Mimes and Music

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 82, 5 April 1924, Page 21

Mimes and Music

BY "ORPHEUS"

THE SHOWS. Grand Opera-House—Jlusgrove's Vaudeville, lti season. . "Carter .the Great," ■ season opens Easter Saturday. ■ ' Humphrey Bishop Company, 19th May. His Majesty's—Vaudeville. " King's Theatre—Pictures. Artcraft Theatre—Pictures Our. Theatre-Pictures. Empress Theatre—Pictures Shortt's Theatre—Pictures. Strand Theatre—Pictures Britannia Theatre—Pictures Princess Theatre—Pictures Everybody's Theatre—Pictures Queen's Theatre—Pictures

Emma Temple is appearing in Melbourne.in the Seymour Hicks production, "The Man in. Dress Clothes." She appears as a. kindly old concierge in Paris. Mayne ,Lyhton, of the Gertrud? Elliott Company, has appeared in moving pictures • with Mary Pickford (in "Poor Little Peppina") and Marguerite Clarke (in "The Seveu,. Sisters".). '-' His 'first stage appearance'in Australasia was in "The Bat."

Seymour Hicks - candidly told Mel.■bourne's\ Lord Mayor that'it was unprecedented in his experience for an actor tto receive a civic welcome—another \vay of saying that Australian theatrical managers have Australian officialdom by the wool" (writes a Sydney ''Bulletin" correspondent). And it is true.. Nowhere else do high officials, so cheapen themselves. Harry Lauder, on his.first visit tb this country, remarked that much fuss had'been made of him in America, but in .the matter of public' demonstrations' Australia took the cake. ', ■

Would, it be rash or. premature prophecy to suggest, without.knowing anything, at all of the minds of theatrical managers, that pantomime has about reached, the end of. its second time on earth, so far as. -Australia \is concerned, and that some yiears may elapse before^ wo see another in Melbourne? says a Melbourne paper. The exception may be a little pantomime for'the children, to whom both pantomimes now running appear to make a special and svggestive appeal. Tears ago Jpantbmime seemed to have been thrown into the .discards as ' something .obsolete, but „ an . experimental revival at Her Majesty's proved' it to almost everybody's satisfaction an immediate and unbounded • success. A slackening of public interest has,'.however, teen quite obvious for some years past, and it is due, neither to want- of enterprise ■ nor outlay on the part >of the > producers or personal failure in the cast.. It is simply, losing its vogue,; arid the reason may )je that in making" mus-? ical comedy more spectacular pantomime is deprived of its contrasts,!.and' ceases to be.that special pictorial feature to which we looked, forward a few years back as.a Christmas-time attraction... Managers, above'all others, must realise —though the public following, feeling, and. fashion, rather than deliberate reasoning, may have missed' the. point—-that just a fourth of the effort given to "Aladdin" would have made any musical I comedy, greatly' distinguished. And .iri face of. such... examples as "Sally" Oi ".The..-.O'Brien".Girl," 'we have surßcient proof that.musical comedy is not losing caste. In coupling -these- two. significant indicators, we find the -chief fortificatiori for a.forecast., ...... . .

By its .constitution "the Auckland Aniateur Operatic Society is bound to devote all its profits: to. philanthropic or p&triotic '^-urposes;-;, The-'-'balance-sheeet of. the^series- of ' supplementary performances of the opera,: "Tut-ankh-amen," which were given in January, shows a' ne; profit of £815 9s lQd/ Of this.it has been decided'by the executive to'donate £679 11s 7d to the War Memorial Fund and £135 18s 3d to .the Karitane Home' T?und. The total takings of the season amounted .to £1529 19s 4d.' ; - Charles J; Carter (I'Carter The preat"), the famous magician and illu-' sionist, opens to-night a Dominion tour in Auckland.; ; For-three years Mr.. Carter has been travelling continuously, visiting, the Orient, the Far East; South Africa, ■ and Portuguese Weft Africa, European countries, England,1 North and South .America, the 'Argentine, Uruguay and back to' Sari' Fruncisco to reorganise his show. -The' American Press, commenting on his "departure, said :—"It1 is the' biggest show,:.of its kind that has ever left these shores,, and Mr. Carter is ;to 'be>,coiigratukted on-his enterprise and pluck'in making a world tciur with such •a ponderous attraction. V Carter will be iii Wellington for the Easter-holidays' " . Gertrude Elliot (Lady Forbes-Eobe'rt--son), relates an interesting story, told to ,her /by 'Bernard Shaw. ' In early 'life, ■iToh'h.V Galsworthy was in California: in search of -health', and had not at the time given any thought to the profession of literature.- The. doctor, recommended a long sea. voyage, and arrangements'' were ma,de for him to board the ship at S.an Francisco.^ He met the captain,:and .from,the first interview took away the impression of a gruff and uninteresting seaman.l During the voyage\ they met1 frequently, and Galsworthy found the captain a man; of wide reading., They exchanged thiughts, and the captain urged the health-seeker to try his hand at writing: Galsworthy 'found the'skipper so. full of knowledge and, imagination and the gift of expression that-he urged him to do likewise. He did. The skipper was Joseph Conrad. Under these unusual*, conditions' began the careers of two of the greatest masters ;of. literature.

; 'A notable.member of the WilliamsbnMelba.'.Grand Opera.Company js Lina Scayizzi,. soprano, ;W'ho will appear in "La Tosca','". "Aida,", ."Madame Butterfly," "liyrrovatore," "Andrea Chenier," "Cavalleria Rusticana," !'. "Tales of Hoffmann,", and'others. She is.a' versatile artist of. engaging personality, with a beautiful voice, and is also a'clever actress.;— Something of a romantic s-tory attaches to her,,appearance- in Australia. Dame ■'Nellie ;Melba took a holiday trip to Naples, and one night liropped in to the opera at San Carlo. Scavizzi happened to be appearing in 'La Tosca," and Dame Nellie- was so carried away "by her wonderful performance that she wont round to make her acquain'.auce at the end of the'act.; '-'You must ci;mo to Australia",- said. Dame Nellie': '■ "Asa matter of fact," replied tho singer, "I have, an offer from Mr. Nevin Tait and Mr. Henry Russell, but I • don't think I shall accept it. Australia' is too far away." Dame Nellie, however, urged Signorina Scavizzi to accept, and persisted ■ the following day during a motor drive, and at dinner ',that evening Scavizzi agreed to sign the contract. ■"I think we wero-very lucky to get her," said \Dame,Nellie, when relating thesefacts.:. • '•' ..,., ■ . ■

Miss Daisy Kennedy (of whom it was .reported the other day .that she was boing divorced) was born in South Australia in 1893, and. achieved'fame Both in Australia and Europe as a violinist. She "married BennoMoisewitsch. in 1914, and there are two daughters. Her husband, who is three, years her senior, was born at Odessa, and-is one • of. the world's greatest;, pianists. Johii Drinkwater, poet f and dramatist, who is named ;is .co-re-spondent,, is prominent amung England's litterateurs.

■■■ •-.-Sir ■• Georgo' T;i Ill's -declares -:agniimb the "starring"' syslom in the case: of the opera season/ .This, is cheering (guys

a. writer in tho "Argus"), and I could wish that it were likely to be applied, to theatrical performances' generally. In most of the plays in Melbourne just now someone ,is starred—Oscar Asche, Seymour Hicks, Gertrude Elliott, for . instance. The star!system has had a long ran, and playgoers who have been reared on it would take'some time to become' Used'to evenness of casting; but the even cast is the only artistic cast. Levelling up lis the ideal, and in England (though there are still stars) -it has-been made, more or less possible by such influences as, those of artistic and original producers, and of the Dramatic Aead-' eruy, the Shakespearean,stock companies, and the Manchester and Dublin move-ments-towards sincerity and individuality. The assurance of, Sir George TijJlis is given that there has 'been artistic levelling up in the opera company—that the whole of the casts will be of one high standard. It would be a great thing for the Australian stage if this policy could prevail in dramas, comedies, and entertainments generally. Playgoers^ here have had a great deal to be thankful for in the last year-or so, with the'opportunities of seeing accomplished leading actors "aiid actresses from London ;■ but, to, put it mildly, there have been cases in- which the support was not quite perfect. / . - - :

"Tons of Money" landed with a syncopated jingle afc the Grand Opera House (says the Sydney "Sun," recording the" premiere of the fuller- Ward Musical Comedy)—tons of money and tons of Dorothy, and tons of amazing situations dissolved in a whirl of music. Originally played as a straight farce, both in-London and Melbourne, the success of | this new Ward show at the matinee came as' a complete surprise. Reek-, oriing in managerial comparisons, it is not. too much to say that "Tons of Money", is'as good as "The O'Brien Girl," and- certainly better than -"Rockets.", The music, supplied locally, fermented the original wild comedy into a delightful affair of burlesque and unexpected beauty. Its success was immediate. Much; of this triumph'- was due to, the return of Dorothy Brunton and >the first appearance of Charles Heslop, the' English comedian.' Of the demure and golden-topped' Dorothy there is not much need for description. The-audi-ence welcomed her back with a great roar, and kept on welcoming her. Dorothy Brunton is still Dorothy Brunton— an angel in silk stockings and a, crinoline", with round eyes and whirls of yellow .hair.' Heslop was' another surprise, v He; is probably the neatest and most -^interesting comedian to arrive here since George Gee. His dancing is a. delight. : His mannerisms are whimsical ,and; grotesque, his actions always unexpected.- - He supplied nearly all the bubbles in Dorothy Brunton's " champagne ' ' " .-■"■

For a ' theatrical audience to pelt a performer witlr pennies is usually construed as a sign of disapproval. On one occasion; however,; and that during a, performance .in London of grand opera," the . artists actually' came .on the stage in a body and asked for pence-to' be thrown to them. The incident is ..vouched for by. no1' less. an authority than Lord Ernest Hamilton; who witnessed it, arid, who/narrates it ■m his "Old Days and New,," just-pub hshed. At:tha 'end of one of the scenes the. entire chorus rushed forward to.'- the,, footlights .and, 'in- a va-'\ ■T l X 't.^ "languages,'..and' with' outstretched .- hands, ' pegged for . coppers from the audience on the plea thatI tneir manager had not paid i them for a month; awl .they were starving In response—after a few shy 'pioneer coins had been chucked from the gallery— a perfect hail:of-shillings,; sixpences, and pennies fell on the stage, aud continued falling for some minutes. ■ . While tho chorus scrambled and fought wildly for the rolling coins,, the offending manager came^forward and tried, in a smooth speech to explain away the accusation* levelled against him.;- The gallery' however, would iaye '.none of him;- They first-howled at him' and then pelted him j.with pennW.not', thrown as before, but hurled with all-the strength of strong right arms. . " "Bagpipe music rouses the fichtin^ blood in a man as no other instrument does ,declared Mr. J. L: M'G. Watson at the InreroargiU Hibernian Band so^ cwl % reports the "Southland Times." He went on to say that some people doubted the melody of the pipes-fa^plause)-but they possessed the unique quality of being abe.to be heard eight miles.away , Mr. Watson reJated a story of how a Ttw-Jf def it' hb? d 'in hospital requested that the pipes be played.- The piper1' played roand the ward, and at the conclusion of the music is was discovered ? that the man was, sitting..-upMn bed. The other twenty patients were dead. London playgoers could support a permanent Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Com* pany, but it pays: Mr. D'Oyley Carte better to keep his companies: movW around the provinces . (says the London correspondent of "Argus*). - The heirs of SuUivan and Gilbert are still drawing two-thirds of the profits, the other share going to Mr. Carte, though I-'do not suppose these profits'equal the £120,000 apiece which Sullivan.and Gilbert drew each year in the 'eighties from • Savoy S^f" ri money-makers, however, Gilbert; and Sullivan plays are equalled, if not eclipsed, by Sir James 'Barries comew \ i?^™! had fiv" Pl^3 running, at West End theatres at, one'time-air revivals! They .were "Peter Pan," "What Lvery Woman, Knows," "The Little "Th!, . AI-f ?? by- tlle- Fire>" a"d The Will A theatrical record this.. Jlut later two were taken" off—"What ivery -Woman Knows" and "Peter Pan." Another, "The Little. Minister/ looks as though it will follow.suit, business having fallen below expenses At the Royal Albert Hall Sunday concerts of late ; says the London correspond dent of th* "Melbourne Age," Australian singers have had unusual .prominence at functions which provide as'many visitm* star artists as is. possible. Thus, oS Sunday week,, Mmc Lily P ay li n g was the contralto .soloist of the afternoon, whi a last Sunday lime. Kosina Buckman aiid Mr. Malcolm M'Eadhern were both on the programme As .to the visiting star artists referred to; the Koyal Albert Hall will he -the scene tins year o f the triumphs .which certainly await Galli-Curci on her first appearance in London This engagement has long been talked of and it is. now announced as entered ' into, at prodigiouscost,! This famous lady is not due to be with1 us, however, ..until October next, a fact which, nevertheless, has not deterred the management from advertising already the first concert It is nine months away, but there is understood to be a largo demand even now for (jalli-Curci seats. ••