STAGELAND

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 23, 26 December 1925, Page 4

STAGELAND

(By “Jack Point.”) The Guy Bates Post season commences in Auckland this evening. “Tho Masquerader,” a dramatisation of the well-known book, “John Cbilcote, M.P.,” is the opening production, to be followed by “The Green Goddess” and “The Bad Man.” The advance agent for the American actor’s company, which will appear in Palmerston North in January, is Miss Madeline Clarke.

Goorge Gee, the popular comedian recently hero with “Kid Boots,” is “headlining” Williamson’s “So-and-So’s,” a new costume comedy company at Adelaide. To Nellie Payne, always popular in New Zealand, has been forwarded a

handsomo greenstone mere as a wedding gift. It has already been mentioned that she is to marry a wealthy Now South Wales pastoralist. Miss Payne was last in Palmerston North in “The Merry Widow” and “A Southern Maid.” She has been seen in numerous roles, but the two that showed most what she was capable of were the New Zealand productions of “Kissing Time,” in which sho played

Gladys Moncrieff’s old role and shared stellar honours with Madge Elliott, and “The Boy,” playing Maud Fane’s old part and sharing stardom with Sheila Gale, a colourless English importation who came to New Zealand as understudy to Gladys Moncrieff with “The Maid of tho Mountains” company. Nell Payne, though a delightful dancer, good actress and possessing much charm, has always been handicapped owing to her lack of a good singing voice. As everyone who has seen her knows, she half talks, halt sings her numbers, and does it rather effectively too. Recently it was cabled that Kitty Reidy, tho Australian actress, would

become tho leading lady (Nina) in “Wildflower” at the London Gaiety at Christmas. Which means that Oscar Asche’s musical play, “The Good Old Days,” has been a failure; musical comedies considered successful in London run for at least a year. New Zealand has not seen Kitty Reidy. In the last few years sho went on at various times for Gladys Moncrieff as Sonia in revivals of “Tho Merry Widow,” was principal girl of a Williamson pantomime; and recently she appeared in the Melbourne season of the revue “Snap.” When over a year ago Miss Reidy was starring in the Williamson musical comedy, “Whirled

into Happiness,” sho broke her con- . tract at a moment’s notice because she discovered she wasn’t cast for a forthcoming production. And Williamsons said they would never have her back. It is a triumph for Miss Reidy. The Gaiety, in London is the most famous musical comedy house in the world. . , Violet Vanbrugh is writing her reminiscences under tlie title of Dare to be Wise.” It is a good many years' now since tho V anbrugh sisters shocked some people by adapting stage careers. They were the daughters of Prebendary Barnes, of Exeter, and their ' going on the stage was a direct breach of the narrow society conventions of the day. Her daughter Prudence is also an actress. Irene Vanbrugh and her husband Dion Boucicault were hero in Lonsdale s Aren t We All—?” , , I<T . Franz Leliar, the composer of lhe

Merry Widow,” “Gipsy Love and “Tho Count of Luxembourg,” probably his three best efforts, at least the most tuneful, recently conducted the first public performance of his new operetta (his 25th) “Paganini. _ plot deals with the love affairs of Nicolo Paganini, tho famous violinist and Napoleon’s sister, tho Princess ot Lucca and Piombo. Leo Fall, composer of The Dollar Princess,” “Tho Girl in the Tram, etc., was, like Franz Leliar (a more melodious composer), tho son ot a military bandmaster. Tho two boys sat together at the same desk in a nnlitaiy musical school. Leliar became a bandmaster, but Fall, who died recently in Vienna, began his career as a plan-, ist in a Berlin cabaret. He composed many waltz melodies. Ho once stated that ho had written one waltz in two minutes. Herr Fall’s greatest themo camo, he declared, in “a flash or harmonic vision,” between bites ot a sausage, and ho wrote down the music on the table. Ho was reputed to have received about £IOO,OOO each from las

I most successful compositions. Marie Narelle, a favourite Australian soprano of other years, is back in Svdnev giving recitals. In support are Alexander Hmeltnitsky, a Russian pianist, and Lusi Lstin, a Russian C °Dame Nellie Melba will make her farewell appearance in “La Bolieine during the summer season at Lovent Garden, London. Chaliapin (the Russian basso, who is to visit Australia), will also return, appearing as Meplnstopheles, for the first time in London, in Boito’s opera, “Mefistofele. The great passion for collecting photographs, picture postcard - and otherwise, of stage favourites, which was at its height from 15 to 20 years

ago, has not died entirely. It seems that interest in such collections is reviving. and private picture galleries of well-known actresses and actors aro again being gathered together by many persons in London. What beauties they wero in tho days when the picture card introduced one to Gertie Miller as Frantzi in “A 'Waltz Dream,” Lily Elsie as Sonia in “The Merry Widow,” Edna May in “Tho Bello of New York,” or Isabel Jay as Sally Hook in “Miss Hook of Holland.” Then there were Phyllis and Zona Dare, Mario Studholme, Mabel Love, Doris Stocker, Olivo Morrel and others; all at tho height of their fame. Phyllis Dare is the only one of the jireceding list who still appears before the footlights. Gertie Miller, the equally famous Gaiety actress, is the Countess of Dudley and Zona Dare is the Honourable Mrs Maurice Brett, wife of the second son of the Viscount

Esher. Harry Williams, who plays the juvenile lead in the musical comedy “Leave it to Jane” in Sydney, was promoted from the chorus. It was thought that “Jane” would bo an Auckland Christmas attraction, but Maudo Fane is too big’ a draw in Sydney. The romance of Doris Keano, who for eight years in London played the leading role in the play “Romance,” has been shattered. Just back in America from abroad, sho revealed tho fact that she hnd obtained a divorce in Paris from Basil Sydney, handsome English actor, who long rnado stage love to her. Miss Keano would not discuss the reasons for tho divorce. “Romance is one of the eternal things; it must never die,” sho said. Connie Ediss, out hero some years ngo with Williamson musical comedies “So Long Letty,” "Canary Cottage,” “To-night’s the Night”—is touring the English provinces in “Bringing up Fathor.” Connio was a very effective comedienne, you will remember. The trouble was she didn’t stay long enough. But then Connio Ediss was one of tho most successful, best known, musical cosiedy actresses in London before Williamsons wero lucky enough j to get her services. 1 r