MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15906, 1 May 1915, Page 4 (Supplement)

MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC.

COOKINGS.

-j HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE.

April 29 to May i— Charley's Aunt Comedy Co. .■" ■'. '.-. . - -O-f : , • :V • Mas 6to B—Kennedy Concert Co. ' May: 10 to 22-fteo. Willoughby's Co. , n May 24 to 29—B«aumont Smith's Co- ,„. ("Who's the Lady?"). May 31 id June O—J. C. Williamson's Panto- • i mime. '-,\ ■"■'•' - . ',-. .; - ; Juno 14 to 25—Allen Doone's Co. : Juno 26.t0. July 10—Hush Buckler's Co. ■» July, 12 to ni-Gco. Willoughby's Co. Aug. 16 to 28- J; C, Williamson;- ■ '\ Aug. 30 to Sept. 18/-Geo. Willoiighby Co,Sept. 27 to OcU C. Williamson. - ~

J 1 TOWN HALL, CONGEST CHAMBER. M"»y 11 'to June' 26—Edward Branscombo's „ , Costume Co., " Red Dandies.'' July 5 to 17— Court Cards-

Sib George Alexander 1 completed 25 years of theatrical management in London on January 31 last. It was on February 1, 1890, when he had already made his mark as a young actor,, and while he was playing in "London Day by Day," at the Adelphi, that he started in management at tho Avenue,. producing "Dr. Bill," in .which Mr. Fred.. Terry played his part of Dr. William Brown until he was able to take it up on. March 16. He entered on his management of tho St. James's on January 31, 1891, and lias produced plays there'' over since. During his 25 years' management, Sir George- Alexander has presented 73 separate stago works, besides revivals of the more noted and popular productions. Some of the . principal ones are as follows Lady Windermere's Fan," "The Second Mrs. Tanqueray," "Tho Prisoner of. Zcnda," " Old Heidelburg," " His House in Order," "The Thief," "Tho Witness for the Defence," " Bella Donna," "Tho Thunderbolt," "The Importance of Being Eanjest," "Mid Channel," and "The Turning Point." His latest stage production is entitled' "Kings and Queens," which was produced at the St. James's on January 16 of this year. ' Sir George himself portrayed the * character of H.I.M. Frederick lV\, and Miss Marie Lohr -appeared as QuiCn Charlotte.

New war plays and 'sketches in London arc :—" Tho Man Who Stayed at' Home," "The Bolls of St, Valoir," "A Call to Arms," "-Colonel Cobb, of' tho Red Hussars," " In the Blood," " Honour Gains the Day," " Saved by tho British," "Espionage," "Tho Supreme Sacrifice,". " England's Call," and "My Friend, Thomas Atkins." Most of them are short pieces, and are being performed' to the music halls.

Mr. .Harry Lauder has organised a special band of piper*, which is to tour tho whole of Scotland and the North, of •England to gather recruits. The band has been officially recognised by the War Office, and may be expected to play a prominent part in the recruiting campaign. Mr. Lauder has issued the following appeal "I want a thousand men. Our country calls for tho best that is in us.' Anything we can do, let us do it voluntarily and without force. 'Don't let the spirits of tho glorious past laugh us to disaster.—Your country calls you.—

For musical comedy there is said to be an unusual atmosphere in "The Marriage Market," which is to be staged by. the J. C. Williamson Roval Comic Opera"Company at Melbourne Her Majesty s shortly, i The action takes placo in California. The first act has for its setting a ranch, and tho stage is filled with cowboys. Tho second shows tho deck of a sumptuous yacht anchored in the Bay of San Francisco. The third act takes place in a millionaire's palace in San Francisco. Throughout tho play there is said tp bo the breezy unconventional atmosphere of tho West, with its picturesque trappings and brisk.action. "The Marriage Market" will be produced by Charles A. Wenuian.

.Mile. Bel Sorel, the French-Italian *ppvaiia,.,who created the role of Madame Butterfly in Australia, and who'subsequently, toured New Zealand, and after a considerable stay sailed again ; , for Italy in November, 1910, writing to a Svdney newspaper .from Milan, says that after the outbreak of the war, theatrical affairs became more and moro paralysed. Accord* ingly sh'o returned to' her house in Milan, and nettled down to give lessons in singing and stage work.' Mile. Sorel says that although the fact is not publicly- discussed, the war has already caused distress among the working classes in Italy. This distress is accentuated amongst choristers ' and stago hands, whilst for tho artists. short seasons given by operatic touring com-, panics' on sharing terms, and headed by two or. three favourite singers, provide "a risky kind of speculative enjoyment."

It is ■ reported, that arrangements are now . complete for tho tour of New* Zealand by the Kinemacblor war film "With tho Fighting Forces of Europe." Kinemacolor of Australia, Ltd., controls this picture, which takes three hours to unreel, • and which deals completely with the armies of all tho belligerents in the present war. The Dominion tour is lixed to commence in June.

Tho war play, 'The Man Who Staved at Home," which is running successfully in London and is shortly to be in Sydney and Melbourne by J. 0. Williamson, Ltd., has been produced in New York, under the title of ''The White Feather." The American correspondent of' the Stago says that "it is a genuino success, and I have not seen a single deprecatory notice in ally paper,' and that means a -gnat'deal in Now York, where WW German population is enormous, and bears considerable influence with a number of papers. It looks as if "The White leather' will ran tho rest of the season.

\ kinematograph studio, which will give social attention to the Williamson plays, is being erected in Melbourne, opposite Her Majesty's Theatre, on tho site 01 Die " Iron Pot," which wa.j Melbourne's first permanent theatre.- The first plays to be pictured are tho Niblo series, including ' " Get-Ricli-Quick WaJlingford " " Seven Keys to Baldpate," " Officer 666'," and others. Afterwards a number of other plays for which. Williamsons' hold tho rights will be placed on the Mm.

Miss Irene Browne, of the Julius Knight Dramatic Company, is to leave for Britain shortly. Miss Browno tamo to New Zeaand wrth Mr. H. B. Irving'., company m 1912, playing small parts, and subseq'7 •» h9 r^ ure(l with "Milestones" and "Bella Donna."

, Miss Viole!. Paget is to revive." Caste," A Pair of Spectacles,"'« She Stoops to Conquer, and "The Man on the Box at the Little Theatre in Svdnov. The admission charges are lower than' they were before tho war. J

- Miss Carrie Moore has secured an engagement on the Orpheum circuit, and "P 0 "?,. 1 " N ,l York °" Juno 3in a sketch, Mollies Dream." Mies Moore's husband, Lance-Coiporal Percy Bigwood, who was a member of the Auckland Infantry Battalion in Egypt, died of pneumonia recently, according to a cablegram received Inst Tuesday.

' Captain the Hon. Henry Lvndhurst' Bruce, the eldest son of Lord Aberdare who was killed in action on December 14* loft £37,561. Probate of the will has been granted to the Hon. Camilla Bruce, the widow, formerly well known on tho English stage as Miss Camillo Clifford.

■ Daniel T. Frawley, who was in New Zealand nine years ago with " Arizona," Brother Officers," and other American plays, is reported to have married Miss Peggy O'Neil, one of the many "Peg »>' My Heart" actresses in the States.

Witliin a few months Mr. Hugh D. Mcintosh, tho governing director of the Harry Rickards Tivoli Theatres, will set out on < another tour of America and Europe in search of fresh turns for the Tivoli circuit.

By the Omrah there arrived in Melbourne recently two prominent London musical comedy artists, Misses Ethel Cadman and Thelrna llaye, who have been brought out by J. C. Williamson, Ltd., to appear is, "The Marriage Market.' '• Musico-Djujiaticvs^