Stageland

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 26, 7 March 1914, Page 1

Stageland

The concert given bri Tuesday by' Miss Millieent brennings a#d Mr Charlton was so successful that it is jnow>,pqssible' to .believe that other "concerts;.'will follow. Miss Jennings has many schemes in, hand,,including one for the giving of a recital in costume. Judging by this week's concert'it is a fair prophesy that the others will be that Miss Jennings .will .be" more srire of herself and that, the rather riprvqus., ma:onerisms will disappear. It is clear that such .concerts are what the educated public wants, arid that it will be not unprofitable to give them.

Again this week the Brennan-Fuller management, so fir'as' it. affects Christchurch, hasten successful. The first night of the present programmpj drew a capacity house—so -big that the reporters had to;'take to a box — not that . that ' grieved "them. Howard's Bears and Dogs were billed as the star turn, but fact it fell far behind the effect produced by the long stunt of IVephard'Nelson. Mr 'Nelson hold flie public, arid W^ayi't 1 this way and that. It,.i's;announced that on .the 12th:he will judge certain amateurs to be held in the Opera House. 'public laugh With him: it will be amusing to see how they laugh at 'h'is imitators. •

There died recently at Petersham, Sydney, James E. Moore, the brother of Maggie Moore, a man connected for' many years with the theatre here and in Australia. ■ His business was that of manager. Born in San. Francisco, where his father was .a contractor in an extensive way, he came to Australia in 1874 as manager foil Moore . and J. C. Williamson—"the Struck; Oil.'couple, "as they were called in those days. Later he was treasurer for Williamson, Garner anjjl Musgrove. Mr Moore, who was OS years of age, died suddenly of heart disease following on a long spell of ili health. > The Professional Musicians' Union in Sydney is negotiating.for a loan of £25,000 in order to build a new hall and club-rooms, says an exchange. Two questions arise: What security has it to offer? And if adequate, why a Traces Union? Mortgagees demand a twentyfive per cent, margin, even from a successful trades union. The death is announced in the United States of Mr ;Walter Rivers, the New Zealand actor, who in early days was associated Avith Miss Maggie Moore, and later appeared Mr William Anderson's companies and in vaudeville. In real life Mr Eivers's name was Haybittle.

Says the Adelaide"Kegister": "When Mi- -Allen Doone a little while ago challenged the public to come to the theatre and say whether he could not play other parts than a buoyant singing Irishman, he was answering a charge which probably had not "beea" made" by anybody, and, adopting rather a neat and''ingenious way of advertising something a bit outside his, ordinary line. Yet, after all, this is the day of the specialist;—to be able to do one thing well -is sufficient for'-'mOst men; to seek to do many things is often' ; tlie''surest. W^ : of undoing all; Mr Doone is not taking a'ny'gVave for the sake of reputation. In "The Eebel;'' staged for the first time"•■■at the Princess's on Saturday week,, and appreciated as usual by a large house, he gets back to safe Boueicaultian lines to-the subject, the people; • and the period of which patriotic Irishmen often smg. The poet may lament that the days'of '9B, ase ; gone, but they will never disappear while Irish drama lasts and there are sentimental actors like Mr AUjefl. D v <?one ~to interpret it. Without questioning the sincerity or the patriotism of Mr Doone or his colleagues,~it will' be a bad day for them when Ireland is entirely satisfied, all iO,f which begs the question. Mr Doone gives what the public seems to want, and there, is nothing more to be said. '• ; ' ; f ''' [ '■■•■' - ! ■••'■' >■■■■■■■ George Morgan, the slim yOung man who "was the chief dancer in the "Red Dandies ,r when they were 'in Christchurcb, has had to stay away from the shows of the company in' Melbourne for some time owing to a dislocated shoulder, the injury being done during a. dancing rehearsal. ~

According to other newspapers there seems to be little doubt that Madame Melba will visit Australia during the coining -winter. It is written that her trip is a business one purely, but-it is to be presumed that she will sing at least once or twice.

The list of plays for the year in Australia—some of which may come to New Zealand —makes quite an imposing array. A company headed by Harcpurt Beatty will produce "The Barrier," from Rex Beach's novel r and "Mr Wu," a striking melodrama set in Hongkong. Beaumont Smith's English Company, playing farces, will present "Who's the Lady?" "The, Glad Eye," and "The Chaperone" while the comedy company under the direction of E. J. Carroll will introduce "Bunty Pulls the Strings," and "The Blindness of Virtue." The Williamson firm has "Never Say Die," "Broadway Jones," and "Stop Thief" as comedies, "Peg o' My Heart," a t< drama, "The Argyle Cas,e," a detective play, and "Sealed Orders," a D'rury Lane melodrama. (Continued on Next Page.)

Tet another Australian has won to success, in the person of Miss Margherita Valdi, off the stage Miss Margaret James, a daughter of Mr Lewis James, editor of the Geelong "Advertiser," who recently obtained a three years' engagement as prima donna at thelSTice Opera House, where she will appear in "Faust," "William Te11,," "La Traviata," "La Boheme," and "Kigoletto." Such success, though it may not mean prayer and fasting, at least means many years of hard workj and the prospect of greater things to come. Mr Stanley Grant, who has been here both ahead of and with many melodramas, has control of "Aladdin. '' Following upon the precedent he himself established, he says that '' Aladdin'' is the best that ever happened. Or at least, if he didn % the syndicalist journal of Wellington is untruthful.

According to information received the '' New Zealand Herald'' announces that Mr Horace Hunt, of Auckland, who is at present in England, has composed several songs, one of which, a lullaby, '' Loo-la-loo,'' is amongst Messrs Enoch and Sons' latest publications. The number is characterised by a pretty melody, and should appeal to singers of the dainty class of solo. Messrs Enoch contemplate publishing Mr Hunt's remaining songs in book form. It will be remembered that the '' Lullaby'' and sundry other songs were sung by Mr Hunt's clever sister, Miss Gertrude Hunt, in Wellington. In those days, three years ago, no fault could be found with Mr Hunt's piano playing, save that he lacked obvious enthusiasm. . . .. .

Chief Eagle Horse, of the Fuller-Brennan management, is said to be a chief of the Sioux tribe of Indians. He is said to be a great baritone singer, and is the only full-blooded Red Indian on the vaudeville stage. He is one of the experiments that was made by the American Government in educating the Indian. He is a graduate of Carlisle University, in Pennsylvania, and while there became a noted half-back in the football team.

Stage realism has gone very far, but it has remained for the Sydney "Bulletin" to get a genuine laugh but, of it. Listen to the tale:—On first payday at Melbourne Boyal, after «Joseph and His Brethren" was put in hand, one of the specially engaged *idrlish,supers, i [counting over his takings, ssorted aloud: "Vott Pon'd

I get no more as Cohnt" "Why should yeu?" asked • the gifted management. * ' Vy shouldn't It" wailed"the '- ' superman. "Selp me, my nose tvice &s long?" -* ;

According to the ''.New Zealand Heraldj" thW" Boyal General Theatrical Fund of England'has lar|gely ! ' benefited under the will of the late Mr. George Eignold,' ~ who died in Australia a little over twelve months agV ;r Already the executors have remitted over £7OOO on J ' account. " • ' The Kennedy Family of musicians had a great re'-"'* ception in Inver'cargill at the opening of' their "Ne-tv " Zealand tour. The lbeal '■' Daily News" gives t'liem' k a most favourable notice, sufficiently detailed to show that the individuals of the, family have merit, as well as versatility as an aggregate. London is suffering from an attack *of Futurist music, writes the London correspondent of a Sydney _ journal. The principal perpetrator is Arnold Schonberg,. whose noises sound like an earthquake and a volcanic: eruption having a disagreement with a floek of trumpeting elephants- and a sftoal of cats. Some players, practising one of Schonberg's "tunes" in a hotel, lately created a young riot, all the other guesta to leave if the din were not turned eff at. ~ the meter. The same outbreak was hissed by Paris, audiences, and even a tame British Queen's Hall crowS has succeeded in looking pained after an'hour of Schonberg's contortions for the orchestra. On the Queen 's ; Hall occasion the composer, being a doughty soufc cam* to personally conduct his cataclysm. He is a shy-look-ing, bald, clean-shaven man, and, in a spirit of nicer . revenge, the reception committee hosed him with soniei of his own noises.

The Australian beauty'girl's who were selected bjr ;i J. C. Williamson, Ltd., and 'the physical-culture experts,'/ to represent Australia . in a picture ballet in "The Forty Thieves" pantomime in Melbourne, wereeinematographed in accordance with the announcement: __ made when the beauty competition was promoted. Tn ej'". posed before the camera in their private dr-css,andin-the costumes they wore in the spectacular pageant in the pantomime, and made a fine display. The films now being shown throughout Australia prior to r . despatched to London and other parts of the world tW exhibition.