The herald., 1898-04-24

opera at the Los Angeles theater on Mon
day and Wednesday next are among the
most interesting of announcements. The
subject will be found fully treated in the
musical cc'-.nn.
AS a dramatic event the production here
of the little play with the story of Chinese
life and character entitled "The First
Born" which has been running at the
Burbank during the past week and will be
continued this week, has been highly in
teresting. The increasing size Of the au-
diences testifies to the popular apprecia-
tion of this unusual form Of drama, and
1t may be remarked that there has never
been an occasion where the attention was
sc profound as that given to the dialogue
between the slave miss TidbalD and the
pipe-mender (Mr. Nicholson), characteri-
cations which are almost perfect in their
way 1t is hard to describe the peculiar
attraction which this weird little drama
possesses, but certain 1t Is that people
are drawn to see 1t again and again, find
Ing some fresh interest in 1t on each oc-
casion. The closing scene, with its reveln-
tion of Chinese ferocity of temper, stolidity
of demeanor and stern fatalism, Is pecu.
liarly impressive, as is the somber color
ing, relieved only by the little square win
dow, with it's red curtained light, gleam-
ing like an angry eye from the center of
the stage. The grooming song of the poor.
be-painted slave girl as she leans out of
this window, with the ruddy glow for
background and her despairng talk with
the impassive figure below, is pathetic in
the extreme and draws many tears from
the audience. The clever elimination of
the action Is in the sudden murder of the
bad man and the instantaneous reversion
u an apathetic attitude on the part of
the murderer, who has rapidly concealed
the body, while the girl above resumes her
song to lull the suspicious of a passing
police officer. AS the officer goes out, the
girl drops fainting on the window sill and
the assassin keeping his immovable atti-
tude, the curtain falls slowly and the
drama Is over.
Dancing as an art intended to develop the
true ideal OF the poetry Of motion with its
graceful agility, its soft suggestion and Its
picturesque abandon in which life. health
and physical perfection are combined, is so
little encouraged nowadays tnat western
audiences have for the most part lost the
ability to properly appreciate an artist
when they see one. AS in the art of acting.
80 in the subsidiary one Of dancing, the
performer desires the short cut, and the
patient application and rigid practice re-
quired from a ballet dancer Of the 'classic"
school is beyond the powers Of the would
be stage star of today.
Outside. of the eccentric and grotesque
steps practiced by the colored people and
their imitators, there is to be found the
'serpentine dancer" who depends upon
prismatic colors and waving draperies for
her effects, her feet doing little of the
work; and there are, then, the people who
form the corps de ballet in modern opera
and spectacle. These latter are selected for
shape and looks only. Beyond an ability to
20 through a stage drill and to prance
through few steps, nothing further Is re-
quired from them as dancers.
When, therefore. trained dancer of
unusual ability comes upon the stage, the
audience, while 1t applauds the physical
exhibition and the costume with its brief
simplicity or its highly seasoned reveal
ments, does not appreciate the cleverness
of the work done, the patience and the skill
of 1t, nor the unusual talent, combined with
great perseverance, that has been neces-
sary to bring it forth. Between a gaudy
chrome and a fine painting the unframed
taste may oftentimes prefer the former,
and 1t may be that buck and wing dancing
is preferred by the patrons of the Orpheum
to the wonderful saltatory excellence of
Miss Bartho, who has been upon those
boards for the past week and will continue
for week longer. Miss Bartho is a Rus
sian and had an English mother. She was
trained at the Imperial academy in St.
Petersburg. a government institution,
which she entered at the age of years and
went through a course of many years in
struction in dancing, gymnastics and gen.
eral dramatic training, besides the ordinary
branches of education, and also acquired
the French language. She speaks good
English, which she learned in London. AL
though she is yet young. she has appeared
with great success in Paris, London and
other European capitals and has been re-
ceived with great approval In New York
In person, Miss Bartho presents a singu-
larly fine development of athletic power
and graceful accomplishment. Her style
of dancing requires the highest trained
ability of the muscular system, and she
has, in addition to this endowment,
gained that ease Of department
devoid Of difficulty in execution. She
is enthusiastic about her art, devoting
herself entirely to 1t and taking great
pride In what she calls the classic charac-
ter Of her performance. In addition, she
has an agreeable and winning manner,
characteristic of her Russian training, and
she has the shrewdness to express herself
delighted with Southern California and to
say that she would like to make It her
home-a sentiment which, while It is not
novel, does credit to the young lady's
head and heart.
o o o
A New York letter says that Joseph T.
c. Clarke, who has succeeded Henri Du
may In the editorship Of the Criterion
served for many years on the editorial sta n
Of the Herald. He was subsequently man
aging editor of the Morning Journal. and
tor the last three years has successfullv
devoted his attention to writing for the
stage. His "Heartsease," with charlas
Klein, and "Tor Bonnie Prince Charlie"