Los Angeles herald., 1910-12-19
LYRICS ARE TAME
IN KISSING GIRL
Comic Opera at Majestic Fails
to Arouse Audience to Great
Enthusiasm
MUSIC SOMETIMES TUNEFUL
lnterpoIated Dance and Violin
Playing Two Most Pronounced
Hits of Performance
MUSIC SOMETIMES TUNEFUL

iillS week DTGSCnlB W pdllOilo VI SiANs
playhouse a considerable amount or
information, useful and useless, anent
the current attraction, 1.-THE kissing
Girl" TO begin with, it informs us that
"'rhe kissing Girf' is Viennese
'comlc opera success" Continuing, we
are told that the music is by Harry
Won Tilzer; the lyrics by Vincent
Bryan, and the book adapted by
Stanislaus STANCE from the original
German of Leo Stein, author of The
Merry Widow" All Of which leads us
merely to a repetition of the Avonian
riddle-"What's in nanne?"
1t is certain that "The kissing GIFT
cannot justly be expected to enhance
the reputation of any one OF the sew
eral celebrities concerned in its max
ing. The book is stupid and the lyrics
little better, though one or two of the
latter would pass muster in a more
meritorious setting. The music Is oc-
casionally tuneful. but the greater part
of 1t is conventional and uninterestlng.
OLD JOKES AROUSE MIisTH
In point of cast and costuming "The
kissing Girl" has Jared better than
her deserts, and this despite the
fact that most of the company mis-
takes mere sound for humor and bois-
terous conduct for exuberance. A few
of the interpolated jokes are good,
and last night were received by the
audience with a hilarity lily befitting
the dignity of their age. One of them
dates back to the time when the late
Charles Hoyt wrote "A Texas Steer, "
and probably before that. The origin of
others is veiled in antiquity, but
they're still good for a laugh which is
higher praise than can be accorded
some of the authors own.
Texas Guinan, who is the kissing
girl, has a most winsome personality.
a pleasant voice and an idea of what
constitutes comedy that is far funnier
than the comedy itself. Thomas
Whiffen is the kissing girls lover, his
role constituting the sole novelty of
the piece. 1t is unusual for light
opera Juvenile lead" to be also
comedian, but the combination in Mr..
Whiffen's hands is not unhappy.
There are others in the cast-Harry
Hermsen, who plays wealthy
brewer" according to the program, but
who appears to be on the verge OF
bankruptcy, according to the libretto;
Louis London, who is an extraordinar-
lily Vociferous forester: Ventita Fitz-
hugh, q pretty girl who can sing and
who plays the brewers daughter, and
several more of no very great i'm
portance.
The two most pronounced hits of the
performance are an interpolated dance
by Mile Vanity and the violin playing
of the Misses Faber and DeVere. The
best songs are "On the Boulevard"
sung by Harry Harmsen and chorus;
1.-The Hair of the Dog that Bit You,"
by Thomas Whiffen. and an ensemble,
Come, Little Girl, and Dance With
Me-"
The time-worn device of the mirror,
used to single out individuals in the
o,,dianra n aoO function with a SnOt-
light, is again employed, and last night.
as usual the partially bald head of
one of the city's most distinguished
litterateurs, who is also a professional
first nighter, came in for its customary
baptism of unsought publicity.
"The Prince Chap" a play of tender
sentiment and persuasive sympathy,
was given it's third local production at
the Burbank theater yesterday after
noon and will remain at that play
house through the week. Los Angeles
theatergoers saw 1t at the Mason
three seasons ago with Cyril Scott in
the name part. Last year 1t was hrst
offered in stock at the Burbank with
William Desmond as the artist hero
and Blanche Hall playing Claudia in
each of the three acts. Claudia grows
I'D as the play progresses, passing from
childhood, through girlhood, to
woman's estate; and Miss Hall is the
only actress who ever has interpreted
the role throughout. In the current
revival it is intrusted to three persons,
little" Ollie Walters, who has grown
amazingly since she appeared in peter
PAN; Hazel Buckham, who has
grown, too, but in ability not stature,
and Marjorie Rambeau. A. Byron
Beasley succeeded Scott and Desmond
as the American sculptor, nicknamed
"the Prince Chap"
Yesterday the play suffered from
lack of that careful staging Burbank
audiences have come to expect. The
artists studio of the first and second
acts was about as inartistic an apart
ment as could be devised, and absolute
ly nothing was done to indicate the
passage OF years between acts one and
two The third act set was bare,
though it represented the living room
in the home of a successful and pre-
sumably wealthy artist. In brief, the
staging gave the actors no assistance
whatever in their task of creating what
is generlly known as atmosphere.
and as result it was only occasionally
that the play ceased to be play and
became real.
Mr.. Beasley was obviously i'll at ease
in the first act, but he gained surety
as the afternoon progressed, and in
the laSI act gdNS IL LnOIOu6hiy boOu
portrayal down to the last scene of all.
The acting in that last scene, however,
left much to be desired.
Perhaps the most interesting feature
of the performance was the reappear-
arce of Miss Hazel Buckham, who pre-
yiously played small roles at the Bur-
bank, as the second act Claudia. Miss
Buckham was charmingly girlish, both
in her expression of affection for the
prince Chap" and in her jealousy,
albeit she was seriously handicapped
by an atrocious blonde wig.
Peter Lang gave a humorous por-
trayal of Runyon, a typical English
butler, who, however, occasionally con-
descends to laughter and whom the
author has permitted to be human.
Fanny Yantis, also back after a con-
siderable absence from the Burbank
stage, repeated her former excellent
impersonation Of Phoebe Fuckers, and
Grace Travers did all that was re-
orlired of her as Princess Alice. Ethel
Won Waldron struggled valiantly with.
the role af Claudia's dying mother.
The part is not suited to her in the
least. but she handled 1t as well as
could be expected.
Miss Rambeau, as usual, won her
audience in her all too brief appear
ance as the Claudia of the third act.
In particular, the scene between her.
self and Howard Scott was finely con-
trived on both sides.
Doubtless 1.-THE Prince Chap will