The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-14
"Nobody $ Widow"
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Nobody
 
 the benefit of the press and a few friends and have the reel flashed upon the can- vas.
 Miss Billie Burke is at her very best in 'The Runaway" the comedy that she brings to the Jefferson theatre on Tues day evening, January 23. The New York critics have agreed on that point One of them says: Miss Burke never has ap- peared so cunning. so wistful, so alto gether fascinating as she does in the role of Colette, the country girl who runs away from home and marriage with an impossible sutor and snuggles herself into the studio and heart of a famous artist. In the play Colette is but IS and the Colette of Billie Burke looks that age. She is elfsh. she Is kttenish-she is Billie Burke grown younger and still more win some. She is the Peter Pan of player la lies-she positively will not grow up.'
 Richard QIimself) Carle has not been seen here in several years and his com ing this season will be most welcome event. His appearance will be at the Jef- 'ferson theatre where he will present q comedy from his own pen entitled Jump ing Jupiter" It is classified as a farce with music. Unlike many stars MT Carle prefers to surround himself with the best possible cast, and In the support of Jumping Jupiter we will see Edna Wallace Hopper Especially engaged) and ! number of other prominent artists, to- gether with chorus of real singers and dancers.
 The attractiveness of the story told in
 The Fortune Hunter makes this com edy one of the strongest drawing attrac- tions that has been offered to the amuse- ment world in the past several seasons.
 While rural in it's setting, it Is the type that is purely American, and the country characters that surround the youthful fortune hunter as he works out the basic theory of the plot are not overdrawn. Will liam Roselle has a congenial role in the title character, Nat Duncan. and he is ably supported by large cast of players associated with the play since it was first produced two years ago. Tt requires one 60 foot baggage car to transport the drug store scene used in the play and 1t has the appearance of a well equipped city drug store.
 Some weeks ago the Jefferson theatre announced that the reper- toire of the Aborn English Grand Opera would be decided by vote of local music lovers. and requested that all who are interested in grand opera in En- glish should send in their preferences by mail. Since then many letters have been coming in from opera enthusiasts of Bir- mingham and it's surroundings, and the opera to be given during the Aborn en- gagement. January 26. will be announced shortly. The repertoire of this organiza- ton includes "rhe Tales of Hoffman," "Thais," Madam Butterfly" Martha, " Lucia di Lammermoor., ''Il Trovatore," Y" Carmen and Faust" All of the fav- orites who appeared on tour with this company last season are retained in it's double cast this year while there have been a number of notable additions to the erable enlargement of the choral and or chestral contingents.
 Margaret Mayo. who is the author of the pennant winning success, Baby Mine'' is also the wife of another royalty drawer namely Edgar selwyn. and they both have a seeming tendency to monopo- lize the market.
 It is pretty unusual for a playwright to have playwright wife. It is also un- usual for a playwright wife to have a hus- band who follows the same profession. Practically all the great writers of hls- tory had a wife who didn't know "prose from rhyme Neither have the hus- bands of famous women done much 10 place their names in glowing letters You don't hear much about Mrs. Shakespeare, Mrs. Dickens or MT. Humphrey Ward. John Ruskin gave his wife away, then devoted his time to scribbing. Tschaik- owsky's wife nearly drove him insane, n nl l,a iii 1, from her. But nothing like this can hap pen to the Selwyn's, as they are one of the best examples of Two souls with but a single thought idea
 AIizzi Hajos, who sings the prima don- na role of ''rhe Spring Maid,' whose tune full waltzes, charming two steps and in- spring march numbers are popular se1ec- tons with all music lovers, created this character of Princess Bozena for com poser Henreich Reinhardt when the opera was first sung in Berlin. She is a native of Budapest and her appearance in the part is given added attractiveness by req son of the fact that Reinhardt rewrote much of Miss Hajos' role after observing her mischievious and bubbling vivacity in the earliest performances
 Miss Haios also was the creator of the leading roles of the Hungarian produc- tioiiS pi I ne htIfY W luOW ana fIne Chocolate Soldier" and has been greatly praised for the impersonations in different operas of characters that have been drawn from her people, vivid in gypsy like spirit and seductive abandon
 
 Edward Knoblauch, author of '"The Eaun," which MT. Faversham will pre- sent at the Jefferson theatre soon, is one of the most original dramatists that the field has developed in years Each of his plays has been entirely un- usual in both theme and treatment. and he has proved that fancy and fantasy, as assets in stage literature. arc not the ex- elusive possession of ]. NI Barrie With his rare gift of fantasy. as evidenced in "The Faun,' there is combined a fertile vein of humor that Is rich and widespread in it's appeal. The unique theme of Tho Faun, which Mir. Knoblauch wrote ex- pressly for the use of MT. Faversham in no way initiates against it's irresistible coloring. for the piece is flooded with wit that is as nimbly refreshing as 1t is satirically pointed. Mir. Faversham' of the faun or wood god, who has wandered from his native haunts of fields and streams into the narrow con