The Washington times., 1911-10-27
Piece Has None OF The
Slam-Bang Variety Of
Humor.
STRAUSS MUSIC
HAS OLD APPEAL
Three Companies On Road Net
Producers $4,000
Weekly.


has proven, one doubts IL II will ever
set the fashion in women's clothes.
None Of the girls or women who has
been at the Belasco this week to hear
Oscar Strauss enhancing melodies has
proclaimed her intention Of being mar
ried in q hat similar to the wedding hat
worn by Nadina In the last act.
And yet that wedding bonnet, curl
ously laden with the fruits Of fields and
hung with long strings Of coins II not
SO utterly dissimilar to the hats which
the women Of America and Europe
wore year or 20 ago. The shape Ii .
little different but the trimming II mush
the same. Where, by the way, are the
hats of yesteryear?
THE Chocolate Soldier" presents
many points Of departure for comment,
but, continuing on the clothes theme
for few minutes, let me tell you that
the assertion OF F. c. whitney, the pro-
ducer. that the Bulgarian costumes
worn are absolutely correct reproduo-
tions of native Bulgar costumes 10 .
truthful statement. In some cases, In
fact, the costumes Of the company were
made by Bulgarian peasant girls, en-
broidering stitch after stitch In tho long
winter nights. More originals would be
worn by the principals and chorus girls
II the American chorus girl and the Bull
gar maiden were not slightly different
In avoirdupois, the excess weight being
carried by the Balkan girls.
Chorus Girls
Not Too Plump.
Truth to .elI, there are one or two
husky damsels in the chorus Of Tho
Chocolate Soldier" but, taking them by
and large, hither and yon. as 1t were,
they are not a too plum and chubby lot.
These original dresses were picked
I'D by Mr.. Whitney's agent In the
mountain side huts where the Bulgar-
ian peasant girls live. and verisuc
press agent hints at experience with
banditti in travelling through the coun-
try. ANYHOW the fathers of the Bull
garian girls proved bandit-like In the
prices they demanded for their daugh-
ters handiwork.
OF all the lavishly embroidered gar
ments, the most elaborate is the we'd
ding dress worn by Nadina, together
with the fruits and flowers hat. THE
fruits on the bonnet symbolize the
fruition Of the girls hopes. her mar
rage to her peasant or soldier lover
says the press agent. Assuming this ID
be true, and 1t undoubtedly 10, we OBJ
serve that the Bulgarian girl Ia quite
frank about wanting tC get married
to the right man.
A Bulgarian girl worked whole win
ter on that gorgeous red dress, which
sweet voiced Lillian Poll wears as Ma
dina. To appreciate the dress you muss
examine it closely, as I did. 1t Ia I'm
possible to see all the details from the
ether side OF the foot!ights.
The garment is composed Of innum:
cradle little squares, woven out Of red
woven linen, dyed with vegetable dyes
as an Indian dyes his thread, or
Persian his yug. Tiny bits OF glitter
ing glass are cnnningly knitted In the
ing effect, which it would be hard 10
reproduce otherwise.
Play Has
Peculiar Appeal.
Changing to quite another theme II IS
interesting to observe what remarkably
different things make people laugh.
THE Chocolate Soldier affords little
chance for fun Of the knockabout var
/, iety and Its humor Is plane above
horseplay and the sure, certain laugh
which follows the abrupt slamming of
q door In some one race. Next 70 inc
effect Of some one falling down. the
door lamming business" is still the
most certain laugh producer on the
stage, tiresome as such clowning IL to
the sophisticated.
But the cynical candor. the fyank
cowardice. Of Lieutenant Bummerle-a
candor which after all. Is more honest
than a great deal of bravura posing as
a hero-is amusing-more generally
amusing than one might have imagined
beforehand.
The character Is described in the IA
nous letter song as somewhat Flip and
pert" and II one adds to these the ad-
jective insouciant the case Is fairly
well covered. "Insouciant' Is not
particularly popular adjective, but for
expressing fine shades Of meaning one
sometimes must either use French
word or one borrowed from the French.
"The Chocolate Soldier has proved
as we'll liked here this week as 1t was
last year. 1t is one of the great finan-
cial successes of the stage. Three COM
panies are presenting 1t and the net re-
ceipts of the producer are declared to
be 900 a week. Mr.. Whitney Is not
worrying whether the Steel trust is dis
solved or not. -
Tomorrow Miss Murdock will present
an interview with Mabel Mckinley. who
Is appearing this week in the Casino
Theater. Miss Mckinley, explains to