FOOTLIGHT FLASHES

Evening Star, Issue 20316, 26 October 1929, Page 22

FOOTLIGHT FLASHES

[By LOITERER.]

Some slight changes have been made In the dates of the. New Zealand tour of ‘The Desert - Song,’ the melodious and spectaoular musical play > 'which opens at Dunedin to-night. This is due to the fact'that the company will have to appear in Australia at an earlier date than was at first anticipated. The new dates which have .now : been definitely arranged, are as under edin, October 26 to November 2 r Invercargill,' November 4 and 5 ; Timaru, November 6; Dannevirke, November 8; Napier, November 9 and IT» Hastings, November: 12; Wanganui, November 13; New Plymouth, November 14 r Palmerston North, November 15 and 16; Hamilton, : November 18 and 19; Auckland, November 20 to December 5, the company leaving immediately after for Australia. , Nicola, ~;one of the finest of the Sorld’s magicians, revisits Dunedin on ovember 9, after an absence of some five years', during which he has improved ana added to his repertoire, until the entertainment he offers has reached the very pinnacle of ingenuity. Nicola opens at His Majesty’s Theatre hv special arrangement with Sir Beniamin and Mr John Fuller, and these theatrical magnates present this season ©f mystery and illusion to the public ©f Dunedin with the assurance that Nicola is the most versatile wizard known in any country. Magic, transformation, illusion, sorcery, scientific problems, and startling feats form the basis of Nicola’s show, .m which he is assisted by attractive young ladies and variety artists. This short season at His Majesty’s Theatre is an opportunity that will not occur again for many years, as Nicola leaves New Zealand at the end of next month for Sydney, thence to India. . . • i On November 24. Fullers’ musical comedies are being reintroduced into New Zealand by a company headed by the celebrated English comedian, Freddy Forbes. The. company will reyiye interest in such outstanding suecesses as 1 The O’Brien Girl,; ‘Nelly Kelly,’ ‘Six Cylinder Love, Baby Cyclone, 1 ’ ‘ Lido Lady,’ and other popular:imusica! comedies,- December w■will see the opening of the company in Christchurch. , Vaudeville lovers will no doubt welcome th'e news that the current vaudeville and revue production at the 1 rmcess Theatre is to be retained till Monday, evening. This latest Fuller offering has drawn large audiences to this old-time abode of revue companies, and its success has, warranted the manager presenting two sessions on Labour Day. A complete change of fare •will be Served up at the. afternoon performance. and repeated; in the evening. The following are the 1 details of the New eajland tour of the world-famous war drama, ‘Journeys ®nd) land, October 30 to November 9; Hamilton, November ■ 11;. Wellington November 13 to 21; Christchurch, November 23: to 30; Timaru. December 2; Dunedin, December 3to 7; Masterton, December 10; Dannevirke December 11; Hastings. December 12; Napier, December 13; Palmerston North, December 14; Wanganui, December 16; Hawerh, December 17; New Plymouth, D ThSeath, after a painful illness of Malcolm Scott, removes yet another from tbe rapidly-thinning,yanks of the music-hall comedians of a couple of de“des Ip. Mark Sheridan Little-Tich, T George Formßy, and Chirgwjn have gone comparatively recentlvT Newcomers are not coming along to take their place (says the ‘Evening Standard’), because pubhc taste ;is changing,- and there is little demarid for them. Syncopated songs and high-speed dancing,; are clamoured for to-day • Malcolm Scott was essentially a grotesque. His female impersonatidms were immensely funny without being in the least offensive, and, a most eccentric person himseu, he had a keen sense of character. Best of all will he be remembered as Catharine Parr " the last wife ot Henry VIII.,” he explained. “ The very last. I saw ,'to that It was in Cheapside that I' first met Henry with the V. and the three ones—or was it Eastcheapr Anyway, it was somewhere cheap. Not the subtlest of humour, perhaps. But it was all jolly and English, and it, will, be missed.. He called his house, by. the, way, “ Malcolm Scottage.” ...

people of the Stage and Sereca and on the latest recorded Mask.

A young Australian girl, Miss Gwyneth Lasoelles, has made .a meteoric rise to musical odmedy ; eminence. Less than two years ago Misjjfenscelles won the J. 0. Williamson sonolarship for singing and general stage ability. Then came a year’s free tuition under Mr Andrew M'Cunn in singing and Mr George A. Highland in stage work. Now the young lady is playing Magnolia, the leading role in the spectacular musical play v Show Boat.’ According to Melbourne critics, her work has been outstanding and far above the level of that generally attained by young theatrical “ finds.” ‘ Show Boat ’ will move to Sydney soon, and. notwithstanding the fact that transport expenses are likely to be exceptionally large, a New, Zealand tour is scheduled to follow next year. The legitimate stage is declaring war on the talkies in New Zealand (says Christchurch ‘ Sun ’). Fullers announce that a strong now musical comedy company, headed by two English stars. Freddie Forbes and Aster Faire, will tour the dominion playing a long repertoire of musical comedies. The admission prices will bo only Ss 3 2s ? and Is, the etiarges that are normally made for revue. The company will open its New Zealand tour in Christchurch at the New Opera House on Saturday, November 3, with a production of.the musical play ‘Lido Lady.’ The repertoire of the company is a long one, as follows: ‘Lido Lady,’ ‘Sunny,’ ‘Archie,’ ‘Lady, Be Good,’ ‘Mercenary Mary.’ ‘Rise of Rosie O’Reilly,' ‘ Nelly Kelly,’ ‘ Billy,’ ‘ Tons of Money,’ ' Jessie James,’ ‘ Betty Lee,’ and ‘ Battling Butler.’ The cast will be headed by Freddie. Forbes, who recently arrived from England, together with Aster Faire and the Arnley Brothers, specialty step dancers. Players previously here with the Prince-Godden company are Len Rich, Betty Lambert, Elsie Parkes, and Jack Phillips. A new addition is that of the Big Four, a fine vocal quartet (Webber, O’Keefe, Wignail, and Perrin). At such remarkably low prices the season of - musical comedy, which will extend for some weeks, should be most popular. Big houses are anticipated, md, indeed, these will be necessarv to make such an ambitious venture pay. In this counter-move to the talkies Fullers claim that personality is lost on the talking screen, and that the human being, living and breathing before his audience and with a voice that does not sound as though it comes through a megaphone, reaches the people as no one can hope to reach them through the medium of a flat screen. The opening production, ‘ Lido Lady,* is a complete departure from the jazz and rattle of the modern American comedies. Although its story is laid in Venice, it has the refreshing atmosphere of English musical comedy. The musical numbers include ‘You’re on the Lido Now,’ ‘ Lido Lady,’ ‘My Heart Stood Still,’ ‘ Blue Night,’ ‘ Atlantic Blues,’ and ‘ What’s the Use?’

It is said that the comedy irork of Aufred Frith, Gus Bluett, and Cecil Kelloway in ‘ The Five O’clock Girl ’ is about the-finest bit of .fooling ever seen on the Australian stage. Alfred Frith plays the part of Hudgins, who is valet to General Brooks (William Vnlentile), Gus Bluett is Oswald, and Cecil Kelloway if. Roy**. :-This' renfiirkable trio of fun-makers lias ample scope in this most amusing musical comedy and in ‘Wohen, Pah’. (Albert Frith), ‘Love Is a Terrible Thing’ (Cecil Kelloway and Gus Bluett), ‘Following in Our Father’s Footsteps ’ (by the same pair), and ‘I Lift Up My Finger’ (Alfred Frith), they are said to be seen and heard at their very best. This fastmoving and beautifully stjiged musical comedy is coming to New Zea land later on in the year, and will probably be J. C. Williamson’s Christmas at-, traction. If Leo Carrillo, the famous American star, appearing in Lom- ; bardi, Ltd.,’ and Frederick Bentley, the note London comedian, come to New Zealand later on. theatregoers will see five o fthe most talented comedians who have ever graced the stage in any part of the world. ■ _ . The polished actor Charles M. Unllard, remembered for his recent performances in. Australia, has lately been nlaving the country gentleman Huicrist in a revival of 1 The Skin Game in London.

Mary Gascon, the second of Sybil Thorndike’s clever daughters, is taking the part of Margaret in ‘ Dear Bx-utus ’ (acted in the first production in October, 1917, by Faith Celli), which Sir Gerald du Maurier is to revive at the Playhouse Theatre, in London. Sir Gerald will play Mr Dearth, and other engagements are Dorothy Black as Mrs Dearth, Grace Wilson as Joanna Trout, Norman Forbes, the • only other member of the original company, as Mr Coade. Dame May Whitty as Mrs Coade', Eric Cowley and Gladys Faber as Mr and Mrs Purdie. Ambrose Manning as tfye butler, and D. Hay Petrie in the part of the Puck-like Lob. Stella Power, the Australian singer, who toured New Zealand a Tew years ago, is one of the principals in the revue ‘ Almanac ’ in New York. Frank O’Brien’s Revue Company, lately in New Zealand, is having a remarkably successful run at the Melbourne Bijou Theatre. Allan Wilkie has opened in Sydney with ‘The School for Scandal.’ His last Sydney season ran for / several months.

Wee. Georgie Wood heads an English gantomirae company which is touring anada with J Mother Goose ’ and ‘ Humpty Dumpty.’ Recently the Stan Foley Revue Company played a season at Broken Hill, in Australia, and made such a big impression there that a return season was arranged, A slight loss was made on ‘ The Pirates of Penzance ’ by the Wanganui Operatic Society. “We have hardly paid expenses,” said Mr M. Cohen, president, at the farewell performance, “ but we don’t mind, because it is good to suffer in a good cause. We are not far behind, and we rely on you, dear and fickle public.” George M. Cohan has written a revue that contains bits of every musical comedy he has been responsible for during the past ten years. ‘ Little Nellie Kelly,’ ‘The O’Brien Girl,’ ‘Tangerine,’ and other pieces are thus revived.

Romola Hansen, the charming Australian girl, who plays the leading feminine role, that of Margot, in tho big J. C. Williamson musical production, ‘ The Desert Song,’ has certainly made herself very popular with New Zealand theatregoers. She has a most appealing personality, sings beautifully, and acts with verve and attractive realism. The part of Margot is no light one to portray, but in every respect Miss Hansen fills the character most ably. Her vocal efforts are also highly pleasing. One of her best contributions is ‘ French Marching Song ’ with a rousing chorus hy ladies and gentlemen. Another _is ‘ Romance,’ with a chorus of ladies; ‘ Then You Will Know.’ with Lance Fairfax; ‘I Want To Kiss,’ with'Lance Fairfax and Sidney Burchall; ‘The Sabre Cong,’ and the beautiful e Desert Song, the latter being perhaps the gem of the evening. Both on and off the stage Romola Hansen has proved herself to be one of the most attractive and charming girls who has ever appeared under the <J. C. Williamson banner. That, she will go far in the profession she has chosen is a surety. ' The London Savoy Theatre* now in course of .reconstruction, will reopen with Gilbert and Sullivan this month. Derek Oldham and Winnie Melville will play the leading parts. The best acting on the London stage just now (says the ‘ Daily Mail ) is coming from two actresses whose combined ages total 129 years—Mrs Patrick Campbell and Miss Mane Tempest. Mrs Campbell in ‘ The Matriarch, at tho Royal Theatre, and Miss Tempest in ‘The Second Mrs Fraser’ at the Haymarket, are giving performances which, in point of instinctive cleverness, are miles ahead of anything on the West End stage. A comedian who has gained a big reputation in London and has lived U P to it in Australia and New Zealand will be seen in action at His Majesty s Theatre to-night when the spectacular musical play ‘The Desert Song will open its Dunedin season. Ims is Mr Herbert Mundin, a gentleman who, according to report, fairly revels in a “ fat ” comedy part. Another newcomer in this J. C. Williamson production is Miss Sonya Rosova, a particularly talented dancer.