MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15521, 31 January 1914, Page 4 (Supplement)

MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC.

?•;/ V;"':;v BOOKINGS.;-:;. » 7 / • , .•:•' HIS . MAJESTY'S. THEATRE. .'.' ": •In Season io ;February.. 2— Geo'. Stephensqn'e ,_ -'Pantomime.'" ►.'•; "- '* 'V' *' *. .February: ito February 14— C. William- , -.' son's." Wjthih the. : Law' i; Co. ■ . ■] March 9 to 29-;Geo. -Willoughby's Co. . April 11 (o May 2.— J. C. Williamson. ;. May 18 to 30-Geo. 'WiJlougiiby's Co. ' June 1 to:20-rJ';.C Williamson.- -.-.-•-. . (June 27. Mo July 11— J. ■C. Williamson. . July ,18 to.August 7—J. and N." TbU. ; •A'uju'st 15 ,to august' 29—J;' C. 'Williamson. : September 3 to Geo. 'Willoughby'j .Co. .September 28 to October V.- William- .-■ ' ■■.sbtf."' :' . ;-. • ,;■:•";

The firm'of George 'Willoughby, Limited, which took over the" George?. Marld'w Company's ■; enterprises,' will; within, ; the next few * weeks;; have two companies-in - New I Zealand—the " Aladdfai" Pantomime, with j the complete Sydney 'company ; arid a melodrama company." The latter 'will- stage 'a drama adapted from "Ouida's world-famed novel, "Under Two .Flags,-' 'while • the repertoire ■ will also include."The.Beggar Girl's Wedding''' and "No ■ Mother -to Guide Her.-' -. ■ The dramatic company will be ; headed- by Mr. George Cross and Miss Vera•'. Remee,.a" Frenc&TAustraUan, artist. In • the cast of;": Aladdin". • will, be Miss Carrie and Miss Grace Patotta. 'lie latter is'; makings her first, appearance in pantomime in Australasia, and''as. second boy "• in - '.' Aladdin", she introduces something that is' entirely'.: new; to ? theatre-goers iff this \ part of • the' world; - '■> Her; engagement by.Georg.-' Willoughbyj-'Limited,' came as something of-.-a' surprise to Sydney theatre-goers, for it was thought that 'Miss Palotta could not be-secured- from the management which originally '. brought her > to Australia'. .--■,: - 1 -■-•. . --. Mischa' Elmai;, the' Russian .violinist, who at the age of 22- is. generally'.acereditedvas being the > world's' greatest violinist, left London,'two : weeks, ago- for. America', wha(, t will be a ; most comprehensive 'tour, arid which will finally' bring- him to Australia: 'and; New 'Zealand.. 'Emiari's-visit ; V .Australasia' is -of • enormous" musical- in- ' terest, and. importance,- ' ■ He:is/ ofi.course, we'll known here; by reputation; and -may D6 4 sure .of welcome. i ,■ •.,-.', ■-.-.'■.•;: '.Miss.Maud Chetwyhd, who'. .19 appearing in;"' Th- Land'.of .'Nod-,"' at ; the" Eingfe Theatre, Melbourne, \ was •in 'Russia on. 'trie ill-fated "Red "Sunday,"Vand,she.still has - vivid- recollections- of "that •;. terrible day. Soldiers used their''gun's "swords' freely to' ; quell- the /revolutionaries: ;-'MWi.'oh'6twynd. was in the street .when, the'.trouble started, 'biit : she'lost 'time 'in/imaking he* way -' to/lief' bos'tetUri': St.; Petersburg; j and she > with others was cooped upthere i for .a' fortnight, :afraid' to" leave 'the vbuild- ! insr. 'Some: ffphtirigV actually : 'took place ' within 400.yards of the: building, and: inmates ; were afraid every minute-that > the place would/he .wrecked/-;and. that-, they ! would be injured. Fortunately their; fears I were not- realised.'; • \ ' .-.V. ■; - ... V. ' \ i Publicly known a» a-great "pianist; Harold Bauer' has; also wen the distinction in, private ■of being a.-/sriDtle^and;" witty conversationalist. ; Those .-.< who' have encountered this' bright arid* changing'/ man : describe him of'tbe.hmst.,.stlmulat : ling; talkers-- they: Hate- 'ever .met. 'His power of ' but touching' irony'is, -fine, . and'people relate a. rich stbryof 'his" Subtle ; sarcasm during' his early career in -Paris!: At that- time the famous pianist. was'an obscure ! music teacher-" (riving lesson's if or a few francs a lesson.. - Most of -his clients were, . well-to^rfo,'though isome Sof .them-, j notably \•a ' • doctor, were ' painfully .;- longwinded, in > paying their.fees. -Bauer ,had ' particular trouble 'with thO'doctor '■■ and at j last 'Wasjfdrced to wait in His waitirigroom seeking for an interview. One day an English "friend found the patient musician , grimly approaehin- the end of-a two'hours' 'wait. - "Hullo,'Ba'uer," said the 'friend cheerfully, - ' ■ "working :"• here-?' '■ M • ■ ."'. YeS, didri'tyou know? "-"said' Bauer with terrible! sweetness,"" "I'm-; the" head; waiter -her 6 now." ;: ■•' -■ ''. .'. '■' - '■'■'< ■' '- - ■ ■'\-\ .- Mr. George ;'Sl>^e i - ; Street,, author' and playwright,'. lias been' appointed ; 'by -the Lord; Chamberlain/as examiner of playsY'in succession to "the* lata Mr-.'Charles Brook- ; field*' 5 , He was ;the Editorof an edition of' Ccingreye's; Comedies- published." in ; ; 1895, and nri ; 19Q5- wrote i-a 'comedy; ''-Great Friends'," ' which f"was ■* produced by .the. Stage r.Sbciety.'.- '■'?•'"'>v' t;•' ■} -"•- ■» 4 V'■ 'V »»- -~■ ;-■;;'»'■. ■■ .-:-' v l-. ; •/ .•] i}< .• ■ ■ The-' copyright- - of;'Wagner's- last work, "Parsifal," has "'now expired, arid*' as a result the great opera houses in Europe all- intend" to- gfve' ; perforriianoes this' -year. It' is'not-' always necessary, -of course, to wait for the expiration of-a copyright before performing : a -p'ork-. ? written '' for.the stage, provided the "usual fees are .paid. But ' " Parsifal" '. was different, the -composer- having made it a condition that rit should be performed .nowhere save at Bay-' rcuth. There .were several, reasons, advanced ? for this step. - One-wasv that Bayrenth 4 should ibe made tthe. true .centre; pi 'operatic music ,iri which .commercial • influence should Hiave, no-part.;- Another , was that'orilv .at Bayreuth cdidd^the"Teal, traditions of the .Wagnerian opera be. preserved : from- the corrupting j methods ;of Those who -wanted to give freedom 'individual interpretatioh. • J >? -■? . "v? i Playwiiting'-is.'becoming?quitea habit among imemhers J ofi the. English.- Parliament; the'-litest Parliamentary .dramatist being Harold 'Smith,'the tor Wit- j ringtori,. who ; has written • a curtain'- piece'. Mr. Eemmerde.'K-.Ci/'Sir Gilbert Parker, | and 'B. ir BarpouHj-rhrbther' s of ; the: Colonial "Secretary,, are among other, poli-' tical" playwrights. * Mr'.' Harcdurt »' . the author; of those,two;comedies, "An Angel Unawares" "arid•''A. Question, of Age:"; •'. Rossini,, altimugh" he .'wrote mostly, in the,style fashionable /in ; his, day, but' now out of date, .was 1 enough -a;" genius .to) appreciate genius. .-.A striking: illustration ! of "this is -given .by l Saint-Saens, whoo-t- j lates that - that' ■ popular. ■' opera-ccunposc x [ championed-the now. famous of Liszt.in' face ;of - almost; uhanimoais; .' hostility , when it'was-first performed : i «i! the Churchof ■St.'Eus'ta.qhb; ■As Toi Eos- j sini's ■ own works, SMnfcSaens . d«ckm j that in. his/- Moses;" • his "Sif.go' ':■,{ ; Corinth,";, and. :^Wijliani? MW^, .hej "opened up new avenues', which 'even yet have' not been fully explored;": : : The death-has occurred; in Whetstone's Almshouse, Dorchester, says- the London -Times, of. Har,ry Bailey, nearly the last of the old band of Dorset., fiddlers; who flgut-e in so many of Thomas Hardy's novels. His appearatfce as'the fiddler of the reels in the Hardy "play, "The. 'Melstock Quire," which was" performed at Dorchester and in 'London, .Was a\ bit' of real Wessex life r and , in,, his quaint smoCk Fiddler Bailey. was' perhaps the., most exquisitely rustic figure; in .the", play. Mr. Bailey was .77 ears old when ; he;died., . An illustration -of' Liszt's -'generosity ,is given by a' Russian . journal." When-the great*pianist was '■'at.- Moscow, in 1863j it happened that an actor had obtained permission to have, a'.benefit aj the theatre ; hut .the public was so. taken, rip with Liszt- that 'the-poor- fellow .ran 'a-. good chance: of having + an • empty-, house. -; When Liszt heard of this ''lie-' promptly offered to play several "pieces /during "the intermissions. . • The : result' was that the. theatre was • picked, arid the , financial return' exceeded all anticipations..",-.. ..,-■. . , Que of ,the sensations, in George Willoughbv's "Aladdin" '• pantoaiime ,- is .the ragtime revue.' . This is» the" latest novelty introduced to. Australia by'Mr.,-"Lester . Brown from-New/York.. -He.claims.it is two- years ahead' of London. The whole . of the company -of something, like .300 people do & fascinating ragtime: parade over a specially 'constructed -'promenade down the full length/of the' - stalls 'arid'over the heads of the■ audience in; : their pantomime costumes.' 'As: the house, is in total darkness, .exceptiiig rthfi specially coloured lights down ■ this. promcMads, the" effect-can be imagined, .' ..the" company 'have completed the paTade "over the heads, of the i people in the, 'stalls they .'assemble' .pit/a , specially constructed dias oh the stage, • and, led by two ragtime] experts from"New York, feature several'ofvthe latest ragtime melodies, .the" companv at ''the" sanie time . suiting the actions to'the 'words. -"■'. '<'- ' '"'.;'' "'■ : ''''" Mr>Bicb-i!aAßAlicr;B, '