The San Francisco call., 1905-03-06
ZIMMERMAN, THE ACTING
WAGNER, Is DELIGHTFUL
Is Great Ovbheltva .Favoyate
Kolb and Dill Charm
Big Crowd at
the Grand,

impersonating line. Mr.. Zimmerman's
heralding was distinctly modest. The
only way one knew that 1t was not
Richard Wagner conducting from the
Orpheum stage last night was because
the actors cap stuck to his head dur
ing the Orpheum 'Tannhauser." Nor
was the Wagner any better than Mr.
Zimmerman's OSCAR Hammerstein-
sampling one of his own cigars, bricks,
and the evening paper while he con-
ducts one of his own works. Com
posers are the actors speciality. He
gets them at the conductors desk and
for the moment the man is before you.
Last, absorbed, aristocratic, fastidi-
Gus; Verdi, genial kindly, laying aside
the baton to- conduct with his hand;
Won Suppe, important, electric,
sprawling enthusiastically over his
desk--you get the very man, face, fig
ure, gait/and very voice. 1t is acting
of the best brilliantly humorous, and
as portraiture not any worse than, say,
Mr. Mansfield's Beau Brummel The
audience gave every token of keen en-
jcyment.
Mabel Mckinley is another star of
the programme 1t is some time ago
since Miss Mckinley first came here
as was said then. on her name. She
now comes here on her merits The
singers vaudeville experience has not
improved her. She oversings, overacts,
overdoes throughout. She sings 'Vio-
let's" as though it were La Tosca."
She sings her own little uncharac-
teristic Japanese song, "Karama" with
the weight of an "Erl King" And
Miss .McKinley has acquired a collec
tion of strenuous facial gestures to
match. But her voice has gained in
volume and is unquestionably a good
one, sweet, full and wide in range. She
was encored for the "Karama" song
and gave her own catchy "Anona," re-
peating again one of the verses.
In the peschkoff company of Rus
sian dancers the bill has a fascinating
novelty. -Four extremely handsome
the troupe, that presents characteristic
Russian national dances. They are
garbed and bejeweled in gayest fash
ion, and the dancing is always pic
turesque and frequently graceful. The
feminine Russian shriek-that, like
that of the Madcaps, punctuated the
dancing-seems much like any other,
and vastly amused the audience. The
Mallory Brothers, Brooks and Halliday
A
them give a stunning Alexander" The
rest of their performance, on various
instruments of torture of brass and |
strings, does not seem vitally neces-
sary. Then, if one cares for marion
cites YOU will find none better than
Paul PowelPs: and Piwitt. the mys-
terious face" continues to mystify. |
Most of the turns are good reasons for
seeing the Orpheums bill this week.
BLANCHE PARTINGTON
kolb and DilFs tremendous local |
popularity served to pack the Grand !
Opera House last night, and the enter |
tafnment presented by them and their |
aides presaged numerous repetitions |
of the packing. Never in their career |
did the funniest German comedy duo |
on earth receive a more splendid re-
ception than was extended when they |
bounded into view in their first scene,
and it is doubtful whether the big |
M1ssion-stree theater ever resounded |
with cheers so spontaneous, so deaf |
ening and SO prolonged. The enthusi- |
asm continued at least five minutes, !
and was only stopped by Mr.. Kolb |
his appreciation of the |
tribute, Mr.. Dill, of course, being COM
PEELED to follow suit.
Since their acquisition of II. o.. IT," |
produced about year ago |
at Fischer's Theater, Kolb and Dill |
have had the book and music revised |
in way that has vastly improved |
both, and in the production of the i
new edition they have been lavish of |
expenditure. Theirown work is more |
than ever, and their sup
porting principals are adequate, the |
chorus is numerically and vocally |
strong and the costuming luxurious.
Maude Alice Kelly. the leading wom- |
an, is statuesque, acts we'll and sings |
expressively with soprano of limited |
compass. The leading man, Claude |
Hunt, is remindful of Winfield Blake
in the same role, and the soubrette, |
Lille Sutherland, is destined to share
glory with her comedian managers |
She is the most thoroughly soubret-
tish soubrette that ever appeared in
conjunction with Kolb and Dill in San
Francisco. Will H. Cross played the
walking delegate well enough to prove
himself clever character actor. And
the versatile Ben Dillon, who received
a welcome hardly less enthusiastic
than that given Kolb and Dill, dis
PEELED whatever question may have
existed as to the capability of any
other than a Hebrew impersonator I
working effectively with the Teutonic
team. His quaint Hibernian method
was just as strengthening a foil to
them as was that of any of his gid
dish predecessors In the part.
Two numbers that went big" were
a song-and- dance sextet in the second
act and a Maori novelty in the third.
The latter was gorgeous stage
picture, and the vocal and orchestral
effects were both original and fetch
ing.
Il. o. u" is assured of a successful
inning.
Charles w. Strine announces that
applications for seats and boxes for the
Conreid grand opera season at the
Grand Opera-house will now be re-
ceived at the theater. Applications
must be made in writing to Mr.. Strine |
at the Grand Operahouse, with in
closure of check or money. They will
be filed strictly in the order of their
receipt and the allotment of seats will
be made as near the desired location
as possible.
Grace Parlotta, the famous London
comic opera comedienne, arrived yes
terday under. engagement to the Tivoli
management and will make her first
appearance in the musical comedy
t.rr-t,o R,,rooy,, cf which will ha 70