STAGE JOTTINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 155, 30 June 1917, Page 14

STAGE JOTTINGS.

Miss Vera Pearce, the Tivoli Follies star, who is well known here, has left Australia, to fulfil a starring engagement in South Africa.

Miss Carrie Moore and Mr. Jack Cannot have been engaged by the J. C. Williamson Company for the Christmas pantomime. They may, however, be cast in other productions before the annual extravaganza fs due to appear.

Sydney James, of "The Strollers," and Jack Waller, of "The Butterflies," have amalgamated, and are putting on a big show at the Palace Theatre, Sydney, this month, under tha title "Look Who's Here!"

"Dick" Stewart, in charge of the Williamson Pantomime Company, is making his 100 th trip to New Zealand with the firm's attractions. After completing this tour he will be permanently located in Sydney.

One of the most expensive opera houses in the world is to be erected at Chicago. It is to cost £1,000,000, and a] number of millionaires, including one of the Armour firm, are furnishing the capital. Mr. P. T. Barnum and a friend were once discussing the hereafter, when the friend said: "Now, Mr. Barnum, do you think you will go to heaven?" " Well," replied Mr. Barnum, " 1 don't exactly know, but I've got the biggest show on | earth." | Mdlle. Kehessinskaya, soloist ballerina to the ex-Czar of Russia, has been | arrested by the Duma, but the proceed- ' ing is probably merely pro forma. She held the highest rank a ballerina ; can secure in Russia, that of " soloist to j his Majesty." I Dorothy Brunton had a rousing farewell reception at Her Majesty's, Melbourne, when the "Three Twins" finished j its season. There was a big party of soldiers in front, and she made good use , of them when speechmaking-time arrived- She loved them all and a lot of them loved her. said Miss Brunton, and she hoped after the war to spend her t honeymoon with an Australian soldier. —■ i (Roars.) ! Gaston Mervale, who is producing "Turn to the Right" for the Taits, is well known to New Zealand playgoers as a very line actor, lie was the original Tigcllinus in "The Sign of the Cross" and Black Michael in "The Prisoner of Zenda," when J. C. Williamson, produced those plays here very many years ago. Later he played Svengali to Nellie Stewart's Trilby, and it was in this part that his artistry as a pianist stood him j in good stead. Every preceding Svengali had had to "fake" the piano-playing i of the hypnotic musician. American musical circles have been much interested this season in the performances of a new vocal star, Signorina Galli-Curci, whose beautiful soprano voice and skilful singing have caused quite a sensation. This gifted i eantatrico was born in Milan 27 years ago. She gained a gold medal at the] Milan Conservatorium, for piano playing, and she speaks Italian, French, English, and German. Signorina GalliCurci was lirst heard in America as Gilda in " Rlg-oletto," in which she achieved a great success, and won the applause of, the critics. | A story that deals with the niceties' of punctuation is quoted of two well-, known actresses. Mrs. Fiske and Mar-. garet Anglin recently occupied succes-| sivelv the same dressing-room in aj Chicago theatre. To her predecessor Mrs. Fiske made this graceful but laconic acknowledgment in a note:—i "Mrs. Fiske says Miss Anglin is the| greatest actress in the world." Miss] Anglin, not to be outdone in compli-1 ment, returned the note with the addi-l tion iof the commas shown:—"Mrs.] Fiske, says Miss Anglin, is the greatest i actress in the world." i J. and N. Tait's "Turn to the Right" | Company will open at Auckland on October 27. It includes Miss Eileen' Sparks, a young Australian actress who ' has rapidly come to the front. Miss . Sparks is a native of Newcastle New j South Wales, and gained her first experience before the public as an elocutionist, making a special feature of monologue work. 'She later appeared with a dramatic company in Brisbane, and eventually joined the Williamson firm, with whom she worked for some considerable time, appearing in "Kick In," playing the part of Daisy the Flapper. With the Julius Knight Company she played the ingenue in "Under Fire," Marie Louise in "A Royal Divorce," Kate Roberts in "The Lion and the 'Mouse," Olive Skinner in "The Silver King," Lucy Bellerton in "Monsieur Beaur-aire," Dacia in "The Sign of the Cross," and other roles.

A young Australian, who has rapidly come to the front as a dancer, is Miss Maie Baird, of tho Royal Comic Opera Company. When "The Cinema Star" was transferred to Sydney, Maggie Dickinson, who did the "Stop Thief" dance with Leslie Holland, stayed behind for the "House That Jack Built" pantomime. Her place in the Sydney production was filled by Maie Baird. whose clever work ns a dancer had singled her out for particular attention and development. Miss Baird made good in "The Cinema Star," and the impression she made has been strengthened by her dancing in other of the Royal Comic Opera Company productions. In "The Pink Lady," her dance, "Nymphs and Satyrs," is one of the featurep of the production. The list of J. C. Williamson "discoveries" has received a notable addition in the person of Miss Maie Baird.

In Sydney there are two organisations —the fact of their existence is known to comparatively few outside the coterie themselves —which bid fair to achieve fame of a remarkable kind. They are two clubs (says "Sydney Sun"), the members of which are all girls, having as their common object what appears to be the adoration of actresses and actors. At tbe opening performance of "Canary Cottage" six girls of the P.F.Ns. arived at 5-40 a.m. The "So Long Letty" scxtett turned up at 6 ajn. They brought nothing but took up their position at the gallery entrance. They remained there all day, in the one spot, one girl of each body attending to their meal-time wants. The "Permanent First Nighters" was organised nine years ago, ana is composed of girls of all ages. The "So Long Letty" Club has been established for about four or five years, and assumed its present nam? at the time the comedy was staged. Though the girls of both bodies are friends, a keen rivalry exists. They always occupy the gallery, each body sitting together. As the day wore on others —the girls called them "strangers"—joined them, and when the queue was large enough the doors were opened. A wild rush was made for the door, the advance guards of each club being first to get through. In an attempt of the strangers to beat the clubs, one girl was.knocked out and *-""to others were knocked about. ,