Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-04-12
HIGH KICKING TIGHTS
Women as Well as Men Like to
See Tights on the Stage.
LEADER OF DIZZY BLONDES.
Burlssque Temporarily Displaced by Farce
CoInedy--a Defense ut the Bald
headed Men in the first Row
Eject of SILK Tights.

Burlesque has been retired, for time
, anyway. and sO-callc3 fIrcc-comedy has
taken lis place. Instead CT q carefully
selected troupe Of beautiful women TO do
ouriesque in grand style, the puzzle seem
to want quantity in place % quality. The
glOries OF bUrlcSQue Is il was some Years
ago are now merely memories OF the stage.
When I first came 10 America with q bur
lcSque company, with such |eu-knowu
stage beauties US Pauline Markham, Liza
Weber, Ada Harland, and, il l may Dc
pardoned, the only original Lydia IhoDp-
son, the taste FOX bur,esque was then ct its
most nsthetical period. Richard Grant
White, the philologist, wrote il a highly
eulogistic strain about my company, and
said that Pauline Markham had voice that
Was "vocal velvet But was not the first
in the field by any means. The Chapman
and the Worr;il sisters, the Llngards, and
Alice Dunning were then doing burlesque
in this country. l remember that Alice
Dunning was starring il bur.esque called
Pluto" For some years from my first
arrival, ourlesque was the only 90.
And way down IN front by the rootlight'5 glow,
The bald-headed Men sat in the front row;
They hac big glasses to see all the sights,
Including The blondes who danced In silk tights.
The bald-headed contingent IS still here,
and, like TennySon's brook. will go on, as 4
feature in certain theatrical performances,
forever. This IS true because so many
young men are prone to badness. But
burlesQue, with all its attractive qualities
and perennial hearty accessories, has had
TO take back seat.
This leads 10 the query, What kind II any
burlesqUe have We to-day and what will it
be tomorrow To-day it is buried by the
great spectacular shows, such as the
Babes in the Wood" and the CRYSTAL
Slipper" The burlesque blondes are in
these great productions, but only as part
Of the magnificent spectacle. The puolic
could not, il seems, be cOntentet with
few burlesquers on the stage, and the en-
terpFising managers gave IL spectacle
where the eyes would be daZzled and the
sense soothed BY rhythmic Amazonian
drills. Let any one now attempt to DO
burlesque with q troupe Of wonderful stage
beauties, and i? several hundred Of them
are not on the stage, the criticism would be
adverse. There IS Gus Harris, who does
pantomine in London on grand scale.
Il he failed any season to have as many on
the stage as previously, it would mean dis
aster The public would make comparison
and declare his pantomine was deteriorat1 nc;
If burlesque Of to-day could succeed Ses1,
it would be in o large city and Not in
smaller towns. But there would hat 10 be
a large cast, and ballots and othsG short
skirt advertisements galore. 1t wouN have
10 be done regardless of expense. ~sss.s-
Now we have the era Of farce-conedy and
skirt dancers. | say farce-conedy, but in
reality they are nothing but fucces, and"
some of them about as inane as rank idiOcy
itself. But there is the relic of the bur-
lesque in some kind of dance IN tights.
The skirt dancer does her little act and then
the ladies in the very tighteSt of tights
come in as q dramatic interlude.
| wish to correct a general impression. II
is often said that Lefty Lind is the original
skirt dancer, but that is Z mistake. Kate
Vaughn was the first TO make TIA: form Of
dancing more or less attractive. ! have
never INDUCED in the ta-ncnesS OF q long
skirt dance until lately, but 90 not mind
stating that the accusation against me of
wearing attire too scant is unfounded.
True, have always dressed my part, but
have never tre5passed upon the ethics OF
tight dress. Often / have regretted that il
was necessary to cater TO Il public that
wished tosee women on the stage in such
abbreviated habiliment. But | only thiui:
o. the art Of ny profession and not the eff
feet OF q tiesh-colored pair OF tights will
have On the front rows IN the audience.
The sculptor who chiselled the Venus de
Milo thought only Of the divine part Of his
work, and as the marble grew into beauti-
ful shape. think you that he paused to
wonder what great lady or bald-headed
king would blush 10 see a marble image
1udel His soul was in his art.
And right here 1 wish 10 defend the bald
headed rows. Many women grand danes,
enjoy seeing female beauty disporting itself
in tights upon the stage as well as men.
Even men like 20 see an Apollo on the l
stage I confess though they would not
Ike 10 have Apollos on the burlesque
stage, to the exclusion OF the VeEuses. 1t
seems TO me that the bald headed rows have
been almost captured by the Johnnies. The
bald-headed man is, at least, appreciatiye,