The San Francisco call., 1913-07-22
M|KADO' REVIVED
AGAIN At TWO[|
Traditions Concerning Gill
bert and Sullivan Are
Sustained Admirably
BY MATTER ANTHONY

How many times do YOU suppose,
The Mikado" has been reviewed?
magine for answer, il you can. the
columns OF newspaper comment that
have been printed with THE Town of
Titipu" for a theme and anxious actor
singers chiefly the readers Set end
to end (the columns, I mean. OF course),
they would eneircle theg lobe. no doubt
or perhaps reach from a shepherds ar
cadie to Plato's republic.
Rolled up. the newspaper in which
they would encircle the globe, no doubt
formed. make bulk equal to that of
the sun without its spots. and, piled
high with one on the other, would re-
quire a so mile gale from Boreas cliff
two centuries to disperse.
One shudders to think of the industry
that would be required to peruse them
all. Even Constant Reader" couldn't
do it. though he lived, as he seems
likely to do forever.
Nevertheless l am about To add to
the mess, and to make it easy for you.
am inclined to tell YOU at first so that
You may skip all the rest. that THE
Mikado" was revived again last night
at the Tivoli and that every revival
should be taken as though 1T were to
be the last. tt should be seen by YOU
and by such Bilbertesn relatives as you
may possess in the waysef sisters and
cousins and aunts. -
The traditions concerning Gilbert and
sullivan are sustained admirably at
the Tivoli this week.
The chorus really sings, and the
principals both sing and act.
Nothing of the spirit that made THE
Mikado" the most successful of all
operas nearly so years ago, has been
verses that Teddy Webb introduces
into the immortal I've Got d Little
List" song, but even these are accept
able because there have been so many
varieties of the genus pest that haye
sprung into existence since Gilbert
dropped his pen and because the verses
themselves are clever and apt.
Sarah Edwards hits the Gilbert and
Sullivan scheme of comic opera square
ly at all times. Her song of sadness
at the end of the first act has no COM
panion in this type of satirical sim
cerity except the singing of the con-
tralto song in Patience" wherein she
mourned her age and growing weight.
/ mention Miss Edwards first be-
cause hers was the first opportunity
but Rena Vivienne. in her Yum Yum"
music and particularly in her song to
the moon. was adorable last night and
sang to the pitch with keener acquain-
tance than / have ever heard her. In
her reading of her lines she was. as
always. intelligent. and in her kissing
duet with ko Ko she seemed utterly to
forget the danger that may Turk in
germ,
10 10 had cold a very obvious
cold, but Yum Yum smiled and sang
and kissed with archness and an in
eradicable smile.
1 hope nothing will come of 1T. for
it would be a pity if Miss .yfvienne
should contract a malady that. made
John r. Phillips. voice a husky and
half silent utterance last night In
spite of his handicap. and by a judici-
Gus use of his resources. Phillips fin
ished his difficult task without the ac
compartment Of his audiences discom-
fort. and husbanded his forces so that
in his solos he was his effective self.
Myrtle Dingwall entered at short no
tice on the role of Pitt Sing and quite
won her audience by the grace and
dainty manner that characterized her
For He's Going to Marry Yum YUM
which was properly encored.
Miss. Dingwalrs voice is of a girlish
sweetness that fits with peculiar
| beauty the Pitt Sing music. and If she
will restrain a musical comedy ten
dency to talk" some of her melodic
phrases she will be as true Gilbert
and Sullivan artist as though she had
been when they were busy writing
masterpieces
And the male and female chorus is
a delight to the eye and ear, while
the ensemble of principals. choristers
and orchestra, together with the large
audience of last night, proves very
conclusively and most reassuringly
that taste for this variety of art is
neither dead among ticket buyers nor
! sleeping among the producers