MIMES AND MUSIC

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 151, 27 June 1914, Page 13

MIMES AND MUSIC

(By "Orpheus.") THE "SHOWS. GRAND OPERA HOUSE. "The Kosary," In season to 2nd July. Wellington Operatic Society, "Paul Jones," Bth to 15th July. J. C. Williamson (Fred Niblo), sth August. Harry Lauder, 7th September. TOWN HALL. (Concert Chamber). Tho Dandies, seasoii closes to-night. Jlischa Elman, 2nd and 4th July. HIS MAJESTY'S. Brennan-Fuller Vaudeville. THE KING'S THEATRE. Pictures nightly. STAR THEATRE. Pictures nightly. EMPRESS THEATRE. Continuous Pictures. SHORTT'S THEATRE. Continuous Pictures. PEOPLE'S PICTURE PALACE. Continuous Pictures. BRITANNIA THEATRE. Continuous Pictures. It is reported from Sydney that Miss Florence Young cind Mr. Reginald Roberts will take the leading roles in Mr. Alfred Hill's new opera-, which is to be the first production in Sydney of the Australian Opera Company. Mr. Ben Fuller has just completed arrangements for opening vaudeville houses at Ballarat and Bendigo. The Fuller-Brennan firm will ■ commence building operations in Newcastle and Brisbane shortly. The firm's circuit in India is proving successful, a-nd matters aro in train to open in China and Japan. Miss Daisy Jerome, the well-known vaudeville artist, has been engaged by Mr. Ben Fuller to tour the FullerBrennan Circuit. This clever littl© lady will also tour New Zealand. Another world -famed artist, Chung Ling Soo, the magician, has also been ongaged by the same firm. Chung's salary is put down at £450 per week. Mise Dolly Harmer, the clever low comedienne who plays Lizzie Ann in the "Forty Thieves" Pantomime, has had a varied experience in all branches of her profession. She has been for many years on the music hall stage. She went into vaudeville because of a quarrel with one of the big musical corned*' managers, and was immediately (successful. Miss Hatiner is said to be' a born comedienne, whose laugh is infectious and whose appearance is a signal for mirth. Miss Violet Pagefc, who make* another tour ot N'aw /s*aland this year, tells the story of how Mr. George Alexander, now Sir George, obtained Oscar Wilde's clever play, "Lady Windermere's Fan." Alexander asked the author to write him a modern play, and offered him £100 as an advance of lees. Ho took the money. When he read the play the actor-manager was delighted. "What will you give me for it?" asked Wilde. "I need money." "A thousand pounds," replied Alexander. But Wilde was shrewd. "If it's worth £1000 to you," he said, "I •won't Bell it outright; I'll take a percentage." And he did. The phenomenal success achieved in Australia by Harry Lauder has resulted in extended seasons being played in most of the big towns and all of the citiesin the Commonwealth, and consequently the New Zealand tour, which was to have commenced in Auckland next month, has had to be rearranged. Invercargill is now to have the honour of first greeting the visitor, the tour commencing there on 17th August, and, after playing the towns en route, < the Wellington season will open at the New Opera House on 7th September. Napier, Wanganui, and probably Palmerston North will be included in the tour, which finishes in Auckland on 24th September, Mr. Lauder leaving on the following day for Vancouver direct. Mischa 'Iman ,tho distinguished violinist, who is to give two recitals in Wellington on 2nd and 4th Ju'v, is only twenty-two years of age, but when he was a mere lad he had reached artistic maturity — so completely, indeed, that when Joachim, who had been a marvellous child himself, first heard him in Berlin he refused to believe that he could be so young, stating that even the qualities of genius would not render it credible that a child of thirteen could play " with such masterly skill." It was in London later on that Joachim threw his arms around the boy, exclaiming., " Mischa Elman, you aro no longer an infant prodigy ; you are one of us ! " Ever since tho day when, as a pupil of Aver, of St. Petersburg, Elman created a sensation by his performances at a concert in St. Petersburg, and afterwards in Berlin and other centres of Germany, his career has been a long and unbroken series of successes. A feature of the production of " Paul Jones" by tfie Wellington Amateur Operatic Society will be the scenery now being painted by Mr. W. G. Beck. In the first act is shown a very fine back cloth representing St. Malo Bay, with a pier and shipping in the foreground. It is in the third act, however, that the hopes of the society lie. The scene represents the interior of the Governor's Palace at Estrella, and an elaborate setting is being prepared. The white and gold colour scheme, together with the lavish dressing, should form an ensemble unsurpassed in previous representations of tho opera. Miss Helen Gard'nei, of Dunedin, the well-known soprano, arrived on Wednesday morning, and is rehearsing her _ role of Yvonne. Considerable interest ia being evinced in the season, enquiries for bookings having been received from Palmerston North, Nelson, and elsewhere. The publicity department of the Fulj ler-Brennan firm sends advice of a large batch of artists under engagement to tour Australia and New Zealand. They include: Ed. Blondell and Katheryne Came, sketch artists ; Zeno and Mandell, singers, talkers, and dancers (the lady weighs about 15 or 16 stone) ; The Spanish Goldinis, rug spinners; Winter and Field, comedy sketch artists ; Van Buren and bpinitti, tangoists; Hartley Wonders, novelty jumping act; Sebastian Merrill and his Yip Yaps, whirlwind cyclists ; Chippola Twins and Bear ; and Matilde and Elvira, Spanish entertainers (who have a gorgeous wardrobe). The majority of the acts are from the Orphoum circuit. The J. C. Williamson annual pantomime season will commence at Auckland on Monday night next. The ' company includes many people new here, besides several old favourites. The principal comedian will be Mr. Barry Lupino, who was a lucky engagement by Mr. Meynell when in London last year. Mr. Lupino was secured just prior to making a big hit in the reyuc "All tho Winners." Mr. Meynell was immediately besought by all the managers to release his catch from his Australian engagement. Ho could have done so at double the salary ho had agreed upon to pay Mr. Lupino. It is interesting to noto that tne Williamson management has already availed itself of an option upon Mi 1 . Lupino's services for a second year. This followed upon his 'Melbourne success. Mr. Lupino is_ probably the highest-salaried pantomime artist that over came to Australia. "Mr. Wu," the Anglo-Chineso drama, to be produced shortly in Sydney by the Beaumonb Smith-Louis Meyei Dramatic Company, will be produced in New York in, the autumn by Air. Henry W. Savage ;

and Mr. Walter Whiteside will appear there in the title role, which will be interpreted in Australia by Me. William F. Grant. Arrangements have, besides, been made for the disposal of the piece for Austria-Hungary and Germany. Negotiations ha \re also been concluded, according to advices received by Mr. Beaumont Smith from his London partner, Mr. Louis Meyer, for its production in France, Sweden, Norway, KUssia, Italy, Spain. Portugal, Denmark, and China. "The Land of Promise," Somerset Maugham's new play, which has been secured for Australia by J. C. Williamson, Ltd., was witnessed at the Duke of York's Theatre, London, last month by Madame Bady, the distinguished French actress to whom Henry Bataille owes many of his most conspicuous successes by_ reason of her power in the interpretation of his characters; and, promptly making up her mind, she acquired, a couple of days later, the rights in the i piece for all French-speaking countries. In October next she will appear in Paris in the character played in London by Miss Irene Vanbrugh. It is significant that Mr. Maugham's work has also been disposed of for Germany, Austria-Hungary, Russia, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Mr. Charles Frohman, moreover, is organising two companies to tour Canada and the United States with it during the coming season. It is quite on tho cards that on the termination of the run of "The Land of Promise " at' the Duke of York's he will dispatch the entire company to Chicago, with the probability of^ visiting later other important cities in the United States. The greatest grand opera company in Christendom will visit Australia in 1916, if terms can be arranged between those who are interestetd in the international galaxy of stars appearing at the Champs Elysees in Paris, and the company under whose management and in whose theatre it is proposed that grand opera should be played in Australia. For the first time in the history of 'the Commonwealth it is assured of the presence of the most famous living artists on the European stage. It has heard some of them, at long intervals. It has never heard most of them. Now (writes the London correspondent of the Sydney Sun) the whole lot will go to Australia if satisfactory terms can be arranged. Caruso will not be amongst the party, because he is booked for several years ahead. But a new -tenor who has- created a furore in Paris, M. Ferrero-Fontano, will more than make amends for his absence, if the critics arc good judges. I am assured that M. Ferero-Fontano is to-day the purest and greatest tenor in the world. It is a very large order, bufi some artist was bound to arise who could challenge the pre-eminence of Caruso. Special attention will be given to the proper staging of the operas. There will be no skimping, as^ at Covent Garden. They do these things properly in Paris, and the Parisian style, which is absolutely sumptuous, will be adopted on the Australian tour. It certainly is a unique opportunity for home-keeping Australians who cannot otherwise hope to hear the greatest operas properly sung. Standing amid masses of flowers, the gifts of admirers from Melba. down to school children, Mischa Elman bade adieu, to the Melbourne public to-night (20th inst.). He had (says a Melbourne paper) delighted another immense audience at the Auditorium by the loveliness of his music. Again the youthful exuberance of the great violinist, his flawless technique and exquisite artistry, enraptured every hearer. No musican has so captured Melbourne music-lovers and aroused such enthusiasm. If his rendering of Tschaikowsky's Concerto could be said to lack something in restraint, there could be no such fault to find with his Beethoven's Concerto in D Major. It was the expression of mature feeling, and yet had the fire of youth, and the great audience was intensely moved. Several delightful little nocturnes and variations were also played by the supreme violinist, and the performance was concluded with the pleasant "Ronde dcs Lutins," by Bazzini. Mischa Elman has been supported by Mile. Eva Gauthier, who has achieved more than a measured success. The four concerts have created a furore, and the doors of the building were damaged by those who, at the order of the police, were refused admission. The second concert crowds have been turned away each night. Melba's bouquet was inscribed, "To Mischa from Melba, wishing him good luck," and was ordered by cable. A cable has come from Baron Rothschild, "Wishing dear Mischa good luck." Mr. Elman says he has never encountered requests showing such a high general level of musical appreciation as in Australia. He will give recitals in Wellington on the 2nd and 4th July. Theatrical Clips. — Charles Berkely is in Auckland, arranging the tour of the Williamson Pantomime, "Forty Thieves." . . . Fred. Shipman has disposed of his interest in Mischa Elman's Commonwealth and New Zealand tour, in order that he may devote his ' entire attention to the Paul Dufault concert tour. . . . John Fuller, jun., is expected back in the Sonoma, due shortly at Sydney. . . . "The Grafters" American Musical Comedy Company finished its New Zealand tour at Invercargill last Saturday, and returned to Melbourne by the outgoing steamer. . . . Charles B. Westmacott, who recently returned from Africa, where he had been in charge of the Oscar ABcheLily Brayton tour, has joined Beaumont Smith and Louis Meyer. . . . The Fred Niblo and Josephine Cohan company will begin a New Zealand tour at Wellington on sth August. . . . Up to date, over one hundred boys "and girls have_ applied to Beaumont Smith for roles in his forthcoming production of "Seven Little Australians." There is verily_ no dearth of available theatrical material in Australia..* . . »