STAGE JOTTINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 180, 29 July 1916, Page 14

STAGE JOTTINGS.

J. C. Williamson, Limited, have secured the Australasian and South African rights to Manhattan," now a big success at Prince of Wales Theatre, London. Although its title is American, tire musical comedy is entirely English, the composer being Mr. Howard Talbot, and the authors Messrs. Fred. Thompson and C H. Bovill.

An English writer says:—"Though in a revue the music and lyrics may be ol great importance, tbe ultimate success or failure of the production will depend on the "book.' And, curiously enough, in every successful revue the 'book' which the public likes most hafi been supplied by the beauty chorus, viz., a calf edition de looks."

Miss Stella McLean, a young New Zealand soprano, made her debnt at the Eolian Hall, London, recently, and bad some very good notices in the papers. The critics welcome her aa the possessor of a really musical sense, especially in songß of quiet feeling and lyrical expression, and full of sincerity that should gain her favour in the eyes of an audi ence.

The annovmoenwmt that 6arah Bernhardt has been readmitted to French nationality sounds strange, but it appeared in recent Englirfi papers. By her marriage to the late M. Damala in 1882 she became a Greek subject, according to the law which decrees that a woman's nationality is that of her husband. M. Damala was a theatrical manager, wiiose company Mile. Bernhardt joined. The marriage took place in London, but was not a happy one, and the parties separated in 1883.

Reginald Newberry, the boy soprano, who won the Daisy Jerome competitions at the Auckland Opera House a few months ago, has been meeting with success in Sydney, where he made his first professional appearance at the Town HalL The lad, who is now playing on the Fuller circuit and creating a favourable impression, has just signed a contract with the firm for 24 weeks in Australia, with the option of another 20 weeks, at an advantageous figure.

Mt. Harry MuHer, manager in Victoria for Fullers' vaudeville circuit, arrived in Wellington from Sydney by the Moentki last Monday night. Mr. Mullcr leaves for San Francisco by the Maitai, and will visit New York, C*icago, and other big centres in America in search of specialities for the Christmas pantomime, to be produced in Sydney by George Morlow, Ltd. Mr. Muller" expects to return to Sydney in November.

For the first performance of " The Passing Show of 191 C," given last month at the Winter Garden in New York, the scats sold the previous week at auction, with Miss Alice Fischer, Miss Hilda Spong, Miss Anna Held, and Miss Marie Tempest as auctioneers, brought for two seats in the front row, £50 each; this was in addition to the regular first-night price of £1. A box, including eight seats, 6old .'St- a premium vi £7 i-e'eat; two more bj-'ught £11 *eac_, and ""others in large blocks ranging from £3 to £7. The proceeds of this performance go to the Permanent Blind Relief War Fund for soldiers and sailors.

Added to her other gifts Dorothy Brunton has a remarkably retentive memory that makes the learning of a new song or role a easy thing for her. The afternoon before the full-dress rehearsal of "To-night's the Night," at Melbourne Her Majesty's Mr Hugh Ward handed to Miss Brunton a new song, " Monterey," which he wished included in the Gaiety piece. Mi6s Brunton played it over that afternoon, and fixed the ear-haunting melody firmly in her mind. That night, after the show, she learnt the words. The next morning, prior to the full-dress rehearsal, she sang it over for the musical director, and when Mr. Ward asked her whether she could do the number at the rehearsal, she smilingly replied that she thought so. Miss Brunton did "Monterey" without a flaw in words or melody, and at the first-night performance it was one of the sensational successes of the evening, receiving six encores.

I Mr Richard Northcott recently addressed the members of Le Strange Lodge at Hunstanton on "Musical Freemasons," jin the course of which ho gave some I interesting reminiscences of King Ed- , ward. He mentioned that his late Majesity was in his boyhood taught the piano by Mrs Lucy Anderson, a lady who gave . instruction to Queen Victoria's othei j children, but he had little time to become i a skilful pianist owing to more important studios. Being, however, a music lover, | and having taken advantage of oppor- | tunities to hear the best artists, he I acquired the critical faculty. TTja j Majesty was very sympathetic towards I British composers, and encouraged the 'performance of English works wherever he went. At Homburg there was a little scene one morning when the conductor of the Eurhaus band included in the programme "a selection of English airs.*' His Majesty summoned the band -master, and after congratulating him on his excellent orchestra, added with emphasis: "But please do not play that selection again, for it gives people a false impression of English taste. TVra-ra-boom-de-ay* ie not an English composition!"

Miss Vera Pewce, Queen of the Tivoli Follies, has a very busy life. She.wwrks hard and constantly under several masters at singing, music, and dramatic art. She is an enthusiastic swimmer and mountaineer. She is very fond of billiards, and plays a very good game. She thinks that boxing is a very fine exercise, and she is very fond of it. "But at boxing," she says, " I do rather draw the line. I mean to say that Ido not commend boxing as a sport between women. Sparring is excellent exercise with a man. ft makes one quick and supple, steadies one's nerves, and all that. But women boxing with one another would scarcely find pleasure in it for long, ibecamse women are so seldom angels—outside books, of course. But if a girl wants to keep fit and to feel fit, exercise is tbe great thing; exercise, » fairly regular routine, and plenty of cold baths. Dancing is splendid exercise; stage dancing, that is. Sleep, in a thoroughly ventilated room, seven to eight hours a day; never more. I eat anything that I happen to like, in moderation. Ac for drinking—weU a glass of wine now and then is very pleasant and stimulating; but the wise girl lets alcohol pretty much alone. My work with the PoHies takes up a great deal of time, and I find plenty to do outside that. I suppose that I do work pretty hard, one way and another. But work hurts • noibody. It is silly hafcrte that hurt"

Says "J-P." iv the "Bulletin": Fred Niblo seems to be hitting New York hard. At present there is not a mummer who is getting more U.S. limelight. He has been a big success as lead in "Hrt-the-Trail Holiday," which, from all accounts, is a mighty poor play, and would never have been a success without Niblo's personality. Anyhow, New York i 3 starting to dedicate popular songs to Nrblo, and to call its candy and the collars it wears after him. Mortal actor couldn't ask for more than that.

*T knew it would come —and it has," says a London critic "Hie proprietors of places of public entertainment for the most part received the amusement tax resignedly, but now arise wails and lamentations that the patronage ot theatres, halls and kinemas has declined; and the proprietors are commencing to cry out People patronise cheaper seats, dispense with programmes, or Btay away. The "early door," like the harbour bar, lies moaning. It is the custom in many places to charge an extra threepence to peraons seeking priority of admission to the sixpenny seats. With the added tax of twopence the sum mounts up to elevenpence, which is precious near doable price."

J. C. Williamson, Limited, hare secured the Australasian and South African rights to "Mr Manhattan," now a big success at the Prince of Wales Theatre, London. Although its title is American, the musical comedy is entirely English, the composer being Mr Howard Talbot, and the authors Messrs. Fred Thompson and C. H. Bovill. It is probable that the next new play to 'be done by the Hale Hamilton-Myrtle Tannehill Company will be "Too Many Cooks," an uproarious faroe, with the novel setting of a house in the course of erection. Tlie first act shows the foundations in, the second the walls half up, and the third the completed structure. But between the first and the last a whole heap of things happen, through the quarrelling' of a wife's relations to the calling out of all the labour employed on the house, leaving the much-harassed owner to finish it for himself—which he does.

Alfred Miroviteh and Michael Piastro, the Russian musicians, have arranged to tour New Zealand on the conclusion of their brief season in Adelaide and Tasmania. " Both have mastered the problems of technique," says the Melbourne " Argus," " and have both mastered themselves. In other words, they have reached that stage of development in which they can think and feel freely in terms of art, and so make their work characteristic and individual. M. Miroviteh plays with force and marked freedom of expression; M. Piastro plays with great .beauty of tone and rare sensitiveness. The one is a dynamic artist who arrosts strong attention by strong effects (albeit he can also do exquisite things); the other is an emotional artist, who wins more particularly by qualities of charm. They harmonise with each other, but they also make good contrast with each other, and when they joined forces on equal terms in Beethoven's ' Kreutzer Sonata' for piano and violin the results were of quite unusual interest." |