Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-01-07
ANNA held.
Worcester Takes Advantage Of Chance
to See the Beautiful Parisienns.

worcester axes advantage OF finance
to See the Beautiful Parisenne.
Curiosity to see the woman who is the
famed beauty of two continents, drew
crowd of spectators to the Worcester
every one of the high-priced seats and
comfortably filed the others 1t was
we'll that Mile Held was all they came
| te see, for her vaudeville accompani-
ment was of the lightest-waisted de-
scrption, and its chief merit was its
brevity. The interesting features were
the chanteuse herself and the Chinese
play, which opened the entertainment.
The distinguishing merit of THE cat
and the cherub" is in the novelty Of its
sceneries and it's dramatic, though
gruesome, climax. Wing Lucy. the SON
of noted Chinese doctor, Wing Shee,
is the favored sutton of the daughter of
a wealthy merchant, Hoo King. Lucy
has bitter, though unsuccessful, rival
in Chinn Fang, the keeper of an opium
den. At tine close of the day the old
doctor and Chinn Fang sit on bench,
in moralizing conversation over the
vanities of life, and a policeman pass
ing by scrutinizes them narrowly. Soon
after Chinn Fang steals Hoo Chez, the
infant son of Hoo King, to secure a
ransom, and Wing Lucy, discovering
the child's hiding place, is forthwith
murdered by the kidnapper. The doc
tor suspecting Chinn Fang to be the
murderer of his son, beguiles him again
into conversation on the bench, stabs
his victim during an unguarded moment
and slowly strangles him to death with
Glis own queue. Suddenly footsteps are
heard approaching. Quick as fash,
Wing Shee straightens his victim up,
pulls his hat over his eyes, puts pipe
| in his mouth, and the policeman goes
by to observe the same men he watched
before on the bench, apparently en-
gagged in friendly conversation, as on
the previous occasion. AS the officer
disappears Wing SlTee strolls off, while
the corpse of the unfortunate Chin
Fang tunbles over on the bench and
finally upon the floor.
The acting of the play was hardly up
to expectations, except the work OF Will
| liam Beach, who was clever and at
times thrilling as the doctor, Wing Shee
| The local color was supplied by several
| Chinese inscriptions on the scenery and
the burning Of incense throughout the
play.
At the close of the drama and after
the accompanying Interruptions were
4 finished, there was a hush of eXpecta-
ton and then a subdued murmur, as
| the famed beauty and songstress, Mile.
/ Anna Held of Paris, tripped out on the
I stage, She is very like her pictures. The
mass of light brown hair that frames
1 her face, the large black eyes, the small,
/ fiil1-1ipped, sensuous mouth were easily
+ recognizable from the published pof-
/ traits But, while Mile. ,Held's features
! are an almost perfect example OF uhe
/ Gallo tvpe of beauty, 1t Is her inquire
/ that causes artists, critics and the sus-
ceptible public generally to rave over
A. IA TOR
and her neck, shoulders and bust are
! something superb, while her velvety
/ skin seems to have acquired its white
/ ness from the milk which, tradition
i saws forms the staple of frequent
4 baths.
! She sang first a French chansonette
1 which aroused but mild enthusiasm, ano
/ then another song in the same language
/ addressed to the bass player in the or
chestra, after the style of the old ditty
| f'Cseorgie." The song requires her tc
make violent love to the musician, but
unresponsive Mr.. DaIbeck gazed ffxedly
/ and stolidly at his music while the S16Ot
/ a week beauty knelt, threw kisses wept
/ pleaded and scolded at him with an
I abandon and witchery that made him
/ envied of every man in the house. Then
I came the song won't you play with
! me?' which deserves a whole para
/ graph of itself.
I Here Mile. Held demonstrated the
| difference between a French artist and
1 the common serio-comic of the varie-
| ties. The older theatre oers remember
hAinee, and Theo and Schneider and
/ Judic. and tell stories Of how much ex-
/ preston these artists could throw into
! the slightest shrug, and that after one
single wink every man would grip tight
| hold of his seat and breathe hard. In
I TJN1I crlT-
/ gin to appreciate the experiences of
/ their elders For the first time we real
/ ize the definition of "chic" and arch
ness. 1t was a dainty piece of work
/ as she did it, yet the daintiness and
| lightness made us pardon and admire
what would have been execrable taste
in one more clumsy.
Mile. Held's last number was a coon
song, ''I want dem presents back"
which seemed trite and commonplace af-
ter her previous efforts. For the chorus
she introduced her animated music
sheet, which is screen on which Is
painted a music staff with the song
4 words underneath, and holes in place of
! the notes, through which small darkeys
place their heads and sing the notes
/ they are suppose to represent. The au-
dience redemanded this several times,
and then, as the fair songstress declined
! further to respond, reluctantly-most
reluctantly-rose to depart.
/ Tonight and tomorrow Margaret Ma
! Their brings her production Of Shaks-
4 pere's "Cymbeline," which the Spring
4 field Republican called "the grandest
| dramatic production that ever came to
that city" Miss Mather has spent for
! tune on the staging of the drama and
| has evolved a scenario that has made
ali former scenic triumphs bow their
head in humility. The company is fully
adequate. and Miss Mather's own in
! terpretation of Imogen is regarded as