DRAMATIC AND MUSICAL

Free Lance, Volume XVII, Issue 924, 28 March 1918, Page 11

DRAMATIC AND MUSICAL

By Foot light.

itoyal Comic Opera Company. THE famous J. C. Williamson Royal Comic Operas Company will commence a 13 nights' season at the •Grand Opera House on Saturday next with the production for- the first time here of "The Red Widow." Commenting on the play a leading Australian .critic writes : "Here at last is a musical play with, real music—not mere tinkling melodies —humour that is enforced and plentiful with a plot that is coherent and reasonable. Moreover, it gives ample opportunity for the display of the talents of the company. It is if Miss Florence Young of recent years has appeared to greater advantage than as the Red Widow —Anna Vavaxa—while the author must have had Mr. Phil Smith vividly in mind when creating the part of Cicero Hannibal Butts, of U.S.A. Again Mr. Reginald Roberts as the dashing Captain Basil Romanoff is most agreeably •cast." *■ * # * "The Red Widow" will be played for "the first four nights and will be succeeded by "Mr. Manhattan," which will also be seen for the first time ihere. "Mr. Manhattan" is said to •"bubble over with joy." It is an English musical farce-comedy and has been for over a year the vogue in Itondon. The third string to the J. C. Williamson bow is "Katinka," an American •musical play by the authors* of "You're in Love" and "High Jinks." This will he the last attraction of what should prove a more than usually interesting •season. The box plans for the first eight nightsi are now open at the Bristol. * ■ *' * * His Majesty's Theatre. "The Kissing Maid," as presented "by the Walter Johnson Revue Com-

pany at His Majesty's this week, is a frolicking: damsel whose frivols before the footlights completely succeed in keeping dull care well behind the scenes. Miss Lola Hunt (the kissing maid) almost causes a riot amongst the male section of the audience when she sings "Come Along, All You. Men." Maybe it is only bashfulnes (?) that keeps the gay baldheads in front from climbing up on the stage and accepting the invitation. The, Three Carrs make their debut in the usual vaudeville half of the bill. They are clever juveniles, singing, dancing, and mimicry being their specialties. A complete change of programme will be given on Easter Saturday. «• * * «■ Miss Muriel Starr recently entertained a number of friends at a supper at her house at Toorak, Melbourne. Everyone expressed herself delighted with the repast, which consisted exclusively of American dishes. When the supper was over, Miss Starr informed the gathering that everything on the table had been prepared and cooked entirely by herself. "So you see," she remarked, "I have had a double enjoyment this evening. I have not only entertained, my friends, but exercised my favourite hobby of home-

cookery." Next night a return supper was tendered Miss Starr, with a strictly Australian menu, and Miss Starr was presented with a collection of native weapons and curios. Mr. Hugh J. Ward has engaged Miss Margaret Wycherley for the production of "The Thirteenth Chair," a mystery drama, which the J. C. Williamson firm is to stage at an early date. Miss Wycherley is one of the leading stars on the American dramatic stage, and is said to be characterised by a striking personality and stage presence. A returned soldier in the stalls at Melbourne Her Majesty's during the performance of "You're in Love" allowed his enthusiasm to get the better of him when Miss Maude Fane was singing "Dreaming" on the ship's boom. The soldier had captured a slipper from Miss Fane's foot and when the ship's boom came around again he stood up and grasped the end of it just as it was raised higher. The soldier hung on and was lifted into the air and carried along with Miss Fane, who was quite startled at the unexpectedness of the incident. The stafE on the stage who were controlling the boom immediately lowered it and the adventurous traveller was returned toi his seat in the stalls amidst tremendous laughter and applause. ° * ■» * * During his recent visit to America, Mr. Hugh J. Ward secured for J. C. Williamson, Ltd., a number of important attractions. These include the engagement of. Sir Johnstone Forbes Robertson for a season of classical drama. He also secured contracts with Messrs. Yorke and Adams, the original Potash! and Perlmutter, who will appear in Australia in "Business 'Before Pleasure" (which introduces the two Jewish characters in the picture business) and "The High Cost of Living." * * * ■» • Reckoned that Sir Thomas Beecham lost £1000 a week on his month's season of opera at Drury Lane. Evidently Londoners did not consider the Beecham grand opera worth. " a . guinea a box." •" . * * # * The secret regarding the authorship of the new propaganda play, "Loyal- &>" if oil*. The play is the work of Mr. Harold Owen, already known to the theatre world as part-author of that highly successful play, "Mr. Wu," m which he collaborated with Mr. Harry Vernon. He has also written one or two popular one-act pieces— notably, a jolly playlet, entitled "A Little Foul Play," which had a great vogue both in London and the country. But it is in the region of social and political controversy that Mr. Owen is best known. His book, "Woman Adrift," caused something of a sensation on its first appearance, characterised as it was by all the author's slashing and vigorous polemic on the eternal feminine. * * * * .Maud Beatty has been thirteen years away from Australia. She, on her last appearance, played principal panto boy. On her re-appearance under the Williamson management, according to a Sydney exchange, she will play the dame. * «■ * * Comedian Harry Lauder, who will tour Australia again in the near future under the Tait management, has joined up with Charles Chaplin in a screen comedy which will be released shortly for the benefit of the Lauder War Fund. The picture was taken at Hollywood, Los Angeles, the two famous laughter-makers exchanging roles —Lauder wearing Charlie's rig-out and Charlie Lauder's kilt. The picture should bring in some almighty dollars for Lauder's War Fund. * * * * Recently some Londoners took exception to a certain dance by Mdlle. Gaby Deslys. Gaby received the news in her dressing-room while her pet marmoset played on the dressing-table. Her face grew very long. "Will these peeple," she lisped, "realise that I am a very seerious girl really ? lam never so 'appy as when I am good and religious." No wonder the little marmoset hereupon fell into the rouge-pot. *** - * Poor old Blighty's policy of Food Economy has been extended to the stage. Property bread is now used in food scenes and the comedians are extravagant with soup that is really coloured water. At the London Adelphi in "The Boy," W. H. Berry sits down to a meal consisting of canvas bread, brown water soup, wood cutlets, and ginger-ale champagne. When the audience notices bread being thrown about the stage they need feel no indignation : it is canvas bread. Weak cocoa serves l for the beer drunk in "Bubbly" at the London Comedy; the foam is said to be quite realistic. In the "Chu Chin Chow" at London His Majesty's, they have cut off the bananas, but real Turkish delight, sweets, and grapes are available. But the Food Controller is not very anxious about fruit.

Auckland, N.Z., March, 25th, 1918. From the ' NORTHERN ROLLER MILLING CO., LTD. To the Editor "Times," Wellington. Sir, —In reference to the cheap advt. you have given us in jour sub-leader of 23rd inst. on Cost "of Living, you are aware we are under Government control, and the Government wisely last year fixed the price of wheat for 1918 at an advance to encourage wheat growing in the Dominion to keep the money here, and it is apparent to any business man that ' the price of flour should also advance. "Wheat and flour are essentials which we cannot do without. You have also advanced the prices of your paper owing to the increased cost of the raw material, and naturally our complaints would be put in the waste-paper basket. We sent the enclosed letter to the Hon. MacDonald, Minister for Agriculture, which we think elucidates the wheat-growing question. We remain, Yours truly, P. VIRTUE, Manager. Auckland, N.Z., March 2nd, 1915. From the NORTHERN ROLLER MILLING CO., LTD., (Copy.) The Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald, Minister for Agriculture, Wellington. Dear Sir, WHEAT SEASON, 1919. We notice some of the Southern Farmers' Unions are agitating for the price to be fixed for next year. We think it would be wise to. indicate that nothing lower than 6s net f.0.b., will be the price for good milling; there is no use tinkering with it to annoy wheat growers who will lose this year by damaged crops, and some inducement must be offered to grow sufficient and to spare for home consumption, and it is doubtful if you will not have to adjust-prices with present" crop if the damage is serious. A penny per bushel is 3s lOd to 4s per ton of flour. The millers and the Government could come to terms as regards prices when the time arrives, but the Dominion's salvation is to get the wheat grown to produce sufficient flour, also bran and pollard for our dairying, bacon, and poultry industries, which suffered last year through scarcity, and it was a good one for green feed in some respects, but if wet had a dry one with the same scarcity of bran and pollard there would be dire results. A large quantity of bran is used for horse feed, and chaff and oats have every indication of being in short supply at high prices, and now that the Government has assumed control, it must produce to keep the essential industries going which are the backbone of the country. It is apparent with our heavy taxation there should be no hampering of our essential industries. On the raw material there are always two labour handlings, but not so on the manufactured imported articles. The railway revenue derived from grain under normal conditions must have been in the vicinity of about £90,000 per annum. Whether peace is declared or not during this year, the world's drainage for the next two years of Canadian, American, Indian, and Australian supplies will be so heavy that if the Dominion doesn't rise to the occasion there will be a poor chance of getting from the countries "mentioned, and wouldn't there be a,n uproar? If the Dominion's potato crop is a failure, more bread will be used. We think this frightful war will be won with the stomach. We remain, Yours respectfully, P. VIRTUE, Manager.