The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-02-23
LAST NIGHT AT THE
LOCAL PLAYHOUSES
THE BELAsCo.
"MRrcelle."

'.MarceIIe."
Two holiday audiences saw the new
Plxley and Luders operetta. ''Marcslle,
yesterday. and had the additional pleas
ure OF welcoming the new prims donna,
Louise Cunning. IN this. her first venture
as a star. Success crowned the occasions.
Not so very long ago Pixley and LII
ders gave Us quite a number Of more or
less successful musical comedies, some
OF which, IKE The Prince OF Pnsen,'
lived for more than the regulation period
for such affairs. "M4rcelle'' appears
after the author and the composer nave
had short rest, and the result IS not
only agreeable, but the work shows an
emphatic improvement over those which
preceded It. The music shows the in
evitable influence Of the Viennese op-
eretta, which has lately taken so firm a
rehold on the musical field. Dreamy.
sensuous waltz movements predominant
the score. and show that the American
composer Is versatile always. ''Marcelie"
probably contains the best music Luders
has written for the comic opera stage.
yet it still retains the catchiness that
| forts, although IN another and more en-
I during way.
The story. too. Is an excellent plot Ia
/ its way. A childless German baron-von
/ Berghof-being obliged TO produce a male
/ heir to his estates. through the rami1ca-
! tons Of a typical comic-opera statute
| charges his ancient retainer. Dunn. with
/ the task OF finding a person Who among
| other qualifications. must be nineteen.
| negiecting 10 emphasize, however, the sex
! required. So that al the critical mo-
ment. instead OF the heir appearing. a
! heiress comes on the scene. viz, MarceIIe
/ who is in reality Paris actress out FOR
/ adventure. To aid the baron. Msrcelle
( makes an appearance as a boy, but the
! crafty men Of the law whom the baron
! is trying 10 outwit. discover the identity
! OF Marceile. who, Of course. maTries the
baron's nephew. the real heir Of the
bsron's estates
IN other respects besides those Of plot
/ and score does ''Afsrcelle" resemble the
reignfng style in operetta- Reference is
made 70 the kissing scene, where the
baron pulls his watch on the partici-
pants, and while this is gracefully done.
II is not new. and IS only a slavish con
7 formIty 10 something which We have had
plenty Of lately.
| Louise Cunning is a CTeditable Ameri-
can prima donna Her voice alone could
command her a position among our lyric
artists. but combining as she does a
distinguished and beautiful appearance
and a good measure OF acting ability. she
/ is indeed delightful. While she gives the
center Of the stage 10 others for the mos;
Of the time, she sustains her role well
and. II II IS somewhat conventional, still
she Is attractive in soldiers Uniform, and
II disports herself thoroughly as a digni-
fed and circumspect prina donna should.
Jess Dandy, who hardly needed 10 re-
vive the line. Vas you efer IN Cincin-
nate" % recall his success In The Price
Of Pilsen." carried a good deal OF ex-
/ tremeIy good comedy, IN which " II
Denny and Henry Norman aided him
In fact. much % the success OF the piec'
Is dependent upon these three-the punch
bowl scene in which two men are Try
, ing. each 20 get the other intoxicated or
doctored punch. being spontaneously
! funny. and rot in the least bit coarse
Frank Rushworth, Lawrence Wheat
Herbert Cawthorne, Norma Brown. Net
tie Black. and Louise Tozier we're ex
ceIlent IN their respective parts. Davit
, Bennett with Edith Girvan contributed {
clever dance
, The costunling and the scenery 70
-'MarceIle~ show excellent taste an
G Judgment IN designing. as well as eXecu
ton, and help 70 make the show pictoTi
ally very attractive. All the chorus girl
are pretty. and. strange IS II may seem
the chorus men are all gOod-ioOkfns
clean young fellows. who look as Il the
shaved and otherwise observed the habit
s Of civilized gentlemen