THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1198, 5 August 1911, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

The World's a theatre; tlio Earth a stage—Hey wood. (By Sylvius.) Nicola To-night, Nicola, a magician whoso performances havo created marked interest Vj he has appeared, is due to mystify tolk at tho Opera House this evening. -Jl'i 11 ' from his deftness as a quickness-of.-tlie-hand-deceives-the-eye artist, Nicola 'no relation to Guy Bcothby's crcation) works some very big illusions on a sciilo rarely seen nowadays, and, for this purpose," carries round with him a complete company of assistants, 110 one else being allowed about tho stage when tho performance is in progress. One of Nicola s specialities is his ability to escape from anywhere—no matter how he is manacicd ana knotted up, soldered down, or squeezed in. . Liko the Duke in Iho Duke's Motto," he always profoundly mystifies tho anxious crowds by appearing somewhere quite unexpectedly, with a look which says: "I am here!" In Auckland -he was placed in a piano case be- - fore the gaze of hundreds, the zinc inner case was soldered down, and there he was left —to stifle and die? Not much! Before anyone had time to conjecture how long ho would take to use ui> the air in the case he took his place quietly among _ the spectators. How does he do it? I.inwell—tho limitations of space prevent the telling. Nicola is supported by. a vaudevillo company of diverse talent.

Artificial Applause. "In these days of mechanical appliances," writes Vincent 'i'tcrnroyd in _ a New York paper, "I have thought' ot a device that' may commend itself to theatrical managers, stars especially and dramatic authors. Wo arc all aware that in the hot-weather, and even at other times, audiences will not' exert themselves to applaud, 'and frequently situations, liues, and acts fall Hat when with open hands they might bo made to go. Now, by having a mechanical clapper attached to every seat, the pressure of a button would cause the proper amount of applause with very little effort. Frinted notices could be placed in the theatre asking that persons desirous of signifying their approval will please press the button. An attachment affixed in the prompt entrance might control all the elnppcrs, and the stage manager or. tho stars could absolutely rely upon, and, indeed, command roars of applause. In the script of a now play Iho applause could be marked in t'he proper places, and the.prompter, with his hand on the button, could indicate to unintelligent audiences where the applause should come in/'

.At. one popular Parisian music hall the following notice was recently exhibited in tlio vestibule: "Those members of the audience who desire songs or dances to bo repeated are respectfully, requested to give in their names to the box-offico clerk. On the conclusion of the performance those who have thus given in their names can, on paying for fr'csh seats, have tho encoro they desire." Hat-pins at Work, The following appeared ■ in tho Melbourne "Argus" of July 23:— "BALLAKAT, -Monday.—The opening of a four nights' season by the PlimmerDenniston Company in Her Majesty's Tlieatro to-night was marked by an excited rush to gain admittance to' witness the performanco of '.Nobody's Daughter.' "Half an hour before the play began a crowd blocked the , street, and when (lie door opened there was a wild rush. Three women wore knocked down, and several fainted in the crush.. Hat-pins were used by women in order to save themselves from the crowd, and the police had some difficulty in restoring order. Fortunately nobody v;as injured.

"Tho police stopped further admissions to the house, and a large number of people were disappointed."

Tlio Melba Season. | It is".quite.evident (says a letter from tho office of J. C. Williamson, Ltd.) that playgoers and music-lovers, in tho Commonwealth and New Zealand, fully realise that tho Melba Grand Opera Company j will not travel beyond the precincts of Sydney and Melbourne, and inquiries concerning the details of that season are coming in to tho J. C. Williamson management from interested correspondents' far and near. Even New Zealand is taking up tho matter, and the management hjs been asked to try and arrange with tho shipping companies to issue concession tickets to those wishing to come to Australia for tho Grand Opera season. There is no doubt that, during the stay of . tho company in the two leading cities of the Commonwealth, a- big influx of visitors from other States and the Dominion will sot iii, and it is reckoned that, from tho latter country alone, quite 2000• people will come over to Australia mainly, if not. altogether, drawn bv tho irresistible charm of music as it will- lie rendered by the Melba Grand Opera Company.

Theatrical Records, The pantomime "Jaclc and the Beanstalk" is busy putting up new records in Auckland. In this regards it is amusing to note how elastic theatrical rccords are. One company plays to packed businesshas to ' turn them away"—yet another playing at the same prices will claim a new Tccord. Indeed, there have been so many records broken during the last three or four years that it is a wonder that there are any left to break. As a matter of fact, the accepted houses of entertainment ,have been packed as tight as sardines so many times that "single house" records cannot be accepted—a record must now be for a season or for the run of a piece. In this respect "Jack and the Reanstalk" is really doing things in Auckland. The plan for. the first week was filled in three or four days, and, on the dav that the second week's plan was opened, 2000 seats were booked. The Pantzer Family of Acrobats are. the star attraction, as Trice and Revost were of last year's pantomime.

"Chocolatc Soldier" Company. The -Clarke and" Meynell' New Opera Company, which is to appear in Australia and -Now Zealand in "Ibe Chocolate Soldier"—the record-breaking opera boufio which is still the sensation of London after a 300-nights' run, and is still going strongly-sailed last week for Melbourne, where the opening of the season will take place. The comnany will include Leslie Gaze. Mabel Grahame, Noel Fleming, Frank Wilson, Rita Presano, Albert Kavanagh, and others. Most of the principals have appeared cither in the London or provincial productions. Of tlio artists named the only one who has visaed New Zealand before, is Mr.l-rank Wihon. who was a member of Williamson's Repertoire Opera ..Company. His verv excellent Pirate King in 'Pirates of Penzance" will be remembered by devotees of Gilbert and Sullivan's works. I Notes. . "The Silver I\"in»" will be revived once more at the Melbourne Princess s this evening with Mi. \\ ni. Desmond as Wilfred Denver. This company is to appear in Sydney on August 19, in the C'onan 'Doyle' play "The Specklcd Band. Jlr. AT. S. Percy, who has figured so prominentlv as a clever comedian in J. C Williamson's musical comedy attractions of laic ycai--, has been prevailed upon to remain for another two years under the well-known management, and has signed a contract to that eficrt. Ho had fully made up his mind to-leave for tiie Old Country, this year, but he yielded to persuasion, and now he is co'isaling himself with the lad that he '.uH liave added to his store or worhHy wealth ere lie sets forth on his trave.s. and he confesses that, wlureas he knows the public on this side, the public m the Old Country is an unknown quantity. The English Pierrots, who became such favourites at the Exhibit ion, are to appear in the Concert Chamber on August 31. September 1 and prior to their departure for Australia. Writing from New York to Mr. Chrislie Sinionsens, general manager ot the Adelphi Theatre, Mr. Bland Holt says that he will soon be back in Australia. The actor-manager was on June 2 tho subject of an article from the. pen of Bert Levy in one of the New York papers. Mr. Ilolt was described as "fossicking about for material for productions in ) Australia." '