THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 33, 2 November 1907, Page 13

THE THEATRE.

"Rob Scry Under Arms," per Kir.omatograph. Tlieatre-goprn aro to bo given a chance to voor from inelodrumn to the picture, song, and story entertainment this evening. Tins is ;i show organised by tho Messrs. AlncMulion, on lines that should appeal to a largo scotion of the 'community,' tor they have, in thoir undoubted knowledge of what tho peoplo want, taken Rolf BoTdrewood's fascinating Australian story, "ltobbory Under Arms," and'havo had the main. incidents capitally aoted before the kinematograph. It is assumed that one will bo brought into touch with that famous scoundrel, Captain Starlight, ivith good-natured Jim Marsdcn, and his reckless brother Dick, tho sweet Eileen, and tho villainous Moran, and if the actors who represented them have done thoif work well, tho chain of, pictures should bo of especial interest. There will be a well-defined interest, too, in tho ro-appearanco in Wellington of Mr. Howard Vernon, an actor: whoso individuality in the Gilbert-Sullivan roper'toiro earned for him a reputation that few, if any, operatic comedians nave achieved in Australasia; Ho will bo assisted in musical sketches by his wife, Miss Vinia do Loitto, a bright little lady blossed with a tuneful soprano vnico, that was heard hero with tho Repertoire Opera Company not so long ago. Mr. Richard Stewart Honoured. One of those pleasant functions that add a zest to theatrical life was enacted in tho foyor of His Majesty's Theatre at Christclnircli on Thursday, October 31, whoii tho oTitire "Mother Gooso" Company triat is concluding its tour of tho Dominion assemblod to make things jolly for Mr.' "Dick ,, Stewart, tho popular \\i!liamsonian;manngor. It Commonced with a well stage-managed practical joke Mr. Goklio met Mr.'Stewart going casually into the theatro with Mr. Bert Roylo, and in capitally simulated agitation informed him that the whole company worn wanting to sue him—that something nad ovidcntly gone wrong, and they wanted to soo that man Stewart" (the manager). The company, had been holding a meeting and had made spocches objecting to the treatment thoy had received,. and a crisis had arisen. Dick went white, and said "Good God, what can this moan?" Then bracing himself up, ho shut his teeth, clenched his fists, and strodo up tho stairs to faco the situation. Ho was greeted'by a burst Oi cheors by tho 70 or 80 ladies, gentlomon and kiddies'present, and out of tho depths stepped Mr. Phydora, who, in n laboured speech about the union of tho Church and stage or tho ethics of lbsonic drama (comedians will always try to bo so seriouG botweon performances) told Mr .Stewart oxactfr what ho and tho company thought*of him, and then presented tho astonished manager with a large silver salver engraved with the names or all the members of the * company. Then, to b'reak him up completely, one of the dear little girls came forward and giivo Dick a silver shaving sot, jsubscribed to by tho goslings of the company. Then : speech and Pomoroy (lowed side by side in smooth delight, and Mr. Stelvart'became himself again. What a night! . The Tw!co-a-Day Xmas Bill. Thoso who. follow up tho stage will relnombor that last year tho "Firm" ran two distinct shows a .day at Her Majesty's Theatro, Sydney. Three and oven'four performances a day are common in American vaudeville, but thoy aro given by tho same company, and this i 3 an example of tho strenuous life American stago people load. Here, however, were two big companies playing widely different, plays on tho sumo day—''Alice in Wondorlrtriri" in the aftornoon by. a'crowd of talented youngsters, and the drnina I'Parsifnl" at night. Tho experiment .was siicJi a success that it is to be repaatod thiji *y,ear. ' On this, occasion "Bluebell. in Fairyland," tho dream play, will bo the aftornoon bill, and most probably Mr. Julius ,Knight .and Company in "Tho Scarlet Pimpernel" will, provide tho performai/co in the overling. "Blneboll" is, to bo' played in .Wellington. ( shortly by tho Pollard Opera .Company.v. . . ' . . ■■ Says' WilTiam Conior— ■ "I have developed my comedy son so by readingall thoMjest connc.'men. Mark Twainis, of course, the funniest. '" ' ' ■:. "In working up my own parts I follow tho rulo Joseph Jefferson gave mo: 'Go on woll, go off well, and the middle will take cn.ro of' itself.' In my "present play 1 have tried to do that. It was a good entrance, ■ I think, to come out of the bank, see some women' on tho street and turn around Aiid run back. ~

"At 'tho'ond of ono scene I havo boen talking with my partner, you know, and ho says '1 am a smart man. I was smart when I left Idaho. , 'Yes,' I answer, 'you wore d—d smart, when you loft Idaho.' Thore had been a loiig speech following this, but I cut it off sharp at that line-. I made my oxit, leaving tho audience with tho impression that , I was funny," I learned boforo I left what compliniont had most pleased the ovolvod Willie Collier. An admivcr bad discovered that ho was the David Belasco of comedy.

i "I' havo such a profound admiration for Mr. Bolasco that that compliment gave me moro pleasure than' , all'the' others [ ever received." [Then Mr! Collier confided an ambition to the writer :—

"I want to ovolvo from farce into comedy and I want a'theatre of my own. I want to put on my own and others' 'comedies in that thoatro". , lidpn't want to play anything hut comedy, but I want .trt become a better, comedian every day .1 liye—and the day that 1 become a worse* comedian than I was tho day before 1 want-—" : Tlieii ho turned off the 'switch. ■■ ■ .

Ch&rpsntier's Opera,"Louise."

A novelty in opara to bo presented to Now lork next senson will bo Gustavo Charpen(ior's "Louise," over -•rliicli Paris became enthusiastic upon its production in that city in tlio year 15)00. Cliiirponfcier won the Prix do Rome from Massenet's class at the Conservatoiro in 1887, and prior to this opera had.i written a number of composition in otlior forms, among thorn a suite symphoniquo entitled "Impressions of Italy,"-anti a' symphony drama, VThe Lifo of a l'oot." In this opera ho wished to depict tho modest homo'of the French-workingman. It is written in threo acts and four scones, and deals with episodes in tho lifo of a young working girl,' Loniso, seduced by an artist won back to her homo Gy her fnther; but unable to resist tho charm of Paris, tho life shb ha 3 led and the recollection of the lover sho lins left, she rotnriis. The first aria of Louisp, when sho recalls her mother's counsels, is charming. ■ Later in this act the lovers invoke Paris, the protectress of lovers in a duet which also, ploased greatly, as did" tho waits sung by tenor and chorus," "0 John, in tho scone of the crowning of the Muros. The second scono of tho opera shows the workroom whoro Louise is cmployed, and the opening of the third act, the awakening of Montmarlre, as done in' I ans, was enthusiastically received, the tableau bein;; mo3t effective "The Girls of Cottnnbtsrs." This musical comedy, produced for the Irrst timo in Australasia by the Royal Comic Opera Company in Melbourne on October 2C, u based on tho Koeponick incident, which Messrs. Gco. (Jrossmith and L. E. Berraan, the librettists have used for a foundation ,t being scarcMy more than twelve months old. OF course the episode, which was the cause of bo much laughter throughout the world lias been extended and complicated to meet tlio exigencies of musical comedy, but the central idea has tho recommendation of being founded on fact. In the play, Max Moddelkopf, an attractive rascal, who has in his time played many parts, undertakes tho task of posing as tho Extra Special Envoy of tho Kaiser in order to offect the transfer of the Uluo Hussars from llottcnliurg, where-ladios are scarco, to Gottouliurg, whore the very reverso is the case, tho latter town rejoicing in the possession of a Girls' College, divided up as usual iiito the quasi military, corps familiar in German academic circles. Sink, who will, of course, be represented by" Mr! Goorge Lauri, certainly lives up to the maxini "bo thorough," and having started on his solF-assumcd dutios, does tho thing in stylo. The natural rosult is a most extraordinary' set of amusing ontnnglomonts, through, over) and under which the engaging rascal manages to wriK«?le during three hours of really mirthful incidents. As a subsidiary source of interest, thorn is tho little plot between Mit/.i (Miss Fanny Dnngo) and Elsa (Miss Florenco Young), the latter persuading the former to

impersonate her as a student of the Girls' College m ordor that she may carry on her flirtation with mi officer of tho Red Dragoons unchecked. With two renjments and uniformed (jirls of Hip College, tho martial atmosphere of tho piece is most pronounced, and its spirited mid tuneful music by Ivan Cnryll and Lionel Monckton is quite in keo(>ing, while tile east generally will be. in tho safe hands, of an augmented Royal Coin jo Opera Company. Tho Vaudeville Chorus. Is there anyone in this world quite so blase as tho girls in tho first part of Riokards' shows? They begin by explaining, in a bored chorus, that they are "Merry, merry piorrots (or bathers or reapers), laughing, ha! ha I happy all the day." Aftor a mechanical littlo dance, they Hop down on their respective rocks or sheaves, and thoir oppression says plainly. "Now our sufferings aro about to .begin." They look blank through tho first itom, until thoy have to join in a refrain; then they look disgusted. They just manage to livo through the baritone solo, and direct a stony glare at tho lady balladist; but when the serio-comic damsel of the raucous voice and the nimble feat skips on, their sufferings reach a climax, because they nil knpw they could do much better themselves. Their gloom ■ lightens a little at the funny man's appoaranco, until he* picks out one of them and makes eves at her; then tho others lose interest, and each one turns her head contemptuously to her neighbour and curls her nose'. Tho programme goes en, and their eyes got fixed and glassy, but at. last their sufferings come to an end. Tho hardworking conductor and pianist strikes up a chorus, they scramble to their feet, and, > with the expression of n heretic beinc lifted off the nick, again assert that thoy are "jolly little, reapers, merry all the day," and crowd thiinlcfullv off the stage.—Blue Peter in "The .Bulletin." Tho Mext Dramatic Show. Tho flarelight of the melodrama is to bo kept smoking this month by tho visit to \Vollington of Mr. Allan Hamilton's "Homo, Sweet Homo" Dramatic Company. This company has only been in Now Zealand a fortnight, during which timo it has divided its attention between Invoreargill and Palmerston North—long but unavoidable jumps. Of course "show week" at Palmors'ton North should more than compensate for the loss in oxtra travelling oxponses. The company is a sound one, with an interesting repertbiro. "Home, Sweet Home" (of which Mr. Anonymous has said there's no placo like) is tho drama imported by Mr. Harry Rickards Gome six or eight months ago, but though it failed in Sydney, Mr. Allan Hamilton gained faith in tho piece on tour, and it has turned out trumps. The company, however/ does not exhaust its possibilities in the homov melodrama. The repeitono includes that clover comedy "A Mcssago from Mars" (played so successfully through tho Dominion by jtlr.ny.'l -, . Hawtroy), and Mrs. Frances Hotlgson Burnett's pretty pUy "Little Lord ■I'auutlcroy," in wlifch that charming child actross and singer Baby Watson, plays tho part lordhug, and Mr. Robert Duninn thn crusty Ear! of Dormecourt. Mr. Herbert Loight, who has visited tho Dominion with Julius Knight, and "The Fatal Wedding Company" is managor, and Miss Dina Cooper is leading lady. . , i ■ A Puzzlins Actress. The critic of the "Australasian" is puzried about Mr. J. C. 'Williamson's new actross, Miss Boyd Innn(v/ho is supporting Julius Knight). . Ho says in his notico ot "Brigadier Gerard":—"Wo aro boing more ami more puzalod by Miss .Beatrice Irwin. She came so strongly recommended as an actress who had graduated iir tlio best dramatic schools of Kuropo, that at times we almost , loso faith in tho best dramatic schools' '• of Europe, or in our own sanity of judgmont, though, of couroc, the two things are not usually considered in that ordor. When, in hor own* boudoir the Countess realises that siiOj is harried, limited; surrounded by enomies, with .the master-mind of , Talleyrand at tho head oftboni, th'cro are fine opportunities, and /rather .weak accomplishments.. Every action scorn's so studied and stilted,''so"' Eiuggestive of tlie dramatic school rather than' spontaneous genius, that ono is greatly disI'appointed,, i'v l~efc," in tho '•'following 1 scono,'. whore tho'Countess attempts tho hopeless .task of; fascinating and hum-bunging.her old: sweetheart, she roso to a much higher -al.ti-. tudo:; was _so successful, that ; one'could hardly realise in these sharp contrasts tho work- of tho same artist. Can it ho that Miss Irwin has not in all things realised tho now ntmosphero.the altered conditions, or is it possible that our Australian, conceptions of what is true inspirational acting and what automatic o(?ort differ.so entirely, so utterly, from the licet dramatic school's of Europe that one of us, ami maybe both, aro wrong. Certainly only one of us, if either, can bo right."'. ■■■./'. ■ Notes. ■ ■ ' ■ La Milo seems to havo a vogue at tho Alhambra'Music Hall. She and Cruiekehank, "the lightning caricaturist'" occupy the stage jointly for half an houy. "The. Times" says of tho turn:—"Wo were' shown on the biosoopa La Milo at homo, La , Milo riding in hor motor-car.to Leicester Squaro, La Milo in her dressingroom. Wo'wero beginning to tire a littlo of La Milo ill 'living pictures' when the white curtain rose and wo were contemplating La Milo as 'Hebe,' pouring out libations of wino for the gods—a boautifiil. statue oii a pedestal in a gardon; whito as'marble and almost as motionless. It was a rude shock to find ourselves a moment Inter gazing at caricatures traced in rapid succession on the whito curtain,by a hand invisible. - Of Iα Milo as 'Maidenhood,', as 'Diana,' as Tsyclie,' we caught glimpses as tho curtain rose' and foil. Wo could have wished for a longer period in which to study these 'pooms in. breathing marble,' but the hand of the lightning caricaturist would not bo stayed. His eancaturos' were all amusing, some of them clever, but this alternation from.tho, sublime to tho ridiculous was a littlo irritating. He should bo given a "turn"* to himself. Miss Nellie Stewart, in a letter to her sister (Mrs. H. R. Harwcod) contradicts all the rumours as to hor ill-health. She has, sho 'states, been spend ingi a holiday i» tbc mountains in Switzerland, and felt Vory well. At the time of writing she had returned to London, and was daily expecting a cable message, from America notifying iior that thn dates 'for hor tour through the United States had been arranged.