STAGE JOTTINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 212, 4 September 1920, Page 18

STAGE JOTTINGS.

Mise t:«rtriule .lohnson, whose Doi million eoni-ert lour has just concluded, been engaged by tlio Wellington I Choral su-.'irty in i-I ntj the Lit If* role in : . "Lucia ili Laiiimc-rmaor." Mr. i Inn.le HeiniiiK. >vin» is appearing at Daly's Tlii'iilri' in London, has been I ri>mini>iVioned In Mr. Hugh I). Melntosh !la engage churn- girl* for a novelty tn ! In> known in the Six Tivoli IWntioß. /111.' group "ill consist of t-'-iree Auntratil 11-.. iinil I'.riti-h, l-'rniu-h. ;ui.l American girl.-. ! Mi" lime Maxwell, •.upr.-ino. alter :i <.rrie< i.f -ii.r.-s-.v in the Did World, is at pi,-s.-u: ;..ui in.- An-trali.i u> lino busiiicrv. M>~ Miixwill. Willi ii specially■■■elected company .1 artU;.-. vi-.il-s New . Zealand about the end of the year. She ' will hi- nifoiii|Uiiu'<l l>\ Mr. \ ernon Cellar* .baritone,. M - i-> Cna Mack | i violinist I :■ ml Mi-* Nathalie llosrnwnx ■ ipinniMi — v combination thai has met !«!lh ilip approval of tlir Australian • ,'iitics mill pnlilii*. .Mr. Duncan Nm , :,. juell known in Si-u Zealand, and ...-t 'hero a- manager for Malic Dulon*, will manage tin- lour of tin- Dominion. I . : \ message in an Australian paper friuii "-all Lake i"ill reports that i uuriie I lvii l:n Hi*.l in that town '■ruin Los j Angele* to i-x-api' a retraining order in- wife's attempt t<> tii" up his assetis pending their divorce. Chaplin said: "1 ■sppnl two m'his producing a picture : Ptititli-.l ' i'hc K>l.' and I .1 i not propose ■to 1..-c the results. I »rut • tiii" play. liftp<l it. and invented CCi'.m.ui ,„ ii. M.\ wife irt oniy a yoi-ng girl «h.i -in-: fallen j into the hands of iim'onipuKiin lawyers.: I'll gTani !i.t v divorce ill any lini". but not hpfnrr this picture i- -<it<(. 1 nlTered ■ier a -uUnanual ..crt.ement. l.vi -he seek, a n«lr.iining order againsi the sale; of t!ii< picture, an.l 1 rami' here In rsoipi"! tnat re-training order." The American invasion of slagcland in ' London is becoming more and more ! accentuate.!, so that tlirrp leading ladies of note from New York reriMitly nuiivhi-d \ into public favour at three famous West Kn.l theatres within the same month. One effect of it nil is indirectly referred I to by tin- writer nf "A Woman" - s Letter" , I Under <l:ite London. .Mine HI. in the j ionise of a lament over the numerous i withdrawals of new piece- vvhieh. from } the I're-s notice*. *eeined rertain of mi. ,•.•--. •■Tin- d>.|iiiet:n« -tate of ' a flair.-," she remarks, "is es> hilly emphasised at the theatres not directed by aetor-inanagers. Temptinc cmtracu are entered into ahead for "successes" j across tlie Atlantic withou 1 there being enough theatres for the production of i these novelties. Hence a slight slump in business is made an excuse either for withdrawing a play altogether, or for transferring a piece from one theatre, in nnntVr. I Aii application for nn nrd<?r nf >l:s----charge was made in London recently on behalf of Mr. Thorns* Ansiwtine Bir'rett, musical composer, prrfessional'.v known as Leslip Ptuart. It was reported by i the official receiver that the debtor's liabilitit* , had been estimated by the trustee in bankruptcy at Cll/iOfl. So far. the assets had roali-ed Cflti". :i dividend ,of4dor 5d in the E heing expected. The j viilup of the unrealised assets was placed lat £T.T. It was Miateil that the debtor i composed thp mi , sic for sonffs. also the music for neveral comic ope-ras. including . '-Florndora." '•The Silver Slipper.- "The School dirl." 'The Belle of May fair." i -Havana." '•Captain Ki-dd," ''l'esriry." and ••The Slim Princess." From these operas he realised royalties ainountilng to £40.100. and oiie of his soup-. called 'The Soldiers of the Queen." brought him i'SeOO. During the thirteen rears preceding tine date of the receiving nrder his average yearly income was €3300. Wif.i a view to stopping musical piracy h-e occupied a good deal of time ami spent about CIOOO. but he ultimately . succeeded in his object. However, his estimate of his loss nf nroMs owin.2 to successful pirating of hi* songs »'a~ something like £'20,000. The applicant admitted that he had not lived within hii= income, with the result that he him resorted to professional money-lender*, and the submission ofjfchc nflbial receiver was to the effect that the bankruptcy ha.lbeen broujrht about by unjnstiflalilc cxtrnvnjrance. The Kev'i.-lrar said it was evident that the applicant was very sueI cessful as a musical composer. One of i his chief troubles appeared to have been his extravagance. lie had been in the-j position of an undischarged bankrupt for nearly eif?ht year*, and the application for di«"hiiTgc would now ite granted subject to a judgment for .COO. I Some very just priticiatn has been evoked by the doings of the New York Symphony Orchestra and its conductor, says the "Saturday Review" (London). Tlieir methods have been found intexest- ' ing in so far as they differ from our own, bul on the whole they have not awakened overwhelming admiration. Truth !to tell, it has heen discovered that .Mr. ■ Walter I>araro«-h is not a great c.uiductor, and some have gone so far as to describe him in quite opposite terms. At the boat his beat is heavy, iimlluruinating and. as we observed before, metronomic. We happen to have noted this in New York for seven years or i more, and therewith a performance ot i Eljjar's lirst symphony that could alone be compared with the Polyphemic specimen which rendered breathless so many people at Queen's Hall last Saturday. ' I Mr. Damrostli's most welcome ofTort at i .that concert was his announcement that .Mr. Flagler had very wisely and generousely withdrawn the gross receipts I I whatever they were) and eubstitut ,, tl -therefor a donation of £1000 to the J funds of Kt. Dunstan's Hostel, (hi the J whole the social features of the visit turned out the most agreeable—witness thp Lord Mayor's luncheon at the Mansion House and the Music Club's recep- ' tion at Messrs. Xovcllo's. At the former function Mr. Damrosch assured his , hearers in a clever speech that one ot ,1 tlieir chief objects had been lo promote , : amity between the two nations who shared the same ideals and language, ' ■jthoujrh all Americans did not speak . through their noses any more than all ; Englishmen dropped their h's. He ■ j omitted, however, to rectify the state'i nieiit that Ameriiii had sent us her J finest orchestra. Had he been called i upon to do so. a strict regard fur the ' truth would have obliged him to admit, ■ that the finest onhe-i.ru in the ("nited ■ Elates was not the Xew York hut the • Boston Symphony Orchestra. \Ye hope ' that som,. day I he hitter will be allowert inn opportunity of visiting London. i Meanwhile the Sew York band has re- ■ ceived nn extremely cordial and credit- • able welcome, and its excellent drilling, i i unanimity nf ensemble, strict spirit ot • 'discipline, and the undeniable beauty ot ■, [the wood-wind and double-basses have [received due admiration. By the way. ■I .Miss Mabel Garrison, who made her . debut at the last concert of the series, I displayed a pretty soprano leggiero : voice, and her neat vocalisation created an agreeable impression,