The morning journal-courier., 1908-01-06
FUNABASHI CLEVER
New Musical Comedy, With Re- vision, Should be a
 Real Hit.
HAS GO AND GENUINE PLOT
Second Act Not Up to the Quality of
 the Other Two, and Needs Attention.

With an abundance of girls who were really attractive; and with extremely pleasing stage settings, "Funabashi," new Japanese musical show of the "Geisha" type, was presented before a good sized audience at the Hyperion theater Saturday evening for its in itial performance. "Funabashi," when the slow parts in the second act have been looked after and a few superf1u- ous lines done away with, should prove the best thing of its kind that has been brought out this season.
 There were the usual number of the Casino type of chorus girls, eight tall, we'll eowned and pleasing show girls, a very competent and hard working cast, but best of all the book of the piece possessed real humor and there was plenty of opportunity for the ac- tors to get their laughs" The music was far above the average of musical productions of to-day, Helen of Troy" and All Over" being two exceptional ly attractive bits of melody. To pick out any especial song, however, is to slight the others and none of them de- served this.
 The first act of the piece started off with slap-bang that made the aud fence sit up. There were funny lines and to spare so that from the rise ol the curtain to the dashing finale of the act the audience were kept in an up. roar. Everyone was pleased for this was a musical show that really amounted to something. Then there came a somewhat disappointing falling off in the second act which can hardly be said to be good and was by no means on par with its predecessor. The final act however, picked up some of the fun of the first and the piece ended with the same go that started 1t off. With careful revision in parts, "Funabashi" should prove one of the big hits of the present season.
 There Is a plot. It deals with a young American who has bungalow In Japan in which is his cousin chaper- oning the lady of his heart. A large, and (Saturday nighD a very nervous Dad appears with an English lady of title whom he wishes his son to mar ". Your Englishman appears, sug- gests disgusting the little American girl as a Geisha and there Is all sorts of trouble until everything comes out just as everyone knew that 1t would when the curtain went up.
 Percyl Ames, as the monaeled Eng lishman with his jolly old beggar" 1 gave by far the most finished piece of work in the entire production. He did all that could be asked of him and ones only regret was tsat there was not more of him. Vera Michelena made a very pleasing Polly and Walter Per cival an ardent, if somewhat uncertain, Jack. Alice Fischer made a typical chaperone Then come William Rock not especially excellent in his acting, but when it came to dancing particu- larly his work in the last act with Miss Fulton, he took the audience by storm, They danced about the stage until they were tired and still the aud
  enid" all over again for them. Miss i, Fulton, as the saleslady, made the only hit of the second act with her song, For I've Been Discharged by j Them AL" There were spots where some of the principals needed the as- sistance of the hoarse voiced prompter and one of the chorus girls. who be- came excited and signalled 10 some friends in box, lost her step, but talk en as while It was very smooth first night.
 The scenery of the piece Is very at tractive and if one doesn't believe that 1t Is Japanese it would be well to go and smell the incense that burns every. where. You can see 1t. "Funabashi' has started on what should prove 8 most successful career. The authors have every reason to rest easy and walt for the box receipts. The piece made good"-even in New Haven, as , the saying goes.