Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-01-02
ANNA HELD COMING.
The French Chanteuse at the
Worcester Theatre, Thursday.
Strong Attractions Through the Week at
All the Local Play r4ouses- Melodrama
at Lothrop's and Vaudeville at 6ijou.

| udys Auild t1elu, the FAMOUS fTtuch
songstress, in company with Chester
Bailey Fernald's one-act Chinese play,
1.-THE cat and the cherub," Thursday;
and Margaret Mather's spectacular re-
vival of "Cymbel!ne," Friday and Sat
urday Lothrop's Opera House an
nounces THE great train robbery"
with the attendant Indians and other
needful accessories; and the Bijou has
fresh lot of vaddevillians.
"SUPERBA"
This years "Superba" is most salts
flying production, and while this is the
| eighth season of its existence, every
thing is so new that it might be- the
initial performances OF the piece. The
| dialogue has all been ewritten by
| Clyde Fitch, new trick scenery has been
| invented and new costumes, new char
acters and new ballets designed The
ballet girls this year have been chosen
with view to youth and beauty as
well as terpsichorean ability, and there
are also a number of original and pleas
ing specialties; but the pantomimic fea-
| lures are made the principal part of the
performance, and by means of which the
brothers -Hanlon expect chiefly to enter
! tain their patrons. The Hanlons are
now about the sole survivors on this
side of the water of the great number
Of pantominists whose agility and droll
antics used to be the delight of young
and old. 1t is not SO many years ago
that the Christmas pantomime in the
larger cities was considered as much
part of the holiday celebration as the
Christmas dinner, and a revival of the
taste for that sort of thing crops up oc-
casionally even yet. Anything with the
trade mark of the Hanlons is sure to
be heavily patronized III Worcester, and
this years "Superba' will be no eXcep-
ton.
The specialists this year include
Charles GTyer, who enacts the role of
the clown and contributes a delightful
ten minutes of the art of tumbling
combined with droll sayings and humor-
a most unique act which excites the ex-
treme commentator of the audience
! whenever presented; Louise TruaX, a
phenomenal child whistler, who, despite
the fact that she has barely emerged
into her teens, does some remarkable
whistling and shows a depth of express
sion and a marvelousness of execution
which in one Sc young is very remark
able; and Sarony Lambert, in an &C.
/ centric dance.
On Wednesday there 's.n be a special
| bargain matinee, when all seats will be
offered at % and 90 cents. Regular
theatre prices rule at the evening per-
| formances.
ANNA HELD
This much bepuffed French beauty
makes her first visit to this city Thurs
day evening. supported by clever
troupe of variety people, including
Lizzie Evans and Harry Mills. Mile.
Held will introduce her animated music
sheet with which she has been enter
| tanning Roster & Balls patrons in New
! will cir m
play with me" and the other songs for
which she has become noted.
While Mile. Held can sing a song as
| well as any in her profession, it is her
| face which is her fortune. The contour
| of her features and the superb colortng
| of her hair, eyes and complexion are al
most unriyalled. Her milk baths, con-
! sisting OF Is gallons warm milk, in
| which she piunges weekly for the pre-
servation of her beauty, have been the
subject of much comment and some
| ridicule And, besides her matchless
1 beauty Of face, the fair artistic has a
| figure beyond cavil. Quoting from her
! fiance Mr.. Ziegfield, her arms. feet,
! hips and waist are slender, and she has
/ broad, firm shoulders that a Psyche
/ might enyy-a most unusual comblna-
| tion-and added to this, she has a sup
| Pile ligaltness and youthfulness of bear
| ing that makes stage beauties of Statu-
esque proportions seem in comparison
like statues of liberty
After Anna Held and her company
have finished their part of the pro-
gram, the last half of the evening will
be given to the great New York and
London success, 1.-THE cat and the
cherub." This is Chinese play, dram
atized from Chester Bailey Fernald' S
! celebrated story in the Century Maya
zine, and was the first thing of the kind
! ever given on an English-speaking
| stage Although brief, the play is ex-
| eeedingly strong and its climax is
marvel of dramatic power and impress
| slyeness. The play will be interpreted
/ by as strong a company as William A.
! Brady can select
MARGARET MATHER.
After an absence of several years DUR
ing an essay into private life as more
or less happy bride, Miss Mather returns
| to the stage this season in one of Shaks-
/ peres most charming dramas, "Cymbe-
/ line"
This play has never before been given
| in this city, and, indeed, is rarely pre-
sented at all on account OF the varied
| and expensive scenic outfit required to
stage it in anything approaching a sat
| isfactory degree. But one Of the results
of Miss Mathers matrimonial expert
/ ence was 10 put u1uCu ulOuSy III lieI
purse, and expense is a thing she has
now small reason to consider. The chief
| character in "Cymbeline, that of the
dainty and trusting Imogen, has always
appealed to Miss Mather, and she has
ardently desired to appear in the role.
| Circumstances have at last placed, it in
| her power to do so.
! When she decided to produce "Cymbe-
! line she did so with a full understand
]
mined to give 1t a production thorough
ly worthy Of it in every respect, regard
/ less of the cost, and the results we are
| about to see here for the first time 1t
may be said in advance, however, that
wherever it has been presented hitherto
| the critics have been a unit in declaring
| it one Of the most superb Shaksperean
productions that the American stage
has ever seen. Miss Mather carries with
| her bulk OF scenery and properties
treble what is used iii the best exposi-
| tons Of Shakspere with which we are
/ familiar. In "Cymbeline," as she does
/ 1t, there are no less than Is entire
changes of scene, many of which are eX-
| traordinarily heavy. In their prepara-
ton the service of six Of the best scenic
artists in America were employed. The
costumes have been carefully de-
| signed to show historical accuracy, and
the ensemble is in an artistic way be-
| yond criticism Miss Mather's Imogen
has been compared by the leading crit
! les to that of Adelaide Nelson, and is
certainly an intelligent and studied inn
PRESERVATION. The company is numeric-
| ally and artistically strong, and the
| whole production is likely to be one OF
the best Shaksperean eXpositions we
have had vouchsafed us.
LOTHROP'S OPERA HOUSE.
THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY"
1.-THE Great Train Robbery is the I'll