MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15411, 20 September 1913, Page 4 (Supplement)

MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC

BOOKINGS. , :■' HIS MAJESTY'S"THEATRE. To-night and to September 29— C. William-! _ son. Royal Comic Opera Co. _. ' , ,' ~ September 30 to October 4—All. Linley's Co. Ootober 6 to McEwen. Hypnotist. October 13 to 17—Mdll». Oenee and Russian Ballet. October* 22 to November B—Julius Knight Co. November American Burlesque Co. (pen- ■ cilled). December I—King's Colloge Boys (pencilled), ljecombor 15 to 20— C. Williamson. December 22 to January 7—New Comio Opera Co. • TOWN HALL. To-night and September 22—Madame Nordioa. September 26Municipal Organ Efecital. September 27—Newbury Picture Concert. October 4 to Tinytown Entertainment. November Choral Society's Concert November 15, 18, 20, Madame Clara Butt. .November Auckland Competitions. December 8, 10, 11, John McCormack. - December Choral Society's Concert. TOWN HALL CONCERT CHAMBER. September 23—Shakespere Society. September 27, October 4 and. 18, November 29, December 8 to 27—Wielaert-Peehotsch Concert Company. October 11—Mrs. Sutherland's Concert. Ootober 14Ladies' Benevolent Society's Concert. October 15—Brother Phelan's Concert. October 20 to 25—Shakespere Society's Competitions. November 3 and Harmonic Orchestra Concert. November .15 to 21—" Smart Set" Entertainers. November Thomas Harris's Reoital. November 24 to Auckland Competitions. j Daylight pictures are to be put on in Melbourne. The idea is simple. Pictures are projected through darkness on to a transparent screen, and no matter what light there is in the theatre the pictures appear brilliant. Allen Doone is presenting a new Irish; play " Barry of Ballymore," at the Princess Theatee, Melbourne. It is proving a success. In a prospectus of the newly-formed Melbourne Daylight Pictures Company, it is stated that the profit made.by the combine in Australia out of the "Quo Vadis" film was £20,000. Miss Jessie Lonnen, of the Royal Comic Opera Company, is to be the principal boy in " The Forty Thieves," the next •pantomime to be produced by the Williamson management. At the National Amphitheatre in Sydney a " red-haired" matinee was held recently. It was announced that as a compliment to Vardmann, aii impersonator of a red-haired woman, every woman possessing "ginger" hair who presented herself at the box office would be admitted free. The idea was well taken up and proved a good advertisement. The intention of J. C. Williamson, Ltd., to extend their operations to Sooth Africa is to be put into practical effect at the end of this year, when the firm's Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company will open in Johannesburg. The principals will be engaged and leave direct for South Africa, whilst the chorus is being engaged in Melbourne. After the South African season the company will come on, to Australia, and a similar procedure will be adopted with the other ventures of the firm. Something of the magnitude of the organisation of the Quinlan Opera Company can be imagined from these few facte. Since the company was last in Australia it has travelled over 42,000 miles. In a year Mr. Quinlan pays away in salaries, wages, freights, and fares the sum of £15,000. Since the company was organised over 1000 performances of opera have been given. With a repertory of 25 operas the music library of the company comprises 56 cases, each weighing lcwt, and including 900 band parts and 700 vocal scores. The wardrobe department has charge of 700 wigs and isOO costumes, whilst the stage staff has control of over two miles of scenery. And to all of this Mr. Quinlan adds the unique record that he has never missed a performance or a rehearsal, the latter of which he supervises himself. There is reason for the description frequently applied to Mr. Quinlan, ] "The Napoleon of Opera." Musical America says that another attempt is to be made to provide Goethe's " Faust" with adequate music, and this time it is none other than Richard Strauss himself that is to take it in hand Felix Weingartner was the last to compose special music for a Berlin revival of both parts of Goethe's immortal tragedy. Strauss has agreed to undertake it for a monumental new production of " Faust," both parts, .that Max Reinhardt is projecting as one of the first attractions at his new "Theatre of the 5000," into which the old Circus Schumann in Berlin has been transformed. Reinhardt is making plans for 60 performances of classical dramas and mediaeval mysteries. A newspaper interviewer approached Felice Lyne, the 22 years old prima donna of the Quinlan Opera Company, in Melbourne, with a query that appeared to cause the questioner a good deal of embarrassment. And, naturally, he garbed the question in a rather' apologetic manner for the asking of it. And this is what the i question was: "Is it a fact that you slapped Mr. Hammeretein's face when you had finished your engagement with him at the Lonoon Opera House ?" Miss Lyne's piquant faco rippled with merriment. " Now, just fancy that!" she exclaimed, "Did that get all the way out here?" However, Miss Lyne was rather non-committal on the point. " I don't want to say anything about this at present," she explained. "You see, lam up to my eyes in litigation with Mr. Hammerstein. As a matter of fact, he tried to prevent me coming out here by getting an injunction against me. However, I took action against him, and got damages. Now there is another case still going on in which £20,000 is claimed, so under the circumstances I won't say anything about this little matter." The small, petite, and exceedingly youthful prima donna looked so winsomely precocious that one could hardly pic Cure her figuring in so much legal limelight, but Miss Lyne seemed to enjoy the recollection; *

The following is a London paper's facetious way of noticing a certain production : — Mr. Frank Dupree's sketch at the Palladium, 'War in the Air,' is so grotesque, that the temptation to regard it as the stage joko of the season, rather than as a sermon to the country and to the War Office, is irresistible. Preliminary announcements had led everyone to expect something fiercely Brockish. Bombs ■were to burst unceasingly, and you were to behold half of London in flames. But all you saw was • a salmon-pink sky and a little bit of the Tower Bridge, with some green and refl "fete" lights on it; " while from time to time above there flew, and circled" the most affrighting fowl ever hatched by hen or Hendon. A noble fleet of British aeroplanes (rather like vegetable marrows trying to imitate roach) are enticed away by .forged wireless despatches, but return in time to crumple up the enemy's birds of battle; and so determined is the leader of our aerial Dreadnoughts to cover variety-land in his scheme of rescue, that he personally volE lanes out of tho sky (where we have seen im stuck in the scenery all the time) to receive the hearty thanks of his fellowmen on the stage. Nothing funnier has been seen on the variety stage for years.

Good plays make good actors and good audiences. When an audience rises From a good play, it always declares that it is the best play it has ever seen (remarks an English writer). Dramatists should see to it that there is rather more than less truth in this impression. Audiences never know whether they have been delighted with the play or with the acting; they do not know where one ends and the other begins, and there is no reason why they should. They go to the theatre to procure delight; if they get it in any considerable quantity, they go again. If not, not. It is an old saying that all things are possible for the man who does not ask for credit or rewards for what he does. This is true, and the theatre will not be - restored to health until dramatists and actors are content to take the fun' of their work as its chief reward. Uvsico-vuiuxms.