The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-05-17
LACKS ORIGINALITY. FACINATING FLORA. New Musical Comedy a Di- lution of Performances of
 the Long Ago.

The gentlemen who are putting up for this new musical comedy of "Fas- cinating Flora" whether they are Messrs. Burnside & Comstock, Inc, as announced by the programme. or some other incorporation of good angels, are evidently "bounden determined" to make a success of their enterprise. Not only has all the best of the floating light-opera talent been engaged for this piece (videlicet Louise Harrison, Fred Bond, James E. Sullivan, Ada Lewis, Ella Snyder, and Adele Ritchie, who stars), but three composers and four teen sing-writers by actual count, have been requisitioned for their very best lubrications, while three several cos tuners have been called upon to tax their capacities for the hitherto only dreamt of in stage dresses. The result is light opera that is really bewilder- ing. The actors are almost without exception every one capable of heading a cast alone; the three composers and fourteen playwrights have furnished material enough for two light operas of the length that "Fascinating Flort' ought to be. while the chorus Is al- most kaleidiscopic in it's numerous and vivid changes of raiment. Besides the coy
 be it noted that there is also he chorus, whose wardrobe is also co-ex- tersive in variegated colors with the rainbow or the chameleon.
 Obviously then, what Fascinating Flora" needs to make 1t 8 go Is not capital The wherewithal to stage it has enough of and to spare; its chief deficit is something worth staging. If the "Fascinating Flora" production
 could trade a little of its monetary surplus for the brains which it so pitt fully needs, perhaps the result would be beneficial to both the possessors of the brains and of the capital.
 All this means that nothing in, of or about "Fascinating Flora" bears the slightest trace to originality A thea tergoer who has followed light opera for the past ten years recently was heard to remark that generally speak ing, each successive light opera, mu- sical comedy comedy with music or what-not, was simply a dilution of some success just preceding. To this in the instance of "Fascinating Flora" it may be added that it is a dilution not only of immediately precedent success <" es, but of some successes that are a generation old; witness, oh ye of little faith. that immemorial shadow jumping stunt at the end of the first act. The times of the Sullivans and the Gilberts are gone; and nowadays three compos- CTS and fourteen song-writers engaged to do a Scotch two-dozen of musical can accomplish nothing that even ap- breaches In worth the productions which the author of "Pinafore" once tuned out siilgle-handed. In these de- generate days, the light opera has fallen sadly from it's former high estate than a theatrical tamale of vaudeville turns, broad musical numbers, dance emouvantes, risque costuming, and the whole seasoned with a strong dash of valaciousness. To this Fascinating Flora" is no exception. and the pity of 1t all is that given little pruning and a trif1e more fiuency, both of which will come with week of work on the road 1t is likely to prove big metropolitan success. And that is a sufficient crter- ion by which to judge the deterioration in public staste; avowedly gotten up for the purpose of giving the public what 1t wants, that is Fascinating Flcra," while the result of the joint ef- forts of Messrs. Burnside and Com stock the three composers, the four teen song-wrlters, and the trinity of costumers is seen in a play which, as President Lincoln said in another con- nection, "is just the sort fo thing that people like that like that sort of thing"
 "Fascinating Flora" appears again at the Hyperion on Friday and Saturday evenings with a supplementary mati- nee on Saturday afternoon.