The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-11-19
ADJUSTMENTS
etropoiItan-WaIker WhltesIde In "The
1 Magic Melody"

!. Magic Melody"
In 1.-THE Magic Melody Walker White
side Is at last fitted with a fine play, in
which his finished artistry has the fullest
scope a play in which he should go-far
and achieve much. It is a comedy
drama whose motive is the passionate
[pfotest of high ideals of life and : art
against the sordid standards that money
lust has set up in America. The vivid
contrast between the young violinist
whose life is summed UP in his art and
his love, and the money king who has
sacrificed his love and his early ideals
for the power that money gives, runs
thru the whole texture Of The play. It is
a simple story, too, trenching now upon
melodrama and now upon human comedy
ISbut always moving forward to clinaeteric
effects, the substance but not the man.
nerF Of which is fol seen. There are but
two scenes, the third .act returning to
the scene Of the first act and but seven
characters. Each of theseaiss drawn with
a sure and natural touch that makes. II
human and real Out Of simple materials
is: built UP drama at once powerful and
convincing, with characters that live
and situations that move the emotions.
Z. Mr.. 1Whiteside's impersonation Fof the
young musician Is little short Of master
". The gradual unfolding of the strug-
Cling artists character under the SUM-
shine of love, a stimulus that causes ii
to broaden and develop and strengthen
from that Of a dreamer to that Of man
! of action, is delineated with speaking
| fidelity. Mr.. Whiteside's marvelously
| flexible voice, his expressive face, lighted
/ by wonderful eyes, his natural grace OF
demeanor are all informed by keen and
artistic insight. The0 restraint which
marks his handling of the earlier scenes
| and thru which one glirnpses the true
character OF the man, makes the great
Eclimax Of the second act as. powerful q
! situation as has been seen On the western
| stage in many a month. There is a rep
| etition Of this situation, with variations
| in the last act, which, while not SC
strong, is still masterful. The denoue-
| ment, however, is sweetly beautifnl-not
because Of what is said, but of what is
implied. Indeed, :, the whole play is
| marked by a suggestive reticence thai
easily saves it from being melodramatic
A. .chara cteriza ton scarcely less eff.
fective than that Of the star Is contrib.
uted by Herbert Sears as. the money
| king. He speaks always with the voice
of authority, Of the man who has done
things in the world, who has crushed his
own soul and hardened his own heart tt
grasp at the power that money gives
Leila Wolstan, who has long played lead
ing parts for Mr.. >Whiteside, achieves al
| excellent representation of the money
kings ward whose romantic love for the
tyoung violinist is the handspring Of his
Development It is better and ,truers thar
most of her work in the past, yet one
cannot suppress the regret that the role
is not played by q more girlish actress
one whose personality would serve tt
make the artists inspiration seem more
natural. Mr.. Whiteside gives. Helmar ar
appearance Of winning juvenility a. DUAL
! ity Miss Wolstan cannot in the nature O.
| things match. =
A beautiful character beautifully played
is that Of the once-famous German plan,
list, now, retired to the homely but whole
some surroundings of her Harlem flat
Miss Martha George makes the childIik,
! old lady a very 1ovable parsonage. will
a delicious German accent and a heart a.
large as her ample proportions Richard
Sherman plays a broken-down Italian
singer, seeking revenge for. the theft 20
his sweetheart, in a manner quite Tim
pressive, but entirely melodramatic. I
Is a good i1npersonation, but the char
acter is:.seen- to be somewhat exagger
ated, when it is considered how littl,
7V1ee1i iI%Aee1Aiy 10 70 Inc story. "A second
airy love story in comedy vein is supplied
by Maude Claire Shaw, well known i,
Minneapolis and w H Carter. Mis-.
Shaw is arch and effective, but Mr.. Car
ter, whose role is that Of a noble Eng
! lishman, impecunious and incognito. i.
a palpably fraudulent ;Britisher.
The audience last night was power
fully moved by the: play, and seemed Il
appreciate justly, its undoubted dramati,
values, w. B. Chamberlain