PLAYS and PLAYERS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 133, 8 June 1939, Page 22

PLAYS and PLAYERS

PUPPETS AND REVIEW. An ail-American Variety Show i being brought to New Zealand shortl: by Sir Benjamin Fuller —"Funz-a Poppin'" headed by Salici's. famou Parisian Puppets—an amazing company of marionettes complete with dancers singers, pianists, jazz band; marionette; who live, clown and do remarkablt acts on the stage. Salici's Puppets art a tradition in Europe, England, anc America and now it is New Zealand'! turn to see the celebrated company o: versatile "people." Alex Gerber, pro ducer for "Funz-a-Poppin'" is the mar who wrote plays and composed song: for Eddie Cantor, Al Johnson, anc Fanny Brice. He has produced show: for the past sixteen years in all parti of America and at the London Pal ladium. He has been associated witl Sigmund Romberg in "Student Prince,1 ahd "New Moon," and also wrote tht New York Wintergarden shows, Zieg feld Follies and Greenwich Villagt Follies. Mr. Gerber's song, "Funz-a Poppin'" was specially written for tht coming show. In the Salici Puppe entertainment is a Neapolitan scene with moon and realistic effects, anc this forms the background^ for a re markable performance by swinj dancers, butterfly dancers, clowns acrobats, and singers, while tht marionette that smokes is sheer magic Headliners in the revue include Tommy "Bozo" Snyder, noted Broad way pantomimic comedian; Harry Bosi and Eddie Edwards, topnotch Ameri can comedians; Murray Greene anc Elsa : Lang, musical .comedy 'artists Jack Bickle, ' youthful dance star Loretta Grey, Pepper-pot comedienne June and Trudell Van, Hollywooc twins; Dorothy Holbrook, leadini dancer with the Twelve Dancing Debutantes, celebrated dance tean from the New York Radio City Musii Hall; and an old friend in Bobby Mor ris, recently here with the Hollywooc Hotel Revue. An. orchestra unde] Joseph Clauser is another feature o: a startling show, produced on spectacu lar lines. CHINESE MYSTIC REVUE. Something new in the way of revue will be presented at the Opera House Wellington, for a season of eight nights (June 24 to July 1), by the famous Oriental artist Chang and his company of thirty American and Chinese artists. The foremost illusionist in the world, Chang does not present merely a sequence of tricks, but uses his remarkable magical skill to introduce spectacular revue scenes. There arc twenty-eight of these, all produced on a scale of lavishness rarely equalled in this city. The title of the offering is "A Trip to Hades," and, according to advance reports, local patrons will receive something of a shock when they see Ch&ng conjure up mysterious wraiths, which apparently wander al large round the theatre. Leading lady in the large company of Hollywood dancers is lovely Joanna Claire, and she has with her a highly competent ballet. In addition, there are a number of specialty artists from the Continent, and a unique Cuban marimba orchestra.' CORRIGAN'S PAL. Fanatic devotion to Douglas Corrigan's interests on the part of an old friend was disclosed when Director Leigh Jason took "The Flying Irishman" Company to Metropolitan Airport, Van Nuys, on location. Corrigan's famous "jalloppy" plane already was on the spot, installed in a hangar with a special watchman. The latter was A. C. Rand, fellow-mechanic for years with Corrigan at the San Diego Ryan aircraft plant. Since his flight to Ireland apd fame, Corrigan had kept in touch with Rand, and, at the beginning of work on his picture, had persuaded RKO to employ his friend as watchman of the plane. Arriving at the airport, Jason discovered Rand was sleeping on a cot in the hangar with the tailskid of the plane chained to his wrist. Moreover, he had rigged up a crude but effective burglar alarm which sounded if anybody entered the hangar.

REPERTORY THEATRE. '' The Wellington Repertory . Theatre Society is nothing if not, catholic and carefully discriminating in its seleo ! tion of plays. The high standard which it has set in its presentation of the • works of Shakespeare, Ibsen, Shaw, 1 Galsworthy, Barrie, Pinero, Maugham, ' Wilde, Bennet, Quintero, and other ' noteworthy playwrights is evidence of ' its ambition and enterprise. It is with '_ considerable gratification that the con> ' mittee announces that it has received a licence to stage "Liliom," a, legendary drama by the great Hun- ; garian dramatist Franz Molnar. It has been claimed for "Liliom" that it is 7 a work of genius. Its prologue and i seven scenes, one of which "is. in ' heaven, calls for much skill in production. However, the play is in the 1 hands of Mr. G. H. A- Swan, and ' his cast of not less than forty charac- • ters will include Mesdames G. A. Dargaville, Anne Lane, W. Biggar, ;A. Peacock, the Misses Jean Hawley, Coralie ! Smythson, Brenda Cimino, Mary Rich- ■ mond, Marie Collin, Betty Sanderson, i Molly Cook, Shiela Quirk, Josephine ; Hollis, Audrey Davis, Ruth Skerman, , and Messrs..Alan Harper, Eric Lawson, i Colin Davidson, Selwyn Toogood, • Ernest Le Grove, L. W. Thornton, ; Charles Johnston, L. J. Maule, L. .D* , Webster, N. V. Weston, Arthur Ashley- '■ Jones, Lees Bullet, C. T. D. McCop- ■ mack, Frank Dawn, Alex Peacock,. W. ' F. C. Balham, Harry Painter, and W. Biggar. The. dressing is in the charge lof Miss Pauline Shotlander, and the scenic, stage, and lighting effects will be controlled respectively by Messrs. W. J- Conroy, W. J.- Johnstone, and G. Colledge. A TALENTED LAD. The search for local talent by the Young Australian Boys' Band and [ Revue Company resulted in a Petone ■ lad, Ivan C. Lawson, ; being engaged to ! tour with the Australian lads. He will • leave later for a further tour of Australia and abroad. Ivan Lawson, who is 12 years of age, has a beautiful clear, bell-like soprano voice, which reflects the greatest credit on his teacher, Signora Comparini, and he sing^ in English, Italian, Latin, and: Maori; he gained the highest award at the Wellington Competitions for singing, is an adept and versatile dancer and female impersonator' When Miss Fay Compton was in Wellington .with her English company, she chose Master Lawson from many applicants, to represent H.R.H. the Prince of Wales when a boy in "Victoria Regina." The lad should go far in a stage career, as he has undoubted talent, and his future progresf will be watched with interest. TALENT QUEST. The Young Australian Boys who are to play a season of six nights and matinees at the Opera House from Monday, June 12, to Saturday, June 17, are a world-travelled group of lads having performed in many overseas countries with brilliant success. They are now commencing another world tour, and New Zealand boys talented as musicians ; (violinists, cornetists, pianists, saxophonists,' pianoaccordionists, etc.), and also singers, elocutionists, dancers,and general entertainers, are invited to enter nhto a Talent Quest with the: view to their possible inclusion in the Young Australians party. Trials will be held at the matinees of the Young Australians on Monday and Wednesday, and boys wishing to enter are requested to send their names, ages, and address, and information as to whether musician, singer, dancer, etc., addressed to the Manager, Young Australians, Opera House. A prize valued at £1 Is will be presented to the winner, the public being the judges. Entrants must not be more than 17 years of age. The first elimination trials, will be "held at the matinee on Monday and Wednesday at 3 p.m., and finals at matinee on Saturday at 2.15 p.m. Boys fromi Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch have already been included in the Young Australians' Company, and it is hoped to find another Wellington boy for inclusion in a world tour.