The San Francisco call., 1897-10-18
"The Geisha" Is Almost
Another "Mikado," and
Scores a Hit.
A Performance Which Would
Have Done Charles Froh-
man Good,
Pretty Pictures, Catchy Music, Origi-
nal Lyrics and Several New
Faces.

bend his attention against a cheap per-
formance by cheap stock company at
| little old opera house around the corner,
where the price of a seat is too low for
publication. To witness the TivolI's
"Geisha" would do Mr.. Frohman good.
1t would thrill him in all his commercial
faculties, touch him in those syndi-
Gated emotions that birth and breeding
and practice have made poignant and re-
sporsive. 1t would show him a wrinkle
in the economics of the theater that is as
important as the discovery of an unroyal-
tied .play or an unsalaried actor.
have long since given up guessing at
how the Tivoli does this sort of thing,
and, ike the rest of the town, have be-
come an ungrateful beneficiary who takes
the best without much ado over it and
anything less than the best with very bad
grace If the Tivoli chooses to be its own
rival and break lis own records that is the
Tiyolps lookout. 1.-THE Geisha" was
sung acted. danced and pictured last
night in a way that established another
very dangerous precedent.
The Geisha" itself consists of catchy
music, an Indifferent book. deIiciously
new lyrics, dancing pictures and pictur-
esque dances.
There is no other word for the mus ic. 1t
is catchy; 1t fraternizes with you; 1t fol-
lows YOU out of the house and all the way
home, and sticks to you like a brother. 1t
is the most cordial music since Sullivan
was Sullivan.
l shall wake up this morning and
| whistle for my neighbors 'The Interior
ing Parrot" "The Amorous Goldfish, -
The Monkey on a Suck" 1.-THE Jappy-
Jap-Jappy." "Chun Kina" and other in.
innate m elodies that nestle in the ear and
prompt he lEoiian pucker.
| The music Is written by man OF the
name OF Jones-Sydney Jones of ''Gaiety
GrT' feme-and last night many en-.
thusiasts were willing to proclaim it the
| equal OF ''The Mikado" music, which was
hardly the ri ht kind of praise. The
"Geisha" music makes little or no attempt
J at local color or racial char acterlstics-
So far as l could make out, the "Chon
Kina'' is the one authen ticated Japanese
theme, and Mr.. Jones has translated that
| into the musical idioIn of all nations.
/ Hardware effects are rare III the instru-
mentation, and then they seem to be
merely tes timonials of Mr.. Jones' spangled
| spirits. His music is musicianly without
| being academic; there Is gush OF rare
harmonies in lt,bursts of rhythmical mock
| pride, holiday atmosphere and humor
| that leave you defenseless.
Dark gentlemen of long dank hair,
! armed with QUadrants and compasses
and Groves Musical Dictionaries may
not be please by Mr.. Jones' optiais ic
| iingles; they may despise them; but for
| get them-neveri Jones taxes terrible
rdvenge On his detractors. The "Gelsha"
| songs are destined 10 become the chest
| nuts of the future.
| Owen Hall and Harry Greenbank are
the authors respectively of the book and
the libretto. They are the same gentle
make "a Gaiety Girl" such a glittering
novelty. Mr.. Hall has not lost weight
since that time.
He is still obesely British, although
there are occasions in the dialogue of The
| Giesha" where he bubbles but for the most
part his fun IS formal and stodgy. Any
way it is pleasure to say that Mr.. Hall is
| different.
lie is not another Gilbert. No critic
| who believes in another world will have
| the conscience to write about Owen Halls
| "Gilbertian hUmor." 1t is a distinction
nowadays for the musical comedie ttist
not TO be GiIbertian, and Mr.. hall is thus
! distinguished.
Perhaps it is just as well TO have a stout
minded person IN the prose part of THE
| Geisha," for Harry Green banks lyrics are
written to the top futter of triviality.
They are superbly foolish. and there Is
method in their folly. They weu the
music finely; and they teach new convo-
| Iutions OF the English language.
| The story of "1he Geisha" was fairly
| foretold in yesterdays CALL 1t is also
explained on the progra mme, so I shall
| not repeat 1t here.
The innocent little specimen of Japanese
| depravIty called o Mimosa San, VINO lives
in teahouse kept by a Chinaman
and hirts with the English officer,
is played by Miss Florence Walcott. A
| recruit In the opera business, l should say
| Miss Walcott is, but clever at times over
all her rawness and in spite OF a Kansas
II. o,,A 81
sings sweet birdie top note, and there 8
something coyly magnetic in her pres
| ence.
Miss Edith Hull, another new Tivolian,
| has the part of the officers sweetheart
| Dolly Seamre, who becomes so jealous of
| o Mimosa that she dons klmona and is
| sold together with that young woman, al
| a public auction which has been brought
about by the Marquis Imary, who by
| these foul means would possess himself of
| Mimosa's charms.
Miss Hall made hers the best of the
feminine parts last night. Her dancing
| OF the Chon kina was fascInatingiy aban-
doned without being vulgar. Sne sang
| surely and was only little TOO comic.
| operose in the acting. Miss Hall, l think.
Will help boom the Tivoli.
! The French MADAM old favorite OF
| Mr.. HaIps-who plots for Imarl's title and
| finally gets II, was p ayed by NJ SIS Georgie
Cooper. Miss Cooper was no very French
last night: occasionally she gave Swed-
ish movemen: 10 her accent but her de-
meanor was soft and insinuating
The best work in the lee was done by
win Stevens as the Marquis and
Thomas Leary as he Chinese. Stevens
personalities seem unlimited; he =es in
vested in another new one la t night
When he PLAYS the Marquis he plavs
large, proud man, and he gives to him
copious rhetoric, mammoth gestures
huge facial facility and humor in pronor,
ton.
1t is a most consistent and artistic ex-
aggeration. Leary l have never seen so
fortunate as in The part of Wun HI He
is incessantly funny. However, / did NOT
laugh when he addressed Miss Sa inper
as most mountainous lady. Miss SaIineer
has ceased to look it, and she did We'll
with the part OF Lady Constance.
Robert Dunbar acted Fairfax in good
spirit and sang with appreciation. thoug n
his voice seemed most peculiarly different
in the registers.
Phil Branson danced with his hest laos
and Miss Stockmeyer of the chorus pIayed
small part in style that sanctioned her
promotion.