MIMES AND MUSIC.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 59, 6 September 1913, Page 11

MIMES AND MUSIC.

(By, "Orpheus.") / THE SHOWS. OPERA. HOUSE. J. C, Williamson, in season to Oth September. "King's College Boys," 17th to 27th September. J. C. Williamson, 29th. September to Ist November, i M'Kay's Boyal Pantomime Company, 16th October. Genee, 27th October. "The Geisha," 22nd to 29th November. TOWN HALL. The Smart Set, in season. THEATRE ROYAL. Brenntn-Fullerg' Vaudeville Company. HIS 1 MAJESTY'S. Fullers' Pictures. THE KING'S THKATR*, Boyal and Weit't Picture^ ' STAR THEA.TRI. Star PJctur* Company. EMPRESS THEATfiK. Continuous Pictures. THE NEW THEATRI. Continuous Picture*. j BHORTT'B THEATBI. Continuous Pictures. PEOPLE'S PICTURE PALACE. Continuous Pictures. ■' Mr. Walter Monk returned from Sydney this week. ' During his absence he organised a musical novelty company, and 'he states that it will be one of the best of its kind which has appeared in Wellington. The company will be known as "The King's College Boys," for these four young gentlemen head the list of performers. t They are specialists in, harmony, tho part singing, glees, humorous sketches, and medleys being much above the average. These renowned choristers have just concluded a long Australian engagement and were about to return to England, when Mr. Monk prevailed upon them to make a tour of the Dominion. The " Boys " will he supported by the Vienna Trio of musicians, one of whom is a distinguished harpist ; Miss Marcie Boulais, a young lady with a charming mezzo-soprano voice; Miss lona Auguste, a child impersonator and soubrette: Mr. Jack/Shields, " the Lancashire comedian" Mr. PhiEp Lewie, baritone; and Miss Ruby M 'Donald, musical directress. The company opens in the Opera House on Wednesday, 17th inst. The death took place in Melbourne last month of Mr. Harry Savile, a well-known and popular actor in his day. ■ The firm " George Marlow, Ltd," has ceased to exist. The .company in future will be known as "George Willoughby, Ltd." Mr. William Anderson tenders Mr. J. H. Nunn (who has been associated with him as producer for fourteen years) a -testimonial benefit at the King's Theatre, Melbourne, ' next Tuesday. Ifc is stated that Mr. Allan Hamilton has retired from the theatrical business, with which he has been connected for more than thirty years. He proposes' to leave f»r England by way of China and Japan early in November, and spend ' a year on a holiday'abroad. ' The «vergreeh Miss Maggie Moora is playing a season at the King's Theatre. Melbourne. Of course the perennial "Struck Oil" finds a place in the repeiv toire. In this delightful old play her husband, Mr. Harry Roberts, who has cempleted his engagement with the Hamilton-Plimnw Company, will ap^ pear in his »ld rol© of John Stofel. Mr. Ben. J. Fuller, managing director •f the> Brennan-Fuller Vaudeville Circuit; is .naturally a busy man. Not only in vaudeville does he show his ability (says a, Sydney paper), as he is also a director of George Willoughby, Ltd., White City., Ltd., and Holland and St. John, Ltd., beside* holding big interests in, the N«w Zealand Picture Supplies, Ltd. Members of the vaui«villo profession in .Melbourne were distressed to learn fast week that De Biere, the well-known illusionist, was reported to have been shot in the Johannesburg riots. The news was contained in an American Eaper, Variety. There is every poasiility of the report being incorrect, however (says Melbourne Punch), for by the last Sooth African mail a member of the staff at the Opera House received a letter from one of De'Biere's mechanics, saying that 511 was well with the company, and as the letter was dated two days later than the cable reporting the death ef tffe popular little magician, there is every reason to hope that the ill-news was not authentic: W Miss Rose Edouin, better remembered in Melbourne and elsewhere as the Mrs. G. B. W. Lewis of a generation and a half ago, has made a hit in "R«me» and Juliet," with Beerbohm 6 Tree, at His Majesty's. This is how J. T. Grein, a leading Loricfon dramatic critic, puts it : "There waspne other impersonation that calls for special comment and praise ; it was the Nurse of Miss Rose Edouin, low comedy if you like, but comedy as Shakespeare must have intended it— a dear old soul .with an eye to the main chance' and 4he innate inclinations of a good-natured go-between. Not pince the days of the famous Mrs.. Stirling have we enjoyed a nurse so natural and so humorous. His social and profe&^onal duties, considerable as they are, do not prevent Mr. Kennerley Rumford from following many, recreations. He is an ardent sportsman, and in England gives up a lot of his leisure to such pursuits as tennis, riding, driying, cricket, golf, fishing, and motoring. He is an en- j thusiastio fisherman, and many are the j salmon and trout that he has beguiled from their native element. He likes himself most at golf, and admittedly j plays a capital game, and at tennis — especially in singles — is a formidable opponent. Incidentally he is also a collector of old pewter, and anybody who can talk on pewter will always find Mr. Rumford a willing listener. His collection has been got together during his travels about the world, and is now one of the best private collections in Grat Britain. Needless to say, it is worth a considerable sum, and its value increases yearly. Miss Nellie Stewart is a great admirer of Miss Kathleen Mack, who has been j specially engaged to play principal boy ( in "Little Bo Peep" the Pantomime to be staged here shortly under Messrs. Stephenson and Linley's direction. Miss Stewart has given Miss* Mack the side, drum which was presented to her when she made her appearance at Drury Lane, London. Miss Stewart has also given Miss Mack a snake dress, which is said to be a wonderful creation. Mr. Fred Twitchem, whom Mr. Stephenson brought from England to play in "The Rose of Riviera" and "The Skirt Dancer" is also a member of the pantomime company.' Rickards' Tivoll Theatres Limited has purchased a large block of land in Chapel-street, Prahran, Melbourne, almost opposite the Town Hall, and a vaudeville theatre will be erected there in the near future. This will be built with all the most up-to-date improvements, and the plans have already been prepared by a well-known Melbourne architect. The programme at Prahran (says the Australasia) will be almost exaptly similar to that presented at the Opera House, and the various artists will do the two theatres every night, being conveyed to and from Melbourne and Prahran by motor-car. - This is an innovation very much on the lines! of the London and suburban vaudeville theatres, where artists very frequently "do" as

many as three theatres every night. Mr. H. D. M'lntosh, the governing director of the circuit, who has been touring the world, will return to Melbourne in time for the laying of the foundation-stone. Miss Eileen Boyd, the talented Sydney_ singer, at present in. London, has achieved distinct success. Recently she wrote to friends in Sydney that she had had offers to go to India and America, but had to decline, as she had so many engagements to fulfil in London and the provinces. Miss Boyd's press notices are very laudatory. The young Australian is still studying under Mr. Allen Gill, and is Jbeing schooled for grand opera by an eminent teacher. The work of the Sydney Repertory Theatre is being taken up with enthusiasm. At a meeting of the . Repertory Dramatic Society. Mr. D. H. Souter said the society was quite satisfied with its prospects of success. Unquestionably there was an audience waiting for something more than the productions of the commercial theatre. Many of the world's dramatic masterpieces had found their first audience in a repertory theatre, and it was the purpose of the directors, with the assistance of officers and members, to stage works of high quality. It was the hope of members of the society .that the public would second them in the efforts. A membership of only 500 was required to enable the society to give a series of dramatic productions which otherwise might perhaps never be witnessed in Sydney. It was announced that "The Devil's Disciple," by Bernard Shaw, was already in rehearsal, and would be produced in the beginning of October. It would be followed by Galsworthy's "Silver Box," and that again by an Australian play. Mr. Alfred Hill is a managing director of the society, and Mr. Arthur Adams is a member of the Dramatic Committee. Mies Marcie Boulais, a* talented singer from Sydney, is to make here fhrst appearance, here with "The King's College Boys" Company which opens at the Opera House on the 17th infifc. Miss Boulaia is a protege of Mr. Alfred Hill's, and was under his tuition for several years. She makes a speciality of his Maori songs, and has eung them 1 at all leading concerto in Sydney under his direction. During the season here Miss Boulais will introduce a new song from Mr. Hill's pen. "The Moorish Maid," Mr. Hill's well-known opera, ie just at present being revived in Sydney, and Mica Boulais, at Mr. Hill's special request, is playing the name part, a character in which Bhe scored a notable success when the opera was first produced in Sydney, the Bulletin remarking that she was the outstanding success of the opera. Miss Boulais's concert work ha/ received the highest commendation from the leading Sydney papers, one writer stating "she seemed to sing like some full-throated bird, simply because she loved it." ' Mr. Alfred Hill predicts a fine future for Mies Boulais on the concert platform. The outstanding feature of the programme to be presented by Messrs. Bren-nan-Fullers at the opening of vaudeville at Hi& Majesty's Theatre, will be the amazing act of the Royal Banzai Family of Japanese Entertainers. This act is said to be one of decided merit and novelty, attractively set off with a lavish display of Japanese art and pictureequeness of costume. With the ease and semblance of unconcern, they go through a series of amazing feats in balancing and gymnastics, suggesting to the onlooker that they are merely little tricks of physical lithness and steadiness of, nerve that call for no exceptional, qualities. The huraoroiKS/by-plav into their act considerably enhanoee the performance. Supporting this act will be the following strong company of artiste: — St. George and Fane, English musical comedy artiste; Mise Madge Beresford, a "principal boy" of many English pantomimes; Neil Cant, Scotch comedian; Lyrical Four, drawing-room entei"tainers; Klimo and Clifton, American comedy gymnasts; Olga Pennington, Australian soubrette; Ernest Pitcher, comedian; and The Romas, who perform a series of Herculean feats. Madame Lillian Nordica's • tour in Austialia has proved a wonderful success. Wherever she has appeared she has received great ovations. One thing that leads to Madame's success is the pleasing sense of intimacy she establishes between her and her audiences. On her last appearance in Melbourne, according to the she was accorded a great reception.' "Great interest was taken in the poetically -conceived ceremony in which a number of girls dressed in white, and carrying staffs entwined with the golden wonder of wattle blossoms, formed themselves into a league of Youth and Beauty — as a*n act of .homage to one of the greatest of the world's singers. Madame Nordica cannot fail to carry away happy memories of her visit to Melbourne — emphasised, as they will be, by this charming and touching tribute of affection and admiration." Madame was in splendid '/voice, and more than repeated her successes J of the preceding -concerts. This great artist will tour New Zealand shortly, under the management of Mr. Frederic Shipman. ■ , . Lady Sackville, who figured so conspicuously in a famous, lawsuit -in Lon don recently, paid an extraordinary tribute to the power and pathos of "I Hear You Calling Me," as sung so inimitably by John M'Cormack. Referring incidentally to the song in a letter that was read in open court she said : "I asked Mr! M'Cormack not to sing it. He sang it so beautifully that I couldn't bear to hear it again. It was so upBetting." This song is the most popular in the repertoire of John M'Cormack. Through his fine singing and interppotatiye art it is known throughout tho English-speaking world, and its author, Harold Harford, has made thousands in royalties from it alone. It is the most popular of all the M'Cormack gramophone records, and has had more sales than any other record known. The song will be a feature of Mr. M'Cormack's programme during his Australian and New Zealand tour, which commences in Sydney in a couple of weeks. ' j A New Zealander who is helping to make American films writes to the Bulletin : There are several' companies operating here (California), and they all have large ranches of hundreds of acres, own their own live stock and houses, and keep a company of cowboys and cowgirls working for them. These "Wild Westers" do nothing else but act in pictures. In addition to these there are, of course, the film stars who take the leading parts. Some of the companies have wild animal farms — really regular working zoos, where they can take pictures of the heart of the alleged African jungle. I am engaged at indoor work in the studio in town. It is a large place like a factory, and all the actual manufacturing of the film is done in it. All the interiors are taken at the Btudio, which has all sorts of scenery. Any conceivable plot can be fitted at short notice from the stock stuff. Personally, I think the American pictures are the best of the lot. It is extraordinary the number of mishaps that befall during the, making of a picture, i In battle scenes, especially, there are often serious accidents. And they all help to make the success of the film! I haye > seen as many as six or tfeven ' casualties happen— fellows falling off their horses, and breaking arms or legs, or getting "shot" 1 at too close '-range and badly scorched. Some unfortunates have lost their eyesight in this gunplay. The' big pictures take from four to five weeks to put through, and, as there are sometimes hundreds of people helping, the cost isn't trifling..