The Fascinating Widow

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The Fascinating Widow
Julian Eltinge (the fascinating widow).jpg
Music Frederick W. Mills
Lyrics Otto Harbach
Book Otto Harbach
PremiereNovember 14, 1910 (1910-11-14): Apollo Theatre, Atlantic City, New Jersey

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.

Contents

Productions

The 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

Julian Eltinge in The Fascinating Widow Julian-Eltinge-Fascinating-Widow.jpg
Julian Eltinge in The Fascinating Widow

The characters and cast from the Broadway production are given below:

Cast of the Broadway production
CharacterBroadway cast
Ivy Tracy Natalie Alt
Bessie BothwellMarie Baxter
Harriet HalfordBlanche Burnham
Reverend Wilbur WattsCharles W. Butler
Hal Blake/Mrs. Monte Julian Eltinge
Lottie Lovedale Gladys Feldman
Lankton WellsEdward Garvie
Tessie Danforth June Mathis
Ethel EthridgeJean Morrell
Maisie ManneringLouise Orth
Mrs. LeffingwellCarrie E. Perkins
Nella NorthrupDorothy Sanders
Cissie CyrilNatalie Seymour
Tuthill LeffingwellJames Spottswood
Nick BulglerJames E. Sullivan
Oswald WentworthLionel Walsh
John WilsonFrank Wentworth
Rholla RollinsDorothy Wilcox
Margaret Leffingwell Winona Winter

Adaptations

The play was adapted as a silent film in 1925.

References

  1. "Eltinge as 'The Widow'". Variety. Vol. 20, no. 11. November 19, 1910. p. 4.
  2. Bragdon, May (December 31, 1914). May Bragdon Diaries. Rochester, NY: University of Rochester. p. 332. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  3. "Julian Eltinge in Fascinating Widow". The New York Times. Vol. 60, no. 19, 575. August 29, 1911. p. 7.
  4. "Eltinge in Musical Play" (PDF). The New York Times. Vol. 60, no. 19, 589. September 12, 1911. p. 11.