The Washington times., 1920-09-05

Mill, the foremost American pflHa
donna comedienne, who won the
plaudits of theatergoers in 'Sari,
Pom Pom" and Head Over Heels"
by her girfish art of attraction and
her bewitching manner. rises to
greater height than ever before in
her new musical romance Lady
Billy" which Henry w. Savage offers
to Washington at the New National
Theater beginning tonight.
Zelda Sears, newspaper woman and
writer of stories and plays, wrote
the book and lyrics and Harold Levey,
a protege of Victor Herbert, composed
the music. John Mckee was the stage
director and Julian Alfred directed
the dances and singing numbers.
The love story develops from an old
ghost tradition of the Paradova castle
in Roumania and had It's inception In
1910. There is no money left the
little countess, last member of this
line Of royalty, and her only means
Of a ivlihood is playing the Family
Ghost" and the Family Echo" By
doing this she and her faithful Eng
lish butler keep the wolf from the
high iron gates.
SHE FOOLS TOURISTS.
As the ancestral ghost she is the
replica of the great painting of her
aunt who died years ago of a broken
heart. The portrait hangs in the main
corridor of Lady Billy's castle and
it has all of the dignity and coloring
of a Van Dyck and is the coveted art
treasure Of the old mansion. Those
who see the royal ghost and scrutin-
ize the canvass declare that the vision
ax.fn hn
now.
Lady Billy finds glee in fooling the
tourists until an American contractor
happens to apologize for the thunder
Gus roars made by his blasting. He
is Immediately fascinated by the por-
trait and listens with interest to the
story of the broken-hearted countess
who lived loved and died in the early
part of the Seventeenth Century. He
asks to return at twilight to see her
ladyship's. ghost walk down the
stairs.
Later on this diminutive countess
goes to America and becomes the
famed boy soprano. She plays the
ghost again, but this time she let's
the American know that she is real.
The scene jumps from the castle
to the salon of the high priestess of
futuristic poetry of Greenwich village.
Here life scintilates with kaleido-
scopic effect of extreme expression in
colorful costumes, decorations, music
and poetry. 1t is a vivid contrast to
the lavenders and grays of the old
castle, bringing out an original and
fascinating effect in operate pro-
duction.
HAS DISTINGUISHED CAST.
Associated with Mitzi is dis
tinguished singing cast including
Boyd Marshall, baritone with MitZi In
Pom Pom" and 'Sari;" sydney Green
street, London comedian and formerly
with Sir Herbert Tress: Beatrice Con-
stance, mezzo. who made her concert
debut in New York last April: Arthur
Ottry. baritone. with the Lyceum
Grand Opera Company for several
years: Jean Newcombe, noted com.
ediennc with many Broadway sue.
cesses: Josephine Adair. mezzo, with
"Maytime" last year and Charles Cav,
one of the four little clergy with
Maud Adams in the Little Minister"
for Ave years.
The singing and dancing ensemble
embraces a quartet, quintet. and octet
OF beautiful girls, many of whom arc
from the Metropolitan Grand Opera
chorus. The Billy Four male quar-
tct was with the 'oNcT-Seds hcNleW
last year
The Henry w. Savage orchestra
will be led by the youthful composer.
who is considered the youngest man
to compose a modern opcratic score.
HER SONGS ARE VARIED.
what will Mitzi sing in Lady
Billy"
Her songs are as varied as a March
day. There is sunshine. happiness
boyish glee. mimicry. romance, and
even regret in them.
The spirit OF the lyrics is sustained
by the musical settings, and Mitzfs
varied Impressions are Characters
Il cally revealed, displaying her natural
adaptability to the conditions Of the
musical romance which develop con-
sistently and snappily with vivid pic
lures.
Her first number Is sung when, rs
little Countess OF Paradova, she finds
that she has been caught in her gar
den overalls and she quickly says she
is the gamers boy. To prove that
shc knows All about gardening, she
nings the Garden Number" In which
she gives advice to those who fail In
raising their crops to plant . kiss