Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-05-12

VARIETY is the spice of life. So is vaude-
X0Nz- vile. If you doubt it, consider
@NFN Gertrude Hoffman,, Valeska Suratt,
NIZ3&G Eva Tanguay and other beauties
AN&M, unadorned who made their reputa-
IGNS0A tions in the 1.-TWO day."
IAZA@A Time when continuous per-
HHlSANY4 forrnances" offered the best means of
WlHnGlWj convincing Aunt Jane that there were
Wl9A|W harmless theatrical entertainments
~GW besides 1.-THE Old Homestead" Va
W. riety, of course, had been word to
0OI<A6 excite horror. But vaudeville
~ - vaudeville was to variety what darn
>XI is to damn!
QA9 And, as the advertisements have it,
there B. F. Keith,
when he took the off type of amusement gener
ally associated with dancehalls, stag houses, minstrel
shows, and 3The Black Crook" had his eye on Aunt
Jane. Vaudeville born in France, during the fifteenth
century and named after VaudeVire, the home of its
father Oliver Bassen stood for something just little
ribald than variety Mr. Keith resolved to stand
for nothing of the kind. Beginning in Boston, he
invaded Philadelphia and New York with shows SO
regiousy expurgated that they couldn't have drawn
the slightest protest from Presbyterian synod.
Oaths might not be spoken at Keths Delighted
damses were banned and barredforbidden fair. Short
skirts permitted under certain rigorous restrictions
One of the restrictions that who short
skirts must not silk stockings. l remember Won
dering wherein the skworm immoral than
the gn and concluding that despite the phrase
ugly as SIM" Mr. Keith had defined sin as anything
attractive.
@Virtue" and vaudeville" were SYNONYMOUS for
people stopped going hear the dittes and began
going to the nudites. Living pictures" began it.
Living pictures you may recollect, were ladies in
pink union suits. They were supposed to be popular
because of artistic draping and grouping; but the
minimum of drapery always brought about the maxi
mum of popularity. 1t was but step from union suits
to nonurion suits; from heshings to whitewash and
bronze varnsh In 1905 London went quite mad over
Venus whose entire wardrobe applied with
paintbrush. Eventually Venus rose from the sea in
America but, by the date of her arrival per-
formers had SO far oustrpped her that she didn't
ate mild sensation.
Roster Balls had paved the way with a female
performer who dsrobed when seated upon a f1ying
trapeze. Oscar Hammerstein had done astonish-
ing things at his Victoria Theater Saome driven from
the exalted home of grand opera took refuge vade
vile, with no Strauss music to guide her. Maude
Allen in England, and Ruth St. Denis, in the United
States, reconcing the authorities to the nude in
art, and making possible any sort of display that had
dancing or diving excuse. Annette Kellernann
attired in bathing suit that chung her like poor
relation Weakened wonderful interest in aquatic sports
while Lala Sebin showed herself be of the opinion
that clothing inconsistent with good juggling and
female person whose name escapes me demonstrated
that bare limbs were great help in playing the violin.
Princess RaJah "orental" dancer who had at
tracted attention at Hubers Museum, ourneyed to
Broadway, where excuse for her undress and her
wrigglngs found in the faint pretense that she i'm
personated Cleopatra "Placing snake in her BOSOM"
read note on the program, "she danced before
of Antony until it bit her." Remarkable as this be-
havior may the part of the statue it was not