STAGELAND

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 105, 3 April 1926, Page 7

STAGELAND

(By “Jack Point.”) Guy Bates Post and Company open this evening at Brisbane. The American musical comedies, “Castles in the Air” and “Tip-Toes, 1 have been secured by the Firm for early production in Australia. “Give and Take,” a Hebrew comedy of the type of that much-boomed production of 1914—“ Potash and Perlmutter” — will be opening in New Zealand early in May. Ada Reeve will be back in Australia this month. She has just terminated a successful American tour. The Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company will commence their initial season in Adelaide to-night. The first production will be “The Gondoliers,” to be followed by “The Yeomen of the Guard.” “The Pirates of Penzance,” “The Mikado,” “Pinafore,” “lolantlie,” “Princess Ida” and “Patience.”

The Williamson pantomime “Aladdin” will come to New Zealand within the next few months. It is many, many months since we have had this form of entertainment visit us. Members of “The Farmer’s Wife” Company had luncheon in town on Tuesday. They went on the same day to Wellington, en route to Christchurch, where they opened on Thursday evening. ' The ex-Williamson comedian Alfred Frith has left for America. A much better actor than his successor Athol Tier, Mr Frith had amused Australian and Now Zealand audiences for ten years. The comedian with the funny face married a dark young Australian lady often seen among the pretty girls who formed the ensemble of the Yew British Musical Comedy Company. In 1880 the Mr and Mrs G. B. W. Lewis Juvenile Company presented “Pinafore”, at the Queen’s Theatre, Sydney, with Flora Graupner billed as Baby), since dead: Mary Weir, later the second Mrs J. C. Williamson ; and Master Willie Driscoll in the cast. Driscoll appeared in Syraey about a year ago at the Palace in a revival of “On Our Selection,” in which ho again played his original part of Uncle. Theatrical companies of that era were much more domestic affairs than to-day. Husbands and wives and fathers and- daughters frequently acted togotlier, and the audience never clamoured far the false romance that the modern playgoer is apt to attribute to actors and actresses in the propinquity of their work to-day. . . The Neilio Bramley and William Russell Company will take over their new leaso of the Sydney Grand Opera House this evening, commencingwith a musical version of “Uncle Toni’s Cabin.” Topsy will bo depicted as a vaudeville star, and some new sidelights on Little Willie are promised. Nellie Bramley will bo Eliza —with songs. With a ten years’ lease at the back of her, this popular actress is now about to show that you can’t keep a good girl down. Miss Bramley is a hard working lady with a wide repertoire, ranging 1 rom “Peg O’ My Heart” (she is not really the Sara Allgood type of "Peg’’) to Mary Turner in “Within tho Law” and Virginia Blane in “Bought and Paid For.” Often there are moments of histrionic effectiveness during her company’s presentations.

James Jupp, once tho besLknowt). stage doorkeeper ill London, died in hospital at Balham, London, last month. Jupp—no one ever called him anything else —was a tall, bronzemoustached ex-soldier, who guarded tho actors’ entrance of West End theatres during the last 35 years. J upp wont to the Gaiety after leaving the Army in 1892, and he was the stage doorkeeper there for 29 years. It was said of him that he took more presents of chocolates and flowers to artists than any other stage doorkeeper. The late Gaby Deslys was, ho said, the most expensively dressed actress lie had known, and she had a fur coat which was worth £3OOO.

Franz Lehar’s musical play “Tho Alerry Widow” has been filmed, though not- yet screened locally, but tho screen version of his more charming and melodious operette, “The Count of Luxembourg,” will be shown at a local theatre on Alonday evening. Though quile young the writer vividly recalls tho Williamson company that intetpiDted the story of the gay Count of the small Kingdom. 'The late Florrio Young, an incomparabJo artist whom even Gladys Aloncrieff falls far short of, was lead and there were other people in the cast competent enough to make tho most of the sensuous, tuneful melodies. Tho picture would bo more effective if the theatre management resurrected the score and played some of tho haunting waltz tunes during the screening Mention of Leliar’s “The Merry Widow” recalls a fact that may not be generally known. When the play was originally produced in Londbn Alarie Tempest was to liavo filled the title role. Eventually Aliss Tempest exercised tho privilege of her sex and changed her mind, thus giving Lily Elsie a chance, of which she fully availed herself. Aliss Elsie was also lead in London in “The Count of, Luxembourg.” Though long ago re-' tired from the stage she is still held as a pattern present day musical Comedy heroines should strive to emulate.

The childhood of Pavlova, tho world’s greatest dancer, who is now in the middle of a triumphant Alelbourne season, was characterised by extreme poverty. Her father died when she was a child of two, -and she lived with her mother on the outskirts of St. Petersburg, now Petrograd. It was when' she was ten that sue came under the notice of the Director of the Academy from which the Imperial Ballet was recruited. At sixteen she left the Academy and was a premiere danseuse. This 'was an official title recognised by the Government. Afterwards she attained tho rank of “Ballerine,” of which there were only four in Russia. The Melbourne season of Pavlova started oil Alarch 13 and will run for four weeks only. The famous dancer has brought nineteen ballets and is providing plenty of variety. New Zealand is to be favoured with a visit.

Frank Harvey, the very well-known dramatic actor, with the French actress, Remy Carpen, is opening in

Wellington, this evening in ‘ The Seventh Heaven,” a play that has been done on Broadway, though not yet in Australia. Six nights will be devoted to this drama of the Parisian slums, and then will follow Galsworthy’s “The Skin Game.” An Australian Arts magazine publishes ' Mr Harvey’s picture this month, with this explanation: “Mr Prank Harvey is almost unique among Australian leading men for the number of inefficient leading ladies he lias had, metaphorically, to carry on his back.” Really, that does not apply to Muriel Starr. The Harvey tricks are just as obvious as the Starr tricks, and ono gives preference to the latter. VALE. Maggie Moore 1 What wonderful and regretful theatrical memories were stirred by the news of the death from heart failure of Miss Maggie Moore, who left the stage of life at San Francisco on March 15. The greatest stage favourite in Australia came to Sydney on July 2, 1874, with thhe late Mr J. C. Willianson; and at the Theatre Royal, Melbourne, the company in “Struck Oil” staged |an immediate success. Particularly did the press and public applaud “a young, vivacious American actress” named Maggie Moore in the part of Lizzie Stofel. Her real name was Maggie Sullivan. She was born —and died—at the same place, San Francisco; but she became the idol of all Australia. As a child her first apearance was in San Francisco, where she sang “Just Before the Battle, Mother,” and achieved a remarkable success. Specialising in child roles, she rapidly came to the front; and meeting the late J. C. Williamson, the pair became among the best known in the United States. INCREASING SUCCESS. A successful season of. 12 months established Maggie Moore in Australia. London called; and the company was away from Australia for five years, always hoping to return to the land where their hearts were. The rest of the story in Australia is one of continually increasing success and a popularity that became universal. “How long are you going to play? she was once asked. “As long as the audiences want me. One never knows —perhaps I’ll keep on till I’ve scored 108, and carry my bat.” Her appearance in the more recent days was always enthusiastically welcomed, no matter how small the part might be; and she made of each appearance a piece of artistry. HER VERSATILITY. There was no part in her prime that she could and did not play. She had played Topsy in “Undo Tom’s Cabin” ; and in London appeared in “The Colleen Bawn,” and other stage favourites. So versatile was she that she played Josephine in “Pinafore” one night, and “Buttercup” on the next; and in “The pirates of Penzance” she played Mabel and then Ruth. “I was so slim as Mebel,” she said, “that I had to pad the part. Equally in drama and comic opera she succeeded. “In a comedy part,” she said, “I am inwardly amused at the fun just as much as the audience is, and in a pathetic scene, I feel all the sorrow. The stage is my life.” A perosanlity glowing with animation, a voice of great purity and sweetness, an infectious laugh, a brilliant instinct for comedy and for genuine pathos, and a vivacious and merry character —these endeared Maggie Mooro to tho hearts of all Australians, and in her death the public lose a close friend. —Sydney Sun. THE SIMPLE HOUSEWIFE. “Well, dears, I got my bit of washing done,” was a remark constantly heard from Miss Moore by her dressing room companions. To the end she ..was tho simple housewife, and was never ashamed of menial work. Interviewed once on the subject of modern fashions she said she couldn’t hold with women with corrugated faces dressing like flappers. But she was always tolerant of the modern girl. Her kind acts were innumerable, and so quietly done as to seem insignificant. When in Adelaide she always made a practice of visiting the Lunacy Asylum, and the Institute for tho Restitute, and would spend hours chatting to the poor unfortunates in her homely way.