Ada Roach: and company in The Heart of the Immigrant

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ADA ROACH and Company in
The Heart of the Immigrant


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I stood at Ellis Island, New York, and saw the Immigrants.  I saw why they came and how they came.  I saw their home conditions, the glowing reports sent back, their final decision to say good-by to life's dearest ties to go to that far country ‐to America.  I saw them land, downhearted, perplexed in mind, in the depths of homesickness. I saw shining through all the miseries of their situation an abiding faith that they would succeed, and that eventually all would be as they had hoped.  I saw the Heart of the Immigrant.


Ada Roach and Company, in The Heart of the Immigrantexpress what I saw that day at Ellis Island.  It is a musical program with a powerful theme.  Miss Ada Roach has been selected as the most capable person in the Lyceum for heading the company.  She is a woman of deep sentiment, broad sympathy, unusual natural humor, wonderful powers of impersonation, herself of good Immigrant blood, and just the right rollicking spirit to head such a company as is needed to give The Heart of the Immigrant.

So much material is available for this program. We can select only the choicest. There are these great nationalities: Irish, Scotch, German, Hollander, Norwegian, Swedish, Belgian, Russian, Jewish, French, Italian, Austrian, Greek, and all our other future citizens.  Ever thing they do being strange to our custom is intensely interesting, and especially so when presented in a musical program.  The six people of the company will impersonate in costume many of these nationalities, singing their heart songs.


The despondency that overshadows the Immigrants upon their landing at Ellis Island clears away under the brightening influence of the original song Smilessung by Miss Roach. Before its close every Immigrant is ready to join glad-heartedly in singing the opening chorus, an original song, The Heart of the Immigrant.


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The full company of mixed quartet, the accompanist, who sings, and Miss Roach, who has a full rich contralto voice, join in singing nearly every number.  Each song is especially presented, the effective grouping of the singers adding a great part to the pleasure of the audience.  In the humorous stories and recitals, and in the individual work of the members of the company, nearly always every other member is contributing as chorus, as accompanist on violin, piano or other instrument, and in action and position.

The heart and home songs of the countries whence come our Immigrants will be the leading part of the program.  Such songs as the Irish "Where the River Shannon Flows" and "Rory O'More"; the German "The Lorelei" and "Silent Night, Hallowed Night"; and the Italian "Ciribiribin," and the choicest songs from the other nationalities.  These will be of wide variety, carefully selected for their beauty and appropriateness, and especially for their part in building an artistic, entertaining and effective program, The Heart of the Immigrant."

One of the interesting and humorous parts of the program is the school scene from the old country wherein they sing their lesson.  The professor leads out with "Was Is Das?"


Another is the recounting- of the experiences oil board ship, and the getting started in America, among which interesting experiences is learning- to talk the new language.

The program will include the singing of many American songs which have been written about the Immigrant people.  Such songs as "My Rose of the Ghetto," "How Is Every 'ring by You, All Right?," "My Wild Irish Rose, ' "Rosa Marie," "I Luv'd a Lassie" and "Since I Left Poor Heinie Behind."

At the conclusion of the program, while the company still speak their English with a strong foreign flavor, and their costumes are still not a great deal changed, yet they are truly American in heart, and are ready to sing the closing chorus, the original song, "I'm a Citizen of the U.S.A"


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ESTABLISHED SINCE 1868

JAMES REDPATH FOUNDER OF THE LYCEUM