FOOTLIGHT FLASHES

Evening Star, Issue 19764, 14 January 1928, Page 18

FOOTLIGHT FLASHES

[By LOITERER.]

Tho new show called ‘ Tonics,’ presented at tlie matinee this afternoon by Fullers’ Follies, is one of the best this bright company has given us to; date. There arc so many good things in the way of musical sketches, songs, and dances that it is hard to discriminate. Among tho best for laughs is ‘ A Watery Wedding ’ and a. very fine scenn, ‘A Coster’s Wooing.’ _Altogether there arc twenty-six items. Stud Foley, tho chief comedian, assisted by his Jittlo partner Iris, is responsible for a twenty-minute vaudeville offering that is quite new and original. Miss Lulla Fanning, who has become such a favorite, is heard in some very bright numbers of tho syncopated, jazzy type. M‘Donald and Payne are again to the fore with a bright, entertaining offering of Scottish humor. In fact, the whole company is well cast, and the entertainment this afternoon went with a swing from start to finish. Elinor Glyn, novelist, is likely to go into vaudeville in America.

Constance Collier, tho well-known English actress, is appearing in ‘ A Spot in the Sun ’ in New York. ‘ Queen High,’ a new musical comedy, is proving a popular attraction in Melbourne. Air R. Barrett-Lennarcl, well remembered hero in ‘ Katja,’ is tho principal comedian. Williamsons, Ltd., is negotiating with Robert Loraiue, the English actormanager, for a tour of Australia and Now Zealand with Bernard Shaw plays. Madame Emma Calve, prim a donna of grand opera and concert, is visiting America to sing in concert and in vaudeville and to lecture at the leading universities on voice and song. Mile. Jeanne Dovalquc, a young French pianist, is tho diva's accompanist. Auckland will have a feast of musical comedy when the new Opera House (Auckland) is opened by the Fullers at Easter, in throe musical comedies, Miss Elsie Prince and Mr Jimmie Goddon, that matchless team of ‘Mo, JNo, Nanette’ and ‘Lady Be Good/ will make their second tour of tho dominion. ‘ Archie,’ ‘ Sunny,’ and ‘ Mercenary Mary’ will bo tho three productions. Tho music of ‘Sunny’ is already well known and it is a delightful play. ‘ Archie ’ has been very successful in Sydney ami is at present playing an extended season. In Australia ‘ Sunny ' has had rather an interesting history. It was first produced in Sydney by Mr Rnfo Naylor at the Empire, which has become a very successful musical comedy house. It ran most successfully for several months, and then the show was sold lock, stock, and barrel, together with the Australian and New Zealand rights, to tho Fullers.

Miss Diary MacGregor, that engaging young actress who will bo seen with Mr Maurice Moscovitch in ‘ Tho Ringer and ‘The Terror,’ two Edgar Wallace mystery dramas which will open at Wellington on February 1, received her first chance through the medium of repertory. This path to fame has been travelled by many who are at the top of the profession to-day. • Her repertory work was so promising that she was cast as Jill iu Galsworthy’s ‘ Tho Skin Game,’ and ever since she has justified the confidence that .was placed in her. Miss MacGregor’s last appearance in Auckland was in 1 Gappy Ricks,’ a couple of years ago. She gave a delightful characterisation, and she will bo just as welcome on her return as will Miss Eileen Sparkes, Mr Moscovitch, and Mr Nat Madison.

The long-pending action between J. C. Williamson, Ltd., and Hugh JWard Proprietary has been further advanced by a statement filed in court by the plaintiffs, says an. Australian paper. Mr G. B. Westmacott, general manager of J. C. Williamson, Ltd., when interviewed, admitted that the firm had been advised by its Melbourne office that a statement of claim had been filed that day against Hugh J. Ward and H. H. Franzco iu connection with a writ issued some months ago. The amount involved is set down at about £25,000, and is in respect of an alleged infringement of copyright of a play entitled ‘ Hir Lady Friends.’ The infringement is alleged to have taken place in the production of ‘ No, _ No,_ Nanette!' which introduced Elsie Prince, Jimmy Godden, and other artists to the Sydney public. Tho case will bo heard in Melbourne.

A very significant was made recently by Sir Benjamin Fuller, governing director of John Fuller and Son, Limited, the firm which owns a chain of theatres throughout Australia and New Zealand, in saying that ins firm would confine its attention in tho future to musical comedy, revue, and straight dramatic pieces, Sir Benjamin has practically sounded the death-knell of vaudeville as far as Australia and Now Zealand are concerned. It is ail a matter of improving public taste (ho said). If tho public still desired vaudeville entertainments (comments the Wellington ‘Post’), they would pay for them and they would still be presented. But of late years vaudeville lias been slipping more and more into tho background of theatrical lile. It will always have its place, but as a complete form of entertainment it was only a passing phase. It was a sort of relic of the old circus days when funny men made faces between tricks by performing animals and teats of strong men. It”was all very exciting iu tho clays when the theatre catered for only the few, but with tho spread of education and the improved technique of the theatre the taste for this form of entertainment is vanishing. It has a niche in picture theatres, and will probably remain there. It still has its following in England, but tho variety shows there are far removed from vaudeville as we know it in Now Zealand. The leading London variety houses include one-act plays by famous authors on their bills and a certain continuity is preserved in the programme. So it is with revue, but plain straight-out vaudeville, with its wire-walking and atrocious sentimental ballads could never hope for long life. Even in the English provinces largo strings of vaudeville houses have gone over to musical comedy and the legitimate stage. The decision made by tho Fullers may be a good thing theatrically for Australia and New Zealand. The popularity of such a piece as ‘ Rose Marie ’ shows that there is a reaction toward simplicity and beauty—simplicity of story, of course, rather than simplicity of production, for the modern audience likes its plays lavishly mounted. The matchless music and wonderful characterisation in ‘ Lilac Time ’ showed that the public will always pay for the best. With further entertainment of the same class offered for the coming year, it only requires a little more confidence in the staging of some of the dramatic masterpieces of recent years to make a great'improvement in the theatre.

m the people of the Stage and i and on the latest recorded Mask.

‘ The Alarm Clock,’ a comedy, has succeeded . ‘ The Ghost Train ’ in Melbourne.

Alfred Frith, formerly very popular in musical comedy in Australia and New Zealand, is appearing in * The King Can Do No Wrong ’ in New York. Tho piece did not please tho critics. The ‘New York Billboard’ says: “Alfred Frith cannot be blamed for the inicomii relief of his Cockney role.” Edward de Tisne, an Australian (formerly with the Fullers) is also in the cast. Mr P.ercy Hutchinson and his English Comedy Company will visit Australia soon, under the management of Mr E. J. Carroll. ‘ The Spider ’ will be included in the repertoire.

In ‘The Ringer,’ the startling Edgar Wallace mystery drama coming to Dunedin on April 4, Moscovitch, one of the most impressive dramatic actors who lias ever visited New Zealand, will play tho important part of Maurice Mcister, solicitor, cpxite a strange one in many respects as played by Moscovitch. Mr Moscovitch has splendid opportunity for keeping the public guessing and excited in this creation of the fertile brain ol Edgar Wallace, the man whose West African stories of Bosambo are no less interesting than his tales of Scotland Yard. The ‘ Rose Mario ’ tour lias been amended. The company will hold the boards at Auckland until January 14, thea it will commence the North Island provincial tour, the itinerary of which has been slightly amended. ‘Rose Marie’ will go straight on to Wanganui (January 16 and 17), and Hawera is now included, and will he played on January IS. Then follow Now Plymouth (January I!) and 20), Palmerston North (January 21 and 23), Napier (January 24 and 25), and Hastings (January 26), the Wellington season opening on Friday, January 27 and terminating on February 18, The Christchurch season extends from February 20 to March 3, Timaru March 3 and 0, Oamaru March 7, Invercargill March S and 9, and Dunedin March 10 to 21.

Music-lovers are indebted to Mr E. J. Carroll, the well-known theatrical and concert manager, for the privilege of hearing some of the world’s greatest artists, including the Sistino Ghoir, tho Don Cossack Ghoir, Kreislcr, Edna Thomas, etc.; and now this enterprising Australian cables that he has engaged the brilliant Viennese violinist, Miss Erica Morini, to give a brief number of recitals in the capital cities of Australia and New Zealand, commencing in Sydney. Miss Morini’s rise to fame lias been meteoric. Her genius was recognised iu tho art centres of Europe before she was out of her teens, and now she has established a reputation beside that of Kreisler and Heifetz. Mr Carroll is confident that she will justify that reputation and his. judgment in Australia and New Zealand. Elsie Prince, who endeared herself to New Zealand audiences, is looking forward to visiting the dominion again in ‘ Archie,’ to be presented shortly by Sir Benjamin and Mr John Fuller. One thing, her role of Billy Cobb in 1 Archie ’ gives her more opportunities than the parts she has already played over here. “ Entirely different,” she says, “ is the role of Billy Cobb from the roles I have had in other productions. Further, in my time I have played a very wide range of parts. Tlicre is always a lot to learn when you turn into somebody else. A character that 1 loved doing was a dear old woman of eighty without any teeth. I have been all kinds of wives., »My greatest success in this respect was a horrid-looking,, worrying wife, for ever getting on her husband’s nerves. Really I love to be ugly because of the comedy possibilities in such roles. The quickest changes 1 have had to make were iu a London revue. From a grotesque-looking housewife I became in two minutes a young society girl in evening dress. Then—while an artist was giving a little dance—l followed this with a transformation to Cupid. My Dickens characters include Little Nell and Poor Joe. I have played numerous child parts. The first of these was undertaken when I was eight years old.” ’Archie’ abounds in comedy. First in providing this will be Jimmy Godden in the role of Archie Cobb. Helen and Frank will be the star dancers, with supplementary dances by other individual members of the company, and a variety of novel and picturesque ballets.