The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1905-06-19
INF ANT PATTI
At ORPHEUM
Little Bessie French Shows
Singing Capabilities That
Bespeak a Great Future
NINE YEARS OF AGE
Has Remarkable Range and
Volume and Phrases After
Fashion of a Veteran

If the baby Patti at the Orpheum this
week goes the way she should go, you Will
be hearing things of Miss Bessie French
six or seven years hence. Bessie Is an
nounced as 1.-The child prima DONNA and
sings up to the name. She Is nine years
old and looks seven. She sings little
things like the "Pfeti Signor" and
DHardelots "Mignon," and herrepertoire
includes as many airs as most phono-
graphs. Usually there is nothing more
VIGOROUSLY unpleasant than the child
singer of vaudeville-except il be the
grown singer. The tune the old cow died
of is seductive to the bowls of the infant
basso. You bless Gerry and all his works.
You would import him if you could And
you feel ashamed of yourself. You feel
accomplice in the murder of the loyeliest
sound on Gods earth-the white-winged
sweet Of children's voices.
You do Rot feel that way about little
Bessie French. Bessie sings by the grace
of God to begin with. with substantial
help from a Chicago teacher named
Stevenson. Mr.. Stevenson deserves TO be
named. Bessie has been taught to use
voice phenomenal to begin with in a phe-
nomenal way. She sings in absolutely
enforced fashion: the voice is perfectly
placed; her pitch is tune to hair and she
phrases like a veteran. Add to this the
remarkable range and volume Of the
voice, the little singers exquisite feeling
mature in taste, yet childlike in senti-
ment, and a technique of astonishing sort.
and you get a child vocalist of a kind that
you are unlikely to hear soon again. The
little girl sang last night the "Mignon"
song of D'Hardelot, the "Pieti Signor' of
Meyerbeer and Mighty LAX a Rose
that Nordica brought here. She seems
to enjoy the singing as much as you en-
joy the listening and is conspicuously
pretty figure a la Vatican in her curls
and bows and little pink gown.
There is another distinct novelty in the
waste Of bullets and tired jokes that
makes up the programme In large part.
Miss Lillian Shaw is a hostess in herself.
1t will not do Miss Shaw any harm to
say that she has seen Ellie Fay Nora
Bayes, who used to enliven Fischer's. Is
another Of whom Miss Shaw reminds.
But Miss Shaw is peculiarly herself In
the imitation Of the lady Hebrew of the
East Side. She Is female Joe WEIGH,
who can also sing" in vaudeville par
lance. She has a dialect that Barney
Bernard would be proud Of, and stories
only just out Of the sawdust. Miss Shaw
is as happy in the banan" and spa
ghett' vernacular as she Is in the He
brew, and is generally an Unexpectedly
piQuant person.
Freds monkey actors. also new, can do
everything but talk, and after Smith and
Cook, 1.-The two nillionaires," you are
glad they can't. The ten Daisy girls
they cheated US of two last highland
John Ford and Mayme Gehrue dance
again this week, Lavine and Leonard
bore through an automobile absurdity,
Hurd brings good magic to the bill and
William Gould and Valeska Suratt amuse
mildly in songs and jokes. But Miss
French is worth wading through an olio
for, and Miss Shaw means laugh while
you wait and after.
BLANCHE PARTINGToN.
THE Adventures of Lady Ursula"
that ever popular play, was greeted
with enthusiasm at the California
Theater last night by one of the best
houses of the present season. AS
usual, Florence Roberts was the shin
ing light of the production, and as
Lady Ursula she was given ample OPP
portunity to display her tact and tall
ent in the role that seems to suit her
admirably.
Miss Roberts made an excellent Lady
Ursula. Every one in the house was
agreed on that score. Her makeup
was charming, and she portrayed the
part of the youth in disguise In be-
witching manner. The role is not
new one for Miss Roberts, she having
starred in the same here many times
Her acting last night was as clever as
ever before, and those who had the
pleasure of seeint her in the part
heretofore were amply repaid by their
visit to the California last night.
Miss Roberts was given capital sup
port by the entire company. Lucius
Henderson as Sir George Sylvester
made a strong leading man, while
Franklin Underwood, William Yerance,
G.. Gregory Rogers and Herschel May
all portrayed the old style English
gentlemen in manner that won high
praise. Miss Louise Royce and Miss
Adele Worth had ample opportunity to
display their talents in other roles OF
the production.