Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-16
The Foreign Stage.
cial Correspondence Of The Star.

LONDON, February 5. 1908
One of the most painful disappointments
Londoners have had lately was the an.
nouncement from Vienna that Franz Le-
hairs new opera, 1.-THE Man With Three
Wives had not proved another Merry
Widow" George Edwardes bought it
''sight unseen-and will. of course, pro-
duce the piece in London. but he admits
that both the book and the score practi-
cally will have to be rewritten. and Lon
don Is not looking forward to the pro-
duction with enthusiasm. bit Of con-
ISOLATION has come along, however, In
the shape of an announcement on the
part of Alfred Burt. who is acting the
part of the proverbial new broom at the
Palace Music HAL. that he has secured
one-act musical comedy, the score of
which Is by Lehar and the libretto by
a new author. and will produce 1t within
a few weeks. Burt refused further de-
tails. but gave the impression OF being
quietly confident that he has hit in
his possession
The bill at the Palace will have been
strengthened before these lines are in
'ler. who got such a reception upon her
first appearance at this house as seldom
has fallen to the lot of foreign fun
maker. She will return in her American
intend to remain "in the halls long. She
is intent on carrying QUITE her original
idea and presenting herself here in
musical comedy. George Edwardes has
Princess" Frank Curzon has had her
pointed out as the ideal interpreter of
leading part in THE Worm" which he
is producing shortly, and the latest sug-
play the matchmaking widow nthe An
glieized version of The Manhattan
Bellies" which we are to have shortly at
the Shaftesbury where the famous Belle
of New York. made her hit.
Novelists continue to be 1.-The people" in
the stage world of London. and the most
prominent of them is w. j. Locke. Tree
produces 1.-THE Beloved Vagabond'' at His
Majesty's next Saturday evening. Dublin.
the canine upon which 1t was tried. liked
it, and so did other provincial cities. but
THE Mystery Of Edwin Brood" which
has expired after three weeks London
run. also hit the provinces hard, so that
is no criterion 1t is surprising to Lon
doners that Locke's Morals of Marcus
failed to score In the United States. but
ii is said that the play used as a starring
vehicle for Marie Doro was totally diff
ferent affair from that which ran $50
nights at the London Garrick. Perhaps
managers at home will take warning and
not try experiments with THE Beloved
Vagabond" should it succeed here.
Locke meanwhile has had a lesson, too.
or at least what seemed like one. His
palace of Puck" which was not an
adaptation of any Of his novels. failed to
score when tried at the London Haymar
ket recently, and evidently the author
drew his own conclusions. At all events.
his next stage piece will be dramatic
version OF his early novel. Idols" Later
on Locke means to take his story Where
Love Is in hand for the stage. Until his
adaptable books are used up 1t is not
likely that he will try his luck with an
other original play.
W. Somerset Vaughan (whose book
'The Bishops Apron was a best seller
at home) and Roy Horniman are two
other novelists who are ''in it, The
formers comedy Lady Frederick" which
was described in this correspondence
one OF the really big successes of the
season and is sure to be seen in America
beio.e lCng- 1t is full OF sparkling dia
Iogue. which evidently appealed to George
missioned Maughan to adapt for the Lon
don stage both THE Dream Waltz and
1.-THE Dollar Princess" the Viennese
musical successes Of which he recently
Vaughan who wrote "a Man of Honor"
the strongest and one of the most
thoughtful plays seen in London in many
years. but which failed to draw the ordi-
alter at which it was produced.
Roy Horniman's original play, THE
Education of Elizabeth" is another piece
fairly sure Of production in America be-
fore very long. Originally put on at the
Apollo. II was transferred to the Haymar-
ket and is now back at its original
starting place. Three different actresses
have played Elizabeth, who is chorus
girl at first and whose lover is disen-
chanted, for a while, after he has had her
educated" and made a lady" But, of
course. all comes right in the end. The
author. moreover, is following his luck
for he has made adaptation of his
novel Bethany the Magnificent" and this
has just been accepted by Sir Charles
Wyndham and will be produced as a sue
cessor to. 1.-THE Mollusc." 1t must max
about the twentieth adaptation of a novel
TO be announced recently for production
in the metropolis, and still more are COM
ing The last to be promised is dra-
matte version of the late Seton Merri-
mans with Edged Tools which will