New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-27
MILE. NITOUCHE"
TUNEFUL AS EVER
Nerves Old Work Opens
Spring Season of French
Theatre.

"Mlle. Nitouche," which In tho days
Of Nine. Judic ut Wallack's Theatre,
set all New York to whistling, was
sung again last night. II was given by
the company Of the French Theatre
nj the Century Lyceum, and marked tho
openinr of the season of operetta to
be given by the French artists during
the spring weeks to come.
This season ought to succeed, even
though it is given in French and our
French speaking colony is small ana
from the demeanor of last nights au-
dionce there was bright omen for sue
cess. Opera boufFe Is an art which is
all hut lost. and yet last night herve's
old work sounded as bright and as
tuneful as it did to the fathers OF
many of those in the audience, and
what is more, despite the handicap or
insufficient staging. tho artists who
took part knew its tradition.
If the Broadway stage possesses TO-.
day comedian Of the droll humor Oh
NJ. Renavant, let it trot him forth; IL
an American composer can write sucn
tunes. let him write them; above all,
if there is librettist possessed OF a
1.-THE Of the wit of Messrs. Meilhac and
Willard, his fortune is signed, sealed
and delivered.
mile. Nitouche" is not n work for a
young ladies' seminary. French opera
bouiTe never was. Yet its gayety Is so
spontaneous and its humor so infec-
tious that even the sternest moralist
can find really little to condemn. Cay
ETY., divine gayety, unthinking and I'M
ashamed, that is the keynote of Mile.
Nitouche," gayety that only the
Latins know and that only Latins can
express. Latin actors interpreted
that gayety last night, and though the
performance had its flaws and the
staging was of the crudest kind It's
spirit rang true throughout.
First honors went to the Celestin OF
NJ. Renevant, an artist Of a peculiarly
droll and infectious humor, who made
his points with an amazing economy OF
means. With him burlesque never de-
seconded into mere gymnastics; he got
his laugh often by the mere dropping
of an eyelid or motion with his hands.
Another admirable comedian was
Claude Benedict, while Desire Defrere,
l
added fine barytone voice to viva
cious impersonation of Champlatreux.
The title part was in the hands OF
Nine. Clara Lardinois, who is well
known TO cOncertgoers under the name
Of Nine. Blanche Arral. In all but
years Nine. Lardinois was admirable.
The chorus neither in size nor in
beauty reminded one of Ziegfel d
show, and the orchestra was ininitesi-
NAL. During tho second act there were
a number of interpolated numbers by
Mile. Yaine Fleury, Robert Regnier and
Nine. Walska, the chief interest OF
which lay in VI. Regnier's diction and
Nine. WaIska's beauty. If Nine. Walls
ka's face, figure and jewels could have
somehow combined themselves with
Nine. Lardinois's voice, then there
would have been a Denise de Flavlgny
who would surely have taken New YORK
by storm.
Paris to-day is not Paris the guns
upon the User and the Aisne have
robbed US for time Of the city OF
light. Yet IL this month our trav-
ellers do not take the Lusitania, so
that they may walk upon the boule-
wards. they can do the next best thing
they can take a trip &c Central Park
West, and in the little theatre on the
roof Of the Century they can evoke the
spirit of the Paris of twenty-five years
ago. And between the acts they can
walk out upon the open air promenade
and though the lights of Central Park
twinkle below them they can well be-
ieve themselves at some sublimated
Marigny.