The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1906-03-27
PROVIDENCE OPERA HOUSE

At the Providence Opera House this
week, with matnees tomorrow and Satur-
day. klaw and Erlanger's production OF
the unique imaginative extravaganza
'The Pearl and the Pumpkin" book by
Paul West and w. w. Denslow, lyrics by
Paul West and music by John w. Brat
ton. Is bound to afford delight TO all who
see It
Gertie Carlisle, petite and plump, is the
Pearl. John Mayon Is the Pumpkin. He
gets turned into a pumpkin after a por-
tentious interview with the Corn Dodger.
His speciality is growing and reaping
pumpkins for the express purpose of scar
Ing folks on Halloween. There Is pretty
song about IL that IL warbled by Sager
Midgley, part OF the chorus and all OF the
gallery.
The chorus OF the Pearl and the Pump
kin" is so numerous and altogether eye
and ear filling that IL is mostly turned
loose In instalments. When II is all on the
stage together II crowds the massive
scenery almost out OF place.
George Richards is in the company he
OF the Temperance Town" OF dear fa-
miliar memory. So is Harry McDonough
also formerly remembered In some tuiu-
fr1iiti burlesque or other OF the past. SO
is Harry Gilfoil who long ago whistled
and mimicked himself into established
popularity. He initiates with startling
fathfulness the beasts OF air and field
and the one who practices on musical
instrument In the next fat after you have
gone to bed. There are whole lot or
other brilliant performers of one kind
and another who keep the Pearl and the
Pumpkin lively with the things they do.
II Is a big and gorgeous spectacle Is the
Pearl and the Pumpkin" n spectacle OF
the fairy story and Drury Lane Christmas
kind With all the scenery and properties
II must be n busy place behind the wings
and back drop with every body working
including Father Doolen. There are fairy
grottos idealzed bucolic sets. the hypo-
thetical interior OF a canning factory as
imagined only by the artists OF spectacu-
lar burlesdue. Davy Jones locker-the real
thing with it's sunken wrecks and sailors
in the garb OF many lands and many Pc
RODS but mostly picturesque pirates sing
ing vigorously down below the deep blue
sea: moonlight-on-the-water effects, call
cium effects. magic lantern stunts and I'm
general n consummate assemblage OF all
the brilliant inventions that ever were
seen before in all extravaganza that ever
happened. with nothing omitted that Is
worth keeping 10 garb the glittering spec
tacle that the genius OF stage manage
ment. stage art and stage carpentering
have devised up to date IL is like thun-
dering big kaleidoscope and the eye grows
misty with the glisten and the glitter.
The handling OF the production is not
the least OF the marvelS OF the huge
show. The magical story that Is told with
vaudeville interruptions In not more
wonderful than is the handling OF the
scenery Scene crowds upon scene with
the swiftness OF the shifts OF a calcium
slide. The intermissions between the three
acts don't lest lonx enough 20 wet up
even for the fellows who have easy exits
from the end seats OF the back row The
vast production sweeps along with scarce
ly more interruption than "A we'll drilled
minstrel show. The'orchestra never leaves
the band box
All sorts OF queer things are introduced
that never were displayed before on any
stage, we should say. There is whale
so big that two OF the characters set up
house keeping In It's mouth after they are
swallowed. There Is human locomotive,
n human automobile. "A human canned
goods. "A human yacht. There are light
some fairies. n statuesque fairly queen
and the counterfeit prcsentment OF the
Plying Dutohman. There IN an unusual
abundance ~ unusually mslosious music
Altogether II is beyond measure gay
and glowing show
Much OF all this, for all the novelty ~
detail, T. not familiar in a general way IN
the twentieth century spectacle, " the
scenery aud effects are more prodigal and
more beautiful than are usually offered
They are ~ tho Same general character 90
which thealrasoers have been often treat