FOOTLIGHT FLASHES

Evening Star, Issue 16351, 17 February 1917, Page 2

FOOTLIGHT FLASHES

[By Loxteeke.]

‘MIGNONV m IrGO acts, by Thomas. Cast: Wilhelm Meister, tenor ; 'Friedrich, tenor; inilino,. soprano; Laertes, baritone; Lothario, basso ; Mignon, mezzo-soprano; Jarno, basso. Place, Italy; time, the eighteenth century. Act I. The courtyard of an ten. Wilneim appears as the gipsy Jarno is forcing -Mignon to dance with a whip. He purchases her from the gipsies, and she accompanies huii, dressed as a boy. Meister lc scror Laertes and the coquette Plutinc, with, whom the young Baron 1 nedrich is madly in lovo. Tho company receive an invitation to tho Barons uncle's castle. Act ll.—Scene i. • Apartment Ti tho castle. Milhe'm, accompanied by Mignon, visits Paßine, who ridicules him and tho boy. ’ Left alone, Mignon puts on Philine’s clothes, but is discovered, and berated by Wilhelm. , Scene 2: The park. Mignon. meets tho singer Lothario, and, moved by deep jealousy, calls down tho vengeance of Heaven upon tho house. During the garden festival in honor of Phihne Lothario fires the castle, and Mignon is saved by Wilhelm.

* - lC .t ill-—Guam her in the 'ca-stlo nf Capriani. M ilhelm, at last in love .with Mignon, has brought her, accompanied by old Lothario, to the castle. The hitter is found to he the Marquis of Oapriani, who, as a strolling singer, has been searching for his daughter, Sherata, long ago stolen by gipsies. Ho discovers her in Mignon, and the opera ends in happiness. ‘ MADAME BUTTERFLY.'

Opera, in two acts, by Puccini. Cast: Cho-Cno-San (Hadamc Butterfly), soprano; duzutei (a servant), nTozzo-suprano ; Kale Pinkerton, mezzo-soprano; LieiUenant Pinkerton, U.S.A., tenor; Sharplcss (consul), tenor; Goro, tenor; Prince Vamadori, baritone ; The Bonze, basso. Place, Nagasaki ; time, the present. „ I—Lieutenant Pinkerton and Gho-Cho-San arc about to contract a, Japanese marriage. The American Consul begs Pinkerton to abandon the ceremony, because tho girl believes the marriage to be binding. lire Lieutenant laughs, and the bride appears. To show her trust, she lias renounced her ancestral faith, thus anting herself off from her own people. (Butterfly : 'Hera- What I Would Tell You.') The marriage is over when tho Bonze, uncle of the bride, enters, denounces her, and induces her relatives to abandon her! Kcverlhe'sss, the couple begin their new life happily. (Duet, Pinkerton and Buttcrlly : 'Just Like a Little squirrel’j alias ‘Ah! Nupit of Ilnpturcv) Act IL—Part 1: Three years leave passed, Pinkerton has returned to America, but has promised to come back " when the ••’nlins nest again." iSiibuki, the faithful servant, openly says that tills means never, but is upbraided by the trusting mistress. (Butterfly ; ‘ Weeping, and t\ by :) Pinkerton lias written Sharpless to toii Butterfly Dial he lias married an American wife, lint the latter has not the neart to break her faith. She is so sure of Pinkerton that she refuses the suit of Yamadori, saying that she is already a wife. They cannot make Imr believe that the marriage v\;u'. not binding, and lias been dissolved. She holds the fair-haired baby up to idiom: "Can my husband forget' this;" Tho Consul loaves just as; the guns salute the Abraham Lincoln. Pinkerton’s ship. Butterfly and riuzuki deck the house with flowers, and put on gala costume. Tlioy await Pinkerton. but as the night passe* only Butterfly remains awake and still, watching and wailing.

Part 2: Dawn find* her still Keeping vigil - Suzuki awakens, and brings the baby to her. (Butterfly ; ‘Sweet, Thou ■Art Sleeping. - ) At last Butterfly is persuaded to rest. Site is scarce retired v.ficn Pinkerton and £liarpl< &s arrive, and break the truth. Pinkerton is deeply moved—('Oh, the- Biller Fragrance, of these Flowers’)—ana dot's not stay. Sharp less tells Suzuki Pinkerton will lake the rhilil if the. will give, him tip. Bulterily appears Mukkuiiy, and is coni’ronied, not by her husband, but by his American wife. She. takes the blow with no apparent emotion, politely congratulates the r.ew wife, and makes her bearer cf a- ires-

rage to her husband that in 30 minutes l.u in ay have, the child, and that site herself will " find peace.” lyAt alone, site

bills fare well to her child—(finale, H-iUer-ny : ‘ You. 0 Beloved Idol') —and kills herself with her father's sword, which bears the inscription ” J’o die- with honor when one can no longer live with honor.’’ X’inkeiion £itk! iSharpicss, returning at Lire Lour, find her >o. • IUUOLETIO.’

Opera in four acts, by Verdi. Cast: Prince of Mantua, tenor; Rigolctto ithe Court jester), baritone; Uilcla (Higoletto’s (laughter), soprano; Count ol A! out crone, basso; Count of Coprano, baritone; Countess (his wife), soprano ; Murillo sa cavalier), baritone; Bursa ;a courtier), tenor; Spara facile (a bravo), basso; Maddalena (his sister!, mezzo-sporuuo; Giovnnna .Maddalena's companion), contralto; an ollicer, basso; a page, mezzo-soprano. Place, Mantua; time, 16lh century.

Act I. A room in the palace. The prince has seen an unknown beauty in the church, and desires to possess her. He also pays court to the Countess Cep ram*. ■.Ballad: ’T Love. Beauty.b Iligoietto, the hump-back jester, mocks the husbands of the many ladies to whom the pi into pays attention, and the noblemen resolve vengeance upon the jester. Especially vindictive is the Count Montcrone. whose daughter has been dishonored bv the jtrinee. lie curses the prince and Bigo-

Act IE :or Scene 2 of Act 1.). —A street. Half of the stage (divided by a wall) is the courtyard of J.tiyoletU/s house. The jester approaches home, much disturbed hy the curse cast at him. At his gate be is accosted by the bravo Sparc, i'ueilo. who offers iii.s services. (Duet; ‘The Old .Man Cursed Are.’) Bigoletto opens the door in the wall and visits Ids daughter (Lida, whom lie has been concealing from lha prince's possessive eyes. (Duet; ‘My Father, 'Alien I See Thee.’) He has forbidden her to go anywhere but to church, and it happens that hero sire has met tiie prince, knowing him not as prince, lint as a student, When Uigolelto goes the prince comes to her. (Aria: ‘My Heart Calls, I Love Him.' Later the hostile, noblemen see her at the wail, and, taking her to be the mistress of the jester, abduct her, actually obtaining Bigolello’s assistance in some of the arrangements by telling him that it is the Countess Ceprnno they have abducted. Too laic, Bigoletto discovers how he has been duped, and he recalls again the curse of old Montcrone.

.Act Ilf. (sometimes Act Tl.i. —The prince learns that- Gilda has been abducted. (Aria : ‘ I bee Her Tears.’) The noblemen inform him that they have stolen liigoletto's mistress and brought her to the palace. From their description ho recognises Gilda. and hastens to her. HigoIctto, so often the sharp-tongued scourge of the nobles, is now a creature for their sport. Fearing that Gild?, may fall into the prince's hands he at last r.cKno'.vifuues that she is his daughter. iKigt>lelt»:

‘ Vos. My Daughter.’) Gilda, alone with her lather, confesses the shame she has been brought to. The act ends with the jester's oath of vengeance against the prince, his master. Act IV . —A street. (One-half the stage shows two rooms in tire house of Spara-P-ciF, these rooms open to the audience.) Iligoleito enters with Gilda, and t. n destroy her love for the prince shows her how he is in the house of the bandit, amusing himself with Maddalona. (Canzone:

‘ Oh, How Deceitful are V»omen’s Henris.’) Sparafucile does xkA know that Ids guest is the p'.unce. .and lugolctlo bargains with the bandit for his death. I’igolcUo orders his daughter to don man’s attire and await him at V erona. Hut she fears a design on the prince, and awaits the issue. The prince determines to remain in the bandit s-house for the night, .and is given the ground door room. Maddalona ’■•or;, her brother not to execute his commission, and he engages that if another can be found to take the guest's place the latter shall go free. Gilda overhears these terms.

and resolves to sacrifice herself. So it happens that when Rigoletto arrives with the guerdon for the deed ho receives a corpse in a bag. He is about to cast it into the river, when he hears the voice of the prince singing as he leaves the house. He opens the bag, and to his horror discovers the body of Gilda, who, reviving a moment, declares herself glad to die {oilier lover. As she expires Rigoletto exclaims in deepest horror; “The old man’s curse is fulfilled.”

Miss Florence Rockwell, the American comedienne, is to visit New Zealand shortly under the management of J. C Williamson, Ltd., Their repertoire consists of ‘Land of Premise,’ ‘A Glass House/ and ‘Law of the Land.’ The Dominion tour starts at Wellington on March 19. b

Mr DAT. Griffith, the producer of ‘The Birth of a Nation,’ set out to beat the record of his achievement in that picture, and it is conceded that ‘ Intolerance ’ is even a more wonderful film feature than his previous masterpiece. ‘ Intolerance,’ which is to be presented by J. C. Williamson, Ltd., unfolds four parallel stories, and its description as “a. sun play of the ages ’ is justified by the fact that it brings down its story from ancient times to modern. Quo sees recreated in it the °f. Babylon, Belshazzar’s Feast, the Criciiixion, the Massacre of St. Bartholomew, and other wonderful scenes and pageants.

ihis is the cast of ‘ The Misleading Lady, the comedy in which Florence Rockwell and Frank Harvey were to appear at Melbourne Theatre Royal on Saturday night last; on the occasion of the first Australian performance of the comedy :—Robert Greig as Sidney Parker, i-'tclla Pay ter as Grace Buchanan, Mattec Bioun ns Amy foster, Beatrice Holloway at Jane Wentworth. Leonard Stephens as Stephen Vventherbee, Florence Rockwell as, Helen Steele, Frank Harvey as Jack t rtugen, Harold .Moran as “Babe” Merrill, Raymond "Lawrence as Chesty Sanborn, Maggie Knight as Mrs Camicll, Arthur Styan as John Canned, Leslie Victor as Henry Tracey, Louis Kimball as Keen Fitzpatrick, Fdwin Lester as Boney, ooyd Irwin as dim MacMahon, Frank Larcourt as Bill Fagan. There are three acts in the play, which will be produced by George Barmini. Laz.ettc 3'arkes has cancelled her projected trip to America and accepted an engagement under the banner of J. and V. Tail.

Giant ill© Barker, dramatist and producer, and Henry Aiuley, probably England’s most prominent matinee idol (lie 1- a favorite at. the movies, tool, are training together in ih-3 same camp iu England. Both arc trying hard for commissions i u the Artillery.

Muriel Jritarr has been engaged to appear in Gamolcrs All,’ which was to ho staged at the Maxine Elliott Theatre, Now lock, at the beginning n f January.’ The late imwis Waller and Miss Madge”Titheradgo starred in this play iu London, Miss Muriel Btarr is under contract to return to Australia under the J. C. Williamson mu nagemenl.

Prior to leaving for America. Robert Ureig and U-eatrice Hollowav <ire to iiend a comedy company which is to visit New Zealand under the management of J. C. V, illiamsnn, Ltd. J.he repertoire will comprise ‘Seven Kevs. in Baldpate.’ •Broadway Jones,’ and ‘The Travelling Salesman,’ in which Mr Greig and MMHollowc.y will play the parts taken respectively by Fred Nihlo and Enid Ben--I,ett; Jo” will open ,u Wellington 011 Easter Saturday night. ‘ Intolerance.’ the wonderful D. W Gn fifth picture, which J. 0, Williamson, Lto.. are to present iu Australia, cost i/4t0,0C0 to make. The point of the story ,s "man’s inlumianity to man.” An important factor in the development nf the memo is that Mr Griffith has not made his spectacle dominate; it is subsidiary to the human interest of his stories. ' The heroine of ‘lntolerance-’ is a new “discovery •’ of Mr Griffith's—Constance Talmndge. It was her first appearance in pictures, though her sister, Noma Talniadge, has an established position in the film world Griffith has remarkable powers in “picking ” new people. Discoveries nf his include Mary Bickford, Mae Marsh, and oihe'- screen celebrities.

,’Ur M. ill Percy ha<i a uood reception (according to the critic?) while he figured cu Uirj hoards of the London Coliseum during the illness of little, “ Tich.” Lne English censor of cinema films is the "A h-known parliamentarian and publicist Mr T. P. O'Connor, who, in accepting the chairmanship ol the board, wrote : ‘‘ 1 was •induced to accept, largely because I have atuays been inl-erostocl in t.he cinema, and because of tlio unanimity with which the o.Kcr was made to me. accompanied by a promise to support me in every wav.‘ It is. of course, a responsible position" and one very liable to criticism, I shall welcome criticism as long as it is sane, broad, and well-founded. It my vigilance, and that of my assistants, should be escaped, ana any film should be produced which is objectionable to reasonable people. 1 beg the public to let me know. But criticism must not be mere vague statement ; ] must get facts, dates, nnd places. I hope to call to my aid the counsels of the host lenders of the nation, including (in eases of tioi’bc) even loaders of relictions thought,’.