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Show j A FOUL MURDER LAST SIGHT. j "The .Tlikado'Aksassiualcd in View i of a Full Audience at the I Opera House. j The first appearance of the Grau Eng- i lish 0era Company at the Walker Opera j House was delayed till nearly 9 o'clock j last night on account of the company! being on board the Utah Central train-, I which only arrives here at 8 o'clock. The audience sat through the waiting spell patiently, however, and when the curtain did go up as pretty a stage setting as has ever been seen in Salt Lake caused a mur-mur mur-mur of approbation to spread throughout the house. But the weak and inefficient opening chorus of the gentlemen of Japan quickly dispelled all the good hopes entertained en-tertained for an artistic performance ; and after Pish-Tnsh. Nanki-Poo and Pooh- Bah had encountered the orchestra in j two or three rounds, which resulted in a clean knockout for them every time, they j j retired covered with confusion. . j j Miss Amy Gordon, as Yum-Yum, displays dis-plays much better kicking ability than she does capacity to interpret the character charac-ter of a Japanese maiden, and she has a Japanese girly-girly laugh which, it must be admitted, is entirely her own. Her line of business which we take to be the vaudeville was aptly shown by the interpolated in-terpolated and spirited solo which she gave at the commencement of the second act, which was recalled over and over again. In fact, what wasn't in the opera was the feature of the opera, so to speak. In other characters Miss Gordon's talents ma' be better brought out, but she is hardly a passable Yum-Yum, possessing neither the mental nor physical requirements require-ments to carry out the delicate and delicious deli-cious satire intended hv the author? although her voice will carry her through, successfully whenever she shall understand the difference between ; broad burlesque and the spirit of comic opera. Of Mr. Max Figman's Ko-Ko little lit-tle can be said, the points shown np by our local Ko-Ko (Spencer) being apparently appar-ently in the background along with the imported Japanese costnmes and the superb su-perb orchestration. "Titwiilow" was his feature, and deserved the recall. The Pooh-Bah of Mr. Kent excelled in voice any one who has played the part here, and his magnificent baritone went a great way to redeem the deficiencies so manifest mani-fest otherwise all around. Mr. Will Morgan, Mor-gan, the Nanki-Poo, has a light, very sweet tenor, but it does not encompass the part, no matter how carefully he may use it. Katishawas a poor rendition, but the Pitti Sing of Miss Anna Barrett is worthy of mention. Howard's Mikado fell below be-low the amateur's, but his attendant introduced in-troduced some business which convulsed the house, and showed more genuine comedy than did either of the principals. The second act did much to redeem the failure of the first; but the fact remains and the Grau Company might as well realize it in Salt Lake as in San Francisco that the company is not one adaDted to play "The Mikado" they can play an infinitely good burlesque on the piece, but the opera in its classic purity never. It is to be regretted that the Grau Company Com-pany opened in "The Mikado," as they have evidently put it on before going through the formality of even a slight acquaintance, in order to avail themselves them-selves of the spreading "Mikado" craze, and here in Salt Lake, where many of the amateurs surpass their professionals, profession-als, adverse criticisms must naturally follow such a performance as the one they gave in this opera. In the "Mascotte," which will be piayed to-night, a cast better adapted, to the voices is promised, and as burlesque is a prominent feature of that opera, a creditable performance is promised, with Miss Amy Gordon as the red-headed Mascotte and Kent in a role where his fine baritone voice will be given a chance. |