The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1911-11-19

Washington sees Puccinis celebrated
La FanciuIla del West" for the first
time this week, in a re-Anglicized YER
sion of the Iibretto which the composer
used for the John Luther Long-David
Belasco drama Col Savage is the pro-
Queer Of this opera in English, and since
there has always been a strong Puccini
following in Washington, ii goes with
out saying that the new opera will be
the focus of large interest. 1t was pro-
duced last season at the Metropolitan,
with Caruso playing Johnson, Destinn
the Girl. and Amata Jack Rance, with
a mixed verdict from the critics.
The Fortune Hunter plays a well
como return visit to the Columbia this
week. Miss Edith Luckett, a Washing
ton girl, whose progress on the metro
politan stage has been little short Of
remarkable, is playing the leading fem
mime role, and this forms an additional
reason why the delightful Winchell Smith
comedy should have a most successful
engagement here.
Peggy a London Gaiety piece, is
the initial offering at the Belasco this
week, and the Leslie Stuart music should
alone assure it the close attention of
the lovers of operetta. 1t has been
Americanized in many respects, partic-
ularly in its comedy, but the dainty
and delicate atmosphere of the original
has not been lost
A second curious sidelight on the judg-
ment of managers is offered in the recep-
ton given Helen Ware and The Price"
When Henry B. Harris brought Miss
in bn nj a
troublesome conviction that her play was
not at all suited to the New York taste.
He felt quite sure, however, that Robert
Edeson and his Cave Man" would tickle
Broadway and its transients to pieces.
Result The Cave Man went to the
stoTehOUse last night and The Price"
is apparently an exceptional success.
This verdict is in way, opposed to the
predictions of the reviews. The Cave
Man" was generously spanked, but so
was The Price" and the only expla-
nation seems to be that the woman who
suffers is still potent force with wom-
en- who go TO the theater.
In The Price" which is by George
Broadhurst, the Ware character is that
of the familiar secretary to a genius.
He is misunderstood at home, having
married a good cook three years his SEN
Tor when he was a lad Of twenty-one.
By the time ne is thirty-seven he is tired
OF good cooking. and seeks inspiration at
the typewTiter's side. The secretary,
however. after a time grows tired of be-
ing an inspiration, and when she tells
him their affair must cease, his weak
heart collapses and he dies. Then she
marries the first love of her girlhood.
Now the real drama begins in the in
PRODUCTION of the avenging wife OF the
genius as housekeeper for the happily
married secretary. Slowly but surely
she duplicates the atmosphere of mis-
understanding. of distrust and deceit that
ruined her own home in the new house
hold. She poisons the mind of the girl.
eXCtes the suspicious of the husband,
and finally traps the former inspiration
to genius into a confession Of her past
With roar of disgust the husband
Tushes from the house The wife screws
up her courage to the suicide point but
on the advice of her maid decides to
take a long chance that he will return
to her. 1t is a play at which women
weep freely and gobbIe chocolates raw
e0OuSlV