STAGE JOTTINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 165, 14 July 1928, Page 2 (Supplement)

STAGE JOTTINGS.

Miss Olive Sloane is returning to London when "Princess Charming" ends in Sydney.

Tho musical comedy, "Hit the Deck," which has been secured for Australia by J. C. Williamson, Ltd., saw its 250 th performance at the London Hippodrome on May 15.

"Good News," a new musical comedy recently secured by Fullers, has scored an instantaneous success at the Princess Theatre, Melbourne. It is to a large extent a dancing show.

"The Vagabond King," after 500 performances, is being .succeeded by the musical comedy, "Marjolainrc," at the Gaiety Theatre, London. Air. Oscar Asche is to play the leading comedy role.

Mr. Maurice Ralph has been appointed by J. C. Williamson, Ltd., to act as their representative in the ' South Island, with headquarters at Christchurch. This means that Mr. Ralph will be in charge of the handsome theatre that is being erected on the site of the old Theatre Royal, which will be opened on August 4 with the "Madame Pompadour' Company.

The following are the meihbers of the cast of "Rio Rita," Fullers' musical comedy success in Sydney:—Misses Gladys Moncrieff, Janette Gilmore, Marie Jaris, Marie Delaine, Queenie Ashton, Phyllis Nicholson, and Messrs. John Valentine, Dave Mallem, Charles Sylber, lan Iredale, Gaston Mervale, Paul Plunket, Harry Burgess, Alfred Gordon and Guy Saunders.

In the course of their sweep through the musical ages the Shuberts have now come upon Frederic Chopin, and have caused his life and labours to become the basis of a musical comedy which they were about to put into commission at th*e commencement of May. Chopin's tunes will naturally be used, with Karl Hajos, to add thereto, and Harry B. Smith to fit the whole with a libretto. The Shuberts are also adding to their geographical revue series. To "A Night in Paris" and "A Night in Spain" they are about to add "A Night in Venice."

The attempt to organise a repertory society in Christchurch synchronises with the decision of the National Repertory Theatre Society, Wellington, to close its doors to the general public. 'Since its inception the National Society has had a very chequered career. Its last production was the highly successful one of "Hay Fever," by Noel Coward. At the same time, however, the society has found a lack of response to better works and so has determined that at its nest production, which will be for only two nights, none but members shall be present. The play, which the society is now rehearsing, is "At Mrs. Beam's," by C. K. Munro.

The Christchurch Amateur Operatic Society were most unlucky in striking the worst weather possible during their season of " The Arcadians." Thin 'houses and warm applause greeted their efforts. The society is faced with a big deficit unless the extra performance this week pays handsomely. The piece was a credit to the producer, Mrs. Hulme; the conductor, Mr. R. G. Lake; and the performers. Miss Lilian Hanham, who sang Sombra, gave a delightful performance, her singing of "The Pipes of Pan" ending in a beautifully executed cadenza earning lier a large round of applause. Mr. Allan Brown, a young member of the legal fraternity, was the hit of the piece as Simplicitas.

Born in London, the juvenile lead of Miss Margaret Bannerman's company, Mr. Francis Lister, served his histrionic apprenticeship with Sir Herbert Tree. The war interrupted his career, and on his return to civil life he decided to seek fame and fortune on the other side of the Atlantic. His first engagement was under Mr. David Belasco to support Mrs. Fiske in a series of interesting productions. On his return to London he was successful in "The Fake," "In the Next Room," "The Tempest," "You Never Can Tell," and "A Family Man." In the lastnamed he was associated with Mr. Norman McKinnel, now with the VanbrughBoucicault company. Another of his successes was in the role of Christian with Mr. Robert Lorraine in "Cyrano de Bergerac." Prior to coming to Australia Mr. lister was Miss Bannerman's leading man for two years in the London run of "Lullaby" and "Beginner's Luck," and in the all-star cast of "Sexes and Sevens."

"Sunny," the new musical comedy to] be presented by Sir Benjamin and John Fuller at St. James' Theatre on Monday evening, traverses a wide field from Southampton to the Southern States of America, and about fifteen changes of scane are presented, and are lavishly mounted. Jerome Kern, who composed the score, has designed some bright, jaunty music for "Sunny," the book and lyrics of which are by Otto Harbach and Oscar Hammerstein, who also wrote the book and lyrics for "Rose Marie" and other successes. Aucklanders have long bern waiting to see the .pony chorus and the poppy ballet, the fame of which has preceded the piece. "Sunny" is the story of a little circus rider who becomes a stowaway on the liner Triumphant. By the captain she is married to Jim Deering. But she-is in love with another. The, scenea are placed in a circus tent, on the deck, and in the saloon of the Triumphant, and ■ in Florida. "Sunny" should' prove a worthy successor to "Archie," with which the company headed by Miss Elsie Prince, Mr. Jimmy Godden and Mr. Charlton Morton commenced their Auckland season*