STAGE JOTTINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 72, 26 March 1921, Page 18

STAGE JOTTINGS.

The Kiibelik twins, daughter* of lh« famou.a virtuoso, are also violinists, and will go on.to'.ir shortly. Kvketfk lias eight children. Edward 'Boi, formerly editor of the "La-die?." illomo Journal,"' is revealed «s the "iinnamod guarantor who for !Ive years paid ihe'dciieit of lh« Philadelphia ; Orchestra. The deficiency was from ■ 5<\,0))0 to IiO.IMX) dollars a year. "British audiences tiro too Rood to 'cellirts," says Madame Guilhermina Suggia. the famous lady 'cellist. "Even musical audiences "ill accept bad work from a 'cellist, whereas a munieian play- ' ing similarly on any other instrument 1 would be badly received.' . The war has given prominence to lefthand pa no soYs because cf the fact ■ that so many tne.n tost an arm in battle. ( One of the English unfortunates says the remaining limb becomes more vigorous and more facile, and it is surprising < how rapidly the dexterity develops in ; playing. Manchester's leading orchestra La in financial difficulties owing to post-war ; conditions. A call upon the guarantors is the result. Birmingham contributed i £1000 towards the maintenance of an| orchestra, and Liverpool is considering a scheme to provide mus'c throughout the . year. The year before the production of "The Lights of London," the income of the author, Oeorge R. Sim«,. was £1400. The year after it was £14,000. The ; original tost of "Chu Chin Chow' , -was , £5000. Up to date it is estimated that ■ Mr. Oscar Asche has netted £500,000 from it. 1; lan Hay has had another play successfully staged in London. It is adapted from his novel, "The Safety Match," and is running under the same title. ; First produced at the Strand Theatre.] "The Safety Match"' is a "conventional | blend of old-fashioned comedy and i melodrama, but with bright characterisations," and concerns the experi- : ences of a wealthy bachelor who weds 1 ; a poor country girl of extravagant' habits. In Vienna Puccini's three one-act j' operas are apparently a big draw, per-1 'formances being given once every week. : These operas were composed for perfor-! mance afc one sitting. They are "Suor I' Angelica."' "II Tabarro," and "Gianni, Sohiechi"— sentiment. tragedy, and! ■humour. In Vienna also two presents-j tions of "Parsifal" hare recently heen| given at the -°tate Opera: also the i "Ring" and Italian opera, old and new. j Following the success achieved 'by, the orig'nal romantic comedy opera 1 ' M-arama,"' written and composed by! two residents of Hastings, Hawke's Bay.; Messrs. H. S. B. Ribbands and Archie] Don, a tour of the principal cities and towns of the Dominion ie being arranged and will commence in the South about th« third week in April. The (iovernorGeneral, Viscount Jcllicoe, witnessed a performance o: the opera in Hastings. and, when congratulating the author ( and composer, stated that he would J make it a. point of attending another I performance when the company visited j the city in which 'he was :n residence. The tour will be under tne direction and ; management of Mr. .-vott Colville. I The Swedish Ballet were seen in London recently, in a new piece which, on , its performance in Paris, created a dis- ■ tinct sensation —and not without reason ! to judge by the accounts given by the | French critics. Ii is named "Maison de ; Fous," or, in English. "'The Madhouse.' , > ! Into that, is suddenly precipitated a. j young girl upon whom the sight of the ' gesticulating and threatening inmates i has a disastrous effect. Overcome by I horror, she is quickly reduced to the I i state of a raving lunatic. More, ghastly and more terrifying even than' I her comrades, she presently tinds herself j J deserted, but for a Royal madman.; I briefly alluded to as the prince. He. in turn, is seized by au irresistible desire ] Ito strangle the girl. who. after a brief, struggle, falls dead upon the Moor. ' "There i= an actress in Au-tral'a who.j if yon are an intimate, will explain to. voii the disadvantage* under which an' artist labours in making too vivi.l a dis-j play of the domestic virtues—the r'sksi she runs, for instance, in emphasising; her -fondness for children. This particu-j iar actress has r.o gTeat affection for the I young of man. She believes, the babies; all very well in their place, understand- | ing there arp orphan asylums and I creches ar.d place* of the kind: but in > one enterta : n;r,e:vt in which she figured I 'she had to handle several dear little I children, and acting on orders contrived | to .squeeze a w>:iole I6t erf fondness intoj her word? and actions. This had been', going on for live weeks, when one mornj ing the maid found a parcel on the mat,! J addressed to the actress. 'With the par-i I eel went a note which said that t : hej I writer had observed with deep emotion I the lady's rare love for children, as d s- | played in the part fihe was then enactI iu#* Presuming on that obvious great ! affection-for little ones, tiie writer vrri-, Uured to hope the dear and gifted: j woman would appreciate the _ acecm-J : panying present, a free gift from a! I devoted admirer. The present was ai 1 set of twins a'JOUI eight days old."| j "'Bulletin." I Three mighty Hue sta«o pictures (one broad setting for each act), a flow ol 'sweet but mostly undistinguished music. I bright lyrics, a wealth of dressing wind a particularly fat part for G lady r< jMoncrielT arc the most valuable assets iof "The Maid of t!it: Mountains" show I at. Melbourne Royal (says the. "Bulletin"), its weaknesses arc inconsistency |of character in .he p'lut. which termi- ! nates in a number of loose end.;, and a I want of force and finish where two prinicipal young men are concerned. One. never quite knows how to tak>c the story. It begins like "The Pirates of I'en.Tanee.'" with a young woman doiag all the housework for a band of marauders, resolves itself into a compound ol romantic opera and musical comedy, tho hero and heroine always strictly serious, and then breathes its last on an empty stage, with nothing dearly explained except that Phil Smith the comic brigand has been kidnapped l>y his long-lost wire ' (Mione Stewart), who had come into .1 jmint of money what time he was living ' the simple felonious life. (Jlfldys Mon- ■ cr'ipff sings d?lightfully and arts with : feeling and discretion as the :Klv«ntu- '- rous stewardess to the brigands. There's ' no great depth of emotion in the pure • soprano's performance, but she is enn- ' vincing. She. share.? chief honours with • Coleman's spacious scenery and good oid . General Effect.