MIMES AND MUSIC

Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 96, 23 April 1921, Page 9

MIMES AND MUSIC

(ly "«r»h«ii.")

,T««, SHOWS.

Grand Opera House—"Sinbad the Sailor" in

season. Grand Opera House—'

'Marama'" Opera Com.

pany, sth May. His Unjaitj'c—VaunUTillt. Tha Kia^'t TVe»tr«—PiuturM. Artcratt Theatr.-rictur... Our Theatre- Pietur«». Kaprcss T»o»tr«—Pieturw. Shortl's Theatre—Pictitras. Strand Theatre—Pieturw. Sritamin Theatre—ficturw. Princess Theatre—Pictures. k,Y«ry)io(iy'» Theitra—Picturti. Quui'i Ttaeatr*—Picturta. t'nraMust Theatr*—Ficturu.

There are several interesting facts mi connection with the libretto of the comedy opera. "Marama," which will shortly bo seen in Wellington. TJie words of "Manuka," one of the principal vocal numbers, was inspired' by the route .march from Boulogne to Etaples, shortly after.the author's (Mr. H. S. B. Ribband) arrived in France from _New Zealand, and the duet, "Looking for . Somebody," was written, on the sea cliffs at the back of Lord Jellicoe's Residence at St. Lawrence, Isle of Wight. Another number, "Maorilamd Maid," had quite a, historical birthplace, for. it was written at the source of the River Avon in Sling Oamp. Miss Marie Ilka is to appear in vaudeville sketches on. the' Fuller Circuit. Her partner will be Lesley Woods. "Sinbad the, Sailor," which is drawing big houses at the Grand Opera House, will be scarcely out of New Zealand before the arrival of Williamson's "Humpty Dumpty" Pantomime. Miss ■ Bessie Slaughter is the latest English arrival in Sydney for the Fuller Vaudeville Circuit, and she is to be followed this month by two other English acts, namely, Rosa Loader, musical diploma comedienne, with her dapper little partner, Tom Laney, and the Three Girton College Cycling Girls. : "Chin Chin Chow," which has been a tremendous success in Melbourne and Sydney, will, in due course, be sent to New Zealand. The'sliow is a costly one, and theatregoers will probably have to pay a. substantial increase on admission charges. "The Maid of the Mountains" has succeeded in what is computed to., be a record for all times as far as Australia is concerned, and that is to have every seat in the theatre, in Sydney,' including dress circle,- stalls, and gallery booked for the ninety-one evening performances which it has completed—prior to rising of curtain at each performance.

Much time and trouble hafc been spent in getting together genuine costumes of the troupe of Maoris appearing in the New Zealand comedy opera " Marama," and nothing is faked, but, on the contrary, the feathered mats, meres, and tikis used are all priceless heirlooms which have been handed down from generation to generation, and never before have such valuable '' props " been subjected to the footlights' glare.

Mischa Levitzki, the famous pianist,, will visit Australia in June under the direction of J. and N. Tait. The young Russian ha-s visited most other countries in the world, and Australia and New Zealand will complete a tour that is probably one of the longest in musical history. For the last two or three years he has been constantly travelling. So that we shall have) the best music on his favourite instrument, five concert Steinway grands are being sent out for use during his tour.

"I want the army to be as quickly au fait with the hi? song, diance, and music successes as if it were quartered in London," declared the well-known composer, Dare_wski, to a London pressr man in explaining the inauguration of the treat scheme of bi-weekly wirelesstelephone concerts for the entertainment of the Rhine troops and also of the thousands voyaging on the seas. The distributing centre is to be The Hague. The concerts are to be available to all within the wireless range of 600 miles. The audiences will listen by means of a device based on the principle of the electrophone. Tlie first audience will aggregate 100,000.

With 75,000 new £1. ordiparv shares allotted to. four of the Tait brothers, bringing the capital to £375,000, J. C. Williamson, Ltd., now includes a strong Tait representation. "J. and N.-Tait" bas at one time or another signified five brothers —Charles, John, Nevin, Edward, and Frank. Charles, the eldest, began as an employee of Allan's music warehouse, of which he is now one of the two managing directors. After reaching a position at which he managed, concerts for others, he began similar work on his own account. He had gradually trained three of his younger brothers in detail work, and after some time he transferred his concert interests to John and Nevin —the original J. and N. Tait. Among their many " stars " the first was Trebelli (now Dolores). Others included Calve, Kirkby Lunn, Clara Butt, Kennerley Rumford, John M'Cbrmack, Mark Hambourg, Harold Bauer, Leonard Borwiok, Marie Hall, Harry Lander, and others. They were among early providers of moving pictures, and when the firm, with reinforcements, entered into the theatrical business about four years ago, it soon had such successes as "Peg o' My Heart," " Turn to the Ri^ht," and ''Very Good Eddie." Mr. J. Nevin Tait is usually in London, Mr. E. J. Tait (long with Williamson's) in Sydney or travelling, and Messrs. John and Frank Tait in Melbourne. .• The new arrangements with J. C. Williamson, Ltd., have made Mr. E. J. Tait a managing director of that firm and Mr. Frank Tait a director, with consequent variations in their present location. Talking of Jascha Heifetz, the marvellons violinist, whom J. and N. Tait have managed to capture for an Australian tour, a gentleman who has recently returned to Melbourne from America, remarked that the boy—for he is little more—is an absolute phenomenon. "Nothing is too difficult for biro." added, the traveller. "Even Paganini's 'Caprices' seem child's play, andi he gives "everything 1 with a distinction as to colour, tone, and technique that arouses his audiences to tumultuous enthusiasm. American critics hay« frankly a<fcnittedi the limits of the English language to doscribe Heifetz. To call him 'another Paganini,' as many of them have done, shows the state of mental exhaustion to which they have been driven by his incredible perfection.; None of them have heard Paganinil, of course, but as be still staji'de to-day th© highest attainable altdtudte in violin playing, the compliment to the young Russian is quite unparalleledi Even Kubelik, Miecha Elman, Ysaye, and other great masters of the violin have never set critics thinking of Paganini as H«ifetz has done." j The jewellery of th* late Miss Flor- ' enoe Young was sold by auction in Sydney recently. To many in the room (says the Herald) the various articles brought back memories of the popular j actress, for several of the things had) been worn by her on the stage. The diamond star, for instance, was well known to many, for one of Miss Young's most popular photographs shows this jewel worn as aai ornament in her hair. This star brought 500 guineas The bididing was keen, and high prices were got for most of the articles. A five-stone diamond half-hoop ring brought £170. Another of a similar design brought £64 Is, and another- ring—with one ruby andi two diamonds—realised £65. The sum of two hundred guineas was paid by'one. bidder for a pair of 8-stone diamonddrop earrings, and a pearl string necklet reached the £100 maTk. A diamond pendant was among other, things for which there was keen bidding, and this finally was passed over at £126. The total result of the sale yf» £1495 IfeGfc.-i