The San Francisco call., 1905-04-07
White Shoulders and BLAZING
Je7OeIs Flash From Pit.
Art and atmosphere Make Up
the Whole Great Story.
BY SALLY SHARP.

The opera-that is. grand OPERAS
50 per cent art and so per cent Atmos-
phere.
Heretca? Perhaps. But isn't it
true?
With all due difference 70 the sublime
art flung upon the air last night would
4 have been the splendid thing-the
thing that drugged the senses-were it
not for the mazes of cleaning shoul-
ders. the blazing jewels. the smart
f9ocls the men big and brave, the pull
sating wave Of expectancy and of thrill,
that mystifying thing that we call, for
want Of q better name. atmosphere
But Why quibble about so trihing a
thing when we were blessed with both.
as falleth the mama from heaven.
For once in many moons San Fran
cisco behaved itself wondrously, being
in its seats at most gracious hour
iE due difference TO the request of the
management (and here's a tip to local
n3ans gers, now that Mr.. Conried has
f,sciplined US so splendidly).
All. That was a picture not soon
forgot-that house Of the cavernous pit,
rising tier upon tier, gallery after gal
lery. splashed with colors faint as the
hues OF a summer rainbow; and as
the dewdrops glitter in the morning.
50 came the gleam and glitter from
women's throats. And not all the hon
ors fell TO the women either-the men
looked mighty nice, should any one
happen 10 ask you.
For some reason we women often find
ourselves comparing our Western men
folk with the men Sf New York-and
II the truth be told, and 1t should be
even IN newspapers. our own dear men
are sometimes found little shy in the
matter Of externals. small matters to
be sure. But last night. welI-they
were superb. and here's to them!
AS to the details OF this famous
house let me say that 1t was a pale au-
dience-pink, white and blue, with
white holding the palm for supremacy.
Deconete? Yes, quite. And some
more sol
But as the altitude rose, so did the
corsage, save In the proscenium boxes,
where altitude didn't seem 70 count.
Another feature that was marked by
altitude was the show Of enthusiasm.
But, Of course. tits indisputably bour-
Eeoise to manifest deep emotions pre-
rogative left to the IowIy. So IT was
not amazing that the loudest plaudits
came not from the patricians' part of
the truth to tell, methinks the plebs
enjoyed the opera most-because In ex-
pressing their JOY they thrilled TO it.
Besides they knew their SCORE, these
people whose eyes cleaned with Joy and
whose breath came not while Caruso
scaled a pinnacle OF nlelody-these are
the people who get the most out Of
grand opera, and their full moneys
worth. Looking over that house last
night the thought came to me that here
was indubitable proof OF the COM
unercfaI prosperity of our City by the
Golden Gate. Has the California Pro-
motion Committee noted il? Another
gtatuitous tip. But isn't it true?
Think Of the cash value of the gowns
and Jewels gathered beneath that dome
last night, Why, the jewels would ram
som a dozen Pericardis.
rush. Tush, They couldn't have
been acknowledgements the thought,
At least it's pleasant illusion and let
Us never wiIlfully destroy an illusion
lite holds so few.
some one in the foyer-foy-a, If you
pleaso-asked me If the house wasn't
splendid when the lights were flashed
upon il. which made me think how
is.ucl more interesting It was in the
cim. uncertain shadow when the cur
tain vas up. Here was living. breath
ing picture OF the things Whistler loved
10 paint. II was in truth a Whistler
picture, with its subtlety, its sugges-
tion, Its gray vsgueness, with a CLEAN
flashing from out the shadows- here