Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-30
general after a long campaign" Which is
no eXaggeration.

no eXagSeratlon.
Il
Joseph Coyne. by the way. is extremely
good in '"rhe Merry Widow" He was en-
gagged by Edwardes after his hit in NELLY
Neil, and has a similar part at. Days to
| that which he played in the Mcclellan mu-
steal comedy, namely, youthful
"rounder." He is not a great singer how
ever, and many of the critics have grum-
bled over his selection to play Prince
Danilo. for a song called I'm on to Max
ims." which made furore in Vienna, falls
fiat as he gives it, and he does not even
attempt another ditty allotted to the char
acter. Still Coyne scored hugely on the
opening night, as all the reviewers admit.
He really is immense in the waltz scene,
as well as IN a later one, where he tries to
resist the appeal Of the melody. The story
of THE Merry Widow" hardly is worth
telling. yet. as Americans may have heard,
no less than two British authors are claim
ing the credit of teling-or rather re-tell-
ing-ft. These are Capt. Basil Hood. who
Morton. whose chief claim to fame as a
librettist rests on the fact that he gave US
San Toy"
On the first-night programs, as we'll as on
the posters, Morton was named as the
adapter of die Lustige Witwe," but 10! on
Capt. Hood claimed to have done the work
The whole thing Is something Of mys-
terry. ever now. but as Morton's name has
been taken off the program and the bills it
looks as If Hood had emerged victorious,
and the question is how the other librettist
came to be given the credit at the outset.
The controversy in the newspapers has
shed no light on this interesting matter.
To bark back to the plot of THE Merry
Widow however, this is harmless as well
as trif1ing enough. Sonia, the heroine, has
been wooed as girl by Prince Danilo,
but alas! the latter's rich uncle would not
give his consent, the maiden being a farm
ers daughter. So Danilo broke 1t of,
albeit reluctantly, and Sonia married money
In the person of a fabulously rich agricul-
turist who died within few weeks of their
wedding. A millionairess. then, well as
beautiful she comes to Paris, where Danilo
Is now secretary of legation. and upon
meeting they fall in love all over again.
But Danilo has gone the pace" at Max
inns; moreover, he breads to be branded as
a fortune hunter, and so 1t comes that the
girl he had formerly Tilted has to court
him through three acts of complications.
w
Their waltz-the national dance of their
common country. Marsovia-is one of her
Vaccinations. which. of course, are crown
ed with success. AS. 1 have pointed out,
real life. and it would not be surprising if
many romances had been engendered by
the melody which accompanies it. Previous
to the rising of the curtain on the third
at OF THE Merry Widow the first-night
audience hummed this waltz in chorus, and
1t has quickly spread throughout London.
A gramophone company which had pre-
pared thousands of records in anticipation
was sold out. it is said. two days alter
1.-The Merry Widow" was produced.
The publishers of the music scarcely can
keep up with the demand. "All England"
says a writer in a newspaper before me,
will have to be prepared to hear it played
by every band and organ in the country
from now forward until goodness knows
when. 1t is an epoch-making waltz, though
simple. Whistling will once more become
general, and street organs that play the
waltz are expected to be allowed to stay
as long as they like in even the most ex-
elusive Streets!
Meanwhile Days will not begin to accom-
modate the folk who want to see the actual
dance in 1.-The Merry. Widow" and an au-
thor has declared that the opera will run
here for three years. But just you wait
til the waltz refrain reaches the United
States! "Hiawatha' will be nothing to it..
HAYDEN CHURCH.