STAGELAND.

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 110, 5 April 1930, Page 7

STAGELAND.

(By “Jack Point.”) , - “A Pair of Silk Stockings,” a comedy in three acts, will be staged in June by the local Operatic Society. It is a bright little comedy and the amateurs should do well. MisMs Ulu Hancock and Lilian Teale will be two attractive people appearing, and . other players will include Messrs B. J. Jacobs, C. J. Roberts and J. W. Davidson. It is rather early, of course, to be thinking of the Novomber production, but “Going Up” may be favoured. It is easier to do than a number of the more modern musical comedies. Ernest Lotjnga, the English comedian, and his supporting players, will open at' Wellington to-night. The musical comedy “Love Lies” commences at the Palace, Sydney, to-njght. Clem Dawo, Dan Agar, Marie Eaton, Paul Plunket and some English importations who are not as well known as other stars in London are in the cast. A Melbourne correspondent writes : Tho . city has taken Gladys Moncrieff and her wonderful voice to its heart anew and her , nightly statement that she is going back to the mountains because they are the only things that, understand her need not be taken literally as far as “The Maid of the Mountains”, is concerned. At tho Comedy, where Lombardi Carillo is on view, full houses are as prevalent aa empty ones in Kew. “The New Morality,” Harold CKapiq’a delightful comedy, will bo presented at the Auckland Town Hall concert chamber on May 9 and 10 by a: number of Auckland’s best-known amateur players. Lilian Crisp, who was lead of the most indifferent musical comedy-musical play company the Williamson Firm- has sent to New Zealand in many years, is understudying Gladys Moncrieff in Melbourne. Dennis Barry who' won so much popularity on.ana off tho stage in New Zealand during the two and a half years he was romantic lead with the Allan Wilkie company, is touring England with Sir Frank Benson’s Shakespearean company. Violet Lorraine, who toured New Zealand many years ago, beforo the war, and later became famous as a revue star in London, made one of her rare appearances on the London stage recently in aid of the Variety Artists’ Orphans. She retired from the stage when she married. Freddie Forbes, comedian of the Fuller miniature musical comedy company here recently, is leaving for Hollywood and the talkies. A loss of £127 was made by the New Plymouth Operatic Society on its production of “Miss Hook of Holland,” last season. However, the is eager to carry on this season, and will probably produce a revue. ’ Josie Melville, who was recently reported to be unlikely to appear on the Australian' stage, has sufficiently recovered from her sickness for the Firm to talk of a revival of some of her star- roles. She will be seen in “Sally” to start with, and Hobart is to be honoured with the first glimipse. Bets are being made as to the probable run of “The Maid of the Mountains” at Melbourne Royal. One man prominent in the theatrical world gives it four weeks and another three months. When it opened at Daly’s, London, previous to the Australian premiere in 1921, it established a world’s record of 1352 days. Adele Crane, who played the leading role in “Lilac Time” a few years ago —a different presentation from the recent revival in New Zealand—and was the Princess Margaret in “The Student Prince,” with James Liddy and Beppio de Vries, is leaving next month for her new home in America. The other day *he ■and her husband, Jan Rubini, visited the Albert Street .Conservatorium in Melbourne, where the fair-haired singer graduated. Fritz Hart made a presentation —an article of polished Australian wood. The dressing of “The Belle' of New York” in Sydney has been brought up-to-date. A Sydney paper states: Thunders of applause from .all parts of the house greeted the old favourites; and at times the delight of the audience found vent in cheering. At the close there were 14 curtain calls. It was the most triumphant revival seen in Sydney for years. The piece was admirably played by all concerned. Marie Bremner looked so demurely sweet, and sang so well, that she challenged comparison with other charming Violet Grays who have gone before. Old performers such as Phil Smith, Amy Rochelle, and Leslie Holland wore given receptions which would have gratified the first artists in the land, and the piece was held up while the audience insisted on a recall of Leo. Franklyn and Mary Lawson in their grotesque song and dance, “Sho is the Belle of New York.” “The Chocolate Soldier,” music by Oscar Straus, founded on Bernard Shaw’-s “Arms and the Man” was recently revived in New York. A critic wrote: “One was struck by the freshness of appeal of this piece, for tHe melodious music has a lasting quality, and the satire of military romanticism is far closer to the popular viewpoint now than when the operetta Was new. • The audience is filling the house ' each night, so welcome is -this latest offering _ from the age of melody.” Aurther revival in Nev/ York at the same time was “Sari,” an Hungarian musical comedy. Muriel Johnston, professionally known as Murial Starr, whose estate was sequestrated on February 7 last, was examined before the Registrar in Bankruptcy, Sydney, last week. Bankrupt said she was married in 1918 to William Hartwell, Johnston, from whom she was.' now living apart. She came to Australia in 1913 under engagement to J. C. Williamson, Ltd., and at that time she received a salary of £4O a week. In February, 1916, she returned to America, and had . engagements under different managements at a salary of about £SO a week. She remained in America about 18 months, and then returned to Australia, again under engagement to J. C. Williamson, Ltd., at a salary of about £7O a week. She stayed under the Williamson management until 1920, -when she went, back to' America, returning *to Australia, again under engagement, to J. C. Williamson, Ltd., in 1924 for six months with options, and! received £BO a week: At the beginning of 1926 her contract fexpired. She was free from debt, and had about £6OO of her own, She then started a company and leased theatres from Williamson And other owners. Her Queensland season was, not successful. Later she went to Tasmania, and the season, which lasted about nine and a half weeks, was a success. She next visited New Zealand, and there lost practically all the money she had made in . Tasmania. She leased the Princess Theatre , in Melbourne from Fuller’s at £250 a ■ week, for twelve weeks. The season was , a failure, and she contracted debts sho j was unable to pay. She lost about £SOO - in respect of that contract. At the con- , elusion of the Melbourne season, she owed . about £IOOO. Continuing, bankrupt" .' said ■, that, J. C. Williamson asked her to do- , a .stock season in Adelaide, and Bhe was ] to get 50 per cent. of. any profits, and , was not- liable foif debts and loasee. ' The j season, which lasted 16 weeks, was a success, and she was able to pay off tlie debts she had .incurred in Melbourne. She : visited Brisbane under the same arrange- j mont, and the season was a failure. After , referring to other seasons, bankrupt said the productions at the Palace Theatre, | J which she engaged herself, at a rental of I 20 per cent; of the gross takings, with a i minimum rental of £175 a week, lasting about four and a half weeks, were prac- . tically a -failure; At the end of* that season; she owed Williamsoh’s about £2185, ] According to her statement of affairs, she i t Owed £3427 4s, and the salaries Of tho 13 actors and actresses wdre all contracted! a in respect of her last. venture. .One cause | c of her bankruptcy was not having received t the support of the publio in various ven- j s tures she had undertaken. Another'cause! r was partly through the advent of the talkies, and the general depression all over. ' the country. She proposed •to return to America when the oppbrtunity offered. She. had not lost any . money at racing or ! betting. She played cards occasionally, but not for high stakes. She' had no '? prospects of any engagemeht- at present.