The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-28
THE PARTISAN MODEL"
Anna HeId's Newest Musical Pia, Seen on
broadway.


THE Partisan Model" in which Anna
Held appeared last night at the Broadway
Theatre, is classed az a musical comedy on
the programme. The programme errs.
The piece ia just a show. And with the
Casino pieces Of George Lederer's days in
mind and a vivid memory of the Weberield
productions at the concert hall it is only
truthful to announce that the newest show
is the greatest girl show Of them all.
OF course, there's some music. Anna
Held sings several songs and rolls her eyes
ana acts out the words entreatingly just
as she has always done. Some OF the other
principals have songs too, and there is
considerable dialogue throughout the piece,
but when II ia all over n realizes that il
Ms TO the eye and not to the ear tnat the most
successful appeal has been made.
All Of the action takes place in Paris.
and som OF 1t comes pretty near breaking
the speed limit. but the sophisticated Broad
first performance liked the show all the
better for that. nna Held ia a model in n
dressmakers'. and when some one leaves
her a lot Of money she throws UP her job
and buys some fine clothes he rself. Fol-
some reason or other il isn't fair for her
TO tell where the cash comes from, and her
artist fiance misunderstands.
Then the plot lapses and doesn't get in
the way any more until the reconciliation
Just before the final curtain.
The first act scene in the dressmaker's
shop made the audience sit up and take
notice in a hurry when half a dozen show
girls came in for a fitting. They had con
siderable fault to find with the waists, which
we're promptly ripped of. disclosing lacy
things with blue ribbons run in. Amoment
later Miss Held appeared and sang a Gong
which necessitated a new gown for every
Verse. The women in the audience agreed
that the gowns were dreams and so were
those that even the show girls wore. A
better costumed show OF its kind has never
been produced in these parts.
After the plot got lost the piece became
simply a series of independent acts, but
never did il become tiresome, though il got
noisy once in a while and the chorus, which
was picked for good looks, tangled the music
Julian Mitchellis chance TO show his ability
at stagecraft and he outdid himself.
For instance there is a ballet of about
two dozen youngsters OF the pony variety
For one musical number s~leighbells were
tied TO their ankles each girl wearing a tell
of a different tone. They danced for a while,
the cells h~armonizing with tbs music, then
Topped down on their backs. stuck their
feet in the air and shook 'eIn sky ward, n
al atime. following the air Of the orchestra
II was done with a snap and II went.
The last scene was a novelty, too. 1t
transformed tho stage into a skating rink,
and everybody rolled. Some of the cIorlIs
girls we're as graceful AZ Could be; others APP
parently were beginners. They tTipped
and barked their shins, others piled up over
them, and for a minute there was general
rough house, which nobody enjoyed, a ppar-
emily, more than the participants them
selves. Thst chorus wa a delight 10 the
eye.
Harry b. Smith, who wrote the book, has
not given Miss Held the opportunity to do as
much real acting as she did in "Papa's Wife, I"
but she is as attractive as ever. and has a
song called Il Can't Make NY Eyes Behave"
that had to be repeated again and again.
There's a Caruso verse in IL too, because "he
couldn't make his hands behave" when he:
Quite forgot the opera Stage
And stayed loo long by the monkey cage.
"A Lesson In Kissing" sung by Miss
Held and Charles BigelOw, Mr.. Bigelow's
sung by Truly Shattuck and a double quartet
we're the other most popular of Max Hof-
mans musical plumbers.
or the supporting company Nr. Bigelow
stood out. He relied less upon vocal tricks
and wabbIy knees than ia former years
and in a part which made him successfully
a Mexican, "a gendarme, a -ervant girl and
a German army officer. he supplied most Of
the laughs in the piece. Miss Gertrude
Hoffman initiated Eddie Foy and Mrs Held
to perfection.
A song which suggested the Florodora
se xtet among other things created some
thing OF a sensation. II was called, I'D
Like TO See a Little More OF You" and was
sung by a lot OF artists and models. II
started of as If il might prove a sensation,
but ended 50 diffe re ntly that a man down
in front voiced his Sentime nts by remark
ing: oh. shucks,' audibly.