The Detroit times., 1910-12-21
THE STAGE
DETROIT OPERA HOUSE.

Although the week retors Christmas
is considered the worst III the year
from the box office standpoint, the en-
ception 10 prove the rule happened IN
the Detroit opera house, Monday even
ing, when an audience that occupied
every seat in the theater. came TO sec
the pretty musical piece The Ar
cadians.'
The gathering was ole OF the smart
est OF the season, too. with society
folk sitting In orchestra chair and box
In their best frocks. An astonishingiy
large number OF youns people were III
the audience, evidently boys and giis
home from school To- the holiday"
Fortunately The Al cadians' Is 4
show that the Young Person and nor
college crush, or her staid papa and
mamma, are quite safe In going to
see, for IL Is one Of the prrttiest, dam
TEST and cleanest In humor, that the
st ason has offered.
| The piece has a long record Of sue
cess. IL has been running nearly two
years In London and Il season In New
York. and is likely 20 have an equal
popularity on the road AS frequentl!
| happens with English musical
comedies. a half dozeE persons have
! had hand In the making or The
! Arcadians. Mark Ambient and A. NJ
/ Thompson are credited with the hook.
Arthur Wimperis with the lyrics.
| | lionel alonckton and Howard Taboo
with the score and an1 Their composer
or so have contributed an interpolated
song OF two. In this instance. too,
|
broth The result Is entirely to the
credit of all
| There are three acts TO The Ar.
cadians." The first is charming
scene In Arcadia, where the sandal.
shod and gracefully-draped figures Of
the shepherdesses dance and frolic to
the pipes Of the shepherds, and every
thing is carefree, sunshiny and sweet.
as the flowers with which the inhabi-
tants oil this lovely spot deck them
selves.
The stage setting provided would do
honor 10 a landscape painter and is
one OF the most delightful pictures one
could imagine. Into this sylvan quiet
is precipitated London restaurant
keeper named Smith. whose "vittles
puIveying has been so remunerative
! that he is able TO indulge ia the mod.
ern sport OF aeroplaning. and II Is
while on trip through the clouds that
he lands in Arcadia.
| Because he tells a fib about Astro.
phel and Sombra and Ghrysea, three
Of his Arcadian hosts. he is thrown
into the Well of Truth TO emerge as Z.
young Arcadian with accompanying
abbreviated dress.
Smith Is christened Simplicitas b.
his new friends and .s sent back TO
London with Somb-a and Chrysea. as
his hand-maidens, 20 teach the inhabi.
tants o. that gay old town the valu :
OF truth. The second scene finds
/ Simplicitas and his n.aidens at the
Askwood race track during big meet.
and the third act finds them running
The Arcadia" restaurant In London,
also a very charming piece OF stage
carpentering and scene painting.
Unlike several OF the American
pieces founded on similar theme.
The Arcadans" does not descend
into broad burlesque, but Is kept in it's
fantastic strain from rise 10 fall OF
curtain. 1t has plenty OF humor. with
, srasms of rollickinS .un, and dia
! logue hat Is witty ard bright. The
music is light but melcdious and sew.
eral numbers linger In the memory as
being particularly tunsiul and catchy.
In the present instance The Ar
cadians" has the benefit OF clever in
! depreciation. The members OF the
cast are excellent players and the
chorus is large and well-garbed one
contingent of men adds TO the eff.
fectiveness OF song numbers and stage
1 groupings.
There never was more delightful
young woman in musical comedy than
Julia Sanderson, whose charm OF face.
! figure and manner is enc OF the nices:
/ things about The Arcadians." Miss
! SaLderson is 80 daintily pretty, dances
like a bit Of thistledown and is so
agreeably modest and shy in de-
meanor that she makes an impression
not soon forgotten. AS Eileen Cavan-
agh she has most fetching Irish
! brogue, and her quaint ways and At
| tractive voice make the little bit she
| has 10 do stand out with a charm
ali its own.
Percival Knight. a nEnglish come
dian, immensely amusing as ZACH
~ nose. forlorn jockey who insists that
his mission In life Ia to be "blithe
and gay" Nothing funnier could be
asked than his ditty MY Motter,"
which comes almost at the last cur
tain and Is worth waiting for as bit
OF genuine humor portrayed by real
comedian.
Frank Moulan, whose Sultan OF
Sulu' will always be remembered, Ia
the Simplicitas, and he Cavorts as
nimbly and sings as gaily as though
no such thing as a recent court de-
! cree for large alimOnL hung ever him