"Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 288 - Merry Mrs.MacBeth" - читать интересную книгу автора (Grant Maxwell)

"Why not?" queried Dundee in confident style. "A wacky idea usually goes over with the chumps, and
this is about the wackiest yet. Mixing about half of Shakespeare into a musical is something different.
Good title, too: 'Merry Mrs. Macbeth,' only she doesn't look so merry."

"She does in the opening." This came from an earnest looking man who had just arrived from the steps at
the side of the stage. "You see, there's a prologue where she sings a parody to the Merry Widow Waltz,
telling how Macbeth has just been slain. Then she goes into her dance."

Ossie Bodelle shoved a big thumb toward the arrival and said to Terry Dundee:

"This is Fred Guylan. He wrote the script. Owns a piece of the show, too."

Dundee nodded as though accustomed to meeting such people. It was the kind of nod that reserved
opinion; then, feeling it would be politic to say something, Dundee put the compliment:

"She's a good actress, Vera Scharn."

That brought a worried look to Guylan's already nervous face. He was a rabbity man, and in keeping
with his style he threw an appealing look at Ossie Bodelle, who handled the situation quite blandly.

"Thought I told you, Terry," remarked Bodelle. "Vera Scharn is just the understudy for Lady Macbeth.
She plays Desdemona as a regular part."

"Then who's the leading lady?"

"The regular Lady Macbeth? A girl named Joy Trevose."

"Joy Trevose?" Dundee blinked. "Never heard of her. Has anybody else?"

"A lot of people will," returned Bodelle, planking his big hand on Dundee's shoulder. "They've got to hear
about her, if you take over the publicity for this show. It will be your job to make them--or else."

Guylan immediately looked relieved while Dundee looked puzzled. Then:

"I don't get it, Ossie," said Dundee. "A smart promoter like you passing up a good bet like Vera Scharn
for a nobody like this Joy Trevose."

Before Bodelle could explain, a spokesman did it for him.

Alan Fenway, the leading man, came down from the stage. He was very hot under the ruffled collar of his
Romeo costume.

"Bodelle doesn't pass up any bets," stormed Alan. "He's a smart promoter all right, but he didn't promote
this show. What he promoted was Howard Harthorne."

Dundee's eyebrows went up.

"The big chewing gum guy?" Terry's tone was incredulous. "I thought he'd lost his extra shirts on those
last two flops he backed. How come he fell for Merry Mrs. Macbeth?"