The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-05-04
Received With Marked
Favor in Mile. Mischief"
at BelaSco.
MUSIC FURNISHED
BY MISS DARRELL
Shows Promise of Taking Leading
Part in More Pretentious
Offering.

Miss Lulu GIaser-she OF the auirk and
the equivoke. of the merry smile and
the demure dropping of the lids-came
back TO Washington last night as Mile
Mischief. This is, indeed. this lady S
nom de plume. But in this case il is
also the name of a new VienDese oper-
eta by many authors which has come
20 the Capital after successful season
~ other cities.
The lady and the mischief were re-
ceived with much laughter and many 1T
tie marrnurs OF pleasure In the audi
cnce were enough generals 20 command
an army. enough sdmirals to quiet
England's present fears of Germany.
esough society folk TO rouse the envy of
sny climber. and enough others of us
mot tired OF dramatic art for arts sake,
OF course, but nevertheless willing this
week 10 be lightly anused) TO make
the engagement a jingling financial sue
cess II was all very pleasant-and for
the most part 1t was harmless as
Alice in Wonderland"
mile. Mischief comes from Vienna
xith Sydney RoSenfeld as guide. The
book was by Herren Kraatz and Won
Sterk and the music by Carl III. Ziehrer.
The story, as another has, said, acts
better than IL reads. Mile. Mischief
is not a rope OF sand But the chain Of
events has been made familiar in not
less than loo novels, noveiettes,
xketches. operas. series of cartoons, and
anecdotes. It is simply that a girl en-
tcrs 8 barracks as a soldier. AS for
the music. IL is funnel-shaped- At the
outset it is plentiful and pretentious. At
the end it IS scant and repeutional.
Miss GIaser's Art.
The interest is, of course. in Miss
CHASER. She finds in this work oppor-
tunity TO appear. first. as her own brisk,
<un-naaking SELF. second, as a boy art
student. third. as recruit IN the gay
barrack blouse OF a continental army;
last as sort OF Gainsborough
great lady In flowing and iridescent
gown. sparkling with Jewels and
sfeated with a wondrous smile Now
she dances, now she sings, now she
is that rarest Of the stage creature
world, a woman comedian Like her
tutor. Francis Wilson, her comedy is
due rather TO the exhalation OF q per-
sonslity and q box fun OF tricks than
70 the inpersonation Of laughable char
zcter. But no one in last nights audi
cnce seemed TO mind that. She was her
self. as she was expected TO be, and
the whole. company OF generals, ad-
reirals. society folk land, maybe. even
the critics. had no fault TO md.
The simple delight there is in color
harmony and the poetry OF motion
contributes 20 the success o. Mile.
Mischief" There lie probably not a
s,9ok-worm in the world who would
rot pat his feet as he sees the chorus
OF this company--rather "a tuneful as
scmbiy and good 10 look upon-sway-
ing back and forth, catching a Etep
here and skipping there. or listen wit
fintyiy TO q series OF Waitzes as nEner-
Gus as the characters in ehe Program.
There Is a company OF nuzzars as a
matter OF course. There II n dance
Of painters and models. the latter
about as fully draped as most OF their
spectators. There is a rich color eff
feet Of bright red And we like them
Hiss Darrell Scores.
But musicaliys the operetta is not
focused on Miss Glasei. II IS aimed
at another woman in the cast. Miss
kzs5ertrude Darrell. evidently an Amerf-
can trained abroad. This lady is re-
tained In the cast out OF "A regard for
the production and willingness to
make way on the part Of Miss CHASER
which does not always mark the cen
DilCL OF OQE CUBIC OHLE4 tldLH- As il
is, she has but one song-a chaESonette
-+Le Occur de Ninon," which Was last
night encored four times; and IN those
who heard Miss Darrell had realized
that this was al they were 10 hear
she must surely have been brought
back still ofteneT The iady's voice Is
well trained. but not 50 trained tha;
II has lost Ell her its color or it's per.
sonaIity. and when this lady began tc
dance there came into the mind OF
many 8 frequent thcatersoer in last
rights audience a prophetic picture OF
her, perhaps next year. in the leading
feminine role OF work rather more
dependent upon its music than Mile
Mischief"
Alexander Clark, ". p. Carleton and
Robert Broderick are the secondary ng-
ures. They contribute most Of the at
uosphers TO the performance and supply
Miss CHASER with most OF her fOiis. IN
the hands OF actors less capable, tbs
operetta would have become q mono.
i0gus for Miss CHASER.
But these are Incidental cOnsidera-
tons. This r. a work Of
Sing. sing. what shall we singg
Why anything that gives Miss Clascl
opportunity 90 pirouette, to trip. 20 ca.
1ole. to whimper, to roll her large eyes
10 wink and 10 Smile. mile. Mischief
Is filled with such opportunity and sucF
fruits There might be more, n ths
gray blouse were not worn SO long. q
there were more music ami less talk, Il
there were more opera and less mono
logue But who cares2
ALLEN D. ALBERT. JR.