The Washington herald., 1909-11-07

Silver star" Her nrst speaking Io'9 -
lost and found girl remarkably reucent'
I counted her words. There were only
81. and she spoke them weakly. Yet
Genee is the big name in the play
posters and programmes, and her prob
able share OF the cash receipts gives
half n dollar 70 her at each utterance OF
q word. I believe that 20 be the highest
pay. reckoning It by the paucity Of Ian
guage. ever received by a theatrical
speaker.
'Tisn't likely have fooled you. Prob
ably you have read Of, and maybe seen.
Adeune Genee. the dancer. During a
dozen years she has been ballet PIE
rnlere in London without saying anything
saw her there last summer IN one OF
those big beautiful music halls, where
the people who sat in the parquet at $3.50
chair look like a New York opera audi
ence. Many Of them came at $3.50. when
the hour occupied by the Genee ballet be-
gan, and went away as soon as It was
over Their quick quttance wasn't due
70 disdain OF the ensuing part OF the
show, however, but to the fact that the
village OF London rings its curfew bell
at 1870. and not a bit TO bite nor drop
10 llolSltu II can De llAL III the lt1lAAA-
rants. So Londoners who would III their
HtOmachs after an evening at a the1ter
must cut the one enjoyment short or
locate the other in some private place.
I thought OF that when l saw New Yorks
Genec first-nighters dispensing at N 80
10 a dozen splendid restaurants 20 drawl
and dawdle at their tables TN daylight II
they wished H.
That Genee's value couldn't be devel-
oped I'm New York as in London with
ballet spectacle all by itself has kept our
managers until now from venturing with
her here. The Silver Star" is an ex-
travaganza, by Harry Smith. on the
American plan, with tomfoolery by
Glowing comedians In the same general
way as say Mr.. Lode OF Koal," which
locates itself half a mile farther up
Broadway with the grotesQue black
Bert Williams instead Of the
white grace or Geree. for its
starred feature The scheme 10
exploit the English compels her 70 be
a speaking actress; so her unframed
tongue tangles itself IN a few lines as
Viola, the founding heroine, but we get
all the rest Of her agile. timber entity IN
silent elOquence as the Christmas Fairy.
the Spirit OF Champagne. and the Flower
Queen. Thus an American musical farce
welded together effectually
A RespIendent Production.
The Bickel and Watson dialect team
from vaudeville. the Sam Bernard sort OF
a Barney Bernard. and the humoristic
Lee Harrison do the fooling. Old-maid
caricaturing by Emma Janyler IS I'm the
fun. So is the jolllty OF Nellie Mccoy. a
low-comedy sister OF Bessie Mccoy.
These are n distinctly American half
dozen. The dancing Genee with set OF
skilled Coryphees and a resplendent outfit
OF scenery, are the equally pronounced
English portion OF The Silver star" For
the first time a London sort OF ballet Is
accepted I'm New York.
Surely the young women would dance
their legs off, II they were not fastened
ON hrmly under the Indictment Of Adeline
Genees wonderful activities But the
violence isn't IN the least vicious The
earliest record OF sirenic dancing. that Of
Salome before her royal stepfather, has
had deplorably nude exploitation lately.
Rare-limbed exhibitions In the guise OF
classic art have been made by severa!
bold young women. But Genee makes no
pcrniCious appeal. Her dances are as in
nocent as a kittens play or a lamb
gambol. She isn't beautiful. but almost
pretty. with a bright face and a SYM
metrical form. She isn't the young girl
that she was twenty years ago. but time
has stecled her muscles without stlffeninc
them, She is q veritable gymnast at leap
Ing and bounding; and she IS as graceful
IN her athletic feats as any waltzing belle
in a ballroom We are told that Fanny
Ensler looked as modest in skirts that
stopped az her knees as other women
were, though draped down 20 their heels.
That is true Of this Genee. She is a Won
der.
Kyrle Bellows New Part.
The title Of THE Builder OF Bridges
might FOR better pertinence be changed 70
THE Player OF Bridge-Whist:" for It's
hero, a civil engineer. might as well
plan any other structures than bridges.
so far as his work affects the play; and
a woman absorbed iu the cards now in
vogue IS more amusing factor In the
entertainment He is personated by the
Kyrle Bellew who taught Cora T-rquhar,
Potter whatever she knows Of acting. and
FOR many year stood By her varying for
tunes fondly. The woman is embodied
by Mrs. Thomas Within, who. with her
Little Buttercup alongside her husband
Lord High Admiral, saved "Plnafore' in
its almost killingly bad first performance
in America more than quarter OF a
century ago. Bellew and Mrs. Whiflu
Illustrate the advantage Of actors over
actresses in the matter Of age. In the
new piece, he at sixty IS the admired
lover Of a girl young enough TO possibly
be his granddaughter; for he IS an ex-
ample Of white-haired but rosy-faced
manhood well preserved; but an audience
would laugh at Mrs. Within IL she were
20 appear as his sweetheart, although
they are nigh about the same age.
simultaneously New York gets PLAYS
from two newly noted English authors
Stephen Phillips and Alfred Sutro. in
their 'Herod' and THE Builder OF
Bridges" The gist OF the latter play is
an old bachelors belief that a young girl
has not agreed 90 marry him because she
reciprocates his ardent love. but as a
reward for HIS keeping her brother out
OF prison. The propositions are equally
true The brother has taken money from
the bridge-building company TO gamble.
loses II, and seems sure TO be exposed
His loyal sister thereupon infatuates the
bachelor that he VIII provide the money
20 make good the thievery and save the
thief from ruinatiOn. BY the time
her plot has worked its purpose. though.
she is sincerely IN love with her lover.
but he won't believe It; and the very
agreeable play lasts until he Is con
WINGED OF the girls heartfelt desire 10
marry him.
Good Acting Throughout.
Much OF the good result Is due 20 the
excellent acting, and especially to that
by the hitherto mlauded members Of
the cast. The idea that New York first
nighters are ofish 10 unherald new tai.
ent is false altogether Instead. they are
quick 10 perceive and reward H. Gladvs