The San Francisco call., 1906-10-29
Some New Offerings
at the Orpheum.
By James Crawford.

1.-TWO of the Orpheum's four new
4 acts are sufficiently refined to
qualify for admittance to the
programme of most select home
party-even in Berkeley. Indeed. to
listen to Max Millians violin solos is to
acquire inclination to invite him and
his instrument over to the house some
evening to play for your friends and
his supper, and as little Augusta Close
is performing you cannot help imagin-
ing how tremendous your hit as a pro-
wider of free entertainment would be
If she would accept similar invitation
on like terms.
Mr.. MILAN is not the greatest violin
ist in Orpheum annals. but he manages
to please all elements of his audience
without descending to claptrap and
that is more than can truthfully be
said anent some of his more illustrious
predecessors. His selections are all of
classic quality-Rehfeld, Schumann
and Sarasate being represented-and
while he possesses a facile technique
he does not permit himself to sacrifice
expression in order to display his deft-
ness with the bow. The Sarasate num-
bers revealed his mastery of staccato.
and Schumann's Traumerei came
from the strings in exquisiteIy rich.
a
brisk, clean touch his sister accom-
panied him on the pianoforte
Miss Close has added several new
and good things to her dainty offer
ing since she first appeared here. She
tells of the boy who suffered making
love to the girl who lisped, and with
captivating little breath catches she
initiates a young maiden's recountal of
her troubles with big sister and her
beau, which clever bit was especially
written for the clever entertainer by
Clifton Crawford. She shows us how
different types of girls walk and also
sings her famous fan Irritation song.
One of the most ludicrous turns"
ever staged was presented by Sim
Collins and Lew Hart. They bur
lesqued sleight-of-hand and strength
of arm and performed some seeming
ly impossible acrobatic feats with such
SLOW of realism and ease that IL would
be depriving the public of a treat to
expose how the delusfon was effected.
Then we had the Empire City Vocal
Quartet, including the invariable comic
relief, In this case made up as the
sort of stage Jew that Bobby North
recently purged from his repertoire of
Hebrew characters. The four young
men sang well, both in concert and
solo, and the comedian said and did
some things that were really funny
child ballad the basso growled ex-
tolment of the armorer's art instead
of descending to marine depths as
most bassos do. Several parodies on
popular songs were cleverly arranged
and sung by the comic relief in a voice
of rare lyric softness.
Among the holdoN ers were the half
dozen Glinserettis, acrobats; Rafay-
cites dogs, ditto; Burton and Brookes
whose singing and talking contribution
has been changed for the worse, and
Hanson and Nelson, who are neither
Arctic explorers nor foc'sl hands
aboard scow schooners, but young
women who sing and dance
My Friend From India. with Frank
Bacon in the title part. will be the
Colonial Theater's Offering this even-
ing and the only new bill in town.
Barbara Freitchie," which has been
whipped into good shape since its
opening production, will be retained at
the Davis Theater all this week. and
next Monday evening Robert Downing.
the well-known legitimate actor. Will
open brief season there.
Il. 0. u commences its fourth
week at the Central Theater this even
ing, and I'm Paris" is announced 10
lOlIoW. Ine work or transforming the
big playhouse from tent into a com
Portable and safe theater has been
completed. Corrugated iron. lined
with asbestos, has supplanted canvas
throughout the structure.
Constance Crawley and company are
to present Oscar Wilde's
play, The Duchess of Padua," tomor-
row afternoon at the Colonial Theater.
All the best professional talent en-
ployed in this city and Oakland will
appear at the benefit which Is to be
rendered to L. NJ Stockwell. the invalid
actor. next Friday afternoon
at Ye Liberty Theater. and crowded
house is as good as assured.
In Belgium all cows over three
months old are to be seen wearing ear
ringS. RFeederS are nhIieed To kaar. o