Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1906-10-18
THE
PIXIES

In brilliant galaxy of radian
beauty; in a raging whirlwind o
mirth, melody and music; in {
Kaleidoscope display of splendid ant
sumptuous stage settings; chaper
oned by large and fashionable au
dience. the Pixies came to Salem last
night.
This musical extravaganza, pro.
duced by the best of home talent
under the auspices of the Y. NJ. c.
A., staged and directed by w. A.
Milne, the author of the operatta,
was perhaps the best amateur musi-
cal or dramatic production that has
ever been given in this city.
Without stealing thunder from the
libretto, the argument in brief is
this: The goblins find tiny fairy
asleep and steal her. In an oppor-
tune time Prince Florimel arrives
ana with his Pixie band conquors
the goblins and restores the fairy.
OF course the prince marries the
queen of the fairies and they live
happily ever afterwards.
This is by no means all the love
making in the piece. There are
numerous little side shows where
cupid gets in his work and the ele-
ment of comedy is never allowed to
drag.
For the most part, the music is
bright and catchy and in the solo
parts. the whole realm of music is
drawn on.
There is a faint suggestion of the
Sunday school in some of the Choir
uses and one is at times led to think
that the composer must have some
time been colaborer with Moody
and Sankey but he demonstrated the
fact that he is on to his job as
stage director.
There We're 800 of them, more or
less, and they were all good III
there was weak spot in the show,
this critic failed to- see it. The |
house was full, but all the people in
Salem could not get seats and for
those who could not get in last night !,
the consolation is left that the per-
formance will be repeated tonight. |
Accentuating the remarkable sue
cess of the entire affair, were a few
fhin that hayn t,;n
the good nature of the management
In the first place, the theater peo-
pie turned over the house to the .
Pixies and paid their own way in !
Numerous committees went on the
streets selling tickets. There were
only $50 four-bt seats in the house.
The committees sold a huge number
OF fifty cent tickets. When the one
hundred and ifty-first holder Of a
half dollar ticket loomed up al the
box office window, trouble began TO
be visable in the distant horizon.
This trouble grew no less as other
irate ladies Joined the gang Joe
Aih''t Nd9 at AHt llthtl WluuoWt
trying TO pour oil on the troubled
waters.
1T is nothing but skin game. 4"
cried one woman.
Madam, you must not blame us"
said the suaye gentleman with red
hair, the Y. NJ. c. A. people are the
J
Then the orchestra did not show
M. However they had a splendid -.
accompanist al the piano and that
seeming obstacle was averted by
Miss Bushnell's proficiency and skin
as a pianist.
The show opened like a radiant
with the chorus by the en-
ire company. Hail to the Morning
sun"
he solo parts of Queen Titania, sang
~ Mrs w Carleton smith: Prince
Florimel by Miss Myrtle DuRette; ,
Angelica, by Miss Edna Savage, and
holly ChFisanthemum by Miss
.velene Calbreath. There were other
EXCELLENT soloists who deserve praise. !
Miss Chrissie Clark. leader OF the !
Yankee Doodle girls and others. but :
he four star parts kept these ladies
n the lime light most OF the time. .
When Mrs. Smith was obtained for I
he Fairy Queen. no better selection
'ould have been made. She has ,
,rest deal OF hIstronic ability and !
iplendid voice. She sang and acted .
Ter part with equal cleverness. At .
very turn she was enthusiastically ,
Ipplauded.