MUSICAL and DRAMATIC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16205, 15 April 1916, Page 4 (Supplement)

MUSICAL and DRAMATIC.

BOOKINGS. HIS MAJESTY'S -THEATRE. In season to April is— "The Royal Strollers April 22 to May 6-J. C. Williamson, Ltd., Julius Knight Co. „;„„ .... ' May 29 to June 9-J. C. Williamson, Ltd. . Juno 12 to 24— J. C. William-ion, Ltd. . July 4 to 10-E. J. Carroll Dramatic CoSeptember. 16 onwards—Allen DoouoiCo.

!' , '~. TOWN HALL. , , . - April 22 and 21-Ashmead Bartlett. ' A film entitled."The Birth of a Nation" has : been secured by J, C Williamson, Ltd., for Australia. It 'will: be screened for ( the first time-, at 'Sydney Theatre Royal on Easter Saturday. " The Birth of ;,a, Nation" ran in' Ne- York for over a year.to prices of admission the same as charged for a theatre production, arid the attention it attracted was wide. The picuro was witnessed by over a million people. ( , \, • ~ ~ ■ \

v An anthem, "Tlio Ransomed of the Lord shall return," composed by Mr. F. H. Morton, of Auckland, and dedicated to the memory of Australian and New Zealand heroes who have given their lives for their King and country, has come to hand -at a. very ' appropriate. time. Mr. Morton, who received his "musical educa.tiori;,:at the.' A^ckla.nd; , . I|n%riity School W. Music',/ is Auckland-born jfhusician to have, an 'anthem/accopted by ,aH^'Aiistralifo' , ,pL , blisWng!";l)(ouse. The anthem "opens; with . for lienors raiid'basses, avshbrfc', i iij|terlude, and the "female voices'have a'similar passage. After another short "interlude the chorus enters on the words " And the Ransomed," which is followec by a short fugal passage at tho verse " They shall obtain Joy." A silent pause follows this, and then, pianissimo in chorus, occur the words "and sorrow and sighing shall flee away," the music gradually brightening towards tho end of the sentence. The concluding passage is in "fortissimo" to tho words "Hallelujah, Amen." The music throughout is of a melodious and devotional character. , -, .'"V • ->' ■-' Miss SarahfAilgood, the.brijliant actress .\vh&;will, play the name part in.'the'forth£o'mhig/ i pr6,duction of "Peg My Heart" •m'Australia, was in ■ the.' original cast of "The -'Playboy! of,' 'the : 'Western' World," which is regarded .by some "critics as one of. the greatest ">plays of the nineteenth century. Miss Allgood was well acquainted , with J. M. Synge, the ' illfated author of this" remarkable play. 'Synge ' was -an -Irishman, but through sheer' poverty he was' forced to live in obscurity ;in .Paris, eking out a small annuity 'by writing cramped articles for a small English' paper. ' It -was W. B. 1 Yeats, the famous lyric poet, who discovered Synge's astonishing gifts, and started him on the path to riches and celebrity. To do Syrige justice, says Miss Allgood, he cared for neither money nor fame. He was content to live in, a garret so. long .as. ho was., allowed to, write the vivid,- beautiful idiom which is unique' in -English,literature, Unfortunately, he was not permitted to follow his v bent for any .length of ..time. . He died suddenly of cancer jiistAvhen the British public was beginning -perceive the ripeness. of his ■genius. '-."'• '

' 'An accident which happened during the visit, to Ballarat of the J. C. Williamson '.'Mother Goose".pantomime, had remarkable results. ■ Ross and., Falls, , comedy.' .acrobats, , whose, turn ' is one :of the.'sen; sations of the pantomime, were practising a new feat,when- Falls fell,'and.wasl found to have received -severe ■ injuries,, including two broken ribs. It looked as if one of the features of the pantomime would be missing that night, but Mrs. Falls saved the situation. Donning her husband's clothes, and imitating his makeup! she went on in his place, and per-Idi^ild-Uhe/.whole of his portion of.theturn. . _ |* H. C. Williamson, Ltd., have completed I arrangements with Mr. Julius Knight for ! a special tour of New Zealand with the I war play, "-.Under Fire," one of-the most [successful dramatic productions the firm have handled. The tour win open at Auckland on April 22, then overland to Wellington, opening on May 9, Christchurch following on May 17, Dunedin on May 25, and other towns will be included. !Tho opportunity will be taken to present •Mr. Knight in some ofUie most successful pieces in his repertoire.

../Mr. Reginald Wykehain, the well-known actor; who has many friends in New Zealand,' has answered the call to the colours. Ho has passed all the tests, including the medical, and will go into camp on April 4. Mr. Wykcham wag here recently on the Fuller circuit.

A picture theatre on the Spanish mission style—to cost about £15,000 and to accommodate 1200 peopleis to be .erected on the silo noff occupied by the Strand Cafe and other buildings in Gladstone Road, Gisborne, for Mr.. F. Hall, of that town, who has arranged to lease it <to the Fuller Proprietary.

Projected movements of Georgo Marlow companies are as 'follow:—Allan Wilkie Shakespearian Company, after a successful season in Melbourne, comes to New Zealand ;. tho Gerald E. ' Griffin Company opened ,at Adelaide" on April 1, and then goes to Perth: the Dick Whittington Pantomime Company will appear at the Melbourne Princess on April 8. The Revue Company, playing " You're the One" at Sydney Adelplii, . will remain there until further notice. ?." '.

One of the-.biggest "hits" in a drama which shall be nameless was a snow scene, where the heroine fainted from hunger, and the gentle snow-flakes covered her fragile form. The company was on tour, and the Scottish manager was rather quick-tempered. Athene theatre he had had several rows with people, and his temper was at boiling point . when he despatched two men up above the stage with large brown-paper bags o f torn-tip, white paper for the snow. The scene began, and- so did the snowstorms, The scene went on, but the snow didn't. "Hey, you there!" said tho manager, in a savage whisper. "Whaur's the snaw?" "We've used up all the white paper, sir," came hack a despairing voice. "Then snaw ,broon, ye idiots! Snaw broon!" roared tho infuriated manager. ■ (

In the forthcoming production by J. and N. Tait of "Peg oMy Heart"'in Australia and Now Zealand a small but interesting part will be played •by a dog. This dog is Michael, a terrier of' doubtful extraction, but decided intelligence, who accompanies the heroine on her travels from America to England. Ho has a large role for a dog, and he is perfectly aware of his importance in the performance. It would be an exaggeration to say that he "swanks" in his part, but he certainly behaves with a humorous solemnity that is impossible to mistake. 'Ho is naturally much spoilt by .Miss Allgood and the company, whose realisation of the fact that he is an indispensable character without an understudy, has led them to tickle his palate with dainties and sweets. Michael, however, is of an amiable disposition, and he has never yet missed his cue through fracLiousness or illness.

Keith Kennedy, violinist of the Kennedy Quartette and Concert Company, writes to gay that the company has been performing at the Federal Government House, Melbourne. After tho concert Their Excellencies entertained the company to afternoon tea, and an enjoyable time was spent'.

Mr. Reynolds Denniston, of Dunedin, the welL-known actor-manager nvho was recently associated with Julius Knight in Melbourne, has been appointed manager of a theatre in Honolulu.

. Mr. Harold Ashton, who started out on a tour of America and England a short time ago in search of attractions for New Zealand and Australia on behalf of J..C. Williamson, Ltd., had on February 23 reached New York, from whence he'sent a post-card announcing his arrival. He has secured two of the biggest successes the American stage has known, "Romance" and "The Great Lover." JdtfSico-DajutAiicps.