The Washington herald., 1911-06-18

fervid farewell. departing with tears. for
hubby and home.
When the curtain rises for the finale, II
discloses the palace at Sardolia Here
the King and Queen become reconciled,
and she, through the opportunities Of
family friend. is prevailed upon to give
up Paul. Thus the curtain falls upon the
queenly vacation OF three weeks, with
seemingly little harm done to the hearts
or regulations of the principals.
These scenes, which are interesting in
themselves, receive adequate value from
Mr. Payton's actors, hold the audience in
thran of expectation, and crowd the
Academy of Music to the very doors
If Payton registers many more Of these
theatrical scoops upon his brethren up
town, we predict that the proIetariat will
donate enough dimes to pay for a sum-
mer home on Long Island. with pergoId,
steam yacht, and lifelong independence.
saison Des Ballet Russes.
Miss Gertrude Hoffman knows as we'll
as any one what the summer public
wants. She has cleaned this informa-
ton through many successive appear
ances before straw-hatted New York, so
it is not surprising that the genuhections
Of the scantily-clad Serpsichoreans, to-
gether with the exquisite modulations of
the old masters, rendered by an excel
lent orchestra, pleased both tympanum
and optic at the Winter Garden.
The first act Of Miss Hoffman's ballet
is called Cleopatra" q mimodrama in
one act. The central figure in this is
the Egyptian Queen. and the scene is laid
in the sacred shrine Of the desert of
Sahara. Here host Of jeweled houris,
gowned in diaphanous. filmy draperies,
pass and repass in every varying process
sion before her queenship, exhibiting
an abandon and grace, always in per-
feet unison with music discoursed by
an orchestra of seventy-five pieces, that
caused the bald-headed veterans in the
first row to VOW eternal thankfulness to
the management.
The second ballet is "Sheherazade,"
"corypheic drama" in one act, based
on the prelude to The Arabian Nights
Entertainments" with the scene laid in
the harem Of Scharriar, q Persian King.
In this ballet the nimble dancers again
won the admiration of the audience,
while the music, by RimslIy and Korsa-
kow, proved a worthy vehicle for the
graceful ensemble work Of the artists.
To the third Of the group, however,
belongs the palm Of artistic merit This
is Les Sylphides,' romantic revelry,"
in one tableau, and It is here that the
art of the Russian dancers, conceded to
be superior to that of any other coun-
try, is best exempliied. The tableau
is a whirl of graceful poses, q series
Of rhythmic writings, a kaleidoscope Of
grace and beauty, which. despite the
warmth Of New York's summer nights,
soothes the senses with that charm that
beautiful women and pretty scores ever
exert upon a receptive audience.
That Miss Hoffman has struck a popu-
lar chord is evident. She has combined
to a nice degree those three virtues that
must ever grace popular summer show
pretty woman, exquisite music, and that
touch Of daring without which interest
lags and box-oflce receipts anguish.
Added to this she has chosen a theater
pre-eminently fitted to the needs Of her
company and the public Here one may
view the Oriental charms of graceful
dancers through hazy clouds OF tobacco
smoke, and even sip a cooling dring,
should one be inclined to patronize the
pussy-footed walters that move up and
down the long aisles. Then, too, there Is
a public prediction that points with
unwavering finger toward the work of
others as the best recreation for itself;
that rejoices, above all other things, in
seeing others enveloped in perspiration
while it cools itself contentedly and that
chuckles right merrily when It recalls
the discontinue OF those paid to amuse
1t. To comply with this psychological od-
dity one can scarcely conceive q more
satisfactory show than the wild abandon
OF Russian ballet on a hot summers
night.
"The Merry whIrI."
Summer shows are Invariably little
more than the froth Of drama enveloped
IN a shroud Of light music and scanty
clothing. with perhaps an ancient wheeze
laughter from those who crowd the the
aters in search OF forgetfulness and rec
reation. All Ell y 'abooed. Mental In
dolence demana ) visual and Graves
the obvious, hense> me apparent success
OF the Merry whirlT at the Columbia,
quite the trothiest. gossamer clothed. and
obvious burlesque that ever graced heat.
ridden New York.
Morton and Moore are the stars on the
bill, but bevy OF pretty girls, headed
hy Miss Rita Redmond claim most of thel