The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 19??-1922, 1921-02-20
MIKADO PrFtTTS
MANY 0Il1MPAIANS

The theatrical critic Of the C,-
mereial Appeal has the following to
say about appearance Of The Mika-
do, in Memphis the past week:
There is nothing quite so refresh
ing, quite so stimulating as to greet
an old friend after some years Of
absence. il thrills one to recount old
memories ana it tickles the ear to
hear the words and the voices that
are strangely familiar. One Of the
dearest of old friends dropped into
the Lyrie last night with all his I'M
perial and Il !icrous hraggadocio. He
was the favorite and most favored son
OF William Schwenk Gilbert and Sir
Arthur Sullivan. With his retinue and
in his quaint way "The Mikado" has
made a couple of generations laugh,
whistle ard sing and last night he
was rs welcome rs ''The Flowers that
Bloom in the Spring, Tra La"
Through two acts the Lyric audi
ence rolllcked j.. he and spirit
through "He's Going a'ry Yum
Yum" 'Three Little i trom
School," "Make the Punishm, ii.
the Crime" "The Lord High a-Aecu-
toner" "Tit Willow" and all the
other lyrics that have made of "The
Mikado" probably the most tuneful
of all the Gilbert & Sullivan operas.
To those who can whistle end proba-
bly, hum "Pinafore," "The Pirates of
Penzance" anu "patience," it is con-
ferring large nonors to colAer the
premiership in melody that is as
harmonious in so"-d as it is in hui
NOR, but there vlll be few if any
protestants to such an awardai.
We have had no better team work
in libretto and music than that of
the author of 1.-THE Bah Ballads" and
Sir Arthur. 1t would be hard to
tell at this day whether the words
were written to the music or the mu
sic to the words, because they trip
along so gracefully and in such per
feet time. Gilert could rhyme al
most anything and make every la
BILE keep step and Sir Arthur uld
supply the tempo and tho Y needed
to give life to the ords. gen
GRAFTON or two has known tais and
it is merely repeated by way Of in
PRODUCTION to our dear friend.
"The Mikado" comes back in laost
finished and capable hands. Ralph
Dunbar did US all a kindness when he
revived "Robin Hood" and he is just
as considerable in his new offering.
He has supplied an evenly balanced
compsny that can sing and that is
appreciative Of the delicate humor
that Is in their hands. 1t is more
than refreshing in this day If sla
stick comedy, unclothed choruses and
double meaning ines to go back to
music that makes US sway in time
with the beat and . s'tu't'o ns h
can make US laugh taout blushing.
You can do both, and besides you
can come away from the theatre s.
ting and happy in the recollection of
previous happiness.
As written, "The Mikado' is some
what partial to the masculine ele-
ment. Karl Stall made "the punish
ment fit the crime" so adequately that
the audience demanded that the of
Tense be committed over again sew
eral times. Pooh-Bah was lord Of ev-
erything else as he had been commits
stoned to be. Ko-Ko executed the lines
and lyrics much better than he exc
cuted his duties as lord high execu-
toner.
To say anything about the inspira-
tional qualities of music or the con-
tagion of humor in connection with
The Mikado" would be like trying
to paint the lily.
The company at the Lyric can sing,
so what more should be said? The
performance will be repeated this aft
ernoon and tonioht.