Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1917-10-31
CHARMED WITH
"FLORA BELLA
Bangor, Maine Daily News Speaks
in Glowing Terms of the Great
Musical Comedy Coming
to Decorah.
WELL APPEAR AT GRAND
TUESDAY, NOV. 13
No Weak Places i'm the Cast. Miss
RhOda Nickells, Blonde With
Pretty Ways and Soprano
Voice in the Title Role.

Decorah theatre patrons have a
great treat il store for them when
the opera Flora Bella appears here
Nov 13. The following from the
Bangor, Maine, Daily News, speaks
for itself. This company appeared
there recently and is making long
jump across the country:
From that prolific source of musi-
cal comedy delights, the New York
Casino Theatre, Flora Bella came to
Bangor and the Bijou stage on FRI
day night aid will linger here thru
with presentation at 2:30 and S:15.
1t used to be saidj long before they
put the brick-red plush chairs into
the famous temple Ae music and fun
at 39th street, thaY \ S1iag fr9y,
the Casino is go. tn ,uleSmE
have been fractur ,lor les late
ly, but Flora Bella oC 4 of the
fractures-"Flora L. r. is ny ,SyeIy
fine, and coming jusa the threshold
of this brutal early inter, and after
a protracted famife in cheerful
theatricals, this SWEPT confection of
romance, kinky melodies and spark
ling fun is nothing short of god
send. The many who heard it last
night thought SO and said so; and
the many more who will hear it to-
day will add to the chorus of happy
praise.
Its great thing to get genuine
and complete satisfaction from
musical play nowadays most un-
usual thing. The librettists have
raked the fields of human experience
AID the gardens of fancy over and
over again for something new in
plot and story, while the composer
has for years been doing little bet
ter than resurrecting echoes of the
musical past. Even the. viennese
thing has become stale and remin-
iscent. But here, in Flora Bella we
have something unique in pretty ro-
nance aId surly most seductive
assembling of sweet sounds. There is
color in the book, snap and sparkle
in every line, and throughout the
score is characterized by a welcome
sprilgliness, given away now and
then to perfect example of the soul
full, as in the waltz song, Love is
a Dream and Give Me All of .You.s
This last named is gem to admire,
and the manntri of it's singing and
dancing by Rhoda Nickells and Rus
sell Lennon chafqed all who heard
and saw.
So much for the play itself. OF the
people in it praise might be extended
Unfortunately. There are no weak
places in the cast. and that is anoth-
er surprise. The circumstance is ex-
planned by the fact that this COM
pany is composed of three organiza-
tions that started out in the piece.
Miss Rhoda Nickells, in the title
role, a doll-like blondo with pretty
ways and a soprano voice Of surpris-
ing volume as we'll as unusual sweet
ness, is now to be added to the list of
the young women who have won
Bangor's unqualified approval in
musical comedy. And that is some-
thing, for the list is not very long.
Bangor is rather fussy ins such mat
ters, but it gave to Miss Nickells last
night its warm and enthusiastic in
dorsement, and it was all deserved.
Whether as the wife who affected de-
votion to a drab existence aid
shaded the light youth with screen
of Quakerish discretion, or the cab
aret divinity whose gayety and beau
ty captivated the young Prince, she
seemed at no moment lacking In ar
tistic understanding or in effective
manifestation of all that was de-
manded by the dual impersonation.
Flora Bella is welcome, indeed.
Aad "Give Me All of You" will haunt
the musical memory OF Bangor for
many day.