The Portland daily press., 1898-10-04
MUSIC AND DRAMA.
THE BALLET GIRL.

THE BALLET GIRL.
Edward E. Rice's great attraction,
"The Ballet Girl" that for 50 long
time has held the boards of the leading
theatres of the country, received its first
| presentation in Portland at the Jetfer-
son, last evening. Mr.. Rice has offered
nothing to those who are fond OF this
sort of play more characteristic and d.
verting than this extravaganza. which
| il full of pleasing music and clever
comedy concerts, beautiful accessories OF
scenery and costumes, gorgeous ballots
and patriotic effects of song and picture
The new play is the combined work OF
Mr.. ]. T. Tillner, who wrote the lihretto,
of Mr.Adrian Jones, who wrote the lyrics.
and of Mr.. Karl Kiefert, who composed
the music. But the piece is one OF those
dazzling shows in which plot or char
acter drawing, literary merit, sequence,
consistency. are of slight Importance.
Manager Rice takes the skeleton of the
play from the author and clothes 1t to
suit himself and the public. He follows
just the opposite course in selecting his
company; he does not choose skeletons,
and he does not clothe them-that is, not
very much. There are costumes that are
positively startling, and there are sew
eral dances that the visitors to the great
Paris exposition in 1900, need not expect
to see surpassed.
| All through the extravaganza there is
plenty of action, lots Of specialties of a
clever vaudeville character, number OF
very pretty girls in gorgeous ralment
beautiful scenery, and an Infinite mum.
Der of catchy tunes, one. topical song,
which is very fetching. The audience
last night was brilliant one and In
cluded many of the Bowdoiniboys who
came down to see the much heralded
performance. These =. were the leading
members of the cast:
Reuben Van Eyt. an artist,
David n. Lythgoe
Earl of KelIbeggan, fortune hunter,
! Edgar Halstead
Lord Comarthy. his son, James Lindsay
theatre, Jacques Kruger
Perch, Earrs valet, Christopher Bruno
Kopdoppen, landlord Three Bells.
Gus Bruno
Bedalla-Nita's Irish nurse,
Marie Hilton
violette. premiere danseuse Eolies
theatre, violet Dene
Nita Vanderkoop, American heiress,
| Christine Anderson
The rest of the cast peasants, millt-
ners, actresses, and heiressss WAS capably
represented.
Miss Violet Dene, who assumed the
part of Violet, made hit at the very
start. She is sister of Cissy Fitzgerald
the actress of wide fame, who was seen
here at City hall-and has very sweet
well cultivated voice, although 1t Is not
very strong. She is exceedingly grace
| full and dances in manner that en-
shrines her at once in the hearts OF the
"gilded youth. !" Miss Christine Ander-
son sang the part of Nita with much taste
and expression. Miss Hilton was particu-
larry good as the Irish nurse. Mr..
| Lythgoe was charming in his singing
and acting the part of the artist. He
has good baritone voice, which he uses
with artistic feeling, and ne gave "My
Home'' so we'll that he received double
encore. Jacques Kruger as Taradelle,
was especially good, and Mr.. Halstead
as the Earl, was very funny, especially in
his love scene where his "stays" give
wav.
One of the best things OF the evening
was the cake walk by Girls Bruno and
Claire Palma, who personated Minna::
"a Just plain, ordinary, singing girl. =
It would be difficult to excel it, and it
was deservedly encored. Another excel
| lent feature was the take Oft of the 'lit.
tIe German band.' The selections were
mastery approximations of the perform
ances by the ordinary street musicians,
whose idea of key, tune and time Is some
what mixed.
u Another great feature of the evening
was the dancing of Mile. Catharna
| Bartho, the Sensational Partisan danseuse.
| The second act represented the stage OF
the Folies theatre, Paris, set Tor the
ballet, and here Mile. Bartho fairly sur
prised her audience Her toe dancing Is
som ething remarkable.
But we cannot expatiate at greater
length where so much deserves atten-
ton. The extravaganza will be repeated
tonight. One pleasing feature about 1T
Is that there is nothing to offend the sar,
a rather unusual feature of modern
burlesque.
JAMES O'NEILL.
James O'Neil is an actor whose appear
ance in this city always creates lively
interest. This year his coming is of par
ticular Importance, as he presents his Ia
test success, "When Greek Meets Creek"
a romantic drama in four acts, by Joseph
Hatton, whose novel by the same nayue
has been great success in this country
and in England during the last four
years. The mere fact that James O'Neill
assumes the chief role of Henri du Four
nier is the best proof in the world that
| Henri is another hero whose name will
90 down to posterity as another true
Knight in O'Neill's gallery of romantic
creations Henri du Fournicr does sever
al wonderful things, O'Neill's heroes al
WAYS do, and in this instance Henri.
through a remarkable resemblance to his
half brother, Grebeauval assumes this
indiyidual's office, air and uniform, after
he has first dispatched him to quick
death. for coming between him and Ma