OCR Text |
Show THE CITIZEN 14 With The First Nighters Those who were bewitched years ago by the magical history of Ali Baba and the forty robbers who were all killed by one slave were surprised to find that Chu Chin Chow, now being gloriously displayed at the Salt Lake theatre, tells almost precisely the same story despite its Chinese name. In fact, Chu Chin Chow is none other than the redoubtable robber chief come to Bagdad in disguise so as to attain more effectually his predatory Khor-assaobjects. He is Abu Hasan of masquerading as a Chinese potentate accompanied by forty retainers Chu Chin Chow may be described with approximate accuracy as a moving picture show set to the speaking stage and is a superb spectacle produced with all the art and artfulness that modern ingenuity can lend to Arabic romance. It is designated as a musical extravaganza of the Orient and was written by Oscar Asche, set costo music by Frederick Norton and tumed by Percy Anderson, all presumably of England, for the show has run for five years at His Majestys theatre in London and is still running. Brought to America, it was staged by E. Lyal Swete and it may be of interest to state that Salt Lake is receiving as that exactly the same production which won the acclaim of New York. The dances are designed by the admirJoable Kosloff and the scenery is by reseph and Phil Barker of London nown. New dances have been arranged by Mile. Guida of His Majestys theatre. The entire production is under the personal supervision of Mr. Morris Gest A note on the program informs us that the panoramic curtain showing a view of ancient Bagdad was painted by Harker Brothers of London, and the screen is an exact copy of the Chinese screen presented to the late Lord Kitchener by the former Empress of China. Bagdad is revealed in many glorious scenes. We see Bagdads shrines of fretted gold, and the gardens green and old, of which Tennyson sang in imaginative yearnings for that city which attained the height of its magnificence in the reign of the good King Haroun Al Rascliid. Perhaps the most notable scenes are Kasim Baba's palace in Bagdad a thousand years ago; the slave market in Bagdad, wherein Chu Chin Chow and his bandits make a raid for riches; a silk stall in a street of shops, where Ali Baba, grown suddenly rich by the discover of the robbers' cave, buys resplendent raiment; the blue hall in Kasim's palace; the wondrous cave of the robbers; a bazaar where there is a fashion display of the Mannequins and, finally, the moonlit orchard where the forty robbers are done to death in their jars when hot and steaming oil is poured upon them and where the satanic Abou Hasan is poinarded by his beautiful slave vhoin he has tortured for many years. The fashion display is popular in n extravaganza, but never before has there- been such a fashion display as is seen in Chu Chin Chow. One must suppose oneself seated in a bazaar at Bagdad while mannequins display the fashions of the entire Orient of a thousand years ago. And through all the show glide and glitter Nile girls, Bermese dancers, slaves, Japanese fanners, Circassian slaves, Turkestan slaves, fruit girls, pot girls, mannequins, carrier girls and the beauties of the ballet. Wherever opportunity affords the gors in review before geous horde the gaping audience. - dark-skinne- d sw-eep- If the play were merely a spectacle it would lack soul, but the writer has endowed Abu Hasan, Ali Baba, Zahrat-al-Ivulu- b, the lovely slave and spy; Kasim, the richest and meanest man in Bagdad, and several of the women of the story with tangible characters. For example, Ali Baba is a sort of Francois Villon as Otis Skinner used to portray that character or as the same actor was wont to portray the leading character in Kismet. He is a e rollicking, chap who gives vivacity and mirth to every scene in which he figures. The role is enacted by Don D. wine-bibbin- g, devil-may-car- Henry Latimer as Abu Hasan makes one shiver with his sinister and sardonic villany. Marjorie Wood as Zahrat is always fascinating, sinewTy and dramatic in the role of the desert w'oman. Her reading of her lines is especially to be commended because of her remarkably clear and musical enunciation. Every scene is sprinkled with songs. Some of them are most appealing and particularly I Love You So, Any Times Is Kissing Time and The Song of the Scimiter. Eugene Cowles, with his marvelously resonant voice, is quite magnificent as Abdullah, the steward of Kasim Baba. Adelaide Mesmer as Alcolom, Ali Babas charmer, and Marjenali as the singing slave girl sing enchantingly. There are other players who deserve almost equal praise, but space forbids us to number their merits. ORPHEUM In briskness and friskiness, not to mention music,' art and several other inconsiderable things in vaudeville, the bill at the Orplieum this week is one to add much joy to the Christmas liigh-walle- d And, of course, there is mirth ga- lore. Bert Baker and his league of laughers appear in a one act farce, entitled Prevarication, and it is the exact truth; to say that it is one of the freshest and funniest farces of the vaudeville stage. Its theme of the deceiving husband and jealous wife is as old as Mesopotamia or any other old land, but the deceitful husband wa3 never fresher than Bert Baker. He tells just one lie after another and never is caught until the final scene and then but why waste words when the laughs are there for you. The opening act is the clever and agile dancing and tumbling of the three Weber girls. Dotson is a darkey whose lightning steps astound. In one of his dances he moves so fast that he looks like an animated fly wheel or an airplane propeller warming up. One of the novelties is the playing of Rae Eleanor Ball and her brother, Joseph Ball she on the violin and he on the cello. While she plays her first number he stands in the orchestra and directs. Then he seats himself in the orchestra and plays several numbers w'ith most engaging art. Imitation of bird notes on the violin is a surprising and entertaining feature. The Barr twins are wonderful dancers w'ho appear in a Riot of Color, while Rube Beckwith, at the piano, discourses stirring music. An extraordinary feat is performed by the sisters. A drop scene is so arranged as to represent a mirror. One of the sisters stands back of the mirror and the other in front. Each dances in such a fashion as to give an almost perfect illusion of a girl dancing before mirror. The Flower Shop is a rural skit in a city setting. He is a Rube and she a pretty girl from his home town. They sing and make fun in a most delectable manner. The Royal Gascoignes is not a troop of entertainers from Gascony wherever that is but a smart cockney who does some juggling that surpasses the usual offering of this kind. His cockney patter has a tang of its own. He is aided by a fair young lady and by Bertha wrho is the worlds greatest somersaulting dog. NEW YEARS AT ORPHEUM Florence Rockwell as Luana In. The Bird of Paradise, at the Salt Lake Theatre next week, commencing Monday, December 27th, The Orpheums annual New Years eve joyfest will be the outstanding feature of next weeks vaudeville bill at the big time house, With tw'O shown to welcome the new year, the regular performance at 8:15 and a special mid night matinee at 10:30 p. lii. A gala bill has been booked for Nov Years week, headlined by a musical revue extraordinary ,The Spirit o' Mardi Grass. There isnt an act on the Orplieum circuit that would fit in better with a holiday program than this big act and its spirit of joy and revelry. It features the Mardi Gra |