The San Francisco call., 1908-09-14

'MARITANA' CHARMS
LARGE AUDIENCE
Melodies of Old Time Opera,
Staged at American Theater,
Please Hearers
Persse-Mason Company Makes
Hit in Production of Mu=
sical Comedy
CAST OF CHARACTERS
IN WILLIAM VINCENT wALLAcHS
IN aritana"
By Walter Anthony


Some of "Maritana" sounds like the
anthems In a country church choir, some
is dreary recitative, and all OF IL Is
archaic; but the fascination that mas
kept the opera alive through its ex-
cerpted numbers for half century was
still in evidence yesterday afternoon at
the American theater, and the audience,
as It did in The Bohemian Girl
greeted with hearty kindness the melo-
dies that sprinkle it's score Old friends
they were, and If little wrinkled and
grizzled with age, they were still old
friends.
Thomas Persse was kept. singing
Yes! Let Me, Like a Soldier, Fall"
and Edith Mason, who was sweet
Maritana, brought great sweetness to
her Interpretation of "'Tis the Harp"
Alas. Those Chimes fell to Miss Ber-
nice Holmes as Lazarillo, and went for
two encores. while Don Caesar de Bazan
slept peacefully on a couch near by,
obIivious of the fact that he was TO be
hung or shot within two hours.
The schedule of musical numbers on
the program resembles list of ia
yorite songs" in the old collections of
'F'ireside Gems" and God Bless Our
Home Music But you cannot kill
.Maritana" with a club. The songs will
live in spite of their somewhat wan
beauty. They are so peaceful and Sc
rene and they are SO naively introduced.
1t is very charming, and | think | shall
go again if 1 may to hear the melodies
which, when the Persse- Mason opera
company puts them away in lavender,
may not be presented again for a decade
or two. That they will not be perma-
nertiy buried there is every reason TO
believe, viewing the matter from the
standpoint of the charmed listeners at
yesterdays production.
Charles Swickard must not be forgot
ten in the role of Don Jose, the wicked
designer and villainous Spaniard 1t
must be hard to take those rules seri-
ously; they have been burlesqued so
often. but he and his fellow singers
succeeded to the great delight of every
body in the house. We all took the mat
ter seriously-else we wouldn't have
enjoyed the pretty melodies, and that
would have been a distinct disaster 4
The chorus is well drilled and gets a
large and we'll balanced volume of tone
in the ensembles under Steindorff The
orchestra is not overburdened with diff
fculties in the guitar like accompani-
ments, but plays discreetly and well
the arpeggiod and simple harn.onies OF
to run as well as it's ancient sister, "The
Bohemian Girl" did last week.
Charmion has become economical
She throws no garters to the audience
as as nsIa sne ftsn aisro6es So on the swinging
stout. The dainty star of vaudeville
and the most perfectly developed
woman in the world, as she bills her
self.z is no longer dainty and only her
voice is small. She talks as of old
with childish treble, as she tosses away
her clothes; She says she does not
like to do ethe turn. but that she needs
the money. Personally I should not
regret II. she had a big enough bank
roll to retire to some estate In France
and enjoy well earned rest. The act
thusiasm of former days, and her
asides-in piping voice-to the gal
lery. which she erroneously presumed
to be the most interested in her un-
dressing process, were not notable for
the reception they were given
Not that her act is what you would
call vulgar. After she has completed
as fully as the usual queen Of the
trapeze.. Merely the novelty of the
undertaking is gone and the act is Just
The bill at the orpheum as a whole
however. is fine. There are no star
acts, perhaps, but there is variety and
excellence scattered throughout the
You will enjoy, for instance, the two
Pucks. They are youngsters, boy
and girl, who do songs and dances
The lad does some Scotch stories with
girl dances gracefully, sings lightly and
appears at home in mimicry. That
their days in juvenile stunts are num-
tbered d does soI not affeGt the present en-
Fred Warren and al Blanchard were
given set piece with welcome" ir
red flowers. on it last night. and made
a set speech in return. There is much
of the usual chatter in their turn which
will make you laugh at the time and
give you cause for no regret If you
tone ballads effectively and the other
in blackface, keeps up a comical COM
ment on everything from the presiden-
tial election to the latest color In
A. O. Duncan gets off the stage sue
cessfully after ventriloquistic con-
yersation with manikins. He is one
Of the best Of odd his - Kind nd and his work
Frank Gardiner and Lottie- vincent's
sketch, Winning q Queen" has novelty
and surprise in it. 1t is well staged
Of being very good. The little that is
missing is missed. however, and the act
did not 'go strong"
athletes and the two boys are on the
bill in a legitimate athletic act; the
three Moshers remain on their bicycles
for another week, and Miss Amelia
songs and tell her stories for another
six days.
The new vaudeville program at the
Chutes found favor with two audiences
yesterday afternoon and evening. The
Trasatlantic Four scored a hit with
excellent singing numbers; Jack Golden
in a skit. Taking a Picture; Margie
Weber, vocalist, made good. and Ouda
clever wire walker, and Lucille Hall
witty monologist, were the other
contributors to the excellence of the
program. Next Thursday will be anna
teur night.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
where she had few friends, and she was
living In apartments in a big brick
building and she saw her husband
every evening. And she saw no one else
IN the evening. He did not care to "a
out, according to friends. and he did not
care to have her go out without him