New-York tribune., 1896-09-27

represented might not be an unnatural one Per-
bps the strangest thing about II Is that Chinese
should be allowed to carry on business at all.
That may he the thought that occurs to the Mar
auis Imari when he revokes poor Wun HIS license.
Though "The Cieisha" constantly suggests "The
Mkado" It has few notable fes lures of original
ity The makers OF japanese plays hitherto have
usually thought II necessary 10 go back TO
prehistoric. at least to ancient. times for their
stories that learned traveller could get us
in meeting and say that such things could not
happen in Japan. THE Gesha' endeavors TO show
pictures of the Japan of to-day. The traveller
from Japan can find fault with them II he wants
to- Doubtless there is a good deal that is wrong
about them and there also some things that
are right. For instance, II causes something OF a
wrench the ina agination TO believe that the
soldiers are japanese at all. No doubt the uni
forms are correct but they look startlingly Euro
pean In contrast to the women's kimonas. Then
there is no attempt at makeup. The women have
the stiff. black hair. put up in permanent archi-
tectura designs and the familiar flowers and hair
pins but the soldiers look exactly like Americans
or Englishmen. they
OF course the women. with all their geometrical
hair do not look really Japanese. but just here
there is a curious thing to be noted. The gar
ments of Japan have long been the admiration OF
the world; they have been lavishy praised for
their beauty and their comfort. But to see just how
beautiful they can he you must put them a
European. not on a japanese Japanese women
have a certain decorative value for the boxes and
fans but they are seldom beautiful, according to
European standards. and fine European form
and face become a kimona far better than any
Japanese An attempt is here made 10 Illustrate this
by placing q real Japanese face side by side with
that of a member of the chorus Of THE Gesha'
THINGS THAT LOOK JAPANESE
real Japanese touch is introduced and made
the most of when Reggy teaches Mimosa San
what kisses She has never heard Of such a
thing and Is greatly interested and equally pleased
with her lesson. which she straghtway imparts to
her Japanese lover as a curious English custom
which she has Just learned This looks TO the ex-
perenoed comc-opera "A -goer like Of those liber-
ties which librettsts constantly taking with
the customs Of far-off countries with the assur-
ance that their audience never will know the differ
ence But Il Is more than this. II Is really true
that kissing is an unknown custom In Japan. or
was till the Europeans got there Mothers do
not even kiss their babies in Japan. This fact gives
a good deal of additional point 70 the scene and
the song
When o Mimosa San sits down in the middle OF
the stage and admires herself In glass nobody
can help thinking Of the scene In which Yum-Yum
does the same thing even II the thoughts do not
wander as far back as Marguerltes garden. but
the mirror that M.mosa San uses Is a copy of the
peculiar circular mirrors OF metal that are 10 he
seen In abundance In Japanese temples. Just so.
Molly Seamores jnriksha. whose attendant meets
with misfortune at the hands Of Wun-Hi, is the
real thing
Travellers in Japan in recent years have occa-
sonally caught a strain of music that made them
think that Gilbert and Sullivan had come before
them II strain that sounded wonderfully
like one in The Mikado." the one with which the
chorus welcomes the Mkado himself. The words OF
II mean nothing in English. and probably quite as
little In Japanese but It is characteristic air. and
probably the only one in the operatta. 1t is doubt
fu II there IL any Japanese music as genuine as
this I'm THE Gelsha. though the song that Molly
sings when she is disguised dancing girl Is
probably intended to be OF local character. The
predomnance OF Europeans in the dramatis per-
sonae OF the piece makes a large amount OF Euro
pean music appropriate enough and IL Is altogether
probable that II real japanese music were allowed
10 predomnate II would be difficult TO keep the
audience In the house