Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-03-27
TALES OF THEATRE

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/ Henrietta Crosman, who has fOrg-
ed strenuously ahead in the theatre
cal world in the last few years, her
latest stunt being to throw down the
gauntlet to the amusement trust, APP
peared in a sumptuous production of
her new play, THE Sword of the
Ming" at the Illinois last night, at
tracing a large and fashionable au-
dience, despite the uhfavorable com
ment of the Chicago press, several of
the critics there apparently having a
grudge against this plucky little wo-
man. Miss Crosman has in her sup
port a most capable company, the
equal of which perhaps has not been
seen in the local playhouse this sea-
son, Sheridan Block. as William,
Prince of Orange-Nassau, and White
Whittelseynas Edward Royston, the
lover of Philippa Drayton Miss Cros-
mani, sharing the honors of the ev-
ening with the star. The audience
was a most appreciative one, there
being several curtain calls. Miss
Crosman won immediate favor VIII.
her audience and henceforward is as
sured of warm greeting ON subse-
quent visits to Rock Island.
Sally in Our Alley" another of
George W. Lederer's successful must
cal gaities, after a most triumphal
run in New York city, will be seen at
the Illinois this evening. The charac-
teristic display which one associ-
ates with the Lederer trade mark
Il throng of gay comedians "A lot of
pretty girls in choruses, dances and
frolics, wearing ever so many changes
of handsome gowns, dispOrting fluffy
lingerie, and putting so much lin
ger as Mr.. Lederer calls it, into their
songs on the stage that both the
gowns and the lingerie are sure to be
equally in evidence-wiH not be
found wanting in the Forthcoming
production. The heroine of the story
is a young New York girl of today,
who lives on the East Side, or poorer
section of Gotham. She is pretty, vi
vacious and unconventional, and has
in some way been given the nickname
from which the play takes its title.
Her father, Ivy" keeps shop,
where one can buy and sell anything
and everything. Into this establish
ment troop the various characters
from the Bowery or Fifth avenue
who are concerned in the plot and
who incidentally furnish plenty of
local color to the stage scenes Here
the fashionable contingent of the
east. headed by Miss AIarigold of the
smart set" throng in search of a
green silk dress which Mrs. Mari
gold gave to her maid. who sold it to
the secondhand dealer. who, in turn,
gave it to his pretty daughter. Sally.
as a present. and in the pocket of
which are some love letters which
the amOrOuS and usually discreet
matron would not have anyone re
for the world. This. however. is but
one of the funny incidents of the
play. around which Mr.. Lederer has
evolved a pretty and jolly piece of
nonsense and set in as brilliant a
Kaleidoscope of color as ever marked
his old time days when fun and frol-
| ic ran riot at the Casino.
The performance in Davenport last
evening is highly spoken of by those
who attended and Il number signified
an intention of coming to this side
] u.
1t is the rule to make lavish prom
Use for the coming musical attrac-
tons. but in the visit of SCREENINGS
Banda Rosa (red band). at the Hi
nois, Saturday matinee and night, will
be heard something unlike the city
has ever heard before. 1t may be
supposed that there is nothing new in
the band music. but there is and it
will be revealed by the Banda Rosa.
| These 40 relocated sons of Italy.
! with music born in them, have a
style all their own. Eugenio Sorrenti-
no has been conductor of the band
about Is years and more than half
| of his players have been with him all
of that time. Skilled men in the be-
| ginning, they now present ensemble
effects practically perfect. They
know their leaders every mood and
they know most of the bands roper
toire from memory. No other band in
America today secures the same to-
nal effects, for several reasons: First
- Sorrentino uses trumpets instead
of comets. and valve trombOnes in
stead of slide trombOnes. Why? Sor-
rentino. who makes n speciality of
operate selections, says the trumpet
and the valve trombone come closest
to the human voice. In excerpts from
opera, the seXtet from Lucia" for
instance, in which this band is superb
one has before him a great opera
company the soloists, with voices
rising and falling, the chorus. and the
orchestra. To hear these men play
the sextet, is new experience. Hear
them and be convinced.