The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-04-06

eoihCMn nele peCWecn IL years
old and 20, when our receptive
powers arc at their keenest. Our
mihds gather In q lot of things
thereafter, but our sentiment halts
at lust that point. j was reminded
Of this by the closeness of the re.
vivals of "The Beaear student
and "The Geisha. - The same
friend,. who is about 45 years old,
was with me both times, AT the
older operetta, first heard in the
middle eighties, he was delighted
by the renewal Of old melodic
friendships; whereas I was merely
pleased to hear some lovely music,
we'll sung, and bored by an obsolete
and stupid book. Then came tThe
Geisha,' originally produced when
] was about ID years old. And I
was nothing less than offensive in
my delight. One enhancing air
after another came along, to give
not only the inevitable pleasure of
good music, but to carry me back
to my childhood. And that sug-
gests that lest I become too child
ish, had better stop.
THE company assembled for
Z "The Geisha" is called
"nine star" Sounds like whisky.
but it really is more like cham
pagne. Nothing more effervescent,
light and buhbling than the trills
of Alice zepilli has ever hoated
my way. Her voice is like some
thing lighter than air-a child IS
balloon or Adeline Genee. Which
is not the same as saying she
is the ideal o Mlmosa San. Her
enunciation IS indistinct, and she
sings with so little warmth and
feeling as to render such an in
comparable ballad as "The Jewel
of Asia the whole story of
Madame Butterfly" in two verses
nothing better than mere
colorature "stunt." But Miss
Iepilli is not alone in being very
little help because che is for
elgner. The role of Mollie Sea
mour, the vivacious. reckless Eng
hsh girl, Is assigned TO Linda
Abarbanell, an excellent singer,
who, nevertheless, grants us very
few Ineligible words to 20 on
with. The result Of all this is that
SEThe Geisha' is q lov musically,
rather than as comedy.
James T. Powers comes back in
his old time role Of Wun-Hi, which
shows him to as much advantage
as any part he has ever played.
Among the other s'nine stars'' are
Pauline Hall, dressed right up to the
day after tomorrow: Edwin
Stevens. once more at his best IN
his old role of the pompous mar
quis: Charles King. astoundingly ly
un-English, but agreeable; Georgia
Caine, excessively French, and Carl
Gantvoort and Frank Pollock, i'm.
pressively operatic. a zeal for
opulence and color has carried the
scenic lnvesture beyond the deli
cacy and taste of the original pro-
duction.
TT is a coincidence that Francis
IL Wilson and DeWolf Hopper
have reappeared on Broadway al
most simultaneously; but it is
good deal more than coincidence
that in the sweeping changes that
the years bring in the theaters,
these two low comedians could have
retained the public favor so long
and so continuously. Thirty years
as stars' Oddly enough, both went
on the stage in 1878. a decade
ago. it looked as though the favor
ties Of days when traDslstions of
continental operettas, about hard
luck monarchs and prims donna
princesses in bustles, were in vogue,
had reached the downward path,
which usually is that bourne from
which no traveller returns-to
Broadway. But. presently, they
both "camc back Mr.. Wilson s
emcrgence from long eclipse was,
YOU will remember, made in
change from musical entertain
ments 10 farce. Such 2 piece is
his latest. "The Spiritualist. - writ.
ten by himslef and acted by half
dozen associates, instead of by the
crowds of singers. villagers and
Hroval guests of other days. The
cast is well chosen. the six ''lc'
ejtimate' actors, Harriet Otis Del
Ienbauch, Edna Bruno. Lola Fish
cr, Dorothy Gwynu, Wright Kra-
MGR and John Blair, supplying just
tho right background of gravity
for the Wilson antics.
~ course, Francis Wilson is in
" a dreadful state Of fear
What wonld he the use of Wilson
unafraid7 This time it is spooks.
lie is "natural medium - Spir"
it's from the grave come to him
without his bidding. Indeed. he
wishes they would get back TO their
home in the ground for more than
one reason. Their ipsistent pres
cncc not only makes his knees
4nrrlr hut ca,IsNG