Putnam patriot., 1928-11-22

New York City, Nov. 20, i92s.--- E1f you were to ask us the name of thu most spectacular event of the autumn In New York, barring the elections, oi &rourse, we would not tell you of < Xnianist. or a new actress Of talent. O, @s great play. or even of the first Amer Iean performance of Strauss's "Egyp &sian Helen at the Metropolitan. W, would say unqualifedly that it was ths ]. en sational debut recently of the great 1. st of living Spanish dancers. the lady Known to Europe for the past decade sas La Argentina"
 Ten years ago, or even. more, thers uas produced in New York an odd me zlange of Spanish dancing and yer, xpoor American musical comedy entitl xtd. "The Land of Joy" It gave war z.ime employment to group of Span Sssh dancers who had previously been Enerformers at the famous Abbays
 Restaurant in the Place Pigalle, Paris. *Once in the first act and again in the
 seeond there appeared solo dancer,
 sxhom we. in adolescent enthusiasm,
 suplauded to the echo. She was La Arae ntina." However. New York did snot share our enthusiasm and "The zI adv of Joy" passed into the limbo zsf the theatre.
 Several years ago we were in Par &s and there on the kiosks of the Bou- Rewards we again saw the name of La
 &Arrentina" and forthwith took our
 eeivs to the Sale Gaveau where the
 lady was giving series of dance re- zeitals to modern Spanish music. This Stime We found standing room only and Eve went again and again to see an ar
 tist who had developed into the first bank of the great dancers of all times. So it happened that when, back in it was announced that T. was again coming to New
 York, we sent for seats on the day that Aer opening performance was announc- |5<d and were numbered among the .shrong which filled the Town Hall last 5wcek Friday to more than capacity. an |audience of the type which Mir. Percy Hammond pleases to callof the deep |purple," an audience which before the 'fvening was one-third over had risen so eheer, to call salvos of 'bravas,' to demand encore upon encore and to make this second American debut of r'I.a Argentina" a notable event in the theatrical history of New York.
 Almost we envied those who were teeing the great dancer for the first aime. Against a background of grey hangings, accompanied only by a plan Este. here was q test of artistry. But switb that perfection of technique which fas been moulded into the perfect rhythm of castanets, the deep and pas
 sienate accompaniment of facial ex- |Hpression, and the suppleness of beau siful body, La Argentina" conquered 'eritical New York in the space of an hour. There was for us that most beautiful of all her dances. the inter 'pretation of the fifth Spanish dance of |Granados, then there was the superb
 Andalusian tango, danced in the long |vhite ruffied traditional gown; there
 was, too, the quaint peasant dance of |the province of Toledo, the superbly danced "bolero" wherein the only mu-
 sic is that of the dancers feet and and there was last and
 "Corrida," or impressions
 Uf the bullfight" which reused the half B.atin audience to frenzy of excite 5nent. One left the theatre after the |fnal twenty minutes of cheering with 'fhe feeling of having been present at b very great triumph, such as might |have accompanied the coming of a
 Paderewski. Kreisler, Caruso.
 And at the Opera
 No such brilliancy as the debut of q 'great dancer or even a great singer kan so far be reported this season as having emerged from behind the gold len hangings of the Metropolitan. So Bar 1t has been a season of uncom- promising dullness. Society glittered properly at the opening when Miss |Ponselle sang a fine Flora in the |"Love of Three Kings" Then the company sagged back into the old rep- lsrtoire, pausing for an evening of sus- |pense when Madame Jeritza sang for |the first time the title-role of the new Strauss opera, "The Egyptian Helen Nothing more depressingiy dull has been heard in the yellow brick temple
 of bad music" in many a day. A com plicated and uninspired libretto, q score which either puzzled or bored. and a performance that was filled with pathetic effort made the evening one
 that hopefully may be forgotten. The failure of the opera remains puzzle. Strauss, from his stronghold in Vi- anna, received for this new work. his nore than usual publicity. Critics wrote from the Dresden and Vienna premieres in high praise, but in so far 1 New York is concerned, "The Egyp- iie~ Helen," in theatrical pariance, re- tsias the distinction of being the new
 sessoa's worst flop"
 And in the Theatres
 Recently, in this letter. we wrote Of
 the success of Mir. Vinton Freedley g first production, the musical comedy.
 Hold Everything" still one of the |isp-uotchers of the season. NIT. Freed ieg has since produced his second piece. Treasure Girl in which Miss Gertrude Lawrence is the bright par heHiar comet. In that same letter We sso wrote of the rivalry which has existed between Miss Lawrence and
 hsH Beatrice Lillie, both of whom hrst came to America with the first 'CAArlot Revue" of ever-blessed mem cry. We recalled to Patriot readers
 ssw, when the time came for the two
 ladies to go different ways. Miss Law