El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-04-26
"The Necken" Is Only New
Play Offered in New
York During Week.
a. 60 d. CnIvert.l

my EluEEE 1a SAAMGAAaN
ATEw YORK, April 2s--The past
M weeks theatrical activities in
New York witnessed but one
revival and one new production Il
had promised to be a very busy week,
but Tor one reason or another a num-
Der Of new productions were postponed
and a few reviVals were deferred Tor
more prOpitious dates
lust when a propitiOus date for a
theatrical opening occurs is hard TO
fix It is anything but an exact science.
A play succeeds or fails, apparently,
without any special reason II IS al
ways a chance, and the most astute
producers, such as Mr.. Belasco, have
never been able to make II anything
but a gamble. The delicate psycno-
logical forces that constitute the de-
termining factors in the success or
failure OF a play are too subtle for
anyone to grasp with certainty. be he
aver so shreWd. Even the revival OF
an old time success is accompanied
with this same element Of chance The
taste Of the heater going public has
changed vastly within the past few
years. 1t is, perhaps, that the puDlc
las grown more sophisticated, Il the
ingenious devices Of q generation ago,
which appealed so strongly, now excite
laughter and derisiOn.
But Gilbert and Sullivan were a pair
Of giants, or geniuses rather, who seem
TO be time proof They lose their
freshness. The wit Of Gilbert, his de
liciously absurd drOlIery n the lit
ing tunes of Sullivan appeal as strong
" as ever to a public which has been
surfeited of late with every species or
musical play and comic opera ms
was again demonstrated last Monday
night, When the audience at the Casino
grew vociferOus in its applause at the
brilliant sallies and mellitluous songs
For the past three seasons this old
favorite has been revived in New York
And in every case IL is the same old
story. Large audiences, enthusiastic
| applause and the artistic triumph OF
at least one or two members Of the
cast
After a great many years as a comic
opera star. just how many it would
be unfair to state, it remained o De
| Wolf Hopper to score b biggest hit
/ Of his career as KO-KO last Monday
/ night. The critical observers who
watched him Monday night agreed that
he had touched the highest spot he
has yet reached, and while the per-
Torrance as a whole revealed a few
others in a pleasing light, Mr.. Hopper
not only scored the hit Of the evening,
but gave a performance which will
serve more thar anything he has ever
done to fix his place as one Of Amert-
cas- immortal stage humOrists. he
I seemed to grasp to perfection the Gil
( bertian character. One was led In
] eFlLaDlY TO Leel ina ne was LAt 4Qt4-
I teal KO-KO it. authOr had in mind
when he created the character. 1t was
a most serious study Of a comic role
I n was perhaps never done so well
in the 25 or 80 years Of its history.
In most revivals of comic operas
some modern interpretations are in
/ jected to give it a more or less con-
/ temporary air. But not so with MI
kadO. There was not an exotic song,
I word or joke, nothing to make 1t sound
eup to date" h better tribute
I could be paid to the enduring qualities
I OF this piece.
To praise the music Of the Mikado
at this time would be a sort Of imper-
tinence. And it is, therefore, an added
satisfaction to go to a revival of such
! a favorite and find all the singing roles
in capable hands. Or perhaps it would
be better to say capable threats, since
some Of the principals were better
singers than actors.
Miss Gladys Caldwell, he new Yum
Yum, proved to be q charming little
creature with WinsOme grace and a
splendid voice. She gave the Moon
song delightfully."-, but she Shove she
was new to the role and her perform
ance, while dainty, lacked hat piquant
japanese air with which a few other
artists have invested it, but not FRITZ
Scheff, as experienced as she is.
In the ability to impart a Japanese
flavor to her role Miss Anna Wheaton
was the most successful OF the Three