music woven round this plot is
catchy and tuneful. some of the choruses
are particularly pretty, and the finale of
tie second act was rapturously encored.
There was no doubt about the hit that
Della Fox made last night as the lawful
wife OF Captain Emile Duval. Both in
appearance and style OF aching she wakes
memories OF Mrs. De Wolf Hopper,
though people who first saw Della as
star say 1t is just the other way about, and
that Edna de Wolf Hopper evokes memo
ries of Miss Fox. However that may be,
Della Fox has even more snap and ginger
than Mrs. Hopper-therei is more of her and
more power to her voice. She MARBLES in
the vaudeville style, though her singing
is by no means unpleasant to listen
to; indeed, some of her upper
notes are very sweet. In the
scenes where she played the vixen with
her husband she showed herself to be
genuine artist in her own line, and people
III the audience whispered to one another,
How cute" ana How fetching" Della
is graceful, too, and her duet and dance
with Harry Macdonough are among the
best hits of the evening.
Hugh Chilvers looked the role of Emile
Duval to perfection, and his acting was
fairly good. He is handsome. particularly
so when he shows his teeth. Mr.. Chilvers
appeared to realize this fact, for he wore
an almost perpetual smile, which at times
was more becoming to himself than 70 the
situation. He has a pleasant barytone
voice, which he uses well. except that he
indulges in tedious amount of tremolo.
Harry Macdonough as, Lieutenant
g bard was the freak of the performance.
He play ed his part as a cripple and wore
odd boots TO emphasize his deformity.
How such fearful and wonderful old gem
tleman ever fought his way into the French
army was not explained, but his antics
dan ral0 of for In
audience. He tripped the light fantastic
toe round all the ladies, and told them in
q very pleasant tenor voice that he loved
them, and people laughed at the very
absurdity OF the exhibition.
Charles DUNCAN, who was been warmly
welcomed BY his many San Francisco
friends, played the part of the colonel
well and sang its songs we'll, too. Nellie
Beaggins was charming as the ex-sweet-
heart who had not the least idea she
was'doing wrong when she told the cap
tain she loved him. The rest of the cast
were good, and altogether 1.-The Little
Trooper" made quite success.
I'm Darkest Russia"
The many people who attended the opening
of the California last evening saw Russia in
two grand scenes. First in the palace of
a nobleman, surrounded by all The glitter,
the grandeur and the imperial glory of the
Czar. Here is tine awful, the ponderous
power that sways millions OF people spread
ing across the upper portion of the Eastern
Hemisphere. The next is SiberiG-the dreary
and eternal winter OF the abode of the exiIes
thrust away &c grovel under the fierce dis
pleasure OF the autocrat- One hears the clenk
OF chains and the tread of the merciless guards
as the long, gray line of wretched beings file
over the frozen steppe.
Darkest Russia is strong play OF love,
hatred. revenge, nihilistic plots begun. on the
banks of the Neva and continued across
The snowy wastes into the farthest quarters
OF the Emperor's dominions. Ilda Ba-
introduced into the palace of Count
Nazimoff as q member of the orchestra. She
about to be punished, when she is rescued by
the son of the nobleman and an American
colonel, Septimus Cobb. The young man is her
lover; and loliowing her 10 her abode, becomes
mixed up in a company of nihilists. There
he learns that his promised wife, noble
lady, Olga karsichef, is the wife OF llda's
brother. One of the Dest scenes OF the piece is
where Olga's mother persuades her husband
TO exile the young man, who refuses her
daughter, TO Siberia, and few moments after
she unintentionaily induces his father to
banish her own daughter, literally turning
the tables ON the malignant woman.
Her husband is soon deprived of his Office as
Minister Of Police and ordered TO the COM
mand of a penal post in Siberia There all
The characters meet, and the wreiched exiles
are protected and rescued by the courtier of
the CzAr.
What little humor there is in Darkest Rus
sia" is played by Colonel Cobb and Nine.
Carine Jordan. and he, in her appreciaiiye
term (learned from him), .'takes zee cake"
Miss herman carries well her difficult role of
the revengefu woman, ever pursuing the OBJ
jeets of her hatred.
The staging of the piece is magnificent; the
scenery is painted from photographs taken in
Russia. The orchestral music is sprightly.
though contrasting with the somber settings
of latter portions OF the play. Darkest
Russia" viii be given ali the evenings OF the
week, Sunday included; also next Saturday
afternoon.
Columbia Theater-
"Hendrick Hudson Jr.," which was pre-
sented 10 a California audience for the second