STAGE FOLK

Evening Star, Issue 21090, 30 April 1932, Page 6

STAGE FOLK

As a result of the immense success of its previous season in Auckland, the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company, sponsored by J. C. Williamson Ltd., by arrangement with R. D’Oyley Carte, played a return season at His Majesty’s Theatre. The season commenced on Tuesday evening with ‘ Dorothy,’ a comic opera in three acts by Alfred Collier and H. C. Stephenson. All the old Savoy favourites are being presented again.

‘Waltzes from Vicuna,’ a spectacular musical play, which is one of the big hits in London, is to bo produced in Australia shortly bv J. C. Williamson Ltd.

‘ Lovely Lady,’ a now musical comedy, ran only four niglits in London. Barry Lupino had the principal comedy role.

The new Ben Travers play for the Aldwych is to bo called ‘Dirty Work.’ Ralph Lynn, Mary Brough, Robertson Hare, George Barrett, and other regular members of the company will appear, but Constance Carpenter will take the place of Winifred Shotter as the “ heroine.” There is no part written for Tom Walls, as he has sailed for the West Indies to recuperate after his illness. The news that the famous soprano, Galli-Curci, is coming to New Zealand under the J. and N. Tait regime, has caused a stir in dominion musical circles. She will open the New Zealand tour at Auckland on Thursday, July 7, and the season will be a short one, for after appearing in the four dominion centres this most famous of singers will depart to fulfil important engagements in London, Paris, New York, and other centres.

Several of the new productions that have proved successes in London have been secured by the J. C. Williamson management, and will in due course be presented- to New Zealand audiences. One of these is the outstanding play, ‘The Barrets of Wimpole Street,’ which has just concluded a season of over a year in London, and has been drawing packed and enthusiastic audiences in Australia. The date of the New Zealand opening has not yet been fixed.

The visit to Australia of Madge Elliott and Cyril Ritchard, who are now appearing in ‘Blue Roses,’ at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Sydney, is to be a brief one, as they are due back in London in July to appear under Leslie Henson’s management. After Sydney seasons will be entered upon in Brisbane, Adelaide, and Melbourne, and efforts are being made to include New Zealand in the tour.

The season of the J. C. Williamson Ltd.' Imperial Grand Opera Company opened at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Sydney, on Satinday night, April 9, under the most auspicious circumstances, with a gala performance of ‘ Aida.’ There was a brilliant and enthusiastic audience that filled every part of the theatre, and the opinion was general that the company was one of the best that had ever appeared in Australia, The principals included Anna Surani as Aida, Bruna, Castagna as Amneris, Pedro Mirassou as Radames, Apollo Grandforte as Amonasro, Albino Marone as Ramphis, Michele Fiore as the King of Egypt. The conductor, Emilio Rossi who was last in Australia with the J.C. Williamson Ltd. Grand Opera Company in 1928, was again most successful. The first week’s repertoire comprised ‘ Aida,’ ‘ Lucia,’ and La Boheme.’

Miss Nellie Bramley and her famous comedy company are playing an extended season at the Palace Theatre, Melbourne, with a change of play every week. Miss Bramley is receiving a warm welcome back to the Palace by numerous admirers, for it was there that Nellie made her early stage successes in the drama. It is of interest to know that more than one of the present company was associated with her in those days—Austen Milroy one of them. 1 Eliza Comes to Stay ’ has been presented, and was followed by ‘She, Couldn’t Say No,’ described as “ the comedy hit of the year.” In this production Nellie Bramley is seen as a lady lawyer.

The latest success of the legitimate stage in New York is a play called ‘ Whistling in the Dark,’ which is packing the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. This queerly-named play is a combination of comedy and drama, with the element; of mystery and a love interest cleverly interwoven. One of the reasons tor its success is that in ‘ Whistling in the Dark ’ it is always the unexpected that happens, anjl the audience is kept guessing all the time. As a New York newspaper critic described it, “ it is refreshing, stimulating, entertainment.” ‘ Whistling in the Dark ’ is the new J. C. Williamson Ltd. attraction at the King’s Theatre, Melbourne, where it was presented by a newly-organised company, including John Junior and Stapleton Kent (of ‘Turn to the Right ’ fame), opening on April 23.

News from Australia announces that Dame Sybil Thorndike and her company will open a season in Melbourne with G. B. Shaw’s masterpiece, ‘ St. Joan,’ which will also be played during the New Zealand tour. It is also learned that the premiere’s husband, Mr Lewis Casson, will produce the plays, that a selected company of twenty will accompany Dame Thorndike on her tour, and this is welcome news, assuring a fully representative cast for the productions, and not a one-star company with one artist overshadowing the show, while important parts are recruited from what local talent is available. Sybil Thorndike would be the last to mar artistic production in that way, and is a great artiste who realises the importance of the other principal and minor characters playing up to her in order to draw out her finest portrayals. Although it was as the Maid of Orleans that the dame created her _ latest furore in Shaw’s play, the critics have always acclaimed her Lady Macbeth as her greatest triumph, in which she caused a sensation by proving that Shakespeare can still be made thrilling, popular, and profitable in England, and if we can have the privilege of witnessing tiic same performance here, with ‘ St. Joan ’ as a striking contrast, it will mean another of the too scanty milestones in our experience of real drama.

It is of interest to recall the success which attended the first presentation in Dunedin of “ The Arcadians,” in 1911, when a record season, resulting m a memorable revival three years later, was the fitting introduction to Dunedin theatregoers of iluA musical comedy. The outstanding performance or that production was that of the now famous

Tom Walls, of tho English talkies, who appeared as Peter Doody (the jockey) and literally “ brought the house down ’’ with his featured number, 1 I’ve Got a Motto, Always Merry and Bright.’ The Dunedin Operatic Society anticipates success eclipsing that attained with ‘ A Country Girl ’ when its production of ‘ The Arcadians ’ is staged at the end of May, and, on a comparison of the two musical comedies, the society can have every confidence of so doing.

“It is most gratifying to us to realise that of late there has been a most marked and growing revival of interest in theatrical productions and musical attractions, and it would appear that once again the legitimate is coming into its own,” said Mr J. N. Tait, in a recent interview. “ Faced with the competition of talking pictures, tho standard of stage productions in London has been raised considerably during recent years, and the result has been that the public lias shown its approval in the usual way—by patronising the stage productions with almost the same liberality as it did in the past. This revival of interest is not a mere passing phase in the emotions of the public; the preference has come gradually, but surely, and that encourages us to think that it has come to stay. And New Zealand audiences are to benefit from that encouraging sign. Already we have arranged for some of tho most favourite artists in the world to come to the dominion. First to appear before your audiences will bo Moiseiwitscli, the famous pianist, who, critics declare, is now playing with even a greater appeal than ever before. Moiseiwitscli will open bis New Zealand tour at Wellington on Thursday. May, 19, and this time we have succeeded in engaging this celebrated artist for an extensive itinerary that includes the _ provincial towns as well as the cities. The world’s most celebrated soprano, the great Galli-Curci, is also coming to New Zealand, and will open her necessarily short season in July. _ Another big attraction will be the visit to the dominion of Dame Sybil Thorndike, with her specially selected Loudon company of dramatic artists; and the grand opera, season will open here about September.”-