Plays-Players-Pictures

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 18, 22 January 1927, Page 21

Plays -Players-Pictures

THE SHOWS.

Opera House-^----"Ia Zat So," last night tp-nlght. ' • "Katja," 24th-January. .: Town Hall^ ;.'•.....

PhyMs Lett, contralto, sth, Bth, 10th Feb- :.', ■' : maty. :■ '■)' '■] '; 1 \ '." ,--. ' ,/ :'■-,■ ' ; v . Hit Majesty^s—Fuller's Vaudeville; ' ■ gtflfnt—Vaydeville and Pictures. De Luxe Theatre—Pictures. King's Theatre—Pictures. Arteraft—Pictures. '■■ ■ ■ Our Theatre—Pictures. Empresi Theatre—Pictures. ! •Shortt's Theatre—Pictures. \ Strand Theatre—Pictures. ■Britannia Theatre-^Pictures. <JB«en'» Theatre—Pictures. Frineeßs Theatre—Pictures. Arrangements have now definitely beeii completed for' the appearance- in; Melbourne of Miss N"llio Stewart in. a specialtwfcweeks.'.season of "Sweet' Nell of Old Drury," under the J. 0. Williamson, Ltd., management, at. the Theatre. Eoyal next month. Miss-::Stewart-says that'she is looking forward to her re-appearance. '.'lt will be a wonderful night," .she remarked,-; "when I again walk on to the stage of 5 the old Theatre Boyal, which will; awaken many exquisite memories of my Melbourne successes, and the won- , derful kindnesses the people of this city have showered upon, me. lam -just as excited as if it 1 were my firstnight performance on the stage." - A quarter of a' century; ago a world figure in the theatre, Olga Nethefsble, is to-day a somewhat staid battler for the British People's League of Healthy of which King George is a patron,- and for which■■'"she recently; set out to raise £100,006 ■ (says/VMelbourne.-: ; ,-MTable: Talk),'* She !served';as a;nur3e"in the■ war, and has otherwise led a comparaV tiyely humble existence since she shocked, the dour 'nineties with her representation of .''Sapho,"; the adaptation olAlphpnse Daudet'snovel, which has since been far outstripped in audacity by "Our Betters" and "Bain." New .iSork,which has been made anaesthetic to• shuddering by- f?Lulu Belle" and other [prime diversiqns, aroso'in ' it's •wrath', when Olga JNethersole. staged "Saphb." The ...criticisms at that time were marvels of the dia^ trifce that came from the late "William ■Winter, a New York Clement Scott, surpassing anything hitherto heard in offensive vitnperatibnV ".-..' ""'.:'■,''.

iAttie-Tich, who is at present apr pearing in Sydney, is N to include New Zealand in his itinerary-

Santiey's Orchestra, which mil be the first of the .Celebrity Vaudeville Companies to be brought to ; New; Zealand this year by J. C. \Viliiainson'a and Mr. Beaumont Smith, will open its Wellington season on 14th" February, at the Opera-House.;- The orchestra has jnst concludedVaphenomenally successful season and it is said U> represent the most expensive act of its- kind every booted for the Dominion. Associated "with the orchestra itself are Anna ana Harry Seymour, a clever ipair, who add. greatly to the success of tfie show. Anna has been called\the moat delightful and original comedienne to leave her own shores, and she haß: an able partner in Harry. Supporting; acts will include Tost and Clady,;:clay ; .niodeUers, whoi present ¥praa. of the^ few "icts'fof 'its: kina'^tf svaudeyille to-day;'Estelle Fiatus, ''the'hiiman mannequin '?; Jean Barrios, famous female impersonator; and the Stavenayß.nofvelty aerdbats

Letters from Christehureh, Dunedin,' Feildingj'Nevr: Plymouth/Waipawa, and other toTras are bejing "received by Mr. Leo dv Chateau, the director of the National Bepertory Theatre Society, asking 1 or '■ information." regarding the founding of the society, etc. It is evident that'thevsuceess of the local ,sptlety:,:haaNcaused keen interest -in the onpTement. throughout, New Zealand. In fact.. interest appears to be; even more widespread as "The Bulletin." recently 'devoted a paragraph in. its praise, and a'local pressman last week received,, a letter from a New ,York friend congratulating the on the fine work; of the 'society, as judged. b^\ Press criticisms and letters from friends. ,i.

Good fortune has fallen' upon -Driir;y: I/atoCi Theatre, in' tho matter of^profits ansing from its latest production. After asrun of ill fortune, with no dividend £6rfthree years/ there was an improve--meiiit & year ago'when a.dividend.of 5 jer cent; was announced. Now, however,: thanks to the huge profits made out of the run of "Bose;.Marie,".the. directors have been able to declare 10 per;cent.,.with.a-bonus of 2J per cent. Moreover, the position is even better thai indicated in the dividend, for the' profits amounted to, £49,000 against ■only £6847- a year-ago. A. sum of £20,000-has now been ladded to the .-reserve and £6000 :set aside, for income tw, /leaving £13,460 to be carried forward, against £6074 a year ago, . As a result of this' successful piece,: therefore, the company is once more restored-to-a position of prosperity. : : : Mr. E. J. Graveatock has arranged for Mr: Alexander "Watson, ther f amoua'EnglisX platform celebrity, to make hii fifth and final tour .of Australia aidNew Zealand, commencing in Melbourne^ on' 30th April. The. Dominion tour, will cominenceJa.lWellington.in July next. Mr;-"Watson "is an old favourite with Ney? Zealand audiences, and he is as-' sufed of a very hearty welcome. His repertoire f or-thig;. tour will "include many new : additions, amongst' -theiri being selections from Barrie'a" famous staryj ".The Little Minister," Charles Dickens's own arrangements of Sykes and,;: Nancy from "Oliver Twist,V works of John Drinkwater, A.E.Housemani and these will be performed for the'first time here, Shakespeare,' Browning, Barrie, ■ Dickens, Kipling, and modern writers will be represented as usual-in. Watson's programme. ':- MtiidcaHfotes. :' ..;'■-••;■ :, ; : ' r :- If • the musical reader, wishes for. a novel, and pleasurable" experience, here u.'pne to his .hand (writes Eobin H: Legge in the "Daily Telegraph,'•' London);. Let him take the Underground to. Mansion House Station and from there walk to the Bank and down Moor-

gate street. On a Sunday evening at 6 o 'clock—for; that is the time for this adventure—the streets are clear, there is little traffic, and the air, untainted by the jodbur of petrol, is excellent, a good.antidote to the'-comatose.-feelings .of-the. post-tea age* The adventurer may be fortunate, as was the case last -Sunday evening, arid come in for a bright moon and scudding cloud. Then lefhim turn.'oft to the right into South plaet and enter the Institute. There he will have thje remarkable opportunity of hearing, fine musici well performed, admirably listened to, and applauded with discernment. ' "'Every Sunday at 6.30 these concerts take place, and in February next the thousandth of the series, will be' vgiven.'- It-is^;indeed, a triumphant achievement to have run concerts,rat such a. : high standard for such a length'of time. But the interest for our adventurous reader will probably be centred in other matters. There is the .odd old meeting-house, curiously ;■ square- ana squat,. with its pale plaster ceiling and sweeping gallery. ;. ' There -is the. platform raised, along dne'end,' fro|d which come the sounds of these excellent performances of; the best chamber music. And there is,: lastfittt- not 'in any way least, the audience, pure Dickens witli its types of old.and young city folk, the unfailing habitues,-,-! and.-■■.■.thi earnest young ?people deeply -studying-their.miniature scores (for scores are always, by a blessed-Carrahgement/'tO/ be had at the doors). Certainly this is one of the best.: audiences to be found in.. London, in its; quiei attentiveness and evident .enjoyment.- Our ,reader will,; ,as ; he walks back along deserted Moor-, gate street, surely not,blame us- for intr.oducing Mm tp 'this .unique ana delightful experience; ' , . 'I

At the Metropolitan in New To'rk at least two new works will bo produced f^ ing the coms;[le season. The first is The King's Henchman," by Deems Taylor, to a libretto of Sir Vincent Millay^ the second is a Pirandello ballet, Giara," to music byvjUfredo Casella. "The Magic Fluto," "Rdelio," "Mienon," "The Eosc Cavalier," "Cog a Or," and "L'Amore dei Tro Ec" are in the list. The thirty sopranos -include Mesdamea Alda, Bori, Galli-Curci, and Jeritza; the twenty tenors, Hm! Fleta, Gigli, Lauri-Volpi, and Martinelli; the .fourteen baritones and fourteen basses Tita Buffo, de Luca Schnorr and Chaliapine. The conductors will be Serafin, Bellezza, Bodansky and Hasselmans.

Mr G. Brand Lane, the founder and director of tho sories ot concerts that bears his name in Manchester, believes that variety is fhe spice of musical life. Ha lat of attractions for the season that opened ast month comprised most of the world's musical celebrities. Paderevaki was to have playea, Dr. Richheder, John M'Coraack was To have given a recital, and Bruno Walter wls 1 Wr %T dn-SJ?S the Halle Orchestra. Mr. John M'Cormack, the famous fn'cVr 0-'/ 1?^ dieted a™u in China and Japan, where ho sang be™l;form of applause,"-said Mr seemed to me a little too much like thS dreaded hiss of disapproval. I like to read criticisms of my singing, tfut when a Japanese • critic was stated to have declared that^l 'suffocated' my audience Welt it was too much for me. I found that the criticism had been wrongly translated from Japanese into inghah, the critic having actually writ- , ten that. I Jeft my' audience, breathless. '

Pictures. ;, Some of the pictures of Paramount's Fifteenth TBirthday. Group are;.— '"'The- Vanishing Eace," from Zane Grey's-"The Vanishing American"; "For -Heaven's Sake," with Harold Lloyd; "The Eough Eiders," a tapestry of the events in the life of Theodore' Eoosevelt; "Old Ironsides," an epic of the sea; "Wings," called "The Covered Wagon of the Air," "The Wedding March," with Eric yon Stroheim; "The ! Sorrows of Satin" from Marie Corelli's great story; "Forlorn Eiver," by Zane Grey; "Hotel Imperial," with Erie'von Stroheim and !Pola Negri; "The Greatest Show On Earth," tho life story of P. T. Barnum"Diplomacy," by Marshal Neilan; "Moon of Israel." ■

Tola d'Avril, the latest addition to the Fust National starring ranks, has been acclaimed by-Jean Patou the great Parisian designer, "as the most graceful girl in Paris." Mile. d'Avril has had a somewhat -varied career. When the war broke out she was trapped with her parents by the German advance, but];Jibwevei>, after a series of events, she managed to -reach 'England and eventually returned to Paris She' be.vme a dancer of necessity, for her father died when she was sixteen. She danced her.'.way. to' comparative fame Later she was seen by Eiehard Eowla.nd, general manager for First Na tibnal, and was brought to America : to betomS a permanent , member of First National players at the New Burbank Studios.

Mademoiselle From Armentieres " a Master picture, will be released throughout New Zealand, this year. It win have all going well, its premiere at the Empress' Theatre, Wellington, and added interest in the show will be given % th ® appearance of "Miss Australia" (Beryl Mills), who. will present her own offering, which^ has already met, and is still meeting, with great success in the principal cities. Estelle Brody has the leading role, and she is said tc be eminently suited to the -part allotted her fahe isya newcomer to the screen. I

Whenthe stage play,: "Is Zat So!" was first produced in New York, it received one '■ of -the most successful seasons enjoyed- by any play of similar type m > that- town., Fox Film immediately .obtained the screening rights of this,^production, and'are producing the same; for presentation during the coming : seasori:: ; / This play is now being proauced in New Zealand, and the fact tha'f this -was such a success speaks well for; the screen version which Fox Film will release.jshortly. ■: . ■■■''■

"Temptation," a.Master picture, is a story that tells how the devastating hand of war swept aside the traditional magnificence of a regal court,, yet could not destroy the powerful love of a beautiful woman of royal lineage and a young tutor of humble circumstances.