The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-08-30
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The first installment of William
Morris vaudeville comes to the Grand
today. at the popular price of ten and
twenty. cents. William Morris pays
the highest salaries of any vaudeville
producer. and in return controls
the best material on the play mar
Net. The rage OF New York, An
nette Keilerman, the diving Venus"
will be shown in true to life feats
and Manager Edmond BALI, late
with Al. q. Fieidh minstrels will sing
the Illustrated songs. The acts come
10 the Grand from the Colonial the
ater at Columbus, where Manager
Howell has seen the seat plat swept
clean at every performance.
There will be three shows each
day, matihees at and evening at
7:45 and o..
One thing Is certain, marriage has
seriously affected the voice of the
merry widow and all her attendants,
or at least so ran the signs in "The
Merry Widow Re-Married" at the
Grand Saturday evening. SO far as
costuming, and setting, and acting,
and personality, and grace, and lots
of other to-be-desired properties was
concerned the show was good, but
when VI came to singing voices--well
u required search warrant, that's
all.
However, what "The Merry Widow
Re-Married" lacked in song it more
than made up in dance, having one
OF teh cleverest little posy ballets
Imaginable, four daneueses who un-
derstood the poetry of motion and
responded to its lure. There were
several good songs, notably the
Man" song which was good for sew
eral encores, "Experience" by Carr
Hoffman, and the stein number, by
Arthur Deaive, the latter by the way
possessing q really good voice and
a most personable presence. Jack
Leslie, Margeret Baxter and w. ID
Romaine all gave credible accounts
OF themselves in tho comedy parts
Miss Alberta Davis, was dainty and
fascinating valentine" and grace
full little actress, but again,--no
voice Annette LIGHTER and George
Lyding in the leads gave forth some
good music now and then, but there
were long intervals between times.
There is a tradition obtaining In
theatrical circles to the effect thai
music Is not necessary to the WELL
being of a comic opera. This tradi-
ton is carried out OF the limit by
''The Merry Widow Re-Marired," but
there Is more than compensation In
pietorials, pretty girls, and the high
grade pony ballet.
~. .aII nf q
among Marion theater goers, has
been the invasion of the William
Morris vaudeville interests into the
local field. Until the tour late last
spring OF Harry Lauder, London's
most popular comedian, William Nor
ris was practically unheard of as far
west as Ohio. Because of the opposi-
tion of the Keith interests, Lauder
was compelled to appear in the Grays
armory at Cleveland a building hard
ly suited for theatrical production.
LADDERS fame and the publicity at
tending his tour, hand-to-hand
fight with the vaudeville combine at
every step, packed the building, and
the week for which he was booked
heightened to two, and still crowds
we,e being turned away.
Attention was then directed to Will
liam Morris, who was managing the
tour. Inquisitive researchers discover
ed that Mr.. Morris was no tyro, and
that instead of being n daring free
lance, he was already the owner OF
Dig string of Eastern theaters, all ac-
quired in the short space Of six
months and that instead of lone
rec in the person of Harry Lauder,
he could show such headliners as
Vesta Victoria, the English music
hall favorite, Jack Lorimer and host
of others equally as well known.