MUSICAL and DRAMATIC

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17145, 26 April 1919, Page 3 (Supplement)

MUSICAL and DRAMATIC

J. he J. C. Williamson Royal Comic Opsra Company, now in the South, is pre- ', Bending two new musical plays. These are " Maytime," and "Oh, Oh, Delpbine." They are also reviving "Katinka," and " The Pink Lady." Miss Minnie Everett -is iii charge of the ballet, and the producer is Mr. George H. Highland. The principal) of the company include Messrs. Reginald Roberts, Leslie Holland, John Fordo, John Balaton, Percy Claridge, C. R. Bantock, and Phil Smith; Misses Florence Young, Gladys Moncrieff, Olive Godwin, Addie Leonard, and Mae Baird.

Mr. Hugh D. Macintosh's Sydney Tivoli Revue Company will visit New Zealand shortly, and produce the following four London revues "Samples," "Time, Please," "Bubbly," and "Honi Soft." Mr.. Robert Greig will be in charge of the productions, and the company will include Beatrice Holloway, Marie. Eaton, Florence Fox, Noel Geddes, Ethel Bennett, little Dorothy Ryder, Leslie Gaze, Hugh Steyne, Charles Albert, Billy Rego, Novak (the Russian dancer) and Laurence Hurdinge.

Mr. Howard White, the Boston operatio basso, who recently visited Australia, died at Riverside Drive, New York City, in January. He succumbed to pneumonia, and his wife Evelyn Scotney, was seriously ill with influenza when the last mail left. They were both good artists (says the Sydney Morning Herald), but the handsome coloratura soprano was the star of the combination. She was originally "discovered" about 12 years ago by Dame Nellie Melba, who sent her to Paris for training under Madame Marchesi. Howard White sang declamatory basso cantata rolea with the Boston Opera Company for five years, appearing with Melba, Tetrazzini, Caruso, and other celebrities, and married his present wife, who was singing lyric soprano roles with him for most of that period. He was the son of Dr. White, of Providence, and was born there in June, 1881. Ho graduated in law at Pittsburg University, but studied singing in Wagnerian opera in Germany, and followed music as a profession.

Mr. and Mre, John Fuller, sen., and ML-a May Fuller have been visiting Dunedin. They have now gone to Christchurch prior to returning to Auckland. At about the) end of May Mr. Fuller will proceed viaHonolulu to Southern California, where he will spend some six months.

' Referring to the death of Sir Charles Wyndham on January 11, in his 82nd year, a contributor to the Sydney Morning Herald says that to most playgoers Charles Wyndham was a long memory of sheer delight. ' No one approached Wyndham in his own line. He was the personification of high comedy. For his first twelve years he made no headway in acting at all He was in the cast of "Dearer Than Life," with Toole, Irving, Ellen Terry, and Henrietta Hodson in 1868, still but little noticed in such a galaxy of talent. Ha made his fortune in such farcical comedies as "Brighton," Pink Dominoes," and " Betsy," and ruled at the Criterion for long, long years before he built the New Theatre. His graceful bearing and his beautiful lissome slender figure were assets which never left him. His David Garrick has become a classical memory. No one attempted to play David Carrick until Wyndnam had entirely given up the oart. Then in the nineties came his long association with Mr. Henry Arthur Jones in "The- Liars," "Mrs. Dane's Defence," and other comedies, which exactly fitted him.

.Mr. Harry Lauder, the great Scottish comedian, is due to arrive in Australia next month.

Mr. Fred -Leslie, who, with Miss Ivy. Shilling as a dancing partner, gained fame in London, was at latest appearing in musiual hull sketches with Miss Jennis Benson. Miss Shilling is still a feature id " Shanghai," the successful musical production in London. Miss Dorothy Brunton, another Australian artist who had a pari in "Shanghai," is playing in "Soldier Boy." • Miss Ada Reeve was appearing in her revue " Come Inside " at Johannesburg in February. Joseph Bhischeck is with tha company. Miss Margaret Wycberly, who was seen [ in Auckland in " The Thirteenth Chair," and had some difficulty in getting out of New Zealand during the height of the influenza epidemic, has reached the United. States. When tie last mail left she was about to appear in a new drama written by her husband, Mr. Bayord Veiller, author of "Within the Law," and "The. Thirteenth Chair." The real names of some famous film : actresses art Theda Bara, Theodosia Goodman; June Caprice, Betty Lawaon; Viola Dana, Viola. Flugarth; Bessie Love, . Bessie Horfcon; Shirley Mason, Leonis Flugarh (sister of Viola Dana); Mary , Miles Minter, Juliet Shelley; Mary Pick- , ford, Gladys Smith; Blanche Sweet, i Blanche Alexander.

The death at South Dunedin recently of Mr. George William Ward, marked' the passing of the old man of the theatrical profession in that part of the- world. \Mr. Ward was in his ninety-second year. In the days of Lady Dob, Julia Matthews, J. L. Hall, and W. Hoskniß, he was the chief property man and responsible head of the scene-shifters in Danedin, and he was frequently consulted as _ the authority on stage history in that city.'

Widespread newspaper discussion has followed on the Billie Carltonjase as to the use of drugs, in England."" This has apparently inspired Mr. Arthur Shirley, whose Drury Lane dramas are well-known in this part of the world, with the title of his latest effort. It is call*! " The Girl in the Opium Den."

"The Fall of Bal';;!on," an expansion, of D. W. Griffith's Babylonian episode in "Intolerance," received its premiere ,at the Kinema, Los Angeles, during February. The Los Angeles critics pronounced tho picture to be Griffith's greatest work. Constance Talmadge is the star of the production. Other leading artists in tho work are:— Rubens, Dorothy Dalton, Bessie Love, and Mildred Harris (Mrs. Charlie Chaplin). Miss Fayette Perry, the young actress who bade farewell to the footlights at the Sydney Tivoli in December with the object of joining her newly-wedded husband, Mr. James Alison, an Australian, aged 65, played a principal part in a divorce suit at San Francisco recently. Her husband settled £15,000 on her, with the provwo that she should not return to Australia nor marry again. Miss Perry is said to have gone East with an additional money gift from her husband in the form of a letter of credit for £1000. Mr. Alison intends to spend a month or more in Florida before going on to New York, and possibly to London. Miss Kathlene MacDonell and Mr. Charles Waldron were at latest in New! York. Miss MacDonell had a part in a new play, " Tho Net." Mr. Waldron was a member of the cast of " The Woman in the Thirteenth Room." There is stated to be a probability of Mr. Walter Bentley, the weli-kno'vn Shakesperian actor, .in recent jean has been teaching dramatic art .in Sydney, a?ain appearing on the professional stage, negotiations between Mr. Bentley and the 1 C Williamson management having lately" been opened. Mr. "Bentley toured | Great Britain as Macbeth to the Lady | Macbeth of the famous Riston, and was associated with Irving, Wyndham, and other famous companies before he launched out as a starring actor-manager. Miss AnnetteKellermann, the Australian swimmer, picture actress, and entertainer, has recently been giving work of the revue order in New York vaudeville. Stating that Miss Kellermann had substituted a "London Johnny"- number for a previous song, a criti* says: ' She does this masculine bit surprisingly wed, , ' ' Moaco-DBmncu^ i