STAGE JOTTINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 269, 10 November 1923, Page 18

STAGE JOTTINGS.

IDe Pachmann will tour America next year, according to report. De Pachmann I has not been heard in America for ter [years. He is now seventy-five year; old. London still throngs his concerts Six scholarships of five hundred dollars each were awarded at the end of the summer season to "the six most talented and consistent workers of the chorus" of the Municipal Opera of St. Louis, to enable these to continue their studies for stage in light opera. , Messrs. Arthur Blanchard and Geo. - Dean have arrived from Australia to join the Xew Zealand Pictures, Ltd., touring the Auckland provincial districts. They made their first appearance on this tour at the Thames on Thursday, j and will later visit the Waikato. a- , - "The Perfect Fool," an opera by Gus- * tav Holtz, has been given in London with considerable success. It has I stirred varied feeling among the audi- ! tors and critics, as it has the unique I distinction of being an opera which bura lesques operatic themes and manners. 1 >• Although Lorna Pounds does not claim c to be a quick-change artist, some of her '- split-second character transitions in "Rickets" are effected with amazing speed. In all, Lorna makes eight changes s of costume during every performance of a the sparkling Hugh J. Ward revue at c the New Palace Theatre, Melbourne. ' The reception accorded by London audiences to the play of Mr. Frank " Russell, a Melbourne journalist, "Harwood Blood," was very satisfactory. The house called for the author after the first production, but were told that he was in Australia. A long run was pre--1 dieted for the piece. The Philharmonic Society of New York and the American Orchestral ' Society have combined their forces and will carry out a plan of systematic musi--1 eal education in connection with adja- | cent colleges and the New York public schools. Clarence H. Mackay and Mrs. E. H- Harriman are leading spirits in the movement. A new piano keyboard has been invented by Dr. Moritz Stochr of Xew York. By shortening the black key, j thus leaving a space between the back ,: of them and the fall board, a portion of ,' the keyboard formerly unavailable to the players is brought within use, thus eliminating many finger difficulties which have hindered transitions between black and white keys. At the Theater an der Wien of Vienna, because of a strike ordered by , I the Musicians' Union, the orchestra stopped the performance of Lebarte "Frasquita" by playing the overture of tho second act pianissimo, in spite of the composer-conductor's efforts to the contrary. A Bhort meeting adjusted difficulties satisfactorily. i The Duke of Camastra fought a duel last week with a theatre manager owing jto a demand made by the manager for the customary payment of a tax on a .complimentary ticket. The combat took | place in the presence of hundreds of j spectators. The police, Press, and cine- \ mas attended a false rendezvous while [ the combat raged in a quiet garden j nearby. Swords were used. The Duke t was early wounded in the thumb, causing a termination of the fight. Georges Enesco has arrived in America as guest conductor of some of the best orchestras. As conductor of the Lamoureux Orchestra of Paris he has been most successful. He is one of the most versatile of modern musicians. Fame first came to him as a violinist. He is also a pianist of great ability, and his compositions are acclaimed by the best of critics. Thus he sheds lustre on his native Roumania and its poetqueen, Elizabeth ("Carmen Sylva") who first discovered his talent and made study possible. i Charlie McMahon was running a show at Duiiedin, and business .was rotten. Undismayed, he announced that, as a small return for Dunedin's overflowing ! J hospitality, he would give away a j bicycle on the last night to the holder of a ticket with a number corresponding Ito one drawn from a box. The result ; j was a £160 house. Expenses-consisted j lof £5 for the bike (the agent knocked I £10 off in consideration of the advt.), | £10-odd for extra printing and advertis- \ I ing, and £5 5/ for the fine and costs— i Charlie pleaded guilty. Dunedin is ' i Scotch, but it can be induced tt> take a ' j chance—if it thinks you have made a ' mistake in the odds.—("Bulletin.") , Two points, says the "London Daily Telegraph," in discussing the theatrical season, seem to bo well attested—first, that contemporary audiences prefer light \ dramatic fare, and show no particular r discernment in their preferences; and, <j secondly, that the occasional importa- r tion of the drama which is called "highbrow" is by no means to the taste °of b the ordinary playgoer. Two interesting s plays from Czecho-Slovakia have had a n succes d'estime. The piece, entitled a "R. U. R." persisted longer than its fi brother drama, "The Insect Play"; but p neither can be said to have secured an c absolute success. They aroused a cer- h tain amount of interest, but the interest d soon died down, and the experiment as o such, however significant to the thought- b ful student of drama, failed to attract b the average kind of theatregoer who de- p cides the success or failure of plays. « " li Mr. William Mollison, the gifted actor T and producer of the Gertrude Elliott Co ' served as model for Phil May in several of that great artist's drawings, where little boys were introduced. Phil May and William Mollison, sen., who was the r; tragedian of Sir Henry Irving's company, h were close friends anad neighbours, and a the Mollison children were frequently c - pressed into the service of the studio m when Phil was seized with an inspira- ;, tion. At one period the great black and white artist decided' to go on the iand agreed to play the part of "Pistol"' in Mollispn's production of "Henry V." " at Leeds. At the last moment he changed f his mind, and the elder Mollison resumed the role of "Pistol." In one of a the intervals a "process server" insisted S< on pushing the unwelcome summons'into }' Mollison's hand. The actor explained b; that he knew nothing about the legal *' document, which bore the name of Phil lr May and referred to one of Phil's many hl heavy and ancient debts. The tragedian ri became as indignant as his amusement re would allow, and said: "Mv name is William Mollison." "Oh, ye's," replied p the limb of the law with great satisfac- tc tion, "but your stage name is, Phil May," di and he retreated,- satisfied that he had le served the rieht man. Ac