STAGE JOTTINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 55, 5 March 1921, Page 18

STAGE JOTTINGS.

The. Musical Blanohards have began a country tour at picture theatres, starting atHuntly this week. Mile. Delysia, the famous Parisian actress, is in Now York with "Afgar," tup musical comedy in which she achieved n big success at the London Pavilion. It was this lady who won the "Daily Mail" diamond-studded watch, the prize for having -been voted the most popular actress in England. Throat trouble kept Gladys Moncrief out of the east of "The Maid of The; Mountains.' , at Melbourne. for two . nitjhi-i. and her understudy, Hiss Zoe : \Venki\ lille.l ihp role of Teresa so well 1 '.hat she had a very enthusiastic auili- ! m.v, and an ovation from members of llie company l)ehiiul tlie scenes. Mr Ceorg" Wirih. one of the principals of Wirth's Circus, arrived at Weii- ! ingti>:i from Sydney by the Marama on Sunday. Mr. Wirth is on his way to America, Kngland. the Continent, end ! Smith Africa in search of animals for t lie circus, and will be absent for about | , ten months. Mr. Wirth expects that the | circus will visit New Zealand again | I early in 1925. j France A Ida. pr'una donna from the | Metropolitan Opera, New York, will j give a series of concerts throughout Aus- '; trali.i and New Zealand under the -F. 1 and N. Tuit direction. Madame Alda is a native of Timaru, New Zealand. She nveutly gave a series of sixty highly I successful converts throughout the fniti'il states, as well as a score of op n ra performances. Her husband is tlatti f'asazza, director of the New ■ York Metropolitan Opera House. The salary of the vaudeville "star" ha ■■• advanced greatly, even though I allowance has to be made for exaggerate.l statements on the matter. "The ' music-hall profession." said Mr. Tate, the president of the Variety Ariists* ■ lienevolent Fund, speaking In London I recently, "was raised from the back i ; rooms of riie tavern. We have people j lon our books--'stars' in their day who I never received more than £0 or £8 a • week: to-day there are 'stars' who re- ( ceive £000 or £800." Randwick racecourse, with all its animated race-day activity, was utilised a ''few days ago as the setting of one of the I main scenes in one of the most recent iof Australian film productions. The plot J revolves around the sport, with the well-known turf performer, Kennaquhair. well to the forefront. The producers secured the correct atmosphere, having the camera well planted. The principals, paraded on the lawn, succeeded in evading recognition, and were recorded by the camera amid the most natural attitude of racegoers keenly intent on the running of a 'big race. The latest programmes of concerts •riven by the New South Wales State ConservatoTium of Music contain evidences of the success of the New Zealand violinist, Mr. Haydn Beck, who joined the orchestra in Auckland last year. Mr. Beck, whose brother, the cellist, came to Auckland with Mr. Harry Dearth about a year ago, hails from Wanganui. One of the programmes of the New South Wales orchestra contained Max Bruch's Concerto for Violin and orchestra in G Minor. For this Mr. Haydn Beck played the solos in all three movements, (Prelude-Allegro I Moderate Adagio and Allegro cnergico. The Australian papers commented enthusiastically on the success of the young violinist. '"Peggy Machrec," a new Irish musical play, hy Mrs. Denis O'Sullivau, hae been accepted by the Williamson management, and will bo produced iv Australia in the near future. The story adequately em traces the period of 174(1, with all its (grace and jriillantry. wliiTe some of the ImiiFic was written in 1038, during the ] reign of Henry VIII., and in 1702, when 'Queen* Anne was on the Throne. Mr. I.John 1). O'Hara. the accomplished i character actor, now playing in "Wellcome Stranger," will be seen in the. role of an old Scot. He states that the plot ti devoid of political or anti-Britisli j dialogue, and describes "Keggy Machree ' ■as a dainty love story of the period with , a plentitude of piquant humour. The (dressing of the period will constitute an attractive feature. Miss Ruby Trelease, who arrived in Sydney from America recently, has shown unusual versatility, both "on the pictures" and on the legitimate stage (says the "Daily Telegraph.") A native of Dunedin, New Zealand, Miss TrelensD went to America when very young. She took to the stage like a young'bird takes to the air. The visitor finds the field for activity in the I'nited States excellently wide. "I was well set with the picture people before they moved East," , she said, "but I would not settle away from New York." Miss Trelease opened with Joseph Coyne in "His Lady Friends,' , at the Criterion Theatre, on February 2li. She literally stepped ofT the boat on to the stage for rehearsal, and in her awn words "the theatre rolled a bit. 1, Mr. W. E. Caldow (hon. secretary to the Wellington Choral Union), in thanking the society for his re-election, said that the past year of the society had been phenomenally successful. During the year the society had handled upwards of £1243. a record, except for the year 1913, when it handled over £1000; but in 1013 there were six concerts. During the fifteen years of its existence, added Mr. Caldow, the society had spent no less than £13,200. Of that amount £337 C was for salaries of soloists. The other items were:—Orchestra £1532, printing and advertising £1430, rent of practice room £536, rent of Town Hall £1053, and music £747. The musical festival to be held in 1022 would cost £3800, so it was evident that they must get more members. Mr. Reginald Berkeley, the Auckland 'Varsity graduate, whose play "French Leave" has been enjoying a successful season in |ondon. has written one of the modern tabloid plays which is at present bei»g produced at the Little Theatre. London. It is called "Eighl: O'Clock,' and one of the critics hae described it as the linch-pin of the whole programme—for there are two plays of the same nature 'being produced on the one night. The play is written around .the grim moment when the condemned prisoner leaves his cell for execution. From the English programmes it is apparently a play without a woman. As "French Leave" was described by the Athenaeum as the ibest production for a long time, it is fair to suppose that this young colonial is gaining a prominent place among the playwrights of the day. He was born in Suva, and he came to New Zealand for his education in law, but ha always evidenced the affection for writing which has now brought him such success.