The Fascinating Widow is a 1910 musical comedy with music by Frederick W. Mills and both book and lyrics by Otto Harbach. It was created as a starring vehicle for the female impersonator Julian Eltinge. The play premiered in Atlantic City, New Jersey, then toured the United States for 10 months before appearing on Broadway in September 1911.
| The Fascinating Widow | |
|---|---|
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| Music | Frederick W. Mills |
| Lyrics | Otto Harbach |
| Book | Otto Harbach |
| Premiere | November 14, 1910: Apollo Theatre, Atlantic City, New Jersey |
Productions
editThe play premiered at the Apollo Theatre in Atlantic City, New Jersey on November 14, 1910, with A.H. Woods producing.[1] Woods toured the show around the United States,[2] then brought it back to the Apollo in August 1911,[3] before taking it to Broadway. It opened on Broadway at the Liberty Theatre on September 11, 1911.[4] After a seven-week run on Broadway, the show returned to the road, where it ran for several more years.
Cast and characters
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The characters and cast from the Broadway production are given below:
| Character | Broadway cast |
|---|---|
| Ivy Tracy | Natalie Alt |
| Bessie Bothwell | Marie Baxter |
| Harriet Halford | Blanche Burnham |
| Reverend Wilbur Watts | Charles W. Butler |
| Hal Blake/Mrs. Monte | Julian Eltinge |
| Lottie Lovedale | Gladys Feldman |
| Lankton Wells | Edward Garvie |
| Tessie Danforth | June Mathis |
| Ethel Ethridge | Jean Morrell |
| Maisie Mannering | Louise Orth |
| Mrs. Leffingwell | Carrie E. Perkins |
| Nella Northrup | Dorothy Sanders |
| Cissie Cyril | Natalie Seymour |
| Tuthill Leffingwell | James Spottswood |
| Nick Bulgler | James E. Sullivan |
| Oswald Wentworth | Lionel Walsh |
| John Wilson | Frank Wentworth |
| Rholla Rollins | Dorothy Wilcox |
| Margaret Leffingwell | Winona Winter |
Adaptations
editThe play was adapted as a silent film in 1925.
References
edit- ^ "Eltinge as 'The Widow'". Variety. Vol. 20, no. 11. November 19, 1910. p. 4.
- ^ Bragdon, May (December 31, 1914). May Bragdon Diaries. Rochester, NY: University of Rochester. p. 332. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
- ^ "Julian Eltinge in Fascinating Widow". The New York Times. Vol. 60, no. 19, 575. August 29, 1911. p. 7.
- ^ "Eltinge in Musical Play" (PDF). The New York Times. Vol. 60, no. 19, 589. September 12, 1911. p. 11.
External links
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