FOOTLIGHT FLASHES.

Evening Star, Issue 15137, 19 March 1913, Page 10

FOOTLIGHT FLASHES.

[By Call Boy.] Tt is just possible that iho pantomime ' Puss in Boots' may not be seen, in InvercnTgill. The itinerary arranged for the Dominion provided for the tour finishing at the Municipal Theatre there on August 8 and 9. But these dates have been earmarked for the Invercargill Competitions, and arrangements for judges, etc.. having been made the society decided that Messrs J. C. Williamson and Co. be notified " that, having made full inquiries, '.he Competitions Society find that they are unable, to alter their dates, and regret, that it is impossible to comply with the firm's request for the theatre on August 8 and 9." , Ladv Constance Stewart-Richardson, who was lately reported to have electrified Vienna with her dancing at the People's Opera-house, has been engaged by'the man.igement of the Victoria Music Hall, Broadway, New York. She is to give two performances daily, including Sunday, and will receive a salary of £I,OOO a week. Lady Constance Stewart-Richardson is the daugh. ter of the late Karl of Cromartie, and was married in 1904 to Sir Edward Austin Stewart-Richardson, who was in Australia from 1899 to 1902 as aide-do-camp to Lord Lamington during his governorship of Queensland. There will be two companies of Branscombe's " Dandies" in New Zealand this winter. The popular "Reds" will open in Invercargill in May, and will tour both islands completely. The "Pink" Dandies, including Athol Tier, who has made a great aame in Australia, Ford Waltham (basso), and the Misses Fitzgerald, all of the Scarlet Troubadours, George Edwards (a novelty artist of a distinct type), and five others, will open in Auckland in May. Both combinations will be on tour in the Dominion until October. The "Reds" will be the same company that were so popular in Wellington Inst winter. Mr Leo. D. Chateau will arrive from Sydney next month to complete the arrangements of the tour. Mr Edmund Payne, who, as comedian, has for some years been one of the main props of the London Gaiety prcductior.fi, is leaving that establishment to set. up in management on his own account. He had a. long provincial training before he captured the affection of London" audiences at Mr George Kdwnrdess principal honse. Ar. the mature of 14 he wrote a burlesque, painted all the scenery, and- acted nearly all the parts. But his first bow to the real public was made at Leighton-Buzzard years ago, in the capacity of a snowball in a panto., when his experience was anything but pleasant, inasmuch as he rolled into the 1 footlitrhts, and was almost roasted to death. Oif the sta-L'e he is never happy except when digging in what he calls his back yard. He is an enthusiastic, cyclist, having won many medals for long-distance rides, and holds opinions of his own on such things as tyres and other details, while yet another side of his versatile talents finds- illustration in flower-painted panels, bamboo chairs, overmantels, aind other decorative adornments of his home. Perhaps there is a touch of heredity here, for his forbears for generations were chairmakers at High Wycombe. Mr Gustav Luders, the well-known cornnoser, who will be best remembered by his successful musical comedy 'The Prince of Pilson,' produced here some three years ago, died suddenly ,in New York on January 23, after witnessing the first performm'ce of his latest composition. The musical comedy, which was called ' Somewhere Else,' was given before an approving firstnight audience, and at the fall of the curtain Mr Luders was observed to be_ suffering from undue excitement. Medical assistance was summoned, and he was removed to his home, but he died in a short time from heart failure, caused by overexcitement. Although 'The Prince of Pilscn' is best known to theatregoers, it was The Burgomaster' and 'King Dodo'which first made Mr Luders's name in the Old Country. He went to America in 1888, after having studied music under Signor Henry Petri, who is now the Royal music master at the Saxon Court. Born of German parents at Bremen, the deceased composer had only just celebrated his 48th birthday.

The recent news by cable that Mr T. Quinlan and Mr J. C. Williamson have engaged for their forthcoming grand opera season no less a prima donna than Miss Felice Lyne, who. made such a sensation in London two years ago, will be received with very great interest by music lovers (says the 'Australasian'). Like Mdme Tetr'azinni, who took London by storm a few years earlier, Miss Lyno is a lyric coloratura artist, and she is another instance of the extraordinary hold the more decorative side of singing has on the popular taste. Twenty years ago some writers were loudly proclaiming that Wagner had killed the florid school, and one leading critic, in a lesiructive article, wont so far as to state vhat the singers of the'future would have to leave it severely alone. But, despite Wagner, Puccini, and most of the even more " advanced " composers, who rigidly aschew the florid style in their vocal work, the coloratura singer still holds her. own with the old-fashioned scenas and arias of Bellini, Donizetti, Verdi, and Meyerbeer. Richard Strauss is the one notable "modem writer who has not fallen into line with his brother composers. In his latest opera, ' Ariadne auf Naxos,' he has written coloratura which completely outdoes anything overy conceived by the Italians of the last century. Doing that, Strauss virtually affirms the value and interest of florid singing in music of the serious order. At this, of course, thoso with agile voices are rejoicing. When the most famous composer of the day takes to writing arabesques of the most astounding variety, thev have ample justification for developing the decorative side of singing to its utmost. F.-om all along the line excellent reports come regarding the vaudeville company who arc to appear at His Mnjestv's on Tuesday next. Quality rather than* quantity has been aimed at. The 'Lyttelton Times' of yesterdav says : "In tlie Antipodes the advent of Mr Hugh D. MTntosh Into vaudeville is one of the most hopeful ngns for the future. New Zealand has had to put up with indifferent vaudeville just as often as it has had to contend with weak dramatic companies, but now, after viewing the first company sent through th» Dominion under the new management, one can " thank with brief thanksgiving whatever gods may bo" that the vaudeville combination who commenced their season at the Theatre Royal on Saturday are something safe to see. They are a" small company but lack of quantity disappears when consideration is turned to the qualitv of the entertainment offered ; and, best of all the standard, the tone of the entertainment, is the highest of any legitimate vaudeville yet seen in Christchurch There is not the slightest suspicion of vulgarity, not the least sign of coarseness. It is an entertainment that will do much to help the cause of vaudeville, and the Rickards management should bo congratulated on having supplied a proof that vaudeville in every department may be good, a-nd mav k successful, without having to be'vulgar." Theatrical people set much store upon mascots and luck-bringens. and as they are always anxious on K first night, any such little souvenir received before' they go on the stage is peculiarly welcome. Honce a pretty little custom of Florence Lichter and Lilhe Bryers. They are exceeding great chums, and no matter where they may be, nor how far separated, whenever either on" 13 about to face the ordeal of a first mght performance she mav be sure that a little mascot will meet her in her dressing room to wish her luck and ch-eer her up. It is generally a quaint post card, with a "fun" figure" sometimes 1 little Biilikui or one of. the manv "tolesque figures «£ the kind. But they both collect these post cards, and are always nn the lookout for them in their travels, so that when a new production looms .in view there is something in readiness for a suit- . ably whimsical wish.

The German Emperor who likes to be thought an authority on music is said to have been responsible) for the sudden resignation of M. Emil Paur, the conductor at the Berlin Royal Opera-house. The Kaiser has always insisted 011 advising musical conductors at the opera-house in regard to their work. He has especially pronounced ideas gn, mapper in'wErob,

' Carmen' should be conducted. He had a conversation with M. Paur some time ago on this subject, ami criticised his methods. Cm his last visit to the opera the Kaiser noticed that M. Phvrr remained, faithful to musical traditions, and ignored his hints. The Emperor.thereupon summoned Count ETuelsen, tlie Court official who is at the head of the Royal Opera, and expressed his dissatisfaction in the strongest possible terms. The next day M. Paur resigned. Maeterlinck's ' Tho'Blue Bird.' which will begin its Dominion tour at Auckland on Saturday next, has a very strong ' cast. Gertie Cremer, Dulcie French, and Vera Spaull will fill the three important parts which they represented in the Australian production. • Miss French is 10 years of age, but her experience ranges from grand opera to pantomime. The cast also includes Misses Irby Marshall, Vera Keogh, and Nellie Calvin," and Messrs Morris Dudley, Frank Harcourt, and A. R, Blandford. Up-to-date picture films at Fullers' Theatre, Wellington—the launching of the battleship New Zealand and the visit of King George to the Dominion's battleshipare being screened. " Jimmie Norrie," at one time one of London's favorite "stars." died in Januarylast in Burnley Workhouse infirmary. " Norrie," whose real name was James Nutter, was a native of Nelson, and was only 49 years old. When a bov he earned quite a considerable reputation as a singer being a chorister -t St. John's. Nelson'. Being of a. roving dispesiiion, he ran away from home, and for a period was a sailor, concluding his service at sea in 188b! While on board ship the captain discovered that Nutter possessed a rich tenor voic, and introduced'him to Leon and Oushmiu.-. who engaged him as a minstrel. In a very short time Norrie achieved a wide reputation. He travelled extensively on the Continent, and in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa. Some of his best-known songs were 'Two Little Girls in Blue,' 'Hn\W in Our Alley,' ' Only One Girl in thtvWorld For Me,' and ' Terry, the Bliied-eyed Irish Bov,' while at concerts he cave high-class operatic songs. During the height of his fame Norrie com mar.ded some very big salaries, and could earn over £IOO a week, whilst on one occasion he received as much as £l2O for or.e nights engagement. When Miss Cassie Walmer was in Australia last she made a great success of her song ' Moving Day.' It will be remembered that during the singing of this item the scene shifters came on to the stage, removed all the furniture, and left her lamenting on a soap box for a seat. A sequel has been written, and will be shortly sung by Miss Walmer. who has just returned to Sydnev. It is called 'Take Me Back to Mv Home, Sweet Home, and it reverses the position in 'Moving Day.' The poor little ladv is discovered sitting on the same box,'but her luck has changed. She has backed a 50 to 1 chance, and won, with the result that her furniture is all brought back, and she is able to pay the rent. An interesting" lawsuit is now being tried in London, in which a business firm ,B . contesting the right of the proprietors of the Palladium Music Hall to permit the formation of queues outside their premises. The plaintiffs are Messrs Lyons and Sons, caterers, who complain of the obstruction that is caused bv the queues outside the Palladium. In the course of

the hearing Mr Justice Joyce remarked that theatres had no legal right to the queue. The defendants' solicitor pointed out that_ the practice of allowing people to form in a line outside places of amusement had been in vogue for thirty years, ml t h j fc no com P lain t hnd been made. The Judge, however, was not inclined to believe that the public had submitted uncomplainingly to the custom, and adjourned the hearing. Princess Mary! the King's only daughter, attended a matinee performance of As }ou Like If at the Coronet iheatre at Notting Hill Gate last week, fj? oC ™P lecl a SPHt >n the front row of the stalls. The management, upon being made aware that the Princess would be present at the performance, offered to place a private box at her disposal. The King thanked the management for the offer, but said that he preferred his daughter to sit among his people. Mr Marc Klaw, the American entrepreneur, has just completed an extended visit to the Continent, and in passing through London he told a representative of the 'Telegraph' that he had secured some novelties for the Xew York stage. ThiV ishow he described some of them: "In Vienna I secured a new musical plav, entitled 'The Envious Butterfly/ libretto by Paul Lindau, music by Bruno Graennich"staedten (Phcebus, wtiafc a name!), composer of two pieces—' The "Woman Hater' and 'The Rose Maid'—-both of which have been received with great favor in the United States. It is a Chinese opera, but China under the new Republic. 'The heroine is a Chinese girl and the hero a Chinese youth, who. however, has been trained in America to the business of an engineer. Prominent in the story are four European Ambassadors, who are largely concerned in the development of the plot. For the principal part I engaged Miss Elsa Alder, an Austrian girl, whom I happened to see on a previous visit as an understudy. I sent for her there and then, and endeavored in halting Gei-man to explain that if only she would learn to speak English there was a big future for her in America. From Tier demeanor I gathered she took my suggestion as a practical joke. But at our second meeting the other day she advanced, shook hands, and with hardly a trace of a foreign accent said to me 'How do you do?' That finished the business. I engaged her on the spot, and in the autumn of next year she will make her debut in 'The Envious Butterflv' at

one of our Xe«- York theatres. Franz I,ehar player over to m<j the score of his ! new opera, 'The Ideal Wife.' which is to have its first performance next March, in Vienna. It is -really a faroe set to music. The story narrates how a husband and wife, growing tired of the monotony created by being always together, agree to separate. Later the wife reappears, dis- ! guised as his own sister, the latter being in every respect the very antithesis of herFelf. This, however, is by no means the conclusion of .i tale which works out throusrh a series of amusing complications to a happy ending. I was delighted with Lehar's score. Tn it he returns to his earlier and more tuneful method. It is jest the sort of music certain to appeal to the popular ear. While, in Vienna T was introduced by Dr Willuor, the well-known librettist, 10 a young composer. Ernst Sleffan, whom ic had selected to write the music, for a book by him named ' The Circassian Beauty.' T was captivated by the result of their joint labors, and very much struck by Steffan's work. His music is neither Viennese nor German. Jt reminded me, strangely enough, of Sullivan's. I need hardly say that I promptly obtained an option upon the piece. In Budapest T met Molnar, the author of 'The Devil' and of 'The Lifeguardsman.' From him I got a call on his new piece, named ' The Legend of the Wolf.' To my mind it is a very remarkable play, and if Sir George Alexander is not too full up with material it might be worth his while to consider it for London. In Budapest I also witnessed' a performance of ' The Tragedy of Man,' which, first done in 1857, now holds the position of what I may describe as a national drama. The storyis more or less the story of Adam and Eve and their successive incarnations. The part of Eve was played by Madame Ersci Faulay, a. particularly fine actress, whom perhaps I may yH induce to appear in New York under the management of Mr Erlanger and myself.'' " . —Licensing Cinema Films.— From the first of the present month all cinematograph films re-leased in the United Kingdom have to bear the official certificate of the British Board of Film. Censors to the effect that, morally, the pie-' hires are above suspicion. One of two certificates is issued for every film examined or passed, with the exception of topical subjects, and a copy must be printed_ on the film immediately following the main title. These certificates intimate that the picture has been passed either for universal or public, exhibition, and those passed for the former are especially recommended for children's matinees. In expressing the opinion that the scheme is a thoroughly workmanlike one, the ' Bioscope' is. confident that the board's decisions will be recognised as the result of a fair and independent attitude towards fill mftttuf actnierg and exhibitors. It. sng-

gests, however, that manufacturers should be relieved from submitting scenic, travel, or industrial films to the censors' tests. —Lioness Loose in a Theatre.— A humiliating and disgraceful spectacle, of panic was witnessed at the Belleville Theatre, Paris, on January 26. Among all the large audience, members of the orchestra, company of players, policemen, and commissionaries there was but one man who did not show the white feather. It was during the performance of a sensational drama, entitled ' Devoured by Lions.' A tame old lioness had to stroll on to the stage, enter a cage in which was a very lifelike doll, and pick it up with its claws. This evening, bored apparently at having done the same thing night after night in the course of a long "run," the lioness turned with disgust from the cage and the doll, and stepped into the orchestra. The audience, orchestra, policemen, and all rose as one man, and incontinently fled. The drummer in the orchestra was the only exception. He banged his drum and clashed his cymbals to such effect that the lioness became quite terrified and skipped out of the way into one of the lower boxes, whence she surveyed with mild surprise the vehement struggles of the panic-stricken humans around the exits. . Several persons were injured in the crush. The lioness was yawning drowsily when her tamer, who had been out of the theatre, appeared. Then she got up willingly, and followed him to her cage.