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Footlight Notes Collection Picture Archive - request for use of images
Fascinating Flora
Casino Theatre, New York, 20 May 1907
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'Fascinating Flora is just another musical concoction built along the same lines as scores of predecessors. Nothing but the expected happens; choruses sing, dance, and stand in line, smile, wear colored clothes; principals get into trouble and out of it, burst into song at intervals commensurate with their importance, make jokes about New York, do specialities of more or less cleverness; the curtain falls to divide the evening into two parts; the orchestra plays the air that the promoters hope will be popular. The whole thing is done according to formula as accurately as a prescription is compounded in a drug store. And the audience, strictly ritualistic as a musical comedy audience always is, is pleased.
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'Adele Ritchie in the leading role of Flora played much in her usual manner. Of her two solos, a march song called "Yankee Land" has a catchy air. In the topical songs, "What Will Happen Then?" sung with Allegretti and Gayboy; "The Subway Express," in which Allegretti has the other "Ballooning," sung with the chorus, Miss Ritchie acquitted herself well. Louis Harrison was very agreeable in the role of Allegretti, and his own song, "Romance and Reality," with music by Sloane, was the most favored vocal number after "The Subway Express." Fred Bond as Gulliver Gayboy played with his customary ease and understanding. James E. Sullivan as Professor Ludwig Wagner was the conventional German, rather funny than otherwise. Charles Jackson, as Baron Reynard and Edward M. Favor as Edouard Valliere both added to the comedy element. Ella Snyder made an attractive Dolly, but Kathlee Clifford was dull and neutral as Rose. Tremont Benton had no chance to shine in the role of Fifi.
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© John Culme, 2005
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