FOOTLIGHT FLASHES

Evening Star, Issue 16398, 14 April 1917, Page 9

FOOTLIGHT FLASHES

[By Loitekkb.]

REMINISCENT. “ M. J.M.” writes : Will you be good enough to settle an argument? I made the assertion mat Foil sang at our Exhibition, 1839-20. ami afterwards came here with the Belle Colo Company. Am I correct?

My correspondent is p-rotig in both assertions. The train of associations that led to the Belle Cole assertion is plain enough. Fob came hero only once—in August, 1892—under Poole’s management, and the contralto of the company was -Mure Tennyson Cole. The great ‘singer .who did .sing at our Exhibition in March, 1890, and the man with whom “M.J.M.” Foli, was Charles Saut-ley, who opened in his matchless role of the Prophet in ‘ Elijah.’ The above information is authentic, being taken, in fact, from the valuable record kept by a member of this journal's staff, which contains an epitome of Dunedin theatrical history way back to the sixties. The move mention'of Eoli’s name (in ma.kipg my inquiry) Ft loose a ilnnd of recollections, one of which I may retell as demonstrating the singer’s complete subjection to his art, and his unwillingness to, step an inch outside his assured accomplishments. On the night of Fob’s opening concert here the friend on wiiose recollections I am relying chanced to meet Air Poole (the manager), and in response to the query “• V, hat ;s Fob's lowest note for concert purposes?” learned that it was E .1 aim ah it happened, ’ he related “ that Foil’s first song was the big bass air from ‘The -Magic Flute,’ set in K major, so, of course, wo got his limit right away. Obviously lie had a reserve below that note, ami when, at a later concert, bast ihy Burden ’ was on the programme, wo fully expected that Fob would give us tho low ]•’ tint. which is usually preferred to the optional note an octave higher. Not so, however. Foli corkscrewed his way to the upper note, and stopped there. Though ho no doubt had plenty to spare, lie would not break his rule even by a semitone. In this we may perceive a suggestion to the singers ■who, for the sake of a little sliow-olf. force their voices. Fob's aim was quality.” Tho same informant vouches for another incident, giving further proof of Foil’s whole-souled artistry: "We had here in those days a very tine bass singer with a. voice of singular power below the stave. Ho obtained an appointment to sing in private before Fob.' He sang, and A’ob said nothing. He sang again, and still the groat man held his peace. Somewhat doubtful as to how ho could obtain Fob's opinion,_ho blurted out; “ Will you please tell me if there's anything I ought to do?” and straightway he got it, and*a surprise, by being told to cut a major third off tiro low range. And it was that major third, or part of it, that our local friend hue! been really proud of.” AN UNUSUAL HAMLET.

One of the greatest tragclians of the nineteenth century was Charles Albert Fechter, who won the highest praise from such critics as Charles "Dickens, Wilkie Collins, Bnhver Lytton, Dumas (pere). Lemaitre, and Vezin. An account of his Hamlet by Frank Bose (in the ■ Xew York Dramatic .Mirror’), a member of his company. many interesting iunovations in the reading and business of the part,_ winch bear evidence to the closeness of his study, 'this study was not confined to the role of Hamlet, for it was ho who first threw to the winds the traditional “business” of Horatio crossing the Ghost s path at the lines “Til crass it thongn it blast me.” In Hechter's version Horatio made the sign of the cross, at which the Ghost stopped. Alter the scene with the Ghost, and the subsequent scene with Horatio and Marcellos, Feebler jinked his arm in Horatio's at the words “Let us go in together,’ leaving Marcdius down 'stage, and then addressing to him alone the final injunction : “And still your finger on your lips, I pray.” M r Rose points out 'that the hue is certainly intended for Marccdlus, who cannot be included in Ham■et s invitation, for Hamlet must impart the Ghost’s secret to Horatio, whom he ernes not meet again until the third act. It is, of course, obvious that Jla.mlct teds Horatio when they leave the scene oi tim Ghost's walk, for before the players^scene, whore, they next meet, Sm says: “One scent; of it ‘ centos near*the circumstance which I have told time of mv lather’s death.”

At the end of the scene with the Queen. fu/-> t,IC d(‘=th of Polouius, Fechter ha:! ttie Queen turn and stretch out her hands 101-,I 01- , , ein hrace. Hamlet held un his lather's picture, the right of which woke lolumes to tlie miserable woman, who tottereu from the stage. Kissing the pictnre Hamlet said: “I must to oo kind. Then picking up the lamn h e crossed the stage and, raising the arras looked on the dead hotly of Polouius, exclamimg: “ thus had begins, and worse remains behind.”

-alter the apostrophe to “Poor Ynriclc,” editor carried the skull almost to his bps, and then handed it to “ Horatio ” with a shiver.

But it was in the last scene that Fechter made too biggest change from tradition, tlie stage .setting was novel. In the background was a gallery readied by a short llight of stairs on each side of the stau\ At the loot of the right-hand flight stood the throne, on which sat the King, Laertes when wounded, falls uttering the words : • The King’s to blame.” Fechter gamed suddenly towards the throne, in search of his victim, who had stolen up the stair, shielded by a group of courtiers. Discovering tlie attempt to escape he rushcd_ up the left-hand stair, met the Kmg in the- centre of the gallery, and tliere killed him.

Mr Ross concludes : As he descended the stairs, one could almost foci the potent poison stealing through his veins;' then with an agonising cry, “The rest is lie fell dead on the body of Laertes, thus evincing his forgiveness of treachery and his love for Ophelia.

Lso. D. Chateau, the popular theatre manager, now connected with the E. J. UarroU enterprises, came to Wellington from Sydney last week cm private business.

“The Flyaway Girls” swept the Johnston Revue Company into instant favor with Dunedin audiences. I am told, indeed, that the bookings even towards the end of this week eclipsed all previous records, so that it looks as if the piece could have, run another week. A wise management electees otherwise, however, and Mr Johnston will present on Monday evening his second attraction—‘The Kissing Maid.’ This is said to be an even more uproarious and ingenious stage entertainment, with a big variation from the theme of the first play, hut just as funny a- story. One or two novelties in the surprise campaigns of the big ballet and chorus among the audience are promised, and .altogether Manager Hamer predicts that ‘The Kissing Maid’ will eclipse her predecessor in favor—which is a big statement to make. Somebody writes asking who is the husband of Ethel Levey, now starring with Harry Lauder in the new revue

, rhree Cheers” at the London ShaftssrT' V 'i b i l V vas “airied to the airman Uaude Graham- White on December 21 FmV U f \ c , co *dins to ‘Stage and Cinema’ -o-.r btiae and bridegroom wore making t-uir second appearance at the altar! I,‘T Leve >: s carriage with the American author-producer Geo. M. Cohan was dissohed n, ROv ; and Mr Grahame-While’s ••nil the American girl Dorothy Lerovtaylor was annulled last July. ‘ hue dislocation of overseas shipping pi evented aai Reeve from reaching' Meloourne in tmie to appear on the “Tivoli w *” i,wk “ Marie Tempest commenced her Anstraban season at tho Theatre Roval, MelUurne, last Saturday in ‘The Marriage 6f r^ lkam Broim Plaved Sir Reginald Lelsizo to her Katherine Silver‘,■oll. - lh « comedy was played here some eais ago,_ Rose Musgrovo appearing in tne role ot Ivatuerine, and Wilfred Dravcottjn that of Sir Reginald. Wrnohell Smith’s ’Brewster’s Millions’ (p-ayed hero by the late Robert Kingston) mis been converted info a musical plav—lioroUo by Geo. V. Hobart. * T / m . ni Y Collage,’ tho musical comedy j ’ . po- are playing in Melbourne. 'if pis. been produced in Now York, days tho Australian firm keen 7° Wo English and American metropolitan proaucors. -dbeit E. Kirnlfv, the London manan-er announces that * syndicate which*he represents have leased an entire block somewhere in the Broadway theatrical fo.-liict, and intend to erect a lingo building whicn will bo tiro largest theatre and convention hall in the world. There will Uo two auditoriums, each seating 19.000 ami arranged so that they can be converted into one when extra sentum capacity is needed. On the roof will be a restaurant, where 5,000 people can be served. It was said the building would Cost S.OOO.OuOdo! (51,600,000). -Present plans call mv the beginning of the work in the spring, and the completion ot tho building by October, 1918.' The sife is paid to have been leased for 65 years, -•mglish and American capital is rinclersrood to be backing the enterprise.—New York Dramatic Mirror.’ In January the big Pavlova ballot was withdrawn trom the New York Hiopodromo show, and tho Annette Kellanmm aquatic spectacle was subs! Rated as the attraction. Tim ‘Dramatic mirror s commentator writes thus of the change : ‘ The setting for the new act i. very picturesque and shows a more or less realistic faLs terminating in a glass-sided fake- Miss KelFrmanu makes her first appearance, dad in a bespangled, midnight o!uo costume,_ and then does one of her siUi.ul slides into tho lighted tank. Then for the next half hour or so she performs all her well known dives that are momc incarnate. At various time she stavs unocr the water for interminable lemThs of time and plucks blossoms from a marine rose hod m- smiD's through, the glass sides ot the. tank. She, and in fact all of her mermaid assistants, can remain submerged almost as long as the. Deutschland ” °