The Minneapolis journal., 1903-03-24
AT THE 5TaIEATERS
Metropoitan---Anna He'd, In "The Little
.-- = Duchess, r.. =

-
The vogue Of Anna Held shows no sign
of abatement. Indeed, the $piquants lit
tie Frenchwoman eVineesS q: remarkable
talent for maintaining and even increas-
ing 1t season by season. When you stop
to consider the matter, lit is q little diff
cult to say how and i why Anna Held
pleases her old admirers, and wins so
many new ones. Catalogue her various
attractive qualities as carefully and com
pletely as you may, they are all summed
up In the one word--beauty. Beauty of
face, Of form, of manner, of dress-is there
aught else that may be set down in the
Helds title deed to popularity? Not her
most devoted admirers would aver that
She had a talent, for irnpersorat tion-for
she is always Anna Held, beautiful and
~bewitching, never any other character.
In THE Little Duchess last night she
made a futile little essay in the direction
Of impersonation. For a few moments
she appeared as a street gamin, with alb
normally tight trousers and suspiciously
neat attire. The one concession she made
to the occasion was, it is true, tremen-
dous one, for she smeared that peerless
face with several hideous, smudges. Gould
a beautiful woman make a greater sacri-
fee? But even thus disguised she never
forgot nor permitted the audience to for
get that she was Anna Held and none
other. Her voice would never win re-
nown for her, though it. is pretty enough
for a saucy chansonette or a latter-day
stage ballad. Ana her dancing, while
graceful, is merely an opportunity for
further demonstration of her pulchritude.
But In all the arts Of beauty Miss Held
is. supreme. That is the touclstone Of
her success. So secure is her queenship
that she has dared to surround herself
with a court of beauties, whose charms,
SO far from outshining hers, merely en-
I, 49, f,,,,k Se Ia
would be found in the fact that. Miss Held
lis as sincerely and. enthusiastically ad-
nired by women as by men. 1t is an in
teresting fact that she has accomplished
this by mastery Of the art Of beauty
she knows how to be beautiful in manifold
ways and variant phases Nothing is
neglected either in her own person or lin
the stage. accessories, the lights, the
scenery, the costumes, that will contribute
to her sensuous triumph. Gifted with
an exquisite taste, she. gowns herself
with superb and artful simplicity. Pos
| sessed Of innate grace; ;5she contrives every
pose so that it shall, be; effective without
appearing studied And she has the
pretty woman's way Tor smo odulatingg her
voice in speakingrso so as to express more
than she seems to say. Even her de-
licious Frenchssaccentg that endures after
several years. struggle with the English
| language, plays It's captivating part in
| the eoncert of beauty. go. ,~,.-,s,,,..s..
hessLittle. Duchess is. a, musical
potpoGrri, the concoction of which is at
| tributed to Reginald De Koven and Harry
B., Smith, II the former furnished much
Iof the muisc it has been crowded out Eby
other jingly things by other composers.
and if the latter furnished a plot, it must
have gone out between the acts and for
gotten to return. But the mysterious dis
appearance of the plot does not daunt the
tpEoducer,swho fills 1.-THE vacancy with a
great variety of new effects and novel
devices Lacking the cleverness and in
| terest Of .'Papa's Wife" the present pro-
seasoning Of mild com medy. The chief
comedian is the lank and eccentric
FJoseph Herbert--a fun maker, Of origina,
and effective methods. George Marion Is
another old favorite, who introduces his
clever dago impersonation and sings some
ineffective topical songs. Knox Wilson
as a jealous Russian husband is tire.
some until he appears first with a con
certina and then with saxopfone an6
does a ''turn'' that wins the greatest ap-
plause: Of the evening. Little Franz Ebert
with but two chances at the audience
convulses everyone with his grimace!
and his original ''business.' Frank Rush
worth with his pure, but not always trlt
tenor, furnishes the best voice in the
company. Edouard Durand as a fencing
master Louisa Royce as a flirtatious wife
and a. number Of minor Characterization.
are included in the cast. >s,s-Es. q
The congress OF beauties gathered abou
Miss Held is all that is claimed for it. ant
its members know how to sing. dance
fence. pose and wear stunning costume
to the best advantage. In short nothin,
that money and rare taste. could do t,
make Of "The Little Duchess a brillian
and dazzling production has been over
looked.
- w. 3. Chamberlain,