Mimes and Music

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 133, 2 December 1922, Page 19

Mimes and Music

(By "Orpheus.")

THE SHOWS.

OpersJ House-Allan Wilkie season closes to night. Louis Bennlson, stH. December, His Majesty's—Vaudeville. The King's Theatre—Pictiire» Artcraft Theatre—Pictures. Our Theatre—Pictures Empress Theatre—Pictures. Snortt's Theatre—Pictures Strind Taeatre—Pictures. Britasmia Theatre—Picture*. Princess Theatre— Pictures. Hverybody's Theatre—Pictures. Queen's Theatre—Pictures . Paramount Theatre—Picturea

Josie Melville, the brilliant little dancer,_ has had a, meteoric rise in the profession. Four years ago she went into a, J. C. Williamson chorus. Now she is premiere danseuse. It was not long before her ability impressed iteelf upon the management, and she was given little dancing "bits." She did so well that, at a. pantomime matinee one aiternoon she was given 'her chance. The result was that when Maggie Dickinson went to England, little Josie stepped into her shoes and filled them so well that she is now the firm's premiece dancer. Success has not spoiled the little Sydney girl, however. One day last weeU a Melbourne paper printed Josie Melville's picture and labelled it Maggie Dickinson. Josie's comment was, "I take that as a great compliment." Both as a dancer- and a personality, Josie Melville is very popular both on and off the stage. She is very young, but her future in the profession is assured. When Allan Wilkie was in Sydney a few weeks ago, he had occasion to call on the editor of a daily paper. While waiting in the outer ofßce for a few moments, Wilkie engaged the office boy in conversation. He- talked to the lad first about his duties. "How much do you earn, a week?" he asked. "Five pounds," replied the boy as he moved off to answer the editorial bell. This .surprised Wilkie, and when he was talking with the editor he commented on the princely salaries paid to boys in the office. The editor rang for the boy. "What did you mean by telling Mr. Wilkie that your pay was five pounds a week?" "I didn't tell him I got five pounds. He asked me how much I earned and I told him five pounds —but I only get one."

The extraordinary hold Marie Lloyd has on London theatregoers was proved by the crowds who attended her funeral. They began to gather outside her home. They oro^vded into the cemetery before the gates were closed, and it is estimated that 50,000 lined the .'route of the funeral procession. Six large automobiles filled with flowers preceded the hearse ; and moat of the well-known variety artists of London followed it. It was, however, the oharacter of the unbidden crowd which was impressive. It consisted of hundreds of men and women of all closes who had known the dead singer only on the stage. Many of them were old enough to remember the furore she oreated as a young girl .thirty years ago. Others had accepted her, though past her prime, as the mtablished favourite, and not a few had personal experiences of her generous bounty. Mowed- sellers, street salesmen,' and women from the drab side street sent wreaths or came -to pay one kst tribute of respect. They had. often laughed with ■her from the gods," and they wept openly as her, ooffin was carried past. At the graveside tie officiating clergyman had to pause to permit the crowds to recover their self-control.

The latest numbers of -./The Stage" (London) to hand yield infotmation as to the following players known in Australia and New Zealand, and their whereabouts early in September:—Harry Phydora ("Mother Goose"), at the' King's Glasgow; Victor Kelly, at the Orympia, Shoreditch; The Tossing Testros, at Stockton-on-Tees; Laveen and Cross, at Manchester; Margaret Jewfcll, at the Devonshire Park Theatre; Eastbourne; Jack Waller and Co., including May Beatty and Cecilia Gold, at the Winter Gardens, New Brighton; Madge M'lntosh, at the Repertory Theatre, Nottingham, in the Grundy play, "A Bunch of Violets"; Bessie Slaughter, at the 'London Theatre, Shoreditch; King and Benson, at the Poplar Hippodrome; Ethel Irving, at the Hippodrome, Manchester, supported by Gilbert Porteous 'n a humorous sketch, "The Episode"; Wilkie Bard, at the Lewisham Hippodrome; Ella Shields, at the Victoria Palace, London; The Two Rascals, at the Empire, Newoastle-on-Tyne; ChrisRichards, at the Manchester Hippodrome; Albert Whelan, at the Palace, Manchester; Florence Smithson, at the Alhambra, Glasgow; Valentine and Bell, and Jon Latona, at the Coliseum, London; Carl Formes (grand opera baritone), at the Alhambra, London. Musical entertainmenff in New Zealand owes much to/the initiative,and enterprise of Mr. Edward Branscombe,. who, some sixteen years ago commenced his long series of visiting companies with the famous Westminster .Glee Singers, a remarkable combination of men v and boys, whose specialty was unaccompanied part-sing-ing. This undertaking was followed by the now celebrated tno of Russian musicians, Leo, Jan, and Mischel Cherniavsky, so well remembered for their masterly performances on the violin, piano, and 'celloYet another attraction of major importance was that of Soußa's Band,, followed at a short interval by "The Scarlet Troubadours," in which the elements of' fine music, refined comedy, elegant costumes, and some high-class varieties were all happily blended. The names of Maud Fane, Ford Waltham, Alfred Cunningham, and Edgar Warwick will long be esteemed in connection with '"Die Troubadours" as those of four exceptionally brilliant artists, who successfully inaugurated a novel and delightful form, of entertainment. Later still came "The Dandies," many companies of whom continually visited the Do•minion, and which served to bring into prominence such sterling performers as Claude Dampier and his versatile wife, Irene Vere, Roland Henry, an accomplished English comedian, Linda Bradford, the brilliant contralto, and many others. News now comes to hand of another company which Mr. Branscombe has organised in London, viz., the Westminster Glee Singers, who will arrive in New Zealand at the_ commencement of the year, and whose concerts, as before,.. will be mainly devoid to the performance of Old English part music. Six of London's best solo boys have been engaged for the tour, together with five English adult' singers selected from various cathedral choirs and other famous organisations where the difficult art of . unaccompanied part-singing finds its best exemplification. New Zealand, according to Mr. 1 Louis Bennison, is shortly to have a play destined for London and New York produced here before it makes its first appearance in those great cities. This play, "The Lady of Dreams," was written by Bennett Musson, an American playwright and author, under the direction and supervision of Mr. Bennison, in a log cabin | in the wilds of New Jersey. Billy Merson, the star comedian, now | appearing in "Whirled into Happiness" 1 in London, has refused a three years' contraot at £52,000 a year because it. was not worth his while to accept it. The contract was offered by an important American syndicate. It stipulated that Mr. Merson should'perform four hours a day— including Sundays—in any theatre, music hall, film studio, or gramophone record-ing-room, as ordered by the syndicate. "My reply to this offer,"- said Mr. Merson to a newspaper representative, "was that it would not pay me to do all that the contract demanded for £1000 a week. It would cost mo a small fortuno in indemnities to obtain my release from standing contracts. England in good enough for me, particularly as I am booked up for the nest 10 years."

Wax models of stage and cinoma stars are soon to adorn London's shop windows. The idea is being developed by Mr. Louis Tussaud, of waxwork fame. Directors and sales managers of Oxford stret and Kensington shops are convinced that garments shown in a wax replica of Miss Gladys Cooper, Miss Phyllis Dare, or Miss Phyllis Neilson Terry _ would greatly stimulate interest. "My id«;a k to have tableaux of wax models of well-known actresses and actors in the shop windows," said Mr Tussaud. "As well aa this I have beet) asked by theatre managers to make models busts of their players for exhibition in theatre v-estibuls."