The Washington herald., 1913-09-26
ALL-STARS CAPTURE
BELASCO AUDIENCE
orId-Famed Specialists Entertain
Washingtonians on Their
World Tour.

The HOFFMAN,. Polaire, Stewart-Rich'
ardson triumvirate opened their three
days' engagement in the Belasco TheateI
last night, presenting succession of spe'
ciaIties in handsome settings to an audi
ence which taxed the capacity of the
house.
After a preliminary advertisement fur.
nished by the Apollos from the Alhambrs
i Theater. London, in excellent reproduc.
tions of famous bronze statues and physi,
cal culture feats. Daix, from the Folies
Bergere. Paris, who gives the impression
Of a bearded lady, entertains and some.
what mystifies his audience with a male
soprano voice.
And then comes Lady Constance Stew
art-Richardson, who pins her faith tC
nude display as the prime element of the
art of terpsichore. The curtain rises or
a charming grotto, and the orchestra
plays a while to give the audience time
to take a deep breath, as 1t were, before
Lady Constance sbips out on the scene in
the first of her 'Faun Dances" which
are dedicated to those "who love the
open"
When the titled dancer suddenly closed
her first professional engagement on the
stage at the Palace Music Hail in London
it was generally understood that it was at
the request OF King Edward. whose finer
sensibilities were said to have been
shocked by her abbreviated costume.
She dances in scant swimming jersey,
over which is draped a ilmy cloud of
chiffon. which leaves her beautiful legs
and arms quite bare.
The stage is darkened for her entrance,
and Lady Constance drifts languidly on,
stirring the air with her waving arms in
a moody representation of the hour that
comes before the dawn. when all living
things move" She follows the sweep of
the music in this in her awakening at
the birth of day, and also in her final
dance when the sun has risen, with
grace. her methods embracing a combina-
tion Of Greek poses, the school OF the
Russian dancers.
Following the titled English dancer,
Leo NinO. from the Apollo Theater.
Vienna, gives a remarkably clever enter
tainment on his Violin. consisting mainly
OF artistic limitations.
Then comes Mime. Polaire, advertised as
the ugliest woman in Paris Cand hav-
ing seen her, do not feel inclined to dis
pute her claim, in her one-act play. LIE
Nisiteur." in which she is capabIy assist
ed by NJ Edgar Beckmann as the visitor
and Mile. Clasis as a maid.
hHlt. iOldlTe Is an dTUSle 10 her nnEer
tips. Her emotional work in the tragic
little drama held her audience tense with
interest last night The play, which is
given in French, is a tragedy. and as its
star Nine. Polaire is fascinating
Following the intermission comes
Gertrude Hoffman, in her new revue,
originated in the exotic Americans
own frizzly Uranium. featuring herself
in 'impersonations of Anna Held. Har-
~ Lauder, the notorious Gaby de Lys,
and Harry Watson. jr.. in their char
acteristic songs. Miss Hoffman, IS a
clever imitatOr and was well received
last evening.
Another featured number of the re-
vue is Sheherezade's Dream. the pro-
Iogue of which is miserably read be-
fore the curtain by Julia earle. While
one fails to see just where the dream
begins of what it consists. or where II
ends, il nevertheless serves an excuse
for a display of Miss HofTmann's
Aegintean style of dancing, which is
a reigning craze of the passing hour,
not because 1t is either graceful or
developed on evolution and progress,
but Just because il is something novel
to the present generation.
Miss Hoffman, appears in everything
from ancient Egyptian poses TO modeTn
burlesque: with clothes. and one might
as well say without. so transparent is
the beaded costume in which she dances
during the dream feature.
Supporting the indefatigable Miss Ger
trude are a number of chorus girls, con-
spicuous for their lack OF voices: Lee
Chaplin and Stafford Pemberton, and
scores OF clever acrobats.
1t is said that each OF the three ar
fists who are combining their efforts to
entertain the public has given her entire
summer to making ready for this world
tour. That it has been time well spent
may be confidently asserted IL the re-
ception accorded them by Washington
ians last hight is any criterion at all
J. c. MANI.