Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-01
American Girl
Scores in London

Special Correspondence OF The Star.
LONDON, June 10 1905.
Next Monday night George Edwardes
makes his long promised revival OF THE
Geisha" at Days, and the bright particular
star of this production VIII be May de
Sousa, the sprightly Chicago girl who came
over here last winter to play at Drury
Lane, and who made an uncommonly big
bit there.
She was then promptly engaged for an
other important part that Of the heroine
In Cosmo Hamilton's Castles In SPAIN"
and so 1t seemed safe to prophesy that she
would not be allowed to go home in a
hurry but would be added to the long list
of comely American girls. beginning with
EDNA May and including Billie Burke, Paul
inc Chase. Madge Leasing and Marie
George, whom London has borrowed from
the United States temporarily. and then for
gotten to return.
Now however, Miss de Sousa must be
credited with a score" such perhaps as
none of her fair predecessors has equaled.
for, not content with engaging her for the
part of Mollie Seamore IN THE Geisha,
George Edwardes has just arranged with
her to star in Aladdin" his new piece for
the Gaiety, and in The Merry Widow" his
coming attraction at the Prince of Wales.
And these latter are the most important
two productions which will be made by the
genius of London musical comedy next
season 1t is quite evident what opinion he
holds of the American girls capabilities.
Moreover, a queer thing about the ar
rangenlent Is that these two pieces and
The Gesha" are going to come so close
together that Miss de Sousa will hardly
have appeared In one OF them and got
accustomed to her part before she will
have to go on to another and thus London
will have a chance OF seeing her within
a comparatively short time. In no less
than three completely different roles and
environments In other words, THE
Geisha" begins next week. "A.aodin" is due
at the Gaiety toward the end of July, and
"The Merry Widow at the Prince OF
Wales on September l. so If the Chicago
girl who acts in all three has not had her
NIL Of starring. and incidentally of chang
ing parts, before the autumn is out. it will
be simply because she is uncomnonly
tirelesS young woman.
This version of Aladdin" by the way, is
the extravaganza by ]. T. Tanner and
George Grossmith jr. which George Ed
wardes, who believes that regulation must
cal comedy, Is dead, has promised for
long. and although no one expects that the
original story of the wonderful lamp has
been adhered to rigidiy the part of the
princess still looms largely, and this role It
Is that will be played by Miss de Sousa.
The production, as a matter of fact is
practically a return to first Gaiety prin-
ciples Qf these words be used In con-
junction), and Ii will be rather interesting
to see IL the sacred lamp OF burlesque"
can be made to burn in the Strand as
brightly as 1t did in the old days of Nellie
Farren and ]. T. Toole.
AS for 1.-THE Merry Widow" this is the
Viennese comic opera which George Ed
wardes saw and grew enthusiastic over
when he visited the Austrian capital last
fall, and of which he promptly secured both
the English and the American rights. And
as Mr.. Edwardes discovered "Veronique"
and 1.-The Little Michus," the Messenger
piece which is likely to duplicate In Amer
lea Its run of over 800 nights In London.
there Is much anticipation over THE Merry
Widow which, by the by, Is being done
into English by Cosmo Hamilton and Ed
ward Morton.
Miss de Sousa is to be the ''Widow''-af-
ter she has been Moilie Seamore and the
Chinese princess OF Aladdin" and nat
urally she is delighted with her success in
London generally, and particularly with
the compliment that George Edwardes has
paid her in engaging her for three big
parts In succession. 1T means Of course.