One of the surest ways to judge the ultimate success (or failure) of any theatrical production is to watch the reactions of a critical first-night audience during its opening run. Followers of the Russian Light Opera Company in Shanghai, especially the inveterate first-nighters, are just as critical and hard to please as are their counterparts in London, Paris and New York, and very few are the Occasions when a production is so much to their liking that they become not only enthusiastic but wildly enthusiastic after the fall of the curtain, Such a scene occurred at the Lyceum Theatre on Thursday evening when the Light Opera Company introduced its production "The Last Waltz." Given as a gala performance in honour of Mr. G.
Koudinoff, leading baritone, this production may be classed as the best that the reviewer has seen to date, and it was indeed fitting that the honours of the show should have been gained by Mr. Koudinoff who, as if inspired by the fact that this was his night, treated a highly delighted audience to some of the finest singing that has been heard in the city for many à day, Not only did this considerably enhance the beauty of the production but so adept were the supporting players that there was not a flaw throughout the whole length of the light opera's run, This is a remarkable feat and the producers of "The Last Waltz" are to be congratulated upon their splendid efforts, for not only was the success of the show confined to the actors themselves but to the wonderful scenic effects on the stage, the music of the orchestra, the dresses and last but by no means least, the ballet interludes, in which the principal parts were taken as usual by Ballet-master B. Seroff and his charming partner, Miss O. Man-jelly. While the honours of this production are definitely in the hands of Mr. Koudinoff there are others who are deserving of praise. Chief among these were Miss Katherine Orlovskaya, charming in the role of a maiden of some non-existent Slavonic state. Her solos were beautifully executed arid in her duets with her lover (Mr. Koudinoff) she and her partner neid the audience spellbound as they gave of their best in interpreting the beautiful music of the production, *Mr. V. Valin, of course, was his usual comic self, this time having as a partner a member of the fair sex in the person of Miss M. Poliakova, who certainly should be seen in further productions, judging by the reactions of the audience to her light comedy interpretations, chief of which was a doll dance with Mr. Valin, While there were no outsiders in the whole cast mention should be made of Mr. L. Rosen, Mr.
S. Tomsky, Miss O. Yanovskay: the three "bright girls," the Misses N. Jilina, G. Lubimova and M. Var-gino. The show will be repeated tonight and tomorrow night—ms.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.