STAGELAND.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LI, Issue 6, 6 December 1930, Page 7

STAGELAND.

(By "Jack Point.”). "The Belle of New York” will be staged at the Grand Opera House, Wellington, to-night. It will be very pleasant to hear once again "Teach me how to kiss,” "Follow On,” "From far Cohoes,” “When we are married” and "The Belle of New York.” Romola Hansen is playing Violet Grey, the Salvation Army lassie, Amy Rochelle is Cora Angelique, a comic opera queen, Leslie Holland is Ichabod Bronson and Jim Gerald is "Blinky Bill.” Frank Harvey., hero last with Muriel Starr, is on his way to Australia under engagement to J. C. Williamson, Ltd. According to the arrangements, he will appear in the Firm’s production of "On the Spot,” the latest, and, it is said most successful of all the Edgar Wallace plays. The Napier amateurs will do "Our Miss Gibbs” this evening and during next week.

The Blenheim Operatic Society staged "Tria’l by Jury” and "H.M.S. Pinafore” at Nelson recently.

The Nelson Operatic Society recently did "The Sunshine Girl.” There is to be another pantomime at the Grand Opera House, Sydney, tlxis year, George Marlow sponsoring it. Nat Phillips and his company will carry it with some augmentations. It wll be "Beauty and the Beast.” Gladys Moncrieff is likely to stay at the State Theatre in Sydney for some months. Her voice is said to be better than it has been for some months. “Sons O’ Guns” will close somewhat abruptly in Sydney on December 13. It was expected to run until Christmas. It will transfer to Melbourne and "The Cingalee” will go to Sydney. That .is already being played in Melbourne. : Melbourne will also have a pantomime called "The House That Jack Built,” and a musical version of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” will be done at the. King’s Theatre. Vera Spaull is likely to play Topsy. Josie Melville will be principal girl in the panto. and Sadie Gale principal boy. Hugh D. Mclntosh announces that he has taken a month’s lease of the old Cremorne Theatre in Brisbane and he will move his artists up in relays from the Melbourne Tivoli. Mo (Roy Rene) has gone down to Melbourne for that bill and also the Kit Kat Ballet which were at the St. James’ in the time of “Pot Luck” and the other strictly Mclntosh revues. His artists include Ada Reeve, Bryl Walkley, Mo, Alfred Frith, Syd Beck, Marie la Varre, Moon and Morris, Gaston Mervale, Jay June and Collette, the Fallow Twins, Hector St. Clair, Nell Fleming, Joe Lawton,. a Russian singer named Senia Chostikoff, Fred Bluett, and some less known but good artists. He says that, coming out under engagement to him, some on their way now, some arranged for, are Athol Tier and his wife, Peggy Ross, Minnie Love (star in Australia and New Zealand of "The Bing Boys are Here,” the musical comedy. "The Pink Lady,” etc), Claude Flemming, Jack Haskell, and Jack and Dorothy Hooker. Claude Flemming is to take complete charge of all the McIntosh productions and after his two years at Hollywood, part of that time as a film producer, he should have, lots of experience at his back. McIntosh also announces that he has bought a musical comedy called "Passion Flower” by two Melbourne journalists, one of whom is on the staff of Truth. The names are Alan Stranks and H. Bridgman. He says that the part seems to fit the personality ana the voice of Byrl Walkley and she is now learning the part under the direction of the musical part of the authorship. He also thinks she is suitable for the lead in “Bitter Sweet,” but he does not mean to produce that until a suitable cast can be secured, and he has an arrangement with Noel Coward, the composer and writer of it, that he shall have the final say in the casting of it.