MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15884, 3 April 1915, Page 4 (Supplement)

MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC.

BOOKINGS. HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. April 3 to 16-riimmer-Hall Co. April 17 to Frederick Shipm»n. April 26 to May 8—" The Royal Strollers (J. and N. fait). May JO to 22—Geo. Willoughby'a Co. May 31 to June 9-J. C. Williamson's Pantomime Juno It to 25— Allen Doone's Co. •Time 26 to July 10— Hneh Buckler's Co, July 12 to Geo. Willoughbj'B Co. Aug. 16 to 2«—J. C. Williamson. Auk. 30 to Sent. 18 Geo W.lloughby s to. Sept. 27 to Oct. 9-J. C Williamson. TOWN HALL, CONCERT CHAMBER. May 11 to Juno 26— Edward Branacowbe's "The Violets." Mrs. Lii.y Langtrt was to have returned to the regular stage, and open at Sheffield on February 8 last, in the name-part of " Mrs. Thomson," a play from the pen of Sidney Grundy, based on Mr. W. B. Maxwell's novel. In this play Mrs. Langtry was to be associated with the wellknown actor, Mr. Frank Fenton. Miss Claire Romaine. described as "a charming Australian star." was playing Aladdin at the London Opera House when the mail left England. Huntley Wright, the musical comedy comedian, has been promoted l.i the rank of second lieutenant in the Ist County of London Hussars, Little Moya Crumley, who recently made her first appeal am on th« stage at the King's Theatre, Melbourne, is said to give great promise of being a good actress. She played her part in "When London Sleeps" very naturally, and was complimented by the management upon her performance. Moya C'rossley. who is only 13 yeats of age, is an excellent violinist. She has also won numerous prizes for swimming, and at her college carnival recently she secured a prize for diving. According to Mr. J. C. l.eetc, formerly general manager of the Tivoli Theatre, Sydney, who has just returned from Home, the war has had a disastrous effect on theatres in England. Many suburban and provincial halls have been closed, and salaries reduced. On the whole, the London, Glasgow, and Edinburgh halls are doing well; only the provincial places havo suffered "to any great extent. One of the most enjoyable productions Mr. Lette witnessed in London was " Potash and Perlinutter." It was recently said that there are few acrobats availably for engagement because of the war. Mr. Leete adds that, on the contrary, numbers aro walking about London unable to get employment, having been driven out of the Continental cities by tl e closing down of places of amusement.

The J. C. Williamson management has secured another play by George Broadhurst the author oi " Bought and Paid For.' It is called "The Law of the Land." and is said to be a powerfully told story of city life. Mr. Geo. llarnum has arrived in Sydney from America to produce it. Mr." Broadhust will be remembered as the author of several very bright farces, among them "The Wrong Mr. Wright," which was performed with success in Sydney about 12 months ago. " Bought and Paid Fur," however, is his masterpiece, various managers regarding it alike as mascottc and money-maker. In America £260.000 profit was made on it by one management.

" High Jinks" became so popular when staged in New York, it is said, that the title was applied to many articles of popular lite, from soap to candies. Last New Year's Eve a festivity, entitled "High Jinks," out of compliment to the play, was given at one of the most brilliant of the Broadway restaurants by a NewYork millionaire'. Every guest had to be made up as a character from the sparkling comedy, and nothing but " High Jinks" music was played.

It is announced that the Edward Branscombe Proprietary will endeavour to break their own excellent record in NewZealand this coming season. New artists have been brought from England, and every mail brings new songs', new music, and new business. The Australian summer season, just closing, has been, notwithstanding the war, encouraging. In New Zealand, where the climate does not lend itself to continuous al fresco entertainments, the Dandies' season is the winter. We ere to have two companies over this winter the two best. Mr. Leo du Chateau, now one of the directors, is virtually a New Zealander. "We have." he writes. " several especial and grave reasons for liking to please the Dominion. For one thing, success in New Zealand means success elsewhere. For another it does our artists good to winter in NewZealand. The change enlivens them, and the climate tones them up. They come hack for their Australian summer rush with a stored fund of vitality to work on."

Mr. Arthur Styan, the popular Austrian actor, who last appeared in Auckland with the Niblo Company, is at present appearing at the National Amphitheatre, Sydney, under the Fnllerßrennan management, in a dramatic sketch, entitled Honour is Satisfied," in which he is supported by Miss Margaret Linden and Mr. Arthur Younger.

Two New Zealand singers, Miss Rosina Buekniann and Miss Nora d'Argel, were recently engaged for a season of "The Tales of Hoffmann," which was to be given in English at the Shaftesbury Theatre, London.

Barry Lupino, the pantomime comedian now in Sydney, states that he has been filling in "his spare time as an auctioneer in Melbourne. He was publicly presented with a license to further his work ol raising money for patriotic hinds. " I have been kept pretty busy," he stated. " One day 1 motored to Sorrento -70 miles from AlelbouriHv-to sell lish. After the night performance of ' Cinderella' I held an auction at a city restaurant. That day my total was £500, which went to the Red Gross Fund. Every kind of article) has been under my hammer. 1 began by selling socks. Then I tried clothing. 1 bad a shot at live poultry—ducks, chickens, fowls, and turkeys. From that I went in for art and disposed of pit - tures, vases, and ' objects of virtue and bigotry,' as the pantomime comedian would say. Walking-sticks, statues, tindervests, "chocolates, table linen, furniture, 32 allotments of land, a cottage—anything people would give— and all sorts of things were brought to me at Her Majesty's, Melbourne, to sell."

The New York Review states that Madam Melba lias accepted an offer of £1000 a week tu appear in the chief American vaudeville theatres.

" The Babes in the Wood" pantomime, of lit'orge Willoughby's, Ltd., is shortly to bo seen in New Zealand. Sydney press critics have been unanimous concerning the spectacular beauty of this pantomime. It has been remarked that the production —for which Mr. Lester Brown is responsible—represents the last word in superior extravaganza, scenic, spectacular, and melodious surprises following one. another with remarkable swiftness. Miss Daisy Jerome, whose fame as a " live wire comedienne" of marked individuality is widely recognised, will be seen as the principal girl, in the role of Maid Marion; Miss Dorothy Harris, the American ragtime queen, is the principal boy. Robin Howl ; the comedy part of the Dame is played by Mr. Dan Thomas, who has made 16 appearances at Prurv Lane pantomimes, and the two robbers, in the guise of American hoboes, "Weary Willie' and " Tired Tim." will be Bert La Blanc, the Hebrew comedian, formerly with "The Grafters," and Ted Stanley. New song specialities, spectacular features, attractive ballets, and vaudeville interpolations, the latter including turns by Miss Josephine Oassman and her troupe of piccaninnies, the New York Comedy Four, a quartet of harmonic fun-makers, and many others, are in the production. i Vvsico-DauiATicros*