The San Francisco call., 1904-12-05

We didn't seem to mind last night
that Williams and Walker had been
commanded" 10 appear "befo' the
King. We know them too well for
that. Besides, the royal taste in come
dians is less embryotic than in-say
pictures. Anyway, despite the fact that
In Dahomey" was ordered up at
Buckingham Palace we took it with
both hands last night at the Grand
Opera-house. Not a seat lacked its
human upholstery and everybody was
there Some spots looked like a chess
board, with black to win, for dark
town is very proud Of its Williams and
Walker. Indeed, the audience was as
much fun as the piece. 1t was worth
the price just to hear the colored end
Of US laugh, the gorgeous roll Of it, the
rich, fat chuckle.
But we take our own word for VIII
liams and Walker. As Williams said, in
his strip Of a speech last night, they
began here 1t was not at the Grand
Opera-hOuse- Nor was il at the ten
twenty, thirties- 1t was in one of those
humber excrescences Of democratic art
where you cannot persuade those at
the receipt of customs to take more
than ten. But all that is long ago.
Vaudeville has intervened, and the mu-
sical cOncoctiOn with which the come
dians took the town when they were
last here at the California. And now
comes In Dahomey," incomparably in
advance Of all these.
In Dahomey" is a musical COM
edy, written. sung, staged and act
ed throughout by coIored folk. J.
A Shipp is the man of the book,
the lyrics are by Alex Rogers,
the music by William Marion Cook In
plot the piece is as vague as the pro-
ductions Of most Of the blonde musical
comedy makers. Something about
lost cats eye in a silver casket. and of
syndicate for enticing unwary stran-
gers to Dahomey there is, but these
don't matter.
They are simply setting for the
fascinating peram buIations of Will
liams and Walker. as a pessirnfstic
Sancho and a piratical Don Quixote.
respectively. The music again is notably
characteristic. One rather hoped the
piece would travel along in the fash
ion Of the prologue, with it's weird
jungle scene and movement. They tell
me the British Museum furnished the
text of the-weIl. what serves for
costumes, the throne Of horns and the
rest of this scene. Will Marion Cook
has furnished it with excellent music,
and the dances, with the twinkIing
cinnamon legs and swaying bodies are
quite fascinating The next scene is
in Boston and the third in Florida.
The costuming is quaint and sufficient,
except in the prologue, when it is
splendiferOus-
But one cannot but enjoy the com
pany from Williams and Walker
down. Your colored comedian is at
his happiest on the stage. He enjoys
every moment OF it, loves to make you
laugh. and you can't help loving him
for loving to make you laugh. Multi
ply him by-are there fifty or more
in "In Dahomey' ?-and you get some
idea of the enjoyment the piece holds.
ShyIock Homestead is Bert Williams
in the cast, always being swindled and
deceived by his persuasive friend
Bareback Punkerton, George A.
Walker Anything more deadly funny
than Williams here you won't see this
side of Christmas. nor more amusing
than the fascinating scamp of Walker.
They have a duologue; Walker has
most of the talking, where Walker
pretends to talk 10 an invisible doc
I tor about Shylock, who has an in
visible stab, that is what used TO be
/ called excruciating.
4 Only it is. But the song i May Be
I Crazy. but Amt No Fool" the joint
/ concoction of Mr. Shipp and Mr.. Will
/ liams. and sung by Williams to incred-
fble encores. will be best remembered
of the fun Walker has q good one in
{ DE Minstrel Man. and anyway, it is a
privilege only to see the Walker teeth
and hear the Walker laugh.
4 Mr. Shipp himself looms up comically
as HustIing Charlie One could have
done with a good deal more Of him.
Richard Conner has a voice and sings
with all Of it. George CatIen's China
man is excellent, and Alex Rogers
YOU see, the comedy is purely home
4 made-is good as the keeper Of an in
/ telligence Office.
] As last time, the leader of the Ia