STAGE JOTTINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 95, 22 April 1922, Page 18

STAGE JOTTINGS.

The Williamson pantomime season commences the Dominion tour at Auckland on May 11. Mr. H. I. Cohen will be manager.

It is stated that Allan Wilkie's last tour of New Zealand with Shakespearean repertoire yielded a profit of £7000.

The Fullers have purchased for £35,----500 the Victoria Theatre at Newcastle (N.S.W.) from Messrs. Dix and Baker. The Lyric Theatre, in the same town, is now controlled by the Haymarket, Ltd., of Sydney.

"Parsifal" has been given in Rio de Janeiro, with great success. German interests are working enthusiastically to further all German art matters in Latin American countries. "Parsifal" will also be given in Havana this season.

Happy La (Scala! Milan's historic opera house is to have a grant of 2 per cent from every cinema house and theatre in Lombardy as a national monument. In addition, it has started its new season (Toscanini conducting "Falstaff") with a guarantee fund of 8,000,000 lire.

Dorothy Leigh, a 'Melbourne girl, has made good in England, and is playing principal boy in '"Sinbad the Sailor" in Edinburgh this season. Miss Leigh went to South Africa with Barry Lupino's company a couple of years ago, then on to London, appearing first in vaudeville.

"For Love of Appin," the short play of New Zealand life by Mr. Alan JS. Mulgan, which was produced successfully here by Mr. George Warren, has been accepted for, production at some future date by Mr. Gregan MacMahon, director of the Sydney Repertory Theatre.

Gertrude Johnson has done well since her arrival in England, having been engaged for prima donna roles with the British National Opera Company, at present on tour in Scotland. The gifted young Australian soprano has also received several important concert engagements.

Miss Lulla Fanning, the shapely principal boy of the "Old Mother Hubbard" Pantomime Company (opening at Dunedin this week), is a daughter of the wellknown variety artist, Maud Fanning. The last time she was in New Zealand. •was as one of the piccaninnies in the clever turn put on at the Fuller houses by her mother. Since then she has "grown up," and has inherited a lot of the family talent.

Djemma Vecla (really Marguerite Card, formerly of Tasmania) has for a year been under the tuition of Emma Calve, "in Paris and at her castle in the Pyrenees," and is shortly to sing in opera—first at Monte Carlo, and then in Paris. "Djemma Vecla" is an anagram of Calves own name. The Tasmanian girl's voice, originally a deep contralto, has been developed in the direction of a dramatic soprano.

"The Firs* Year," a play of American home life, is to be staged by J. C. Williamson, Ltd., in Sydney shortly. Two of the principals arrived by the Ventura very recently—Mr. Philips Tead and Miss Elizabeth Dunne. Mr. Tead is the son of a minister, who swore he would disown him if he went on the stage, and eventually became, in Mr. Tead's words, a great theatre fan." Miss Elizabeth Dunne also has had a wide experience in comedy, and has a very pleasing personality.

A young Australian contralto. Miss Clarice Coles, is elated at the prophecies of her musical future made by Dame Clara Butt and Mr. Kennerley Rumford, before whom she recently sang at Sydney. "It is a wonderful voice—a world's voice," "said Mr. Kennerley Rumford. "Her Toiee U one of tie best contraltos I haive heard out here; it is really exceptionally beautiful." '<Miss Coles has a great future before her," declared Dame Clara Butt. Miss Coles is only twenty-one. Her has a range of three octaves—from high A to pedal B flat. A committee has been formed to raise, funds to enable her to continue her studies abroad, and Dame Clara Butt has headed the subscription list with a cheque.

Australian players should think twice before they make for the American stage, according to Mr. W. Mayne Linton, who arrived in Sydney recently under engagement to J.'c. Williamson,. Ltd. "The man who is working in the United States to-day is very lucky," he said. "Any man or woman should be pretty well fixed financially before venturing there for the theatre, because he or she will bo up against a number of clever people who are walking round the streets looking for jobs. Of course, there is always an opening for clever people, but it is not easy to find, unless one has luck or influence. Business in the United States is dead, especially in the theatrical world, and I am telling you this in the interests of Australian actors."

When asked to explain the secret of her rejuvenation, Miss Nellie Stewart said, with an expressive gesture of two small, white-gloved bands, "Christian Science! It's simply wonderful. It lias not only wrought a wonderful change in my physical condition, though every specialist I consulted told me' I had heart trouble which was incurable, but also had a psychological effect that opened up a new life for mc. I am happy, really happy, and perhaps best of all I seem to have acquired something which enables mc to make those T am associated with happy. When I take strangers to our Christian Science Church in Sydney they all remark how happy we seem. I took un Christian Science about 2J years ago. and frem the day T did my physical and psychological condition was benefited to a degree difficult to explain."

The death is reported from Mcl- j bourne of Mr. W. W. Crawford, come-, dian of the Vice-Regal Costume! Comedy Company, and for many years] a resident of Wellington and * a well | known amateur performer there. Before \ Joining up with the Vice-Regals (who! were formerly known as the New Zealand Diggers), Mr. Crawford was a de-i partmental manager in Mr. C. Smith's drapery establishment, in Cuba Street. Some three years ago he was induced to take to the stage professionally, and , did very well as a character and eccentric comedian and dancer. He accompanied the Vice-Regals on their tour of New Zealand last winter. Mr. Crawford came to Wellington from Dunedin, and both there and in Wellington secured many prizes in the elocutionary competitions. Jle took part with the Wellington Amateur Operatic Company in "San Toy" some years ago. His health had been unsatisfactory for some years.