The daily sentinel., 1909-12-14

Last night over four-score of tai
ented home people took a goodsiZed
and willing audience via the Majestic
theatre to that wonderful, fantastic,
mythical municipality, THE Emerald
City," in the strange and weird Land
of Or, and the route taken and the
sights witnessed after the crowd ar
rived in the magical city made up
one of the most delightful trips I'M
aginable.
Hundreds of Grand Junction peo-
Pile have anticipated for weeks the
witnessing of the big home talent
production The Emerald City" pre-
sented under the auspices of the local
lodge of Elks and participated in by
nearly one hundred ladies and gem
tlemen. boys and girls. Last night
the first of the two performances was
given and tonight the final perform
ance will be given.
There is only one really serious
criticism to be offered on the produc-
tion and performance last night and
for this short-coming the manage
ment and the .Jlayers are not to be
blamed. The long waits between acts
and scenes were the only things that
detracted from the delight and pleas
ure of the otherwise most excellent
and creditable production and per-
formance. These waits last night
were made necessary owing to the
time required in making the stage
settings on the Majestic stage which
is a small stage and really too small
for the handling of the scenic equip
ment of a production as big and
elaborate as that required for The
Emerald City However, tonight
these long waits will be cut out as
the result of an arrangement perfect
ed today and the performance will
move along rapidly and swiftly to-
night. Just the same even the long
waits were not so awfully annoying
and the excellence of the great series
of features offered in each act more
than made up for the extended
waits.
Never in the history of the city
has home talent attempted to pro-
duce a piece. in the musical line, as
stupendous as THE Emerald City"
1t is big undertaking even for a
professional company and therefore
more credit than ordinarily due a
home talent production is due those
who presented this big and compli-
Gated yet pretty, lively and jolly mu-
steal miXup. To no one person is due
quite so much credit as is due to
Archie Bliss, the talented young man
of this city, who adapted and ar
ranged "The Emerald City from
those wonderful and fantastic stories
of the Wizard and the Land of OF
written by L. Frank Baum, one of
the greatest and most popular writ
ers and composers of fantastic stor-
les and musical comedies in the coun-
try today. Mr.. Bliss's adaptation is
most successful and the young man
has worked untiringly and faithfully
to make the production a complete
success and the very. excellent per-
formance rendered last night shows
how well he succeeded and how pc
culiarly talented he is in this line OF
work
"The Emerald City" is n musical
extravaganza consisting of three acts
and seven scenes. There Is a really
interesting plot and there is ample
opportunity for much music, much
comedy and many handsome stage
pictures.
The cast of principals was extreme
ly well selected and the work of the
leading characters aroused great en-
thusiasm and much sincere applause
1t is really impossible to detail
each of the vast series of features
song hits, etc, and give each and ev-
cry one of the local people the credit
so richly deserved.
The costuming of the piece was
beautiful. The costumes were i'm.
ported from Salt Lake City for the
play and this feature naturally added
greatly to the beauty and success oi
the play. The stage settings We're
very creditable and appropriate.
The may pole dance opening the
first act was gracefully executed by
young men and women in peasant
costumes. Those participating in this
feature being Winn Lund. Heller
Bunting. Max Miller. Hazel Var