Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-09-26
P0LIS-"B0nita."

"Bonita" gave in operate setting q
glimpse of the American southwest
in the stirring old days when req
skins roamed and often gained such
fYnerciless advantage that brave men
smoke in tear-drenched voices and
said. Shoot the women first.
The story is familiar enough. IT
has served in ancient melodrama TO
good purpose and comes forward with
a roaming inclination that leads 1t
toward acrohatic farce, toward dane
snr melodies. toward serious mea sures
of grand. opera and finally into speak
ing drama. with the villain at hay
and feminine wrongs 10 be righted.
The authorship of the book is
described TO Mir. Edward Locke. The
custodian of the wide-fiung check
Book is more serious consideration.
srrhe last word" is being constantly
announced in the thcater as in the
sNorld of fashion. Bonita is able to
assert well supported claim to last
word honors as regards coStumlnS
and stage pictures, even after so
many gorgeous productions that nave
semDloved music as a means not only
of pleasing the ear but of enllstlnS
attention to delight the eye.
e Daring costumes are introduced
with lavishneSs that beWilders. They
are daring, not in human display
.ahere being nothing more TO be said
-in that Inel but in design. Demure
and concealing pantalettes are EN-
@nloved in many scenes; merely by
-vav Of contrast. In one scene the
ensemble appeared TO include group
Of ladies from South Sea Islands,
where A tattoo artist is depended on
To proyide a complete fashionable cos
tune.
4 very earnest effort has been made
II utilize the locale where the ApaChes
nrowIed and were hunted by the IN
.trenid rangers in the same manner IN
which the Canadian woods have beeh
employed in Rose Marie.
The chorus of men which has be
COME so popular is we'll represented
The music is delightfully."- rendered
THE fiexihilitv with which effects are
attained with so large group IS
rnasterful. The extraordinary achieve
sn,ent Of chorus with temperament
10 recorded. The volume is immense
and vet the measures are always crisp
in attack and never unWieldy. John
Barker sang in a manner worthy Vi
the ensemble support accorueu hilh'
which is saying much.
Various members of the company
Ted the spirit of the performance
4his D-av or that, according to person
alitv. Mr.. Lupino would have turned
II into acrobatic fun. Miss Carlson as
a very remarkable school teacher
would have made it daintily gro
tesoue, a little like the ChauVe
Souri's wooden soldiers. Berna Deane
would have made it a study IN vocal
sweetness and feminine grace.
The music runs smoothly and with
anpronriatelv varied effects. 1t has
become so usual to utilize the melo-
dies of other times that the discovery
of A familiar strain no longer causes
a mental furry. Mr.. Sigmund kom-
berg has assisted finely in providing
musical embellishments that revived
standard themes which might have
been forgotten.
In the final act the play abandons
its progress on the way to genuine
grand opera, which at times it mar
-rowly misses. and becomes a regular
Indian fighting novel with spoken
dialogue. The effect is an arid space
in the melody, which can be ac-
counted for on the theory that Mr..
Romberg was slightly oYerworked by
acts l and and could not remember
any more tunes.
So large and respondent a produc-
ton with many novelties. and with a
plot that brings the ''redskin' into
harmonious relations with powder
puff and rouge. promises a gorgeous
era If the season of 1928 can hold
the pace.
PHTT,ANDEP JOHNSON.