Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-01-25
1 HOUSE
Merry Widow Scores Heavily on it.
Initial Appearance in Rock :.
Island.
COMES IN GOOD. HANDS
Cast 10 the Original One With Mabel
WILDER and George DameraI at
the Head. 81,

: siHCotilSf'iis opedAhtS tHS SfShI VI
the season" was the appearance OF
The Merry Widow" at the Illinois
theater last evening. Many who do
not ordinarily attend the theater Sun
days waived the rule for the once ana
every seat in the house was sold, Mo
line and even Davenport, where the
operetta is given tonight and tomor
row night. being well represented.
From purely artistic standpoint it
lis doubtful il anything ever seen here
cxcels The Merry Widow" The
scenic equipment is the largest ever
displayed at the Illinois, and by the
way, the local stage hands sprung the
record in hanging in two and one-half
hours, while no other stage crew has
placed i'll less than three and one-half
hours. The company is not as numer-
Gus as many that have been here, but
there is not a flaw to be found in it
and the costuming is in keeping with
| the reputation of the piece. The cast
appearing here is the same as has
| helped to make the play famous in the
larger cities of the country.
Mabel Wiibcr i'm Title Role.
Miss Mabel WILDER has the title role
of The Merry Widow" and it would
be hard to conceive of that part in bet
ter hands than hers. To say that she
is grace itself, is but beginning the
story. 1t is not difficult to sec that her
! hnl ri i'm
at hand. Pretty 10 look upon, enchant-
| ing of figure and possessing clear,
sweet voice, she makes friends and ad-
mirers across the footlights every miu-
ute the play progresses.
! Miss Wilber's best song is probably
Villa the opening number of the
second act. followed closely by her c;l-
cellent rendition of I'm Marsovia," the
| Marsovian dance duet, with Prince
/ Danilo, and the Il Love You So duet
i with Danilo in the last act.
] George Dameral, who has been high
ly successful in the role of the prince
! elsewhere, has that role in the present
! cast and gives an excellent account of
1 himself in the part. His acting is of
a sterling quality. his voice highly &C;
! ccptable and his dancing pleases.
| The famous Merry Widow waltz, eX-
: ecuted by Miss WILDER and Dameral
! called forth much and prolonged APP
lpiause.
| story of the Play.
| The story told = by THE Merry
I Widow''-in a few words-is that of
the love affair between Sonia (the
F, Merry Widow and Prince Danilo, at
| tached to the Marsovian embassy il
Paris, where all the scenes are laid.
! 1t has been related serially in The Ar
gus, but will bear repetition in a con-
densed form.
/ The prince is fond, very fond of
/ Maxim's girls and Maxims wine He
had loved Sonia once Now Sonia d
| captivating and rich young widow
Whose hand dozens of Frenchmen are
seeking, is rich. She loves the prince
lStill. 1t is necessary that the prince
marry Sonia TO obtain her money for
| Marsovia. his native land-and hers.
/ The princes passion is revived at
/ meeting but he doubts Sonias con-
stancy and resists ime after time the
| temptation to speak out. 1t is i'll the
working out of Sonia's determination
j to force the prince to say :" love you"
that is the plot of the operetta. In the
end the prince does say it but not UNI
It'll Sonia declares she will lose hec
millions ON her wedding day. This
4 proves to be clever ruse. for after
] she has won the declaration she ex-
4 plains she meant she would give her
j fortune to her husband.
i The entire company is well chosen.
Charles A. Pussy has the role of
4 Popoff. the Marsovian ambassador and
4 his work is excellent and deserving of
,jmuch credit for the earnest manner III
4 which he does his part Throughout.
i Pauline Perry. as the ambassador 5
wife, is a faithful performer ana
possesses a good voice. Paul Bleyden,
as Camille de Jolidon. handles his par;
well and Thomas Leary, AS Nish, the
embassy's messenger, is clever come
d dian
b Some of the terpsichorian specialties
are exceeding colorful. The native
Slav dance in the second act is one OF
them, and the lingerie display in the
Maxim scene in the third act is gor
geous without jolting your modesty.s
a Aside from the waltz, which is full
(iof delicious torment, there are a hall
|; dozen irresistible song hits-the Mar
sovian dance and legend, Maxim
song. Girls. Girls, Girls" and "Wo
men, male septet. to say nothing
of the orchestral interludes that hold
the senses with their alluring lifts
, The treatment of the orchestra and
the voices is refined, yet full of ray
, ishing buoyancy, and always suited tt
the action.
j As said the operetta is to be gfyer