The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1908-05-23
NEW YORK LETTER.
Gotham's Curious Thsatrical Taste Latest
Popular Song oddities-silk Slips
for Summer Gowns-street
Criers and Their "Noises''

LOT summer GOWnS->Lfe6G
Criers and Their "Noises.''
New York, N. Y, May 20. 1908.
Special Correspondence of The Chief.
There's no accounting for tastes
particularly when it's Goth ANS taste.
Take the theatrical critics, for instance;
they will flock to a play like 1.-THE Jest
ers, - in which is starring that constel-
lation of consultations whose name
is Maude, and condemn it entirely
and irrevocably, while4'Polly of the
Circus" a melodramatic lot of clap
trap with thin-voiced, hatchet-fae
little bundle of nerves like Mabel Tai
liaferro for lead, wins their enthusiast
tic plaudits and the verdict that the
show is a bowling success and the star
winner. Then their opinions will be
upheld by the general public, and one
Of those phenomena al New York runs sets
ia and the house sells out for every
performance weeks, and often months,
in advance.
The Shows That Freeze Out"
There's Ethel Barrymore, now, as
sore as she can be over the chilling
reception ''Her Sister" got here, while
Nat Goodwin in ''The fastener" had
to pull up stakes and hike, to
get out of the cold that descended
upon him. On the other hand, Otis
Skinner is making hit in "The
Honor of the Family, and the four Co.
mans in Georges Yankee Prince, -
and Sam Bernard in NEARLY Hero"
look like all-summer affairs.
Seats Selling Weeks Ahead.
1.-THE Witching Hour, nin which John
Mason is starring, 1.-THE Thief,'' with
Kyrle Bellew and Margaret Ellington
in the leading roles, "Paid in Full''
and "The Servant in the House" are
sold out months in advance. It is
needless to say aught of 1.-THE Merry
Widow" which is the one best bet in
the show line here.
"Polly's" One Touch of Realism.
Polly of the Circus" has just one
touch OF originality to commend it: the
second scene of the final act disclOses
realistic view of three ringed cir
Gus with acrobats, trapeze performers
and trained animals all going through
their various stunts. In the centre of
the middle ring the ring-master stands
swapping his whip after the most ap
proved circus fashion, while an eques-
TRAN fairy dashes wildly around the
circle upon her noble charge. That's
the only vivid scene in the whole show,
and even that isn't as exciting as it
may sound.
The Latest Song Stunts.
Sam Bernard has very clever, very
tuneful vehicle in "Nearly Hero. +"
Some of the musical numbers which
are enormously catchy and of that in
sistent quality that sticks in your
head are: II Don't Want to Marry
You," 'Since Mother Was A Girl
and when Miss Patricia Salome
Danced the Do La-Palome." ''The
Drawing Lesson" sung in the third
act by stunningly costumed chorus, is
not long on real melody but is certainly
some clever. The men half of the CT o.
rus are sandWiched between blank
squares of canvas upon which the girls
sketch in full view of the audience dur
ing the progress of the song. Strik-
ing licensees of Roosevelt, Fairbanks,
Bryan and other political celebrities
grow rapidly under their deft fingers:
of course, there's a trick in il and per-
forated lines in the canvas really
guide the ARTISTS" but very few in
the audience have a knowledge of this
device and the surprising results ar
rived at by the pretty girls call forth
spontaneous outburst of applause.
Volta For FRITZ!
FRITZ Schetf has done two note
worthy things here this week-ended
her engagement in "Melle. Modiste"
at the Academy of Music, and Sc
cured her divorce from her titled hus-
band with the mile-long name.
a Word About Fashions.
The silk slip will be the found alton
for all summer gowns of sheer 10 ate
rial, and is an absolute necessity for
the priocesse lingerie. 1t lis fashioned
of tatfeta or China silk, and must fit
without a flaw. The severe linen
gowns have been relegated to the past.
and this seasons models are all
trimmed. Increasingly
high waist-hnes and draping of skirts
are among the very newest effects.
while every frock must be made long
according to the latest mandate of |
ashton.
When the "Finest" Parade.
Five thousand policemen wearing
lew summer helmets took part in the
annual police parade here last week.
Among the notables who reviewed the
marching lines were Cardinal Logue,
'rimate of Ireland, and Mark Twain.
'rince of American humorists.
he Street Criers of New York.
New York's most insistent street CRY
stherauc one ofthe old clothes man.
III cay long members of his species
ASS back and forth chanting monat.