Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-03-02
ENGAGEMENT OF IOWA ACTRESS
AT oDEoN PROVES MOST
NOTABLE ONE.
RECORD BREAKING HOUSE
GREETs CELEBRATED STAR
Miss Russell and Strong Supporting
Company, Including Dsby Bell, APP
pear in George Hobart's Comedy
Many From Out of the City Here to
See the Play.

/ time here Tuesday night Lillian Rus
sell and strong supporting company
in THE First Night" a comedy by
George V. Hobart, adapted from the
German Miss Russells engagement
may truly be called the most notable
one in the history of the Odeon under
/ the management of Busby Bros The
! celebrated star played to an audience
/ that entirely filed the theater, and
broke all records under the present
management for large houses Miss
Russell's appearance was the signal
Cor the largest advance sale ever ac-
corded an attraction, the house hav-
| ing been sold out completely by noon
Tuesday 1t is estimated that fully $50
people were turned away. Many people
from out of the city were here to wit
ness the performance.
There was naturally much interest
in Miss Russell's appearance here, for
two reasons One was the pride taken
by Iowa people in the fact that Miss
Russell is native of the Hawkeye
state. Another was that perhaps no
woman on the American stage is better
known than Miss Russell Her long and
successful career in both grand and
comic opera, and her later years in
comedy, have kept the actress prom
inently before the public for many
years. That Miss Russell is truly re-
markable woman can not be denied.
Another interesting thing in connec-
ton with Miss Russelfs present en-
gagement is the fact that she has with
her as co-star Digby Bell, equally as
we'll known before the American thea :
ter going public as Miss Russell. 1t
seems almost coincident that at this
time the two stars. identified years ago
in both grand and comic opera and
appearing in many successes together,
should now be reunited in comedy.
The story of THE First Night" is en-
tertainng from beginning to end, and
affords so many peculiar and amusing
! situations that the audience is kept in
continuous uproar.
Golden Ketcham, very particular
! papa has two charming daughters,
Nable and Jessie, both of marriageable
/ age. and in love with Langdon Jones,
! an author, and Mortimer Smith, law
4 yer Colonel Ketcham has been
/ young man himself, and is determined
/ that his daughters shall be properly
welded according to his own particular
motions. He subjects the prospective
! candidates for his daughters hands to
! a searching examination under his eye
I ana az a result of this examination re-
/ fuses to consent TO the weddings. Rose
| Graham. wife of Jerry Graham,
friend Of the colonel is very much at
tracted toward the stage, and has as
/ pired to write the music for comic
j assumed of
man, she writes Jones, and the two coll
! laborate thru correspondence in pro-
i ducing the opera. Because personal
/ Interview with the author is neces-
/ sary, that her identity be made known
| on the eve of the first performance,
/ Mrs Graham complicates the situation
/ at the Ketcham home. where Jones is
virtually a prisoner, being subjected 10
/ his examination as a candidate for
matrimonial honors. The jealous hus-
t band plays an important part in the
/ story. and the air is clarified only
when Mrs. Graham finally explains
why she has sought to see Jones, and
all of course ends happily.
Mr. Bell essayed the role of Colonel
Ketcham in his peculiar style of COM
! edy, and the characters of the two
| daughters, Mabel and Jessie. were in
| the hands of Leonora Oakford and Mil
licent Evans. Sidney Booth appeared
as Smith, and julius McVickar as
/ Jones. Susanna Westford, a sister of
! Miss Russell, assumed the difficult role
| of Mrs. Pfitzer Colonel ketcham's sis
| ter. Another decidedly clever charac
ter was Murgatroyd Howe, the young
millionaire, whom Colonel ketcham
would have his daughter Jessie we'd as
| given by George E. Mack. Albert An
druss appeared as Jerry Graham, the
! jealous husband, and Miss Russell as
/ Mrs. Graham.
| AS in most comedies based on the
! original German there is more or less
! nonsense in THE First Night" but in
| this style of comedy people go to laugh,
and if they are made to laugh they
consider the performance a success and
| that they have received their moneys
| worth
| Miss Russell appeared in two gorge
Gus gowns, with picture hats to match,
| that proved of much interest to the
| feminine portion of the audience. Tine
gowns worn by the other women of the
cast were also in keeping with the ex-
quisiteness Of the production.