Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1911-03-11
MIKADO REVIVED
ON GRAND SCALE
CONTINUED from Page ~

1lOlu III
csc kimono lends itself readily to pic
turesque effects and cast and chorus
were gorgeously gowned far more so
than would be the case on the pro-
fessional stage. And there was a
wealth of color about the whole thing
that is seldom found in amateur thea
tricalS
The orchestra sprung a surprise
first by appearing clad in kimonos,
some of the results being FEARFUL and
wonderful in the extreme. Herr Ber-
ger, who pulled ViOlin-boW, was
enveloped up to the ears. while DR..
Carl Ramus protruded from his gar
ment like a lone rock in the sea. But
it gave the audience a big laugh and
the laugh continued throughout the
evening
The young ladies who acted as ush-
ers and program-pages did not appear
as advertised in kimonos but all we're
in white and this lent a pretty effect
The stage setting was unusually
beautiful, a woodland scene, with
climbing vines and flowers every
where, and when the gaily-gowned ac-
tors and actresses came on the stage
and the chorus assembled, the ensem-
BILE was striking. The feminine division
of the chorus is made up Of a num-
Der of pretty Honolulu girls who real
ly performed well, while the singing
of the male division was easily one of
the best things in the whole produc-
ton
Stage Director Kipling got his cast
working nicely by hour after hour of
hard work and even before the foot
lights last night there were no bitches.
The Mikado' gives little opportunity
for starring" Gilbert & Sullivan al
ways working for clever combinations
rather than for individual effects. and
James d. Dougherty, as Nanki-Poo,
the son Of the Mikado, and Mrs. Merle
M. Johnson, the girl with whom he is
in love, have little chance for dis
tinguishing themselves. The straight"
parts lack both in situation and in
dialogue, and the librettist uses broad
comedy effects touched off by the gro
tesque to get the laughs. The chorus
merely sings. The girls chorus was
drilled by Mrs. w. r. Hughes. Mr..
Dougherty has little to DO as the son
of the Mikado except to look like
sad and sorrowful youth and to make
pretty speeches, while Yum-Yum has
only to sigh and accept the speeches
and make few in return. These
parts, however, were well carried out.
Mrs. Johnson had one or two chances
to sing and was applauded
George A. Brown. as the Mikado
appears only for a few moments in
the last act, to roar Officially and sit
in the chair of state. His brief ap-
pearance gave him chance to sing
and his voice was easily the best of
the evening.
1t fell to Ted Vaughan, as Koko,
David W. Anderson as Pooh-Bah, and
Mrs Chester J. Hum, as Katisha an
elderly lady, to produce the broad
comedy parts, and the three of them
worked with spirit and comedy
capacity that is beyond ordinary ANA
tours. Indeed, Mr. Vaughan is a for
mer professional, and he made Ko-Ko
the big hit of the evening, riotously
funny and keeping up continual per-
Torrance of grotesque but ridiculous
antics. Stage training showed in ev-
cry move he made. David w. Ander-
son, as the man with more titles than
Superintendent Campbell, made an
other hit while Mrs HUM outdid her
self in the kind of part that Gilbert
e. Sullivan developed the elderly fe-
male who signs for some one to love
her, and the enthusiasm she threw into
the part was very good She showed
bravery entirely unfeminine by daub- |