New York Hippodrome ANNA PAVLOWA (Pavlova) Ballet "THE BIG SHOW" 1916 Program

Description

This is a rare souvenir program from the R. H. BURNSIDE, JOHN L. GOLDEN and RAYMOND HUBBELL musical spectacle "THE BIG SHOW" at the Hippodrome in New York City. (The production opened August 31st, 1916 and ran for 425 performances.) ..... The production starred the legendary Russian Premiere Ballerina ANNA PAVLOWA and featured ALEXANDRE VOLININE in a program of requested numbers. Others in the company included Mlles. CORTNOVA, STUART, VERINA, BRUNOVA, SHELTON, LINDOVSKA, SMALLER, KUHN, SAXOVA, LEGGIEROVA, MASCOT, PLASKOVIETZKA, DAGANOVA and GAMBRILLA and Messrs. VAJINSKI, DOMISLAVSKI, VESELOFF, HUBART, NEIMANOFF, OLIVEROF, POPELOFF, BAIN, ZALEWSKI, JAKOVLEFF, PARKER and the Corps de Ballet ..... "THE BIG SHOW" included "The HIPPODROME STREET PARADE" with performances from AUSTIN WALSH, MILTON MOONEY'S HORSES, "TOTO" and POWERS' ELEPHANTS as well as WEST POINT and NAVAL OFFICERS, JOSEPH PARSONS, DIXIE GIRARD, SOPHYE BARNARD, HENRY TAYLOR, EDDIE RUSSELL, ROBERT ROSAIRE, BOBBY HALE, JOHNNY DAVIS, FRED GREGORY, THE MAMMOTH MINSTRELS, HARRY WARDELL, MATT KEEFE, MILLER & MACK, The ARNAUT BROS. GEORGE HERMANN, The LADELLA TROUPE, The BRIANT'S, The DAVIS TROUPE, The 5 MAZETTI'S, VOLANT and his FLYING PIANO, JOE JACKSON and THE NEW ICE BALLET direct from Admiral's Palast, Berlin in "THE MERRY DOLL" ..... Biographical Note: Mlle. ANNA PAVLOVA (1881-1931) is widely regarded as one of the finest classical ballet dancers in history and was most noted as a Principal artist of the Imperial Russian Ballet and the Ballets Russes of Serge Diaghilev. Pavlova is most recognised for the creation of the rôle "The Dying Swan" and with her own company, would become the first ballerina to tour ballet around the world. Pavlova's passion for the art of ballet was realized when her mother took her to a performance of Marius Petipa's original production of
The Sleeping Beauty
at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre. The lavish spectacle made an impression on the young Pavlova, and at the age of eight her mother took her to audition for the renowned Imperial Ballet School where she was finally accepted at age ten. Upon graduating, she began to perform at the Maryinsky Theatre, debuting on September 19th, 1899. In 1907, Anna Pavlova began her first tour, to Moscow, and by 1910 was appearing at the Metropolitan Opera House in America. In 1914, she was traveling through Germany on her way to England when Germany declared war on Russia. At that time, her connection to Russia was for all intents broken. For the rest of her life, Anna Pavlova toured the world with her own company and kept a home in London, where her exotic pets were constant company when she was there. While her contemporary, Isadora Duncan, introduced revolutionary innovations to dance, Anna Pavlova remained largely committed to the classic style. She was known for her daintiness, frailness, lightness and both wittiness and pathos. Her last world tour was in 1928-29 and her last performance in England in 1930. Anna Pavlova appeared in a few silent films: one,
The Immortal Swan,
she shot in 1924 but it was not shown until after her death. Anna Pavlova died of pleurisy in the Netherlands in 1931. (Reprinted in part from the website About.com.) ..... CREDITS: Book by R. H. BURNSIDE; Music by RAYMOND HUBBELL; Lyrics by JOHN L. GOLDEN; Sets and Costumes designed by LEON BAKST; Scenery painted by ERNEST GROS; Program Cover designed by FRANK XAVIER LEYENDECKER; Choreographed by IVAN CLUSTINE, Ballet Master of the Russian Imperial Theatre; Produced by CHARLES DILLINGHAM ..... DETAILS: The oversized 28 page program measures 9" X 11 1/8" inches and includes a beautiful FRANK X. LEYENDECKER cover, full production credits, list of entertainers, photos of many of the cast members and wonderful vintage advertising
..... CONDITION:
With the exception of the start of a seam split at the bottom, light staining in the lower right corner of the last two pages (shown in the last scanned image) and minor edge wear, this rare publication is in excellent condition
and will make a wonderful addition to the collection of any musical theatre aficionado or dance historian. This item will be carefully packaged in a protective sleeve and backed by stiff cardboard.