Mimes and Music

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 90, 13 October 1923, Page 20

Mimes and Music

THE SHOWS.

Jtoyal Comic Opera Company—3oth October :-i to 13th November. Town Hall—Stella Power, 23rd, 25th «7th V and 29th October. ' Hta Majesty I*-Vaudeville.1*-Vaudeville. Artcraft Theatre—Pictures. Our Theatre—Pictures. JSmpress. Theatres-Pictures. • ■Shortfs Theatre—Pictures. .Strand Theatre-^ictures - Britannia Iheatre—Pictures. Princess Theatre—Pictures. Theatre—Pictures. Vueen's Theatre—Pictures.

'.' An important scheme of imjnu cements Jias been outlined for His Majesty's Theatre, Auckland, the J. C. Williamson Company having secured a long lease of tile building,-with the intention of making it..thoroughly up to .date.

U Jack; - Xondon-'s famous novel, "The £all of.' the. Wi'd*," .will/be, released m picture form shortly.

S; Mr. Graham Moffat, the Scottish actor-dramatist, has decided to revive his popular play, "Bunty Pulls thsStrings," ait a West End Theatre in London early ijext year. - • -; -

.'The receipts of the "Floradora" production by the Masterton amateurs for the seven nights' season amounted to £661. ".".;:...

America there is a motion picture theatre for every 7000 of population as against a public library for every:.26,ooo. Relatively to the population thefi-e are more theatres outside the large' cities than within them. .-■-'.':'

jyFatty Arbuckle has been engaged to 3ance at the Marigold Gardens in Chicago. He gets £500 weekly, and a percentage, but has to pay £100 per. week to the : Government on account of. aiback income 1, ta'x"liability'.,for. £6000.v.- He is practically penniless;" and "is more like a human skeleton than the rotund comedlian the world once laughed at.

v. : Aged, poverty-stricken stage folk in America will be provided with a home, ■iyhere they will.,be treated,as honoured guests, '.under the 'will pi Percy' G. Willearns,; formerly theatrical manager, who died recently. Mr. • Williams specified £hat his estate, valued at £1,000,000, should eventually revert to founding the Bercy G. Williams Home for Needy Actors and Actresses. '

:■; Vaudeville entertainments ;in,. ; conjunction with the motion pictures are to be provided for New Zealand audiences. Arrangements have been made by Musgrove's Celebrities Vaudeville Company f>i Australia to send a company of artists to appear at one picture theatre in each of the chief centres of the Dominion for one week, and also at some of tie intermediate towns, and the tour will he under the direction of Mr. R. A. Shephard, formerly, general manager in Australia for Fullers, Ltd. Mr. L. H. Wilson, manager of the Hippodrome Theatre, Auckland, has been appointed tte New Zealand director of the venture.

:. The Oscar .Asche Company is to be disbanded in Sydney, and Mr. Aschawill form a new combination under the J. C. Williamson direction for modern and Shakesperian comedy. Mr. Asche will 9pen this new season at the Theatre Eoyal^ Sydney, about 20th. October, in /'lris," in which famous play by Pineio Me created the role of Maldonado; and .riiade a great hit in it botE in London and Kew York. Miss Diana Wilson has been engaged for the name-part, and Mr. iAnew M'Master as ' juvenile leading iman. Mr. Mason Wood is retained for the role of Croker Harrington, originally played by Dion 6. Boucicault. Later on Mr. Asche will be seen in Shakespearian pieces.

.:' If Peter Pan was the boy who never grew up, Ada Reeve is the artist who iiew grows old, and again she is giving ori.ever grows old, and again she is giving bburne. Miss Reeve's youth, her freshSijess, her thoroughness, are all wonderfnl, because she -was on the English stage before she wenit-'to Australia, and "come November" it -will be 26 years eince she made her first appearance there in "The French Maid"—one of the earliest of the musical comedies.- Tri the first production at the old Princess were such artists as Juliet Wray, Howard Vernon, Bert Gilbert, Johnnie Coleman; the jockey comedian of scarecrow fame, and btherß. In the ballet which danced a lEarantella ,on the occasion were Carrie and Minnie- Hooper, both much distinguished later in.. different lines of .'stage effort. So Miss Reeve has brought perhaps 30 years of etage wear and tear, as well as stage experience, to the turns ■which please so many of her old friends and admirers at the Tivoli.

" Mr. Andrew Higginson, a matinee ;idol of a few year.s ago, recently returned to Austrajia, and is appearing 'in Sydney with Miss Kate Howarde in "The Limit." The evergreen Miss Moore is also in the cast. | J.; Stefansson, the Arctic explorer, will •lecture-! in-'Australia, next May, under 'the direction of E. J. and Dan Carroll.

v. Good progress continues to bo made by the Hamilton Operatic Society with Country Girl." Two rehearsals a jveek are being held, under the guidance ■oi Mr. W. Frye, and all concerned are into the 'work enthusiastically, Svhich augurs well for a successful pro-duction-next month; A strong cast has ileen arranged. Excellent rehearsals ;6f "Charley's Aunt," under the guid•arice of -Mr. A. E-. -Manningj are also re..ported." '".'," "'.'".' .

:'.' Commenting' oil" the arrival-of Miss ;Marie Ney (Fix), the Wellington girl, in England the London "Evening !News" ..says : Some courage .. and perhaps a little art are needed to "storm" She London theatrical world from the ftutside,, but it; has ju§t b<jen done by * young-New Zealand -girl; - Miss; Marie" Ney.... .. Miss Ney.,spent some-years in. |§P'e*Mcy. ■■; Xqrlj'.fMaeir-J.:: Cr"William^ son'j manage_ment, .with constant travelling Tietwee'n the big Australian and New, Zealand towns, and she rose so quickly that recently she was Chosen to tour, "down under" with Miss Marie Tempest; in "Mr: Pirn" and other plays 25.V-- - ;P!ayed with Mr. Allen Wiibie, ,who isvkhown as Australia's F. R.^&ensoh.^^^She arrived in London by herself a-fortnight ago. - It has been a strenuous 14 days, but she has secured a foothold, for yesterday she was cast J°r.Miss Gladys Cooper's part when The Sign on the' Door" goes on tour The death in the United States of "Alick" Patrick, of Dunedin, knowiuon the New York stage as Jerome Patrick, closes a career that promised finely. Young .Patrick (says "Loiterer" i n Dunedin." Star ") when he left dentistry for the stage showed no very marked talent or"., qualification beyond a fine appearance and carriage. We saw him here in;.;the early stages of his professional career with Nellie Stewart in " Sweet Kitty Bellairs," "When Knighthood •was'in Flower," "Trilby," and other pieces (1909 and 1910), and with Hilda Sppng in " Every woman (1912), and there was nothing in his work to indicate '.outstanding talent. Then he' went to,;America,,and.;:shortly afterwards burge6ried/forth to ho' less commanding a position than that, of- leading man for Frances Starr, Sat .' that' time 1 certainly the moat /popular, actress undetthe ban-' ncr of the famous David Belasco. No doubt' Patrick •owed thi» elevation 1, in

BY"ORPHEUS"

some measure to the"~American fashion of picking the exact type to play oppofiite the "star"; but it is equally certain that the Dunedin lad "made good. I. The notices,he received from leading American critics, even from the redoubtable and caustic George Jean Nathan, were ample evidence that he had mastered his craft and discovered the "capacity to project personality that alone commands distinction on She stage. It was as the German corporal in "Marie Odile " that he made his biggest success. This was the romance between an innocent French girl of conventual training and a Uhlan invader. Mr. Patrick was a Broadway favourite for- some years, and then apparently his health and his fortunes suffered eclipse. • When he, came out here some years ago; he. .was, I understand, in poor health. On return to America he played leads in cinema productions, but (if memory serves aright) he returned to the speaking stage not long ago, playing -with Ethel Barrymore, another American " star." j

Lovers of music in the country, districts are unfortunately placed when the Dominion is visited by world-famed artists. If they wish to hear a renowned pianist or other instrumental-^ ist they must come into town for a"* couple of days—sometimes longer,' according to their distance from the mam centres. If it were not for the" attentions of cultured musicians in- the cities our country cousins would- know little of musical art, and certainly would soon become deplorably out of date in respect to the advances in musical thought and ideas. Fortunately the remoter districts are now having the town brought to them; it is pleasing to note that -local musicians are not confining their talents solely to the city,' ,but are extending their recitals to remoter parts. For instance, only last week Masterton was favoured with, an excellent recital by Mr. and Mrs. Hor- i ace Hunt. The local Press voted, the : programme as-''undoubtedly the finest I of its kind ' placed before a Masterton i audience for a very long period. 1' The' programme satisfied all tastes, and Mr. Hunt ijuite carried the audience away with his piano playing. He was repeatedly encored after his brilliant and artistic interpretation of such choice selections' from his repertoire as "The Wanderer" (Schubert), Chopin's "Study in F: Major," Scriaßin's Nocturne for the Left Hand, "The Sea," and "Night In May" (Palmgren). Few Wellingtoriians recognise Ln Mrs Hunt an accomplished vocalist, for she has been little heard here outside the draw-ing-room. The Masterton audience was aroused to enthusiasm by her singing, and one of the most popular offerings she made was a composition by Mr. Hunt, "Ioolaloo." Other songs were Bantock's "Lament of Isis," and Col-eridge-Taylor's "Life and Death." The accompaniments were artistically played by Miss Imelda, Fama, of Wellington. The recital was in aid of the orchestra fund of the Masterton Musical Union.

In the Arbitration Court in Melbourne, during the hearing 'before Mr. Justice Powers of the ■ Musicians' Union'case,'Mr. J.'G-. O'Brien, secretary of the union, stated that the principle with most of vaudeville managers was the shorter the act the better, and he had .known a manager to tell a performer that if he could shorten his turn he would have his salary doubled. When anyone appearing in "Sally" at Melbourne Theatre Royal' wants "to swear, he swears "By George," for that Christian name is scattered all over the production. The play was bought in England by Sir George Tallis. It was produced for the firm by George Highland, and the stage manager is George Kensington. George Lane and George Gee are the two comedians in the cast. Two of the property men, three of tbe electricians, and three of the mechanics are christened "George," so' that when anyone on the stage is calling "George" the response is co hearty that there is something of a riot!

■ J. C. Williamson, Ltd:, will give "Jhe Beggar's Opera" a long tour. After the Sydney season, the play goes to Adelaide, .then opens at Melbourne Her Majesty's, following the Royal Comic Opera Company. Then a comprehensive tour of New Zealand will follow. Playgoers are promised many surprises when they go to see and hear this opera. One of the surprises will come from the orchestra. It is as unlike the modern orchestra as anything could well be. It will transport the audience back to the days of 1728, and the music once heard will never be forgotten. There are sixtynine songs in the opera, which, it has been said, was born under a lucky star, .for it has ever been successful—from 1728 till the present day. The Fuller-Ward musical play, " The O'Brien Girl," which ran for over 300 performances in Melbourne, has also made an instantaneous capture of Sydney. Here (in part) is the exuberant praise accorded by the Sydney " Sun ": " Take every musical play, extract from each the best ingre'dient-^ballet, comedy, staging, lighting, movement, gorgeousness, artistry, zip, sentimental appealmix them dexterously by a master hand, and serve with a sauce of fun and frolic in the daintiest and cleanest of settings, and there*'is'a-dish fit for Sydney. 'The O'Brien Girl,' which delighted two immense audiences at the Opera House yesterday, is the supremetriumph of that delightful form of entertainment, the musical comedy. Its appeal is instantaneous.' It'is youth incarnate. It is savoured with healthy sentiment; it is gorgeous in setting; its , costuming is not ■ stage makeshift, but the real and expensive thing;'the plot is-simple but interesting ; tho humour is inimitable and clean; the artists are the best yet seen here in their lines; the chorus ! Yes, the chorus is Youth itself,'• with its gaiety and zest and grace and 'go ' The bevy of girls infect the audience with the sheer delight they themselves . have in their dancing and their fun. The settings are not only gorgeous, but inimitably artistic. The lighting effects are delightful and never overdone ;■ and there are always surprises. '* The Royal Comic Opera Company will open at Wellington on 30th October in "The Southern Maid,'' and "Sally" will come to New Zealand at Christmas time. " Sally " is having a phenomenal run in Australia. Lady Forbes Robertson will commence her New Zealand tour on 11th November, and will play " Woman to ■ Woman," " Enter Madame," and " Smilin' Through." Madame Melba is expected to reach the Dominion in August of next year with her £100,000 Grand Opera Company. According to a report frtm Budapest, the Chief Controller of the Budapest Comedy Theatre has been sentenced, to a month's imprisonment and a fine of 5000 kronen for admitting late visitors into the hou'sa after the beginning of tho performance. Magyar justice has its own. original way of settling the difficult probjeruof t.'ie later-comer nuisance. It ,is certainly ■ effective.