The Washington times., 1921-11-27
MECCA" TONIGHT
GREETS EYE
AT POLLS

comstock 4 Costs Wonderful
Spectacle Of Old Egypt, With
Its Marvellous Fokine Ballet,
In Capital.
nPULENT splendor on q scale
~ never heretofore known in the
theatrical world 10 the promise
neld out for Mecca" a gorgeous
romance of the Orient, which r. Ray
Comstock and Morris Gest will bring
to Polls for one week beginning
tonight.
Written by Oscar Asche, the ia
nous creator Of "Chu Chin Chow"
with music by Percy e. Fletcher,
this celebrated offering was planned
By Mr.. Asche for His Majesty's
Theater. London. Tho English
presentation had to be postponed,
however. because Of the continued
success of "Chu Chin Chow" and 20
tho worlds premiere took place last
season at the Century Theater, New
York.
It was finally produced in Lon
don. however. several weeks ago, and
according to report, its success there
10 of such q sensational nature that
1t will not be at all surprising to
SEQ It rival in length of run tho
five-year engagement Of "Chu Chin
Chow" at the same theater. Ana
Washington will SEQ this gorgeous
production before it's massiveness
II cut down to ut smaller stages. or
before its big cast OF well-known
players undergoes a change.
Mecca" II q musical extrava,
CANA Of the Far East; tho Orient
of q thousand years ago. Its color
ing, staging, costuminE and must
cal settings have come in for no
end Of praise. but tho sensational
Ballet and Bacchanale devised and
staged by tho Incompatible Michel
Fokine. creator Of the Russian
Ballet. il said to stand out as the
eliminating triumph Of stage
genius.
The scene of the Ballet repre-
sents an old Egyptian palace. with
, a series Of stairs rising to distant
heights. The dancers. q hundred
or more. appear In old Egyptian
costumes, and in the moonlight
which filters through the decaying
columns, dance q ballet which
Fokine has termed Memories of
Tho Past"
1t Is reported by those who have
witnessed It, to DO by far the finest
thing this master Of the dance
has yet created, not forgetting all
the artistic masterpieces he spon-
sored when he was tho idol Of the
Imperial Court OF Petrosrad.
Tho brains Of the artistic world
have been concentrated in the max.
ing Of Mecca" and words alone
cannot describe its gorgeous and
complex beauty. The costumes
were designed by Percy Anderson
Of London. but Morris Gest per-
sonally visited Europe In order to
get the wonderful fabrics, silks and
satins that are used.
In Paris he secured the services of
Leon Bakst to design additional cos
tunes. and some Of the most bizarre
and sensational effects are these
robes and costumes. The scenery
was painted by the famous Harker
Brothers, Of London. while the pro-
duction was staged by e. Lyall
Swete. who staged THE Blue Bird"
in London and "Chu Chin Chow" IN
America
There are over 500 people In the
cast, which includes some Of the
best-known players Of England and
America Among them arc Gladys
Hanson. Lionel Braham. John
Doran. Ide Mule. Orville Caldwell.
Anna Toback, Harold Skinner,
Thomas c. Leary. Rita Hall, Dor
othy Durland. Billie Wilcox, Olga
Borowski. Basil Smith. Genevieve
Dolaro. Audrey Anderson. Dorothy
johnson. Elisabeth Talma, together
with Martha Lorber and sersei
Pernikoff. principal dancers in the
Fol1ine ballet