Evening star., 1923-11-12
Balief's Chauve Souris.

Balieff's Chauve Souris at Polls
this week Is the last word in theatri-
cal entertainment. Unique, pictur-
esque. beautiful. at times exquisite.
1aughable. even pathetic. it seems to
combine all that the theater has to
offer clothed in the garb of art and
bathed In the atmosphere of comedy.
It is a panorama of surprises-a real
delight to it's audience. and those who
have long forsaken the theater be-
cause OF Its medtoerity or its failure
to satisfy must needs get busy about
returning this week. or they will lose
an enjoyment that seldom comes this
way.
First Of all, there is Balieff himself.
Who shall paint his picture. or con-
vey an idea of what he is to his splen-
did offering? He Is. comedy itself an
educational treat, TOR does he not in
"a few well chosen words" give his
hearers an insight intoshe languages?
And he Is past master in the art of
diplomacy. Funny. frapk. always
amusing, Balieff at once\is vital
He offers you music far more ele-
giant than the modern jazz" art in
comparable that fades into gro
tesque comedy that turns wonder into
laughter. romance into ridicufe.
pathos into revelry-and all set in a
rainbow of reds and blues, with the
wonderful trickery of lighting effects
and a stagecraft that approaches
wizardry. ~ -
There is even a solemn touch of re-
the miracle of the Holy Virgin"
which pictures a group of young
nCvices at a chapel door drinking in
a sacred legend chanted by an o2d
tableau of the Porceleine de Meissen'
{See-Saw), a relic of Marie Antoi-
nette. now in the Louvre. which comes
to life in a terpsichorean feature,
Dranini. Fechner, Karabanova and
Komisarjlos skaya; there is the famous
Parade of the Wooden Soldiers"
which, when the laughter and ap-
plause die away. gives place to a
festooned portico of white pillars
bathed in blue light. with an open
easement, and Songs of Sentiment"
sung beautifully by Mines: Bfrse and
ErShova In picture that fingers long
Before one has thoroughly enjoyed
this exquisite bit of work comes the
ridiculous and laughable Sudden
Death Of the Horse and the Great
ness Of the Russian Soul an elope-
young lovers urging the driver to go
faster-until the poor horse drops
dead and the party is overtaken by
the stern parent or husband. who
driver for the tragic happening, only
to be refused, and to have the tri-
umph of virtue pointed out to him.
This, in turn, is followed by the
duet from 1.-The Sleeping Beauty" a
cat romance, with music by Tschaikow-
sky, which soon gives way to the
marionette presentation Of La Grande
Opera Italiana,' on a mimic stage, by
artists whose voices proclaim their
superb quality-and yet even this is
pure burlesque. THE Mfnuet." touch
Of the pathetic, presents. a cold. grim
scene with the meeting of a famous old
ballet master and an equally famous
old dancer who follow their tears with
a minuet of age recalling their fame In
other days. Then comes the quaint and
catchy old Russian polka, "kaunka, .
danced by a too-modern daughter OF
an old shioned merchant who. with his
wife. flank the small platform, on either
side, upon which the young woman hops
TO the polka step while her parents en-
10y the performance.
FolIowing the intermission comes
"EN Ukhnorn," the famous Volga boat