The morning times., 1897-02-23
OPENINGS AT THE THEATERS
Anna Held and "a Parlor Match. !,

The good old friends and the good old
Jokes of "A Parlor Match" were rein
troduced to us yesterday evening at the
New National, and seemed to please as
much as when they Were all new and the
farce comedy was q vogue, instead Of IA
back number. Evans, as the book agent,
Hoey as Old Hoss, Minnie French as Inno-
cent Kidd, and the telephone, flexible
hatrack and safe-looting business gave
the original stamp to the revival The
best that may be said of the performance
is that the first hour and three-quarters
was so amusing that il made the audience
forget all about her for whom they had
come.
Then the lights were again lowered, a
mysterious noise caused a discussion be-
tween Old HosS and Capt. Kidd as TO who
should draw the cabinet curtain; Kidd
mustered the courage, the lights went
up and there was Anna Held. There
In short yellow Embroidered skirt abb
brevlated cOrsage, the conventional French
chanteuse's hat dazzling in diamonds. was
the beautiful foreigner, her pretty face
framed in the negligee mass OF beautiful
brown hair.
Some enthusiasts applaudcd before the
lights were up because they had seen Mile
Held well advertised and much praised
and wanted to be on the safe side early
When the lights went up the whole audience
broke into applause for the pretty little
woman. Then shetripped down to the foot
lights and began to display the arts for
which she is reputed famous. Her first
song was La Vrai Amour (True Love-.
Mile. Held wrote this song herself, and the
idea conveyed that love for a beautiful girl
is the real thing may be taken as her
philosophy. In the next song she got into
Irritation with the cOntre-bass because he
made eyes at her. This was all done in
French, but with an art beyond geography,
and the audience asked for more
Her third song was Come Play with
Me" She sang it in English and if the
words We're not Ineligible she made her
meaning clear with characteristic muscular
CREATIONS that translated the ambiguity
literally. The audience again demanded
more. She sang of Mile. Colignon.' - The
audience liked COlignOn and again emdIated
the historic example OF Oliver Twist
The little French woman complied with
My Girl Is High-boTn Lady" in Eng
lish. The result was the same old story
Mile Held made little speech OF thanks,
but the audience kept up the demand for
full and hPaping measure. They were given
II Want Y, Ma Honey in English Mile
Held responded to the applause with a
couple CT curtseys and was permitted TO
retire for the last time
Do you call this success? The audience
would not let her go short of five songs
and speech. Mile Held is the ravishing
little beauty which her picture indicates.
Her features are small and Enthusiastically
Gailc, and her mannerisms have the chic
andsuggestivenes which ischaracteristic OF
all the music hall singers France has sent
us Her voice is an insignificant quantity:
there is not enough of it TO Judge of its
quality, but she enunciates distinctly, with
the end OF her tongue and her expressive
lips. After all, the matter and manner Of
the song and the singer is the point OF
French song, not the vocalization.
To return to the balance Of the entertain
ment, it may be said. as above. it was good
aside from the supreme attraction. BIr
Zeigfeld has supplied a large farce-c comedy
company Of good singers and dancers. who
can act as well as the piece demands
The best actor aside from the familiar
stars, is Edgar Halstead, who, al Capt
Kidd, gave a performance reminiscent Of
Tim Murphy's Maverick BTander; the best
voice was displayed by Will Armstrong
and the best dancing was done by Anna st.
Tel.