The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-12-15
"FLORA BELLA"
One of Most Pleasing Produc-
lions Ever Offered for En-
ferfainmenf of ke0kuk
Audiences

Baron Tigo Oblonsky. .........
.............. Gerald Mcdonald
Countess Ola Drubetskoy.
............. Gertrude Selden
Count Sergley Weronzeff........
David Andrada
Princess Mania Demidoff ........
Rhoda Nickells
Sophia, the maid. 80. Nina Seamans
Prince Nicholas Demidoff 49,.
.............. Russell Lennon
Kosenon. ........... Daniel Young
Madam Vera Ludoffsky ........
Ann Sheppard
Rossett. manager of 1.-THE Sign Of
the Golden Calf" Robert Bucanan
LaRene. dancer at 1.-THE Sign of
the Golden Calf. ,Irma Komlosy
Ludivic, the butler ....H. II. Roman
Golden Calf. ........ Mildred Wilkins
Synopsis of Scenes.
Act 1. The houes of Prince Mich
olas in the, country.
Act II. "The Sign of the Golden
Calf in P%etrograd.
Act III. The house of Prince Mich
alas in the country.
If mi can imagine the charm of
1.-THE Merry Widow and the musical
excellence of "The Bohemian Girl
combined in one production. then
there ia Flora Bella" an operetta
by Felix Doermann, Dorothy Don
nelly and Cosmo Hamilton, music by
Charles Cuvillier and Milton
Schwartzwald and the lyrics by Percy
Waxman. Flora Bella" is one Of
the few attractions that really lives
up to all the good things said of it
in advance. The music is not of the
usual sort heard in musical come
dies. 1t is of high note and very de-
lightful.
Flora Bella" has a genuine plot.
There are moments of real acting,
moments when the players rose to
the occasion. The story tells of a
Russian gentlewoman who, to pay
her fathers debts, sings in a cabaret,
using the name Flora Bella. Later,
without disclosing this matter, she
marries a prince. She makes herself
extremely conventional, so much 81
that she loses her husbands love
and, to win it back. goes again to
the cabaret where she poses before
her husband as her twin sister, a
neurological parsonage. 1t is an in
ICl CSSIh6 SlOAy, WCll uCNSlOpCu'
After witnessing Flora Bella" at
the Grand last evening the conclu-
sion is bound to come that light
opera or musical comedy a be
written with the Ink Of common
sense. Plot may not be out Of sight
and hearing every time 1t dares to
peek from the wings. Wit, too, car
show itself once in a while and put
the slapstick to scorn. And music,
freed from the tramp-tramp-tramp of
the ragtime can consort once more
with melody and color unfettered
rythm. Flora Bella" although it is
of conglomorate authorship, was a
refreshment to those who r in the
habit Of patronizing the productions
that come to .Keokuk. There was a
plot to follow with interest, music to
hear with real pleasure, lyrics and
fun that encouraged the risibilities
and not too subtle to float owe ones
head. The songs were something
more than catchy and the acting last
night war on a par with the material
it exempli1ed. The chorus actually
knew how to use its voice as we'll as
it's feet. And when one m to
the final act a fresh laurel wreath
should be pinned on the collective
brow of this band Of supernumeraries.
For they s~ubordinated the music, for
that act, almost. entirely to the work
ing out of the plot, the reunion of
husband and wife,
The curtain rose on no jelly COM
pany of milliners and gentlemen of
leisure. To be sure the handful of
singers are peasants (and if one is
to believe what one saw last night
the everyday costume Of the modern
Russian peasant is of a summertime
Variety but they remained outside,
and sang as well as they looked be-
hind massive windows which backed
the castle-like room of Prince Demi-
doff. From then on the interesting
story of Flora Bella's posing as a
mythical twin sister in order to win
back her husbands love was told
with minimum sacrifices to musical
comedy tradition.
Miss Nickells' clear Colorful So
prano found themes worth it's effort
and her histrionic ability was taxed,
not in vain, by the acting required
to contrast Flora Bella as the sorter
Of blankets and Flora Bella as the
dancer of the Golden Calf. The
others in the cast were of the best
as singers, actors and dancers, and
in all it was the most satisfying
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