The San Francisco call., 1908-04-14
By Waiter Anthony

There was great fiuttering last night
first half of the long double attraction
as in the last. which was devoted to
The Song Birds
First there was Little Christopher"
written by several besides Edward
Paulton and E. z. Rice, who account
tav Kerker. who admit the music. TIL,
latter. that is the music. is good and
tuneful and gives nearly all the Prin-
cess people a chance. There were no
misses in the individual songs, those
sung by Sarah Edwards and Arthur
Cunningham deserving and getting the
most encores: but the ensembles need
setting up and the dancing and stage
business were not up to Princess stand
ards. Even the orchestra will have
another rehearsal today, suppose
As Little Christopher Miss Helen
Bertram labors under double handi-
cap. Her costume is designed to en-
phasize physical amplitude not con-
sistent with her given name Little"
and she Is compelled to force her voice
badly at moments which should be
loose and lyric. There is veil be-
tween her tone and the audience which
cold or the grip must have hung over
her pretty voice.
The dancing forces were augmented
for the first piece by two new comers,
Edna Davenport and Hazel Aubrey,
who essayed to do a sort of Emerson
Hope turn, but did not. The piece
was handsomely costumed. gorgeously,
you might say. and the scene sets were
excellent. Oscar c. APPEL made a big
hit in his role of the detective, and
Zoe Barnett was delightful and pfouant
as Guinevere.
But it was in The Song Birds" that
the Princess was herself again. Lent
or no Lent, you should not miss this
delightful travesty on the operatic
fight between Oscar Hamnerstein and
Conried, recently waged in New York
William Burress, who created the role
of Hammershine at the original pro-
duction for a Lambs club gambol and
subsequently played it for several
months in New York, appeared in his
original part last night. He came
across the continent to do it, and the
trip was worth while. His makeup"
is marvellous in its likeness to the
original and his humor is of the kind
that while subtle cannot be missed.
In pure burlesque he is a finished
artist. Oscar c. APPEL as Con- the Con-
ried, made him go some" to carry off
the laurels, for Apfers impersonation
of the Metropolitan manager was a
deft and clean bit Of caricature
n. j. La Vigne as Bouncey while
disclosing barytone instead of Bonci
tenor. was the best of the added voices.
Cunningham shone as Peter Pantson.
His voice was almost as good an imita-
tion to the Plancon organ as his make
up. Sarah Edwards as Emma Screams
added to her fame, and Helen Bertram
as Madame Tappletalezini redeemed
her Little Christopher presentation
by doing some of the best singing of
the evening.
The travesty closes with a song tour
ney, The Battle of B Flat" in which
Hammersbine's forces sing "Ah, Che
La Morte" from III Trovatore" while
Conried's songbirds shout Wagner
motive from "Das Rheingold" The re-
suit is thrilling climax of tone which
surges about the ears of the fighting
impresarios, who in the center stage
urge their singers to victory. Chorus.
soloists and orchestra covered them
selves with glory in this, and the num-
Der alone was worth more than the
price and the time.
CENTRAL
Ten Nights in a Barroom.- the FIVE
act temperance drama which has
moved SO many audiences during the
many years it has been before the
public. is the attraction which opened
weeks engagement at the Central
theater last night The life and home
of drunkard. together with the
touching illustration of the biblical
quotation, And a little child shall
lead them" We're the features of the
drama which impressed the audience
Little Dora, Scholtz as the drunkards S
daughter, gave an exhibition OF much
talent and especially well done was
the child's prayers to save her rather
there being many tear dimmed eyes
when the little one was supposed to
have passed away.
Miss Laura Hudson is the wife and
7. y. Heffron, who assumed the role
of the drunkard. clearly portray to
the audience their respective suffering
because of drink. The comedy Of the
drama is furnished by Elmer Booth.
J. A. Edmundson and Miss Claire SIN
claire. Frank Bonner and Edward
Flynn are others of the company
whose work was well received last
night