The San Francisco call., 1903-01-20

forceps, tried hard to extract
a laugh, THE Princess Chic got it
without gas last night. The Columbia
might have been fuller last evening. but
could hardly have been merrier; for. be-
sides its tuneful-if eminiscent-numbers
there are three and a half good comedi-
ans in the cast and plenty of good fun
for them. Then there are two California
girls among It's interests, with a dashing
barytonic tenor. pretty soubrette and a
chorus that looks il it had been fed
on Mellins, and chiffoned by Worth. The
story also is q happy melange of humor
and romance, its plot not lying, like
Truth at the bottom of a well. Serious
ly enough, 1.-The Princess Chic" wears
excellently, and one learsn without sur
prise that this is its fourth season.
The chief interest OF the evening nat
urally centered in the San Francisco de-
but of young San Francisco singer. Miss
Vera Michelena, the daughter of the
aforetime famous Romeo Of the Tivoh.
Signor Fernando Michelena. The "Prin-
cess Chic" and California seem a fatal
combination to the prima donna. Last
year, just before the operas appearance
here, the then prima, Marguerite Sylvia,
decided at Denver that tights and saliva
ton were not compatible. This year, at
Tacoma just a month ago, the manage
ment decided that the prima in office and
the role were incompatible. Last year
the part was triumphantly assumed by
one Californian, the chic and shapely
Maud Lillian Berri, and this year finds
another successful n. d. G. w. in the
fateful role.
lc11 IL, Il
distinct success, full of promise and a
remarkable performance as it stood Being
the daughter Of her father, she sings ad-
mirably, and being only II, in a voice not
yet fully matured. But the vocal quality
is all there, pure, fresh, unspoiled, and
she sings yet with the quaint artlessness
of a boy chorister. She becomes immense
ly the dashing cavaliers cloak and tights.
and is delightfully."- pretty in a brown
eyed, round-cheeked, bright-smiled way
1t is perhaps too soon yet TO Judge of
Miss Nera's capacities as an actress, the
role having been assumed after only two
just four weeks ago, but she
has magnetism, chic and sparkle even
now.
Her CAREFUL musical training has given
her most charmingly clear enunciation
that will be yet more useful if she will
speak little more slowly. But Miss
Nera's dear, quaint, self-conscious little
speech. wherein she responded to the
after the first act, will
doubtless be remembered by many of
us when the little Californian has won
her way far beyond the comic opera
stage And it won't be long.
Miss Adele Stoneman. our other Cali
fornian, has the contralto part of Lor-
raine. Miss Stoneman's voice is big,
round and sympathetic, but she doesn't
yet know how to use it. Notwithstanding
this, for her temperamental and
vocal gifts she received well-de-
served and hearty encore for her
page song. Pictorially she fills the
Charles the Bold is this year taken by
Walter A. Lawrence, who sings pleasant
ly and looks handsome. OF the comedians
Joseph {. Miron's face would be his for
tune If it were not for his legs. These are
incarnate humor and alone worth the price
OF admission. Forest Huff is the
other soldier of fortune and with
Mu-on fills in the vocal part most use
fully. Both sing bravely. Not least is
Albert Mahar, sort of boiled-down Bar
nabee, in Chambertin. He has most of
the good lines and is rapturously funny
when he dances. With these aids The
Princess Chic will doubtless find ample
appreciation during the week. 1t ends
next Sunday night.
Logically '"The Mikado" should have
come after the chic princess. but / de-
cided to take in the new leading lady at
the Alcazar instead I found them there
in the midst of a farce. MY Daughter-in- |
Law" very French, very chic and very
clever L arrived in the middle of a din |
ner that Ernest Hastings and the new
leading lady, Alice Treat Hunt. were
treating themselves to- 1t seems that |
mother-in-law was upstairs, having spoiled !
the meal for the rest of the crowd. be- |
cause daughter-in-law had unluckily ham
pened to wear a gown as young as NAM !
Paul ernest Hastings) and |
Martha CMiss Hunt were therefore tax |
ing tiffin by themselves. as an outward
and visible sign of rebellion.
The farce-they call it comedy-is |
by NM Fabrice Carre and Paul |
Bilhaud, and if the first act
and half is as good as the last |
provides sufficient joy for an even |
ing. The characters are touched in with
sure hand. the dialogue brilliant at times |
and the plot and complications are thor |
oughly ingenious. Add to this quite |
effective cast.
1t looks as if the Alcazar's long search
for a leading lady were at an end Miss /
Hunt fulfilled very thoroughly the re
1uirements of her last nights role with
ample promise of further achievement.
She is spirituelle, slender, Maude
sort of girl with pretty voice. /
excellent enunciation and plenty of tenn |
)erament. She does Glory Quayle next
week to Mr.. Hastings John Storm, and It
should be interesting. Hastings as the
husband of the daughter-in-law, and Ma
lie Howe and George Osborne as her
)arents-in-law are all effective. as is
Ms Belgarde as the familiar ParIsia,.
ntriguante. The piece is nicely
GUISARD
Republic.
In the catalogue Of comical absurdities
What Happened to Jones' is close to