Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-06
The Foreign Stage
.pecial Correspondence of The star.

LONDON. November -. 1905
Il thought everybody in the United
States had forgotten me long before this. -
declared Marie George at the Drury Lane
-Theater a couple of nights ago. DO You
think they have?' she added, appre-
hensively, thereby demonstrating that she
was not sure of il as her first remark
would lead one to believe.
Yes. l am going back to good old
America she said. How soon? .Vcll,
that is hard to say. l came very near go
ing this year. but the musical comedy in
which it was intended to present me In
New York lid not look strong enough to
me and was afraid. At the present time.
although have not yet signed any papers
and have not yet seen the revised must
cal comedy, I believe everything will be
all right and that l will leave for the
United States next spring, after the pan
tomime season at the Drury Lane draws
to close. will probably go over under
the management of Joseph Brooks in a
play called Victoria of which Victor
Herbert is the composer and George Ho-
bart Is the author. Do you know. am
nervous about this return to my own
country. ] do not want to so unless
can go i'm the strongest kind of play. in
a part that will give me the opportunity
of a lifetime. / was very much dSap
pointed in my part in the 'Strolers.'
which, as you know, was the last thing
l appeared in in the United states. l
really had the wrong part and / do not
want to make the same mistake this time.
In England. of course, | now have a fixed
place. I made a hit on my first appear
ance and the people have taken me 10
their hearts ever since. Both inside and
outside the theater l have been treated
with the greatest of kindness, and natur-
ally 1t is hard for me to tear myself
away from a safe harbor to sail unknown
theatrical waters. But ] am going to do
it because ] am still an American through
and through and am anxious to please
my own people.
Marie George is really the pct of Old
Drury, and it is to her credit if she Is not
spoilt. Her big dressing room is fitted
with luxurious easy chairs and a big
open fire took the chill from the Novem-
Der fog that penetrated even back stage.
You won't get dressing room like
II know I won't Miss George
swered. with sigh. but then. you know.
we have almost unlimited room here. The
cast of The Marriages. of Mayfair.
which we are now playing. does not num-
Der more than thirty people from prinCi-
pals to supers. while in pantomime time
more than a thousand are engaged back
stage. But ] uon't care how cneerless
my dressing room in the United States is
If can be sure of a warm welcome from
''NN
lights
John Powell tried a new American suite
of his own composing on an English audi
ence for the first time at his piano recital
this week. and the occasion proved to
have considerable significance, for it Is
doubtful If such Enthusiastically Amer
can music has ever been provided before
in a serious composition for the piano.
The suite is entitled AT the Fair and
the movements are The Merry-go-
Round,' THE Hoochee-Coochee Dance
THE Circassian Beauty, THE Snake
Charmer,' The Clowns and 1.-The Banjo
Players"-subjects that might we'll prove
alarming to dignified. not to say solemn,
gathering with minds attuned to Bach,
Beethoven and Brahma. In THE Hoo
chee-Coochee Dance Powell has been
bold enough to employ the familiar and
nected with this peculiar form of enter
tainment. but he develops it on thorough
musicianly lines into something worthy
of thoughtful attention. Familiar, homely
movements, too. but treated with dignity
as well as a sense of humor- The COM
position makes no pretense of being pro-
found, but 1t Is never cheap, and 1t is UNI
more genuinely American than anything
Dvorak was able to hit upon in his search
for American music. Perhaps this young
southern pianist and composer has had
an IDEA that Will De looked upon as men,
orable some day. The audience appeared
to be hugely pleased with the new work,
and most of the London critics took kind
ly to It, too.
Fay Davis has returned to London and
Is to play the part of Chorus In Lewis
Walters production of Henry W
special feature is to be made of the char
acter. Miss Davis will deliver her lines;
accompanied by music. before the opening
of each act and in front of the curtain.
At some later time Fay Davis may be
seen in London In Iris which she be-
lieves has excellent chances of success if
revived. She and her husband, Gerald
Lawrence. are numbered among the long
list Of English actresses and actors who
have managerial aspirations. and should
the opportune moment come along will
embark upon season of Shakespeare at
one of the West End theaters.
The industrious Somerset Vaughan,
author of Jack Straw" and Lady Fred
erick." has just delivered to Charles
Frohman, who has secured corner on
his output as playwright. new three.
act light comedy 1t is called Penelope"
and has been written especially for Marie
Tempest. now appearing in Mrs. Dot"
also written by Vaughan.