Los Angeles herald., 1909-11-05
ny W. -HERnERT BLAKE

1t was veritable bankers holiday
last night at the Mason. The Gringo
came, accompanied by a cascade of
melody and swish and whirl of en-
gaging femininity He was quite at
home, even In San Diego of the year
Ifos and the bevy of beauty which
formed swaying crescent behind him
was equally reckless of the paltry
reckonings of calendar time. Indian
maidens and Spanish senoritas, the
charming chorus might have sum-
moned our imaginations back ten CEN
turies instead OF two without strain
The Los Angeles of the present took
a sly look over its shoulder at the
San Diego of the past and found 1t
surprisingly little altered And in the
meantime we hunted diligently for the
plot.
We were not alone in the search.
With that abounding levity which is
the charm of a good amateur per-
formance the authors and the chief
comedians helped us hunt for it. The
aborigines offered to originate one
and We were promptly clamped in
irons for suggesting such a thing in
modern musical comedy. Only the
depressed tragedian was unsatisfied
"A forlorn but dauntless Hamlet, he had
his eye out for the dramatic verities
act. Nobody cared If he didn't.
The authors of the annual bankers
show have written a merry and an
amusing skit packed full of local wit
icisms and garnished with some me-
lodious airs of which the big crowd
which crammed the Mason couldn't
get half enough last night. Perhaps
the best of theni-certainly the one
which exacted repeated and over
whelming encores-is the Indian Lul-
laby'' sung by Miss lone Gale In the
center of the well trained and pref
tily costumed chorus. It is a sweet
and haunting melody and II was allur-
ingly and appreciativelv sung by Miss
Gale. Another capital musical number
was "a Picnic Called a Honaymoon,"
In which c. r. Seidel as the not too
sad tragedian. sang the solo. with
rollicking chorus accompaniment of
modern-clad young women. Every
musical number was we'll received
I'VE Are the Men of the Mexican
Army" 'T Am the Governor OF Cali
fornia" and 'Tt's rTp in NV Flying
Machine" being accorded special ap-
proval.
The sextette number and the dance
by Chiuuita MAUD Lawtonl achieved
pleasing effects and were features of
the second act.
Among the Individual impersonations
there were several which were worthy
of professional company. Mr.. Seiders
actor was clean cut. ludicrous piece
of work and Carol Johnson's mes
senger boy was true to TYNE and divert
ing Three good Indian burlesques were
given by Charles Thomson William
Ream. ir.. and T. J. Finn, all of whom
nevertheless kent their work well
within the bounds of legitimate trav-
estv. Ray Church gave an elaborate
I,sax1 N 0f n ancf0 t4S
governor of the eighteenth century
with an excellent makeup and befitting
costumes. Miss Olive Moser as a
trance medium; III. c. Packer, as q
Mexican officer: r. G. McComas. as a
monk; James Parker and F. H. Nc
Cormick filled variety of roles ade-
quately.
good broad comedy impersonation
was that of A. S. McKinnon, in the
role of the governors cook Raw
Padricl1 sang we'll and descended
gracefully from a balloon on his
entrance as a Los Angeles booster,
summoned to meet the prophetic de-
sires of the old governor.
The training of the company reflects
great credit upon Mr.. Girard and upon
the cast. who have worked faithfully
to perfect the production. There were
surprisingly few bitches for an anna
teur performance. and altogether the
evening was an ENJOYABLE one, for the
general public no less than for the
throngs Of personal friends OF the per-
formers. whose presence lent joyous
festivity to the occasion.
''vvhen the Gringo Came" will be re-
peated tonight tomorrow afternoon
and tomorrow night at the Mason.
The Alphin company's engagement
at the Unique has been cancelled by
mutual consent