The San Francisco call., 1910-06-06
COMMEDIENNEW Wins
ORPHEUM GOERS
Actress From Lunnon 'Alls
Takes Leading Place on
Bill at Theater
By WALTER ANTHONY

By WALTER ANTHONY
vesta Victoria of London had to "go
little" yesterday afternoon to keep
ahead of her cousins at the orpheum.
The lady from the 'alIs extended her
self. however. and beat by several Eng
lish miles. To belabor another meta
phor, there wasn't single miss during
the big vaudeville meet. Every entry
scored and Vesta Victoria hit the CEN
ter seven consecutive times with her
ballads made in Britain She is the
best of 'em all so far
Nobody has to tell YOU that she IS
an English comedienne; but neither
does anybody have TO tell you when
TO laugh She is merrily free from
vulgarity; the risque allusion and the
smart equivoque are absent; she acts
ner songs and dresses them; she brave
ly dlshgures herself to look the part
OF the principal person; she has an un-
expected sense of the ludicrous and
grotesque which fringes her song sto-
ries, and she keeps the fantastic emi-
broidery out of the mud OF mere vul-
garity. Whatever she sings about,
whether it is the forlorn little slavey
girl whose sweetheart marries her
mother, or the dismal artists model
who finds posing all right in summer
but terribly trying in winter, the lines
she sings are the words of the hero
ines, and not Vesta's at all. You would
not think of finding fault with Vesta
# you didn't like the song;- you'd blame
II on the one she sings about This
talent of the artists is what puts her
in a class by herself. She even laughs
with you at the creatures she intro
duces you to. She exhibits them, and
apparently enjoys the exhibition; for
they are surely funny gallery of
chromos from England
This intimacy of confidence which
Nesta Victoria establishes with her
audience makes the most casual listen
er a personal friend for the time be-
ing; and though she is here for the
I first time, she made asides to us, was
answered back, and some, more bold in
the gallery, made known unceremon-
lously what songs they wanted the
obliging artist to sing; and she did,
too. Naturally one was Waiting at
the Church. which, though initiated a
thousand times and sung by scores of
others since she introduced it first, was
made new song yesterday. She does
not sing very we'll. l mean that no.
body would mistake her for a grand
opera vocalist. 1t is not unpleasant,
however, and 1t serves for the pur-
pose. She interprets the words, the
orchestra takes care of the music. and
she gives the verses without vocal or
namentation. You see, she is the Doc
tor Wullner of vaudeville. The dis
tressed, nagged, abused and worried
victims whose woes her songs tell are
represented by an expression of dis
pair and misery which Vesta Victoria's
countenance assumes between inform
ing winks and smiles at her audience.
Her hit was emphatic yesterday. Her
publicity dealers may hold their heads
Thew oil hor
She's as good as they said she was,
and that's no disparagement of their
powers of imagination either.
Lyons and Yosco followed her. That
was terrible thing to have TO do. All
they had was a harp and cello, but
their act was second in popularity only
to that of the English girl.
Followed then juggler and a strong
man act. Wondersi 1t was worthy to
close the show. Paul Spadoni was the
wonder worker, assisted by a clownish
chap whose name should be on the
program. He combined a faculty for
utility and entertainment.
The Code Book" under other cir
cumstances would be given more space.
II waves the red, white and blue belig-
erantly, suggests how it will be neces-
sary to fight the Japanese some day,
though it doesn't start the fight, and it
does one or two other obvious things
without which it would be little bet
ter, but it is, in spite of these objec-
tions, a verile bit of sketch work, en-
tertainingly written, well put up and
dressed in good soldier uniform. Allen
Atweu, as the Japanese spy in the skit,
is so good that everybody hated him
yesterday. The gallery hissed, and sew
eral were for building more navy at
once.
Mrs. Richard Rees. who is a San
Francisco singer, and who made her
vaudeville debut yesterday in song Sc
lections, pleased most with her bal
ladies', but at ali times proved pos
SCISSOR OF a pretty voice, we'll trained,
admirably employed and musical. Her
articulation was refreshing in it's pur-
ity and every word was distinct and
rounded. What she lacks to become,
at present, big vaudeville favorite, is
a temperamental putting over" of her
songs. She does not let go. She sings
too prettily.
Edward Abeles in "Self-Defense" re-
mains dumb but pantomimicaily eIo-
quent and his unusual sketch bears a
second witnessing and yields sec
ond series of thrills. Frank Stafford
and his company, to say nothing of the
dog are welcome as a late autumn in
their lingering here, while Harry Ffd-
dler and R. Byron Shelton, "colored
gentlemen" in e quick, breezy colored
turn supply another of the retained acts
from last week which does not deserve
to be called "a dark brown holdover."