Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-23
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS"

NATIONALI-"J0nica.
The National Theater announces fol-
the week beginning tonight William b
Friedlander's new musical COMEDY
"Jonica." Mr.. Friedlander was the
producer of Moonlight" 'MercenarS
Mary" and Little Jessie James," out
standing musical hits of the past DECADE
"Jonica" was written by Dorothy
Hayward and Moss Hart. The lyrics
and music are by William Mol and
Joseph Meyer, with special numbers by
Mr.. Friedlander. Miss Hayward. it Will
be recalled, co-authored "Porgy," the
Theater Guild production. "Jonica,
however, is in an entirely different vein.
"Jonica'' was young, shy and demure,
but she had read the book of knowledge,
so she knew all the answers.
A company of sixty includes the
well-known musical comedy artist
Joyce Barbour, who replaced Gertrude
Lawrence in the Chariot Revue; Nell
Roy, who played opposite Joe Cook, III
"Rain or Shine" Jerry Norris, young
Juvenile lead in Youman's Great Day,
June O'Dea. Coincidence, in "A Night
in Paris" and with Ned Wayburn's pro-
auctions: Earle S. Dewey George S.
Schiller. featured comedian of the orig
inal Passing Show" Harry Shannon,
of Hold Everything the Wallace Sis
tiers, young Jack Stillman, making his
first appearance in Washington and is
a clever dancer, Irene Swor, the exotic
Nine. Douret, of the Madrid Music
Halls. Madeline Gray, Ruth Goodwin,
Bert Matthews, Charles Doyle, Mabel
Cover, Dorothy Murray, Julia Brown
and THE Brandeaux Ballet, under the
direction of Ped Mere Brandeaux.
Among the seventeen song numbers
are The Night 1t Happened" "Au
Revoir," Tonight or Never" "One Step
Nearer the Noon" Here Is My Heart"
beautiful Girls" "Tie Your Cares to
a Melody" March of the Rice and Old
Shoes" "A Million Good Reasons" y
Gave You Me-" Gotta Do My Duty"
"The Apple and the Bough," My Story
Ends That Way" THE Wedding Pa
rade."
"Jonica" goes to the new Craig Theater,
West Fifty-fourth street, New York,
for a Spring and Summer run.
POLPS-"The Merry widow"
Franz Lehars imperishable operetta,
"The Merry Widow" terminated ard
caparisoned in all its former glory, Will
be the offering at Polls theater, Tor one
week, beginning tomorrow night, with
a fascinating European prirna donna,
Bepie dep VrieS, singing the title role,
and Donald Brian in his original role
Of Prince Danilo.
1.-THE Merry Widow" is one of the
10 musical favoriteS of yesteryear that
have been produced in New York this
season by the Jolson's Theater Musical
Comedy Company. How successful this
Broadway movement was in bringing
back to theatergoers such oldtime favor
ties, is evidenced by the fact that the
Jolson's Company was literally COM
PEELED to extend its season in New York
Indefinitely, while six of its presenta-
tons are now having profitable road
tours.
THE Merry Widows" popularity has
never been questioned First produced in
Vienna in 1905, it achieved a record Ut
success all over the civilized world rare
ly equaled in the ANIMALS Of the
theater. On its original presentation in
Vienna, it ran more than 500 perform
ances, followed by lengthy engage
ment in Copenhagen. 1t was not until
October 81, 1907, that the operetta had
its first production in New York, where
it ran for SO weeks, and sub
Sequently various companies presented
the piece on the road with uniform sue
cess. A revival on Broadway In 1921
likewise aroused great interest.
Although the characters IN "The
Merry Widow revel principally in the
Maxim's of Paris, the piece belongs 20
Vienna-and to that vanished magical
Vienna so blithely unconscious CT the
years that we're slowly creeping towards
1914
The production is pre-eminent for
Franz Lehar's melodious score. A large
and competent company, numbering
well over a hundred, viii be seen in sup
port of Miss de Vries and Mr.. Brian.
The entire production has been staged
hv Milton Ahorn