STAGE JOTTINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 192, 15 August 1925, Page 22

STAGE JOTTINGS.

Amongst thos» who will support Muriel Starr and Prank Harvey in "The Pelican," which will be staged in Melbourne for the first time next Saturday, are C. M. Hallard, Harvey Adams, Emma Temple, Mrs. Robert Brough, Ronald Ward, and Eily Malyon. There are four acts in the play.

Mr. Albert H. Baile, who conducted the 1924-25 tour of the Newcastle Steel Works' Band, has announced his intention of conducting a second world's tour, which will begin in September. The band will be known as the "Australian Silver Band," and will compete for the £2000 gold shield at Belle Vue, the Empire championship contest at Halifax, England (both championships won by the Newcastle Steel Works' Band in 1924), and the Crystal Palace (London) championship and 1000-guinea trophy.

Ronnie Whelan, son of Albert Whelan, the Australian entertainer, who has won a world-wide reputation in vaudeville, will make his first appearance on the Australian stage. He is a mimic and eccentric dancer. He came to Australia with his father last year and remained after Albert Whelan's Tivoli engagement had bee nfulfilled. The first stage appearance of Ronnie Whelan was at Daly's Theatre, London, at the age of 18. Later he joined a well-known concert company, in which he obtained valuable experience. He has now been engaged by Australian Musical Productions, Ltd., as a light comedian and dancer, and joins the company playing "Snap" in Melbourne.

Frank Lehar, composer of "The Merry Widow," is making preparations for a congress of merry widows to take place at Vienna in October. The "widows" who have sung the part In Europe and America will be honoured guests of the municipality. Besides tliere will be merry widows who have never sung a note, also grass widows, who will flock to Vienna to join in the carnival of laughter and happy frivolity that is to mark the twentieth anniversary of the operetta. There will be a gala performance of the "Widow" at the Theatre an der Wien, in which the part will be subdivided into twenty or more sections, to be sung by as many operatic celebrities of different nationalities. Another event will be the premiere of "Paganini," Lehar's latest work, which is said to contain a waltz more sensuous and more entrancing still than the one that made him famous.

Five people from Hampstead—two women and three men—took up their places in front of the gallery doors of Drury Lane Theatre, London, at seven o'clock one night, and waited 25 hours for the first performance of "Rose Marie." This is the longest wait ever known in London. The previous record was held by people who waited 24 hours to see "Decameron Nights." The commissionaire of Drury Lane rubbed his eyes when he saw the small party unfold stools and sit down in front of the gallery doors. He walked up to them and eaid > "You've come on the wrong night. Ttose Marie' does not start until to-mor-row night." "Oh, no," they replied, "we are going to wait here until to-morrow evening." The commissionaire went and fetched the manager, and the manager fetched Sir Alfred Butt, who invited the "die-hards" to go inside the theatre and see the rehearsal. They refused, saying it would take the edge off the real show.

The two soprano parts in "Der Freischutz," which is to be given by the Auckland Choral Society on the 27th of this month, will be taken by two young Bingers, one English, and the other a New Zealander. Miss Adelaide Taylor, who takes the part of Agnes, is a recent arrival in the Dominion. A native of Bradford, Yorkshire, she Btarted at an early age on the concert platform, carrying off the prize at the well-known Summerscales Festival for three years in succession in the juvenile classes. She has a particularly sweet and flexible voice, and has had a wide and varied experience of opera, oratorio, and chamber concert work. Miss Taylor has a large repertoire of French and Italian songs, and has often appeared with such well-known artists as Mr. Ben Davies, Miss Edna Inornton, and Miss Phvllis Lett. Miss Florence Sutherland, "who takes the part of Annie, is a youn» Auckland artist, who has appeared with success in Australia, taking parts in Humperdinck's "Hansel and Gretel" Gounod's "Faust," and other operas. She was also a member of the Australian Grand Opera Company on its Australian tour.

"No mistake is more frequently made m the musical world than the common and erroneous belief that an exceptionally good voice is a sort of open sesame to fame and fortune. Even with voice, musical talent, a first-class memory a good general education, robust health, plenty of brains, indomitable perseverance (all indispensable qualities) success is by no means assured, for the' competition met with nowadays is exceedingly severe, and the great majority of those engaged in professional work do not make an income higher than the average shopkeeper or bank clerk," said Mr. Roland Foster, of tlie Sydney Conservatorium of Music, to a representative of the 'Tress" in Christchurch. "If a man or woman is earning a good living in business, he or she would be well advised to stick to it, and treat the voice or ability to produce good instrumental music merely as a hobby. Be assured that in the end you will get infinitely more enjoyment out of music if it is regarded as a hobby than if you have to depend on it for a livelihood or think of making fame and fortune by it." '

"Anyone who did not appreciate Australian audiences would be hard to please," said Irene Vanbrugh to a "Punch" representative. "I should say they like bright, witty dialogue that leaves something to the imagination rather than broadly humorous comedy or very serious drama. That is why 'Aren't We All?' was the prime favourite. Australia apparently has had very little of Barrie, and it was the quick appreciation of the one-act plays that led to Mr. Boucicault's agreement to come back to Australia at the end of the year with a complete Barrie company. I am confident the venture will be a great success; I am not a bit afraid of Barrie being too subtle. Of course Ive heard it said that Australians are great gamblers, but what strikes a mere outsider is that much of it is just an expression of the rather carefree life fn»s y ? Ung lation1 ation that i 8 tremendously tond of sport and the open air. There probably is » serious, even a sordid e,de to it, but there is also the sort of speculative spirit that was expressed by a w "* er , ln °™ of the dailies just be fore the Melbourne Cup. He quoted 5 re 7J d f ° r 6 ° *-"• "o 'how that t h e oddß in fvfmr fineJT^ Day were something like 10 to l_-a_d doubtless M would have been prepared to back, his ppinlonl" if-*"*-