STAGE FOLK

Evening Star, Issue 22631, 24 April 1937, Page 6

STAGE FOLK

A few notes on two of the leading ballerinas of tbo Monte Carlo Russian Ballet, whoso Dunedin season was inaugurated to-day; “ Valentine Blinova,” says a well-known London critic, “ has pc-rlrtips the most beautiful line to be seen in contemporary dancing, and her adagio with her partner is a thing of remarkable beauty.” She was trained in the school of Madame Egorova. She became the first ballerina of Colonel de Basil’s Company, appearing with extraordinary success in Monte Carlo. After an interval of other work, she became ballerina with the company, dancing every role in the classical repertoire and creating many others. Another . accomplished dancer, Helene Kirsova, is a Dane, and a compatriot of Adeline Genoe. Together with Russia, .Denmark has the greatest ballet tradition, and Kirsova is essentially a dancer of magnificent schooling, light yet strong and precise in movement. The author of ‘ Balletomania ’ says of her,: “ She is flawless in technique, with a back of finely-tempered steel.” Kirsova is one of the most travelled members of the company. She is a great favourite with the London public. She will be seen in many of Fokino’s ballets, and has recently won the approval of the master himself.

A feature of the Coronation celebrations in Melbourne will be a State gala performance of ‘ Merrie England-,’ to bo given by J. C. Williamson Ltd. in conjunction with the Government of Victoria, at His Majesty’s Theatre on Monday evening, May 10. This will be attended by the Governor (Lord Huntingfield), the members of the State Cabinet, and other prominent people. It is interesting to note in the cast of ‘ Merrie England,’ as produced in London at the Princes Theatre, the names of several artists, who are well known to Australian and New Zealand audiences. Amongst the most prominent of these are Joseph Hislop, .the tenor, who made a .concert tour under the J. and N. Tait management, and whose role,was that of Sir Walter Raleigh; and W. S. Percy, the Australian comedian, who played the principal comedy role of Walter Wilkins.

Surely Benno Moiseiwitsch the worldrenowned pianist, must hold the record for being the most travelled musical celebrity in the world to-day! Since his initial tour, this favourite pianist has made 12 tours of the United States, and in London has given countless recitals. He has paid three visits to South America, has toured_ China and Japan four times, has visited Java and Manila three times, and has played in South Africa, Burma, India, Siam, and other countries in the East. He has given recitals in every country of Europe. Shortly he will commence his fifth tour of Australia and New Zealand under the J. and N. Tait management, in Perth, on May 6. His season in Melbourne will ’commence at the Town Hall on Saturday night, June 5., The lovely ‘ Merry Widow,’ which will be one of the Williamson attractions next month, when Gladys Moncrieff will be presented in New Zealand under the firm’s banner, has been played in 24 languages. At one time there were simultaneous productions in 13 different languages. Miss Moncrieff’s perfect handling of the role of Sonia has been delighting Australian audiencestfdr rhonth^. 1 ■ - Other. operettas to be produced during the coming tour include ‘ Maid of * the Mountains,’ ‘ Southern Maid,’ and ‘ Katja the Dancer.’

The season of J. C. Williamson Ltd.’s Gilbert and Sullivan Ojaera , Company, which finished at His Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne, ' last week, marked an achievement that has not been excelled by any previous company in Australia. The company has been touring for exactly two years, and it has put up the unique record of three seasons in Melbourne during this period. Two seasons were given in Sydney, two in Adelaide,-two in Brisbane, one in Perth, and two in New Zealand. Of the operas, ‘ The Mikado ’ heads the list with 140 performances, ‘ Tho Gondoliers ’ following with 128, ‘ The Yeomen of the Guard ’ 96, ‘ The Pirates of Penzance and ‘Trial By Jury’ 74, ‘ lolanthe 73, ‘ H.M.S. Pinafore ’ 57, ‘ Princess Ida ’ 26, ‘ Patience ’ 26.

A notable American company, the Marcus Show, now playing in Auckland, is to open its Dunedin season at His Majesty’s Theatre late in June. This company has always been noted for spectacle, and this is emphasised by the fact that there are nearly 100 performers, including acrobats, comedians, comediennes, European knife throwers from the Folies Bergere, ball room dancers, adagio dancers, balladists, and prima donnas, clever instrumentalists, and a ballet of 30 beautiful American girls, many of . whom have appeared in Samuel Goldwyn’s musical productions. The Marcus Show has 22 principals and a chorus of 25. The company repertoire comprises three separate revues, ‘ La Vie Paris,’ ‘ Fantasies de I’Orient,’ and ‘ Revue Continental.’ In each of these there are more than 30 spectacular scenes. In ‘La Vie Paris,’ with which the season will open, the colourful scenes include ‘ Maid of Silver,’ in which numbers of exceedingly beautiful girls appear robed in thousands of yards of silver-encrusted draperies, each symbolising one of the precious metals of the earth. Another vivid setting is entitled ‘ Under the Andalusian Moon,’ in which the noted singer, Senorita Sofia Alvarez appears in addition to the dancing Berbays, who perform the dazzling * Danzen de. Passion.’