The Washington times., 1914-03-10
Hit Is Scored
By Maids Of
Athens


ducing managers, with few exceptions
howling about bad business most
disastrous season in history" and all
the rest Of the set plants, and in the
meantime filing their theaters with
shows that belong in cheap. restaurant
cabsrets. If they belong anywhere eN-
cept in tie storehouse, it is pleasure
TO extend the glad hand of congratula-
ton TO Henry w. Savage, producer OF
real productions.
At the same time. one can hardly re-
frstn from sounding to The colonel a
note Of warning. FOR with three sue
cesses TO mis- credit in as many months.
some of those other producers are
likely to engage a black-hand band to
bold him up for his recipe.
does not require any great amount
OF soothsayinS ability or telepathy or
sny other of those occult qualities
which enable one to see into the future,
70 predict long and successful career
for the big sister of The Merry
Widow" which. under the title OF
19iere at the National Theater last
night.
The operetta came having had the
beneht OF three performances at Attain
TIC City and since the rirst one last Fri
day night, much has been done to
smooth of any rough edges which We're
noted at the first one. There has been
some rearrangement of the lyrics also,
which has made for Improvement of
Hhat, however, was an assured success
from the moment that the curtain fell
Tor the first time on the first act at At
lantic City.
Credit for Carolyn Wells.
It would be quite superfiuous to treat
nst nights performance from the stand
poin: of a review, Cor The Times was
represented at the Atlantic City
premiere. and a full desc ription of
Maids of Athens" was pIblished in
The Sunday Evening Times. 1t can be
said, however, that all the changes
which have been made by Carolyn Wells
have been in the direction of adding de-
tais which have helped the comedy of
the operetta wonderfully. Parts that
were bit wordy in spots have beeen
pruned and others have been built up
until the whole production now is as
well balanced as one could possibly ask.
Miss Carolyn Wells is entitled to wear
the operate laurel wreath fer this sea-
son, and Colonel Savage should GER
talnly keep her portrait hanging in 4
conspicuous place in his of ce, SO that
the next time Franz Lehar and Victor
Leon write an opcretta, he will have
only TO take one feeting look at it
The picture, notsthe operetta-and say
to one of his assistants:
Send for Miss Wells
One could hardly realize just how
much she has accomplished Without
having seen the original liberetto of one
OF those Viennese operettas in its ma
i've form and then read a practica ly
literal translation of the same. They
are Sad affairs and to transform
them into an acceptable English version
means practically writing a new opera
There Is usual nothing to start with
nut the basic idea of the plot such as
II may be. The rest is I'D to the writer
VINO is put on the Job of making the
English version.
Did the Work Alone.
What makes Miss Wells entitled to all
the more credit is that she cid not have
u call in any help on the lyrics Dia-
loeue, jokes, and songs-all came from
her pen alone. One or two changes
in the company since the opening in
atlantic City. have he.ped the produc-
ton wonderfully notably the introduc-
ton of Josephine Whitte-l into the role
Of the princess.
Added lines TO the part of Mrs Barley
gives rotund Marie Horgan a still bet
ter chance to get her comedy over, and
she seizes all the added opportunity and
makes good use of il. But listen. Some
night she is going to trip over one of
those mountains in the SECOND act and
II Is going to get such a laugh that
Colonel Savage will have to increase
her salary in order to induce her to
keep the fall in.
Chance For Guessing Contest.
(Another svggestion) Colonel Saw
age might stir up an added interest
by having a guessing contest for men
only on the colors of the wigs worn
in the first act. / thought one of
them was carrot co-or. and the young
person with me scOrnfully informed
me that some people call it Tango
red and some rust" Another looked
Just plain green TO me. and while il
was grudgingly admitted that I was
right so far as the green went, il was
not just plain green, but Kelly
green" So i think there are some
possibilities in that guessing contest.
After all is said, one is brought
back to the original idea and state
Inent Maids Of Athens" is a mighty
good show, is worthy successor TO
The Merry Widow" and ought to
make the House of Savage lot of
money. a. II. L.