The Washington times., 1908-12-15
Clever Dances Are whole
Show in "The Soul
Kiss" Production.
Capital Theatergoers Pay
Splendid Tribute to
Miss Genee.

A
mostly Miss Genee.
To natrons Of 1.-The Follies" and ''The
Mimic World" and 1.-The Queen of the
Moulin Rouge" The Soul Kiss" at
the National this week, affords highly
delectable postgraduate course
Perhaps the most widely advertised
show Of the year. the name alone has
become a by-word, and the jestings Of
merry photographers have supplemented
the efforts of press agents 20 keep ia
terest alive. It was TO be expected that
a full house would greet the first APP
pearance of the talk Of New York, but
the size OF the audience that lined up
long before the doors were thrown open
last evening came pretty close to the
Capitals record for first-nisht patron
age. Not only was every seat in the
house taken. but halt had to be call
ed on the selling of standing room
tickets TO conform 10 the fire regula-
tions-a distinctly unusual occurrence
Dancing Girls Share HOnoIS-
Those who bought seats right up near
the scene Of action for the purpose OF
being shocked were disappointed after
the earlier numbers. instead they were
treated TO an exhibition Of dancing by
Miss Genee. which was a revelation.
Falling but little short Of Miss Genee's
triumph was the hit scored by the oc
tet OF dancing girls from the Empire
Theater, London
a natural tendency Of those who
watched Miss Genee last evening was
10 compare her work with that OF Miss
Gertrude Hoffman, whose interpreta-
ton of Selome is still fresh in the minds
OF washington theatergoers- And the
verdict was overwheln ningly for the
newcomer.
While Miss HOnman's appeal was
founded on the sensational and attract
ed wide attention by its novelty, Miss
Genee has won fame by improving on
what Others have done for generations.
better perhaps than II was ever done
before. Though art may have 3uSLi-
fled the scantinesS Of Miss Hoffman
attire the theme Of SalOme as a form
Of entertainment was Objectionable 10
many. Not movement Of Miss Genee
is based on the suggestive or even the
ultra-sensatiOnaL Her numbers are
those which are taught in reputable
dancing academies developed more near
" TO perfection than has been seen on
the stage Tor many moons
Ranks AboYe Miss Hoffman.
Miss Genee's act even ranks above
Miss IoTman's Interpretation Of Men
delssohn's Spring Song" easily her
masterpiece. because the former is phys
cally better adapted TO her part, II for
no other reason 4 person of Miss Ho1f-
mans stature tripping lightly through
the Spring Song" approaches danger
ously near the Ungainly, while Miss
Genee meets every requirement OF
her vocation. and her personality adds
70 the charm of her movements.
-Four dances are introduced by Miss
Genee in THE Soul Kiss" She trips
through THE Dance Of the Soul Kiss"
with a light fantastic step that gives
no warning of the vigorous, electrical
cadences Of the Grand Bj.labille." De
spite its vigOr the dance does not round
into a SalOme-like thunder storm, but
is uniformly graceful Miss Genee's !
exhibition was. supplemented by her
coryphees. each one OF whom would
serve as the premiere danseuse IN an
average musical show. In slow and
stately contrast to this dance was PAS
d. Facination," and perhaps the most
appreciated Of all-the one which kept
the audience in their seats until Miss
Genee had answered encore after en-
core was the Hunting Dance"
Below Ziegfeld Standard.
To use slang Miss Genee was the
whole show" Neither from a musI-
cal standard nor IN point Of exploiting
novelties is The Soul Kiss" on a par
with earlier Ziegfe1d productions. In
fact It often shows signs OF being a
compilation Of the best IDEAS that have
already served to make that producer
famous. This criticism does not apply
10 the stage settings. The view of New
York by night. and the hunting scene
were among the finest stage pictures
seen here this season.
The work Of one other member of the
company besides that Of Miss Genee de-
serves mention Very well them and
they were actors then" as rendered
by Ralph Herr familiar TO those who
have seen this entertainer on the vau-
deville stage, but both have been set
down as vaudeville classics, and serve
TO strengthen immensely a show none
10 strong in speciaIties
The strangest phenomenon IS that the
show seems to have undergone q mpral
regeneration during the interInission,
and the second act lacks any of the
features OF the opener, which are Ike
" to invite criticism.