THE STAGE

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 176, 29 June 1925, Page 10

THE STAGE

Miss Rosa Alba has apparently established herself e-.i a good footing at Home, for in a recent issue of the Daily Telegraph there was a list of 18 engagements between March and May at which this talented soprano was to appear. The list includes performances of “Elijah,” “Tale of Old Japan,” “Mossiah,” “Acis and Galatea” and “Princess of Kensington,” and the halls include Queen’s Hall, Crystal Palace, Alexandra Palace, the Palladium, and the Kingswny. Miss Alba, whose husband is a clergyman, came over from. Australia to Wellington three years ago to sing in the Choral Society’s presentation of “Judas Maccabeus.”

Tbe sixth company of vaudeville to be seen hero shortly and presented to Dominion theatre-goers ( by the N.Z. Entertainers, Ltd., by arrangement with J. C. Williamson, Ltd., is headed by the Chinese marvel, Long Tack Sam, who is supported by an entirely new company of twelve Oriental stars, in his act. Besides Long Tuck Sam’s performance there are included in. the company: —The Novello Bros., a pair of French musical acrobatic clowns; Arthur Mayes, basso eantuntu; Chris Churl toil, the royal illusionist; Errol Addison and Gertrude Mitrenga, speciality and classical dancers, and Moran and Wiser, billed as hilarious hat spinners in a skit “All-in-Fun.” All these acts are selected from tho cream of tbe world’s vaudeville appearing in J. C. Williamson Sydney und Melbourne theatres.

Sydney recently had plenty ot chance of seeing a moving picture in tho making. Beaumont Smith photographed a good number of bis “Prehistoric Hayseeds” scenes in public. Cavemen men and cavewomen 'seemed to spring from nowhere, so did tbe crowds which immediately surrounded them. The other day people were placidly going about their own business, when the sudden stopping of a outturned them into a mass of excitement and curiosity. From the car stepped the stone age survivors. Along the sunny road they walked, wearing the skins of wild animals and expressions of amazement and curiosity at meeting Sydney. Hector St. Clair was one of them ; Lotus Thomson another. And the prehistoric people wore “doing the sights” under the guidance of J. P. O’Neill in the garb of Dad Hayseed.

When the recent civil war broke outin China, Ming, one of the wizards of entertainment in the country, was called upon to serve with the army. This is the reason why he did not complete the tuition of Oliang Selin un Chin a member of tie new Long Tack Sam Company, appearing here shortly. The young entertainer was thrown on the streets,' as he could not practice as an entertainer until released from his articles. Long Tack Sam found him in this state, and as his articles were through barring a few months further tuition, _ which Long was willing to give him, he signed him up to tour Australia and New Zealand.

Maurice Moseovitoh, who appears here next month, made a deep impression in Melbourne as Shylock, the critics dwelling upon his great powei, and the fact that the actor, long associated with the Yiddish theatres in many lands, presents from the inside the ‘real Jew. According to the Argus, the Moscovitch Shylock is a valuable and gesticulativo trafficker, eloquent with eyes, face and hands, as well as with tongue. If ferocious glances could kill, his enemies would die very early. There is great acting in the court'scene, especially in the sudden change from towering hope to a realisation of ruin. There was excellent support, Miss Jean Robertson winning great praise us Portia for “elocutionary ability” as well as grace and charm of appearance.

A new member will be included in the Long Tack Sam Company this time, but he will not figure on the programme. He is Master Crank Xavier Tack Sam, and is now, about nine months old, being born in Chinu, during the lighting. Mrs Long was born in Vienna, where her parents had a very large store. AVhile . purrhasing magical material lor bis act, tlie Chinese entertainer caught sight of this pretty girl manipulating the cash register. That was the end ol Long Tuck Sam’s peace of mind. He kept on buying and soon got to the stage of dropping into the departmental store many times a day. That happened seventeen years ago, and happiness still marks the alliance.

July 4 will see the final performance of “The Lady of the Rose’ (lnusic by Jean Gilbert) in Sydney. Gladys Muncrieff and the rest of the company will then move to Her Majesty’s for the opening on July 1 of “The Street Singer,” a musical play with book and libretto by Ciideiick Lonsdale (author of “Aren’t We All:-”) and music by Harold I'raser-Sinisun, composer of “The Maid of the Mountains.” “The Street Sino-er,” when the last English mail arrived, was in ita last weeks at the Lyric. Phyllis Dare, one of the most celebrated of London’s musical comedy stars, was Yvette, a Countess who disguises herself as a street singer in order to help along a struggling artist. Phyllis Dare, who was also the creator of Mariana, tho leadifig role in “The Lady of the Rose,” at Daly’s, was essentially a musical comedy actress in the days gone by—she had manygreat successes, and all principal roles, including Gonda van der Loo in “The Girl in the Train,” Eileen Kavanagh in “The Arcadians,” Deila Dale in “Tho Sunshine Girl,” “Peggy” and “Tina” (the name parts), Dora Manners in “The Gill from Utah” (Williamson’s have the last two in cold storage) and Georgette St. Pol in “Kissing Time.” Phyllis Pare—her sister Zen a was well known on the West End stage before 1911 when she married Hon. Maurice Brett, Viscount Esher’s second son—is still an “institution” in but is now a delineator of more serious roles —musical plays, not musical comedies.

“Frasquita,” by Franz Lehar, who made himself immortal in the light comic opera world by “The Merry Widow,” “Gipsy Love” and “The Count of Luxembourg,” is another plum in pickle ior Gladys Moncrieff. There was a whisper that London’s idol, Jose Collins, was coming out for it, but Joso is so well settled in her four-room suite at the Gaiety Theatre that she merely blows a kiss Australia-wards and says: “Pas encore!” A recent English paper of note stated that apart from the music, “Frasquita” was a pomvehicle for Joso Collins to return to the London stage in. And even the music was not up to tho usual Lehar standard. “The Merry Widow” music is sensuous and melodious; that of “Gipsy Love” and “The Count of Luxembourg” tuneful and alluring in the extrema.