STAGE JOTTINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 142, 17 June 1922, Page 18

STAGE JOTTINGS.

Sir Benjamin Fuller has received advice from Hugh .J. Ward that he has entered into negotiations to bring the Scotti Grand Opera Company to Australia and New Zealand next year, also Kreisler, the renowned violinist.

Miss Kate Campion is winning the encomiums of the Press and her audiences just now in the North of England. She is well known now in the Old Country since she joined the Carl Ros* Opera Company four years ago, and has played many roles in the chief towns.

Dr. Bradshaw. organist of the Christchurch Cathedral, will reside in London for at least three months, then will be travelling about in England and on the Continent. His visit is intended primarily for health reasons, but he is making his visit a means of investigating recent developments in musical education. He will be back in New Zealand in January 192.3.

Fullers' Majestic Theatre (Sydney) very recently celebrated the fifth anniversary of its opening. It is now dedicated to drama, and over 200 plays have been staged in it during the period; but it has also housed *our Fuller pantominee. ' ami has held vaudeville for twenty-one weeks—the first of its career. The recent benefit performance (for the Diggers) at Her Majesty's, Melbourne, realised just under £1000. Ada Reeve, who had embroidered the names of ali the artists taking part on a supper cloth, realised from ito auction tiSgns. A notable item on the programme was n Grand Giugnol sketch, "The Recoil." iv which Nancyo Stewart and her husband, Mayne Linton (one of the leading players in "The Rat"), had the chief roles. Another feature was part of an act of "Florodora," with a star cast including Maude Fane, Marjorie Bennett, Madge Elliott, Alfred Frith, and Field Fisher.

Miss Chambers, the sister of the famous playwright, and novelist. Charles Haddon Chambers, who died Jast year, is to be congratulated on her plucky capture of st burglar at her flat, in Albemarle Street, writes the "Star's" London correspondent. Few women would have either the strength or the courage to grab a man by tbe wrist and drag him downstairs whi'e she summoned aid. Miss Chambers is rehearsing for a part in one of her brother's plays. His last, "The Card Players" is now icing produced with Pcpita Bobadilla (Mr. Haddon Chambers' widow) in the chief role, her late ln:sband having written it for her.

A good story is being told at tho expense of Marie Tempest, whose susceptibility ou the score of her true age is well known. On her recent voyage from Wellington to Sydney a venerable Scotchman, grey-headed and wrinkled, was very anxious to «c introduced to the lady, as he was desirous of paying his respects to "a really great actress." On his request being complied with, he clasped her hand warmly and -murmured with pronounced fervour: "This is a great honour, lndy. I've seen ye mony times, and I wcel remember "the first time ma mither took mc to sec ye when I was a wee bit r>' a bairn." Strangely enough, the effusive compliment did not apparently give much satisfaction to the lady.

Tradition hns gone by the board in the Passion Play village. Tor centuries it has been the rule that no woman who has been married shall tread the boards. The rule is to be broken this year. At the end of the season in 1910 Ottilie Zwink, the Virgin Mary of that year, married Hans Bauer, the promoter. She thought then that she would never play again. A few weeks ago Bauer died, and, in order to show their sympathy for tho widow, the committee decided that she might act as understudy to Marthe Vcit. the new Mary. As tho season last* for 20 weeks, it is almost certain that the services of a deputy will be required, and that Ottilie Zwink will lie seen in her old part. At present she is coaching her successor.

The Crichton, 46. Dover Street, which is run by a former New Zealand journalist, Mies Crichton-Imrie, was artistically decorated with wutt'o. white heather, and the sweet-scented boronia of the Australian bush for the At Home to Sir Harry and Lady Lauder, who were accompanied by Mr. Alex. Lauder, a brother. They expressed great pleasure at meeting so many Australians and New Zealanders in London. They leave on another Australasian tour shortly after their London season. Amongst those present were Lady Cook and Miss Cook, Sir James and Lady Connolly, Mrs. and Miss McWhae, Mrs. Ashbolt, Miss Rickards, Major and Mrs. Haldane Macfall, Mr. and Mrs. John Sandcs, Mr. J. W. Bragg. Mrs. Hornabrook. Mr. and Mrs. David Neave, and Mrs. Cordner (New Zealand).

"If Melbourne soprano Gertrude Johnson can throw anything like warmth into her interpretation of the Queen of Night music in Mozart's "Magic Flute," in which Covent Garden has just heard her (says a ""Bulletin" contributor), she is a lady for whom Britain has been waiting. lima di Murska and recently-dead Christine Nilsson were the two most famous exponents of the highest of all coloratura roles, in partes of which the uppermost V recurs with a frequency which gives most singers a pain in the glottis merely to look at. Patti might have done the thing exquisitely, but she jibbed at all Mozartian parte except that of Zerlina in "Don Giovanni." Considering what an incomprehensible jumble "Tlie Magic Flute" really is, its hold is remarkable. Beecham's crowd did it many times in the British provinces, and audiences rushed it even though the Queen of Night was colourless and apparently dropsical, while the scenery invariably got at cross purposes with the production staff."

The purchase was completed at Sydney recently by .Sir Benjamin Fuller and Mr. John" Fuller of 100 ft of land, known as the Girls' High School, and having frontages to Elizabeth and Castlereagh Streets, for the purpose of erecting a theatre. The price paid was £1000 per foot. In February. 1920, the property, with another section, making a total frontage of I Toft, was sold to David Jones Proprietary. Ltd., for £124,000. It is understood tho main entrance to the new theatre will be from Castlereagh The theatre is to hold .000 persons. It will cost about £10(|,000 to build. It is probable that the establishment of a municipal theatre will receive the early consideration of the Sydney City Council. Recently several representatives of the theatrical profession waited upon the Lord Mayor, Alderman McElhonc, and urged that the council should subsidise a hfgh-claes entertainment. The Lord Mayor promised to give the matter his earnest consideration.