The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-12-23
ADJUSTMENTS.
"The Prince of PiIsen" at the MetropoIl.

"The Prince of PiIsen'' at the MetropoIl.
AS conspiracy to beguile and enter
tain the public, THE Prince of Pilsen'' is
q conspicuous success. Each of the CON
sp1rators-and their. number is many
has done well his part and the chief con-
splrator.. the producer, has co-ordinated
the various labors of his assistants with
rare. good. judgment and taste The mod
ern stage production is essentially a prob
lem of cooperation and none is more
SO than the musical comedy A finished
production like: 1.-THE Prince of Pilsen, :"
moving off with apparently spontaneous
spirit Is the work of many persons be-
sides those who appear on the stage and
1T is but simple Justice for the man who
stages such piece to receive equal
credit with those who furnish the book
and the score. George Marion must there
fore take his place with Frank Pixley and
Gustav Luders in an honored triumvir-
ate. Y. g-#
MI aPixley's book is an admiral one
for the groundwork. 1t tells a. story
which is more than most of the latter-day
librettos do. To be sure, the story is not
complicated, nor8of absorbing interest, nor
even original, but it sets forth a series of
situations that are enthusiastically funny and
1t furnishes at least one character quite
new to comic, opera and full of comedy
possibilities. The dialogue, while by no
means as scintilant as that written by
Richard earle for The Storks' lis bright
and airy Mr.. Luders on his part. shows
no deterioration in his talent for melody
since the lifting airs & of king Dodo,
brought him fame. His score is full Of
good things. many Of them; it is true,
reminiscential of the good things Of
earlier composers, but showing at any
rate a talent for adaptation. There are
several stirring choruses, too, the Stein
Song of the Heidelberg students proving
especially effective.
The chief fun maker of the company is
John w. Ronsone, who finds in the Gin
cinnati brewer, mistaken at the Nice hotel
for the Prince of Pilse11, travelling incog-
nito, opportunity for "a strikingly funny
characterization on new lines. OF course,
the German comedian who ties the Eng
lish language up in hard knots, is stand
ard type. but Mr.. Ransone has evolved a
variation OF the type So novel as almost
to amount TO a discovery. 1t is not so
much the matter. as the manner of his im-
personation that is new
IL, One of it's telling features is his indie
scribable smile. full of engaging canior
and of stupidity masquerading as shrewd-
ness. At home he is. an alderman--or, as
he defines it. a false, alarm statesn1a ~
and his high-keyed. earnest POLITICAL
sspsssSis 'IS lial Sdy .lotnluS anu say II With
unconscious humor are satiricallv funny
The one bic mish on his work is the vul-
garlty OF certain verses that are per-
lnitted him in his topical song. Another
clever comedian in his way is Sherman
Wade who plays the French boriface with
an exaggerated supplencss that is most
amusing Edgar Norton as noble Eng
ish noodle is only mildly funny and can
not sing. but dances with graceful and
compensatory agility.
s The Prince of Pilse11, &, however, is not