STAGE JOTTINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 145, 19 June 1915, Page 14

STAGE JOTTINGS.

The post of musical director of tho Wellington Amateur Operatic Society has boon accepted by .Mr. Bernard 1-. Page, tho city organist.

According to "The Theatre Magazine" for June, Mr. Ben .]. J-'oiler was ome a teacher in a Unitarian Sunday School. A photograph is published in proof of this.

Miss Beatrice Day's only son, Robin Wall, acred -_ll years, has been granted a commission, and is a second lieutenant in the third battalion of the .Lincolnshire Regiment.

Prior to leaving Sydney for America. Mr. Prod Kiblo was presented with a handsome silver cup by the members of the company, who had been associated with him for throe years. Daniel Frawley, who, some nine or ten years ago, appeared in New- Zealand with a lino American company, producing "Arizona," ''Brother Oilicers," and other American play's, iv reported to have maTried -lias Peggy O'Neil, an actress who made a name in the American success "Peg o' My Heart.''

Mr. Prank Greene and __r. Victor Prince, late of the Royal Comic and New Comic Opera Companies, have formed a company of their own, nnd are touring the Victorian country districts. Their principal piece is "The Beauty Doctor," written by Mr. I). 11. Souter, the well known black-and-white artist, with music by Mr. F. Wynne Jones.

Two popular members oi tho PlimmerIlall Comedy Company, wliich visited Masterton recently—Mr. Vivian Andrew '•"dwardos and Miss Majorie Saville iSoper—were married at the Registry OOice. Dunedin. The witnesses to the deed of partnership wore Air. and -Mrs. Harry Phmmer (Miss Ena .Shanahan). The bridal pair have boon members of tho company ever since the commence ment of the to.ir.

The latest mails from Australia suggest that Mr. Robert Parker will not tour tho Dominion after all. He had been booked to come to New Zealand under Messrs. .1. and N. Tait, hut at pr.-ent be is appearing at the Tivoli riieatre in Sydney, and it is announced that ho has a ten weeks' vaudeville engagement. That will about lill in his time until he sa.ls for America to tour the i'lutod States, in Madame Melba's concert party.

Ijonncivallo's n-w operetta, "Da Oandidata." concerns ,'tsolf with suffragettes and, according tn the New York "Musi

I cal Courier." has the worst libretto ever linllictcl mi opera. The latest Kranz I Lobar work. "Kndlich Allem," has been j he.-ir.l in l'|,,rence. The second a ct is unique in that it is placed on a mounI tain peak, nnd only two characters :ip- | pear in it. sin.'ing practically throughout I the scene. The music is said to return Ito the maroh-piilka-and'Walt- stylo which | made the earlier works s„ popular. Mis. Amy la-tins ha. siicoossfullv j.>;.en.sl her Australasian tour at the Met j bourne Town Hall, where the long abVont. soprano was enthusiastically vvelV'.mied ba,k. The Victorian Festival Choir supported tlie artist, who was thus able to figure i_ Gounod'- "Gallia" cantata, the principal Koto _r w__-h ' tt__ "magnificently rendered." Tho general opinion ivjj that Miss Castles had matured both her voice and style, and had justified the excitement attending her schoolgirl debnt at tlie beginning of her career. Mr. Bryro Carter made bis first appearance in Melbourne. "Tlie 'cellist wan, of course, very favourably Toviewod. M_w Castles' Sydney season will open on June 19.

The company that has boon engaged by the .1. ('. Williamson management to produce "Pota-h and Pc.rlmuttor." a piny founded on Montague Class' Hebrew stories, is to arrive in Australia from America by the steamer Ventura early in July. The type of character necessary to the success of the play is such that every member of the company is being imported, an experience which English managers had to undergo ore the now p ipuliir play could bo staged in London, so that the prospects of local actnrs lind ing a place during I he season are remote in tho extreme. In this connection it is amusing to learn that several actors— wlioso boast has been lor years that, vvh.ther they wore accounted good or bad in the profession, nicy were "still Knglish gentlemen, what!" have of Into discovered the 11 bra.,' strain, and are thus, in their own estimation, if in that of nobody else, qualified for ntry into the caste. They w.ll lie Knglish gentlemen to the end so far as "Potash and Perl-iuttor" is concerned.

Mes.-rs. J. ami N. Tait have engaged throe remarkable Belgian artists to appear with Ihe Belgian Band on its forthcoming tour of Australia. M. ITorent Iloogstool. the violinist of the parte, for a long time was professor of the violin at the Brussels Conservatoire, the other two :irt:-ts arc two eminent operatic singers. Mile. Viceroy and M. Albert lloossens, who both hail from the Gran.. Opera House. Brussels.

Mr. Fran!; Musgrove, a well known entrepreneur, died at a private hospital nt Fairfield, Melbourne, from pneumonia on dune 0. The deceased had only recently" returned from a tour of Now Zealand, '.hero he piloted Miss Nellie Stewart's "Sweet Nell" Company through the principal cities, Mr. Musgrove. who wars a brother to Mr. George Musgrove and Mr. Harry Musgrove, had boon for many years associated with theatrical entorpi ises. ||c vvas for sonic time the proprietor ni a lucrative moving picture show business in I'itt .Street, and was one of the original introducer- of the touring oars that wore a source of profit to the first people to try thorn. Few mon are said to have had a better knowledge of the show business or to have more fully enjoyed tho confidence of the artiste with whom ho was associated, and the public alike. Mr. Musgrove was about 4"* years of age. He was educated at Scoti'h College, and was champion of the school in 18.2. Ho played senior football for Fit.roy, and first-grade cricket for East Melbourne.

A critic, recently writing of the .1. C. Williamson Ltd.. pantomime production "Cinderella" says: "It would have been no pantomime in these stirring times if the patriotic spirit wore not given some play, and it found its expression in "Cinderella" in both .picture and song. Quite one of the most gorgeous displays was thp spectacular march of the Allies, down a long (light, of steps reaching from the hack of the stage almost to the footlights. Fight. Maori girls wore awarded the honour of tho first entry; and they wore received with v burst of enthusiasm, which, repeated as the Russian, Japanese, Canadian. French and Australasian repio-cnlativcs swung into view, was as the rustle of a gentle breeze comp.lTed with the cyclonic outburst Gift cheered the plucky little Belgians on tneir way. This was renewed as "Britannia" appeared in the centre ref an artistically arranged group, and a mammoth Cnion ■ lack suddenly and brilliantly illuminated throw its tinted rays out over the expectant and wildly applauding spectators.

Miss Florence Scapini. the young violinist who is supporting Mr. Robert Parker during his present tour of Australia and tho Dominion, was born in Christehurcli, of Italian parents. Miss Scapini, who is only liftoen years of ago. was studying in Paris under Signor di Grass! when tho war broke out.

Mr. Harry Cohen, treasurer of tho Plimmor-ilall patriotic venture, states that to date the patriotic funds of New Zealand have benefited from the company's efforts to the tune of _-3,211, and it i.s anticipated that this total will be swelled by at least another £300, when all acounts are squared.

Writing from South Africa, Mr. Robert Orelg, who, with his wife, Miss Beatrice Ilolioway, is appearing in plays from the Nibilo repertoire, mentions that the manager of every theatre in Johannes-burg is an Australasian. They are Messrs. HaroJd Ashton, Young, Grant, Fallowes, and Montgomery, the last a New ZeaI lander.

Miss Cissie Williams, the well-known actress, has just been appointed manageress of the Camborwell Empire—ono of the few women to hold such a position. A- the age of fourteen she began her stage career, an. has toured London and tho provinces in her own sketches.' Miss Williams In her new capacity attends to even-thing, and has absolute control of the theatre.

In .1. C. Williamson's pantomime "Cinderella" the stage is suddenly blackened and suspended is a huge picture framo bearing* the mystic figures ISIS. As those slowly drs-olvc, the familiar figure of Napoleon in characteristic attitude, and standing on the sea-girt shore of St Helena, creeps into focus. Iv turn, this, too, gives place to 1910, and then the equally familiar form of the Kaiser, looking out yearningly over the tireless seas, i_, disclosed.

Daisy Yates and Sidney Yates, two newly "imported specialty dancers, made thoir first appearance (in a tango) in "The Giri in the Taxi," at Adelaide. According to "The Advertiser" critic their dance "was so rhythmic and graceful that tlie audience would not let the play go on until it was repeated." The newcomers replace Vlastna Novotna and Victor l„iusehmann, whose contract with the Williamson management has finished.

Loon Oaron, the famous Royal Comic Opera Company conductor of the halcyon days ot opera, has left behind him a daughter who is said to have extraordinary talent. Mdllc. irma Caron burst upon Melbourne last month at the time a big appeal was .being made for the Belgians. Not only did she sing and dunce in tbe streets, but she produced her lute father's violin, and showed that she was no moan exponent of tiie instrument. Since then Mdlle. Oaron has given concerts in-Melbourne with the greatest

The eminent composer Seriabin died on April 27 in Moscow, from blood poisoning, at the ago of 43. A fewdays previously he scratched a pimple on his face with his finger nail, and thicaused his death. Born on December 211. IS7I (old style). Seriabin went through a musical education of an exceedingly thorough kind at the Conservatoire of Moscow. His masters were TaneieTj-himself ia,. pupil of and vsaifonofT. the famous co-dtt-tor. Seriabin left the Conservatoire in 1801, toured through Kurope as a pianist, then settled down to teach in Moscow, but gave that up in 1903 in order to devote his life to composition. Ho visited Kngland in the summer of last year, when he played his early Piano Concerto, and took part with the Queen's Hall Orchestra in his most advanced work on a largo scale. "Prometheus— tho Poem of Fire."

Among the song successes in "Cinderella.''tn bo staged here shortly, are the following:—"I'll Never Miss Another Girl Like I Miss You" (Leslie Gaze). The music and words of the chorus of this song are illuminated on a screen through which the faces of a number of smiling girls look out at the audience. "The Candle Light" and "Peg O' My Heart" (Dolly Castles), "Ragtime Goblin" (Minnie Love). "Sister Susie's Sewin. Shirts For Soldiers" (Jack McArdlo). "Ragtime Patchwork" (Arthur Stigant), "Are We Downhearted? No I" (Dorothy Pirminl, "Old Time Turns" (Barry Lupino, Gertie Latchford. Rupert D.rrcll. and Dorothy Firmin), "Fighting For The Motherland" (Colin fihilonil. and "Love Among Tho Roses" (Gertie Latchford and Dorothy Firmin).

An outstanding feature of tho Fuller■Bronnnn month at the Sydney National, [says "Tho Croon Room" was tho turn of I Madame Marion, a clover protean artist. jin her sketch entitled "A Daughter of i Proteus," she assumed no loss than seven 'different characters. Each characterisation was a perfect piece of work, and they all fitted into a nicely constructed sketch. Madame Marion's delineations a.re worthy of nothing but tho highest praise. Despite tho fact that tho management allowed people to go behind the stage to see the clover actress make liot lightning changes, many people are still under the impression that more than one -artist is employed in the representation of the female characters iv Madame Marion's act, which is, after all. the best praise she can have.

While we were at peace with Germany there was no hope of the superlatively patriotic "Alsace" being played in London. It is not wonderful therefore that the sympathetic performance of this intensely interesting drama by M. Gaslon Leroux and M. Lucion C.imillo nt the Court Theatre on April 12 was received with more than ordinary enthusiasm. For "Alsace" is a cry .from the lost provinces,, not of despair, but'of defiance, that must roach all hearts to-day. As M,me. Orbey. who has been banished for having sung the "Marseillaise" in her own house, that superb actress Mme. Rejane tlsos above herself and represents on an heroic scale the indomitable spirit o,f Franco. Mme. Orbey has come post-haste from Paris because hor son, Jacques, wants to marry the blonde, imperious Marguerite Schwarts, daughter of the owner of the adjoining factory. Jacques nevertheless marries his

"Gretcben." and we next see him surrounded by crude examples of German culture. Gretcben keeps her hair in curl papers till it is time to put on a new dross that is tho limit in frightful-

ness. She flirts placidly with her handsome cousin Karl. who. as a reserve captain, parados in pala uniform. An absurd Heir Professor and bis imbecile son complete the army of occupation. Put. outside drums arc boating and regiments passing in a manoeuvre that borders on the real thing. The staunch family servant, who is leaving with 'his son for France, tries tn induce Jacques to join them. But it is not until someone in the street insults his country that the young man comes to himself, and cries "Vjve la Fran-eel" Mc is shot, and staggers fainting into the arms of his mother, who indignantly warns Oretcheri to keep away, for her boy bolongs lo her now and to France. All Mme. Re jane's matchless art is put into this great patriotic role. which she seems to live rather than act. THE DEADHEAD.