STAGE JOTTINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 72, 24 March 1923, Page 18

STAGE JOTTINGS.

Madame Schumann-Heink has begun lior forty-sixth season as a singer—most vocalists with this many years of life to their credit are. puisse to thp public. "Vienna is a Dead City, nml already Avail [>or>plc urn walking tho streets." says Julius S'eir.cr in "Musical ■America." Hundreds of musicians art! out of employment, while Ihp once fa-Tll oils opera has lost its glory. He warns students to eschew Europe at present. Film-opera has been made a possibility by the latest invention of Dr. Lee <lr Pores*, l>y which he has achieved the synchronization of sound ami action With the development or this device every village may have its opera. Mnseaßiii is writing a new opera with a Brazilian setting. "O Caeador <l« Ksmeraldas" ("The Searcher for Kmer;>'(ls"), a poem by Olava Biln-e, furnislipd the plot, ' which is laid in the Brazilian interior ami in the seventeenth century. "The- Merchant of Venice," a new opera, written at the age of fifteen by Adrian, a son of >>ir Thomas liceeham, has had its premiere at Brighton, England. Tt elicited surprise and admiration from all as an "amazing production for a boy of fifteen." Pousa's band, in its thirty years of existence, has travelled more than 800,----0"0 miles. Aside from many tours of the I'nited Ptates, Canada and Mexico, it has live times visited Europe, and gone once around the world. William T. Carleton, well known to the older generation as an opera singer, died on September 0, in Flushing. He was the founder of the Carleton Opera Company, and in the original east of "Claude Duvall" and "Rip Van Winkle." Up ramie to America to join Clara Louise Kellogg , * English Opera Company. Guiomar Xovaes, the brilliant Brazilian pianis".. after an absence of two years, is returning to the United .States for a transcontinental tour. In the interim she has been introducing the compositions of Edward MacDowell and John Powell 'o South American audiences. Clay Smith, who has been associated with J-ce White for over cix years in her London successes, is really Mr. T.ee White, having joined the lady in a life partnership some years ago. The .-■ouple, during the war, ran their home with a notice up that all Anzocs could share the good things there and were always welcome. Prior to the departure of Miss Ireno Van burgh and Mr. Dion Boucieaut from London for New Zealand and Australia a reception was held at New Zealand House iv their honour, Sir James and Lady Allen being the hosts. Mr. Shayle Gardner, who was given an apportunity of going out with Mr. and Mrs Boucicault, has been reluctantly obliged to forego that pleasure just now, but hopes one day he shall have the opportunity of returning "down under." The Royal Academy of Music of London, which has just been celebrating the centenary of its existence, had such difficulty at the start that in ISS4 the professors voluntarily gave their services free for three months in order that the institution might go on. Professor Frederick Corder, long connected with the Rritish institution, is preparinjr a brochure to celebrate the anniversary. The Oarroll-Musgrove Theatres Enterprise has undertaken a big 'building scheme in Sydney, in the construction )f the Prince Edward Theatre, which rill cost something like £80,000. Under he Theatres Act it will have a fir.-it-■lass theatre license, and therefore may >c used for the production by the nanagement of any suitable entertainnent; but pictures will be the dominant ittraction. Fritz Reiner, a Hungarian of but Shirty-three, years, and the youngest, num !o whom has ever been entrusted the leadership of one of America's first-rate symphony orchestras, lias entered upon his duties as conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. He promises ;hat young American composers "who | jive promise of having something worth [ .vhilo to say" shall find places for their works on his programmes. M-s. Reiner j is a daughter of the cel<?hrat"d Ktelka ■, Cierster, the only singer of a brilliance J α-hich entered into Ecrious rivalry with l>atti. The late Lillian Russell, famed for j nany years as the queen of American . operetta, left jewels worth nearly j £20.000. besides a huge collcrtion of j jade, Chinese and other porcelain, lace,! embroideries. Oriental curios, prints, md carved furniture. She was exceed- j ingly fond of Chinese art, and used to j make many purrhasea in the Oriental) ]uarter of Ran Francisco every time she i risited that city. The whole collection I iras sold in New York recently, and i found ready purchaser." among eon- , noisseurs and lovers of the theatre who! .vished to own some memento of a remarkable woman. j At the Savoy Chapel Royal, on Fehrw-1 iTY 1, a favourite venue for weddings i in* the theatrical world. Miss Shirley j Huxley, the actress then playing a part] in "Ambrose Applcfohn's Adventure,'" ivas married to Mr. Alfred Turner, manager for Messrs. Grosetnith and Malone, of the Winter Garden Theatre. Mr. Turner met Miss Huxley five year? ago at Los Angeles and at San Francisco, then they met again last year in London, where inovitahlv penole of the profession meet again. Mr. Cyril Maude, Mr. Leslie Ifenson, Miss Dorothy Pix. }fiss Mnrjoric Day were imong the numerous theatrical friends it the wedding. The happy couple left later for Paris. The average theatregoer is not quick in the uptake when suddenly aAclr?s-ed | >y a iperformer across the. footlights. I jnutlly on the very rare occasions such i situation arises the performer has the >etter of hin victim. Mark Dalv. the lopular comedian of Mr. Hugh ,T. Ward's j 'O'Brien Girl" Company at the Mcl- | lourne Princess Theatre, however, was ; ■nee rather neatly out-pointed by a slickvitted patron of an open-air show at an •Znglish tourist resort. "It wa- many | -ear= npo," said Mr. Daly, in recalling he incident, "and the show was one of : hose unconventional entertainments j vhere the audiensec an 4 the performers j :et much closer together than they do ; ii a recognised theatre. While I was on j he stage a man strolled in and took a j eat. 'Bit late, aren't won.' I .-aid to j .im. There was a roar of laughter j rom the house. The man waited until j t had subsided, and then said quietly. . ut clearly, T would have been later if I j ad known you were on." Then the j iu£h was on mc." |