Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-04-29
Illusion Furnishes Keynote
in Plays at Local Theatres
Julian Eltinge, as Fascinating
Widow" at the Newark,
a Pyramidal Hit.
GREAT AUDIENCE GIVES
FULL NEED OF APPLAUSE
Equally Admired as Athletic
College Boy and as Widow"
of Surprising Beauty.

Fascinating is exceptionally appro-
pirate for Julian Eltinge in THE
Fascinating Widow" which opened a
weeks engagement at the Newark
Theatre last night to an audience
which taxed the seating capacity of
the playhouse to it's utmost. Fasci-
mating does triple duty, for the
comedy is fascinating, the scenery is
fascinating and Mr.. Eltinge is fasci-
mating as the widow and also as Hal
Blake. the college boy.
Nothing but the highest praise can
be said of the musical comedy and
the company, for Mr.. Eltinge has de-
parted from the custom of star sur
rounding himself with but support,
and has an exceedingly clever cast
Mirth and melody go hand-in-hand
throughout the unraveling of a prob
lem that from its inception until its
rather startling conclusion is a con-
tinuous chain of sometimes humorous
and sometimes unique, but never in
tense, situations.
Tears found their way down the
cheeks of many who were given nc
time to recover from qpe period oil
laughter until overcome by another
They "wept for Joy"
Applause swayed the large audi
ence and it was but short lapse oil
time when quiet was permitted to
reign, and then only when singing oil
dancing hushed the expressions OF
appropriations by the theatre oers. II
is a certainty that few seats Will be-
vacant at the Newark during the en-.
gagement of Mr.. Eltinge.
THE Fascinating Widow" is from
| the pen of Otto Hauerbaeh, author OF
Madam Sherry" The music is tho
work of f. A. Mills and Jear
Schwartz, while Jack Mason is hello
responsible for the dances. 1t is al
"entlrely different" style of musica
comedy, but one that could be copied
with good results, as it is undoubtedly
the best musical play that Newark
pIaygoers have had the good fortune
to see in a local theatre.
As Hal Blake, the rough-and- ready
college boy of the athletic type, Mr.
Eltinge is very clever, but when h'
makes his first appearance as the
fascinating widow the audience Is
completely captivated, and the words
of Langton. Gee! l hope it ISM
Hall" are echoed by many. AS z
woman would say, beautiful ex
presses the thoughts of all, and man,
1 times during the comedy the fact tina
/ the "widow"is in reality a man II
forgotten in the gracefulness an'
sweetness of the woman
The plot, if such it might be called
gets an early and suspicious send-of
when 1t is explained that Margare
beffingwell, the daughter of Mrs
Leffingwell, the matron of the girls
dormitory of the college, has fallen 8
victim TO Halls charms, and Hal, il
turn, has hearkened to Cupid's call
ing and lost his heart to Margaret
The match is frowned upon by Mrs
Leffingweli. who has decided that hei
daughter shall be the bride of Oswald
Wentworth, sophomore, kindly
called in college a grind" Hal be-
comes involved in a quarrel with
Wentworth and knocks him down
His arrest is demanded by the bat
tered student and Margaret's mother
watch wee Margaret, he tells Langton
Wells the college trainer, and Tuthill
| Leffingwell that he will send them a
! telegram stating that the fascinating
widow is coming to Lakeside Inn.
Unfortunately for Wells and Lef-
| fingwell, their sweethearts learn of
the coming of the widow and of the
two young mems acquaintance with
| Mrs. Monte. tho widow, and for a
time. apparently, Cupids hard work
has been undone by Halls announced
plan to return in the garb of a
woman. With his, or, rather her, en-
trance the trouble and fun is formally
| introduced to the audience, and re-
mains their friend until the curtain
descends on the final scene.
Mrs. Monte quickly wins the hearts
of everybody at the college and takes
advantage of the disguise to steal
kisses from his sweetheart, Margaret.
and also learn of her love for him.
It is finally decided by Mrs. Letting
well that Margaret shall wed Went
worth, and formal announcements are
sent out. To thwart this marriage,
Mrs. Monte makes love to Oswald,
and he deserts Margaret. who has
been bemoaning her fate, for his new
love" only to learn on the day OF
the wedding that his "fiancee" is a
man. and the successful rival for
Margaret's heart and hand
The comedy is very cleverly staged
and the scenic effects throughout
beautiful.
In the supporting caste Edward
Garvey, as Langton Wells, and James
Spottswood, as Tuthill Leffingwell,
were very clever while Charles w.
Butler, as the Rev. Wilbur Watts, the
college chaplain, and James e. Sulli-
van, as Nick Bulger. the house sleuth,
added greatly to the humorous side,
their appearance always being the
signal for laughter.
Miss Belle Adair, as Margaret Lef-
fingwell, was well fitted for the char
acter, and won instant favor with the
andiance Mrs TefingwelI was given