DRAMA OF THE DAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18089, 13 May 1922, Page 3 (Supplement)

DRAMA OF THE DAY.

Tho death is announced of Honri Dore, who will ho remembered fo» th« excellent work ho did with the Allan Wilkie Company in some of its earlier New Zealand tours—particularly as Sir Andrew Aguecheck in "Twelfth Night" and Sir Peter Toarle in " School foa Scandal." Dore was a delightful littlo man to meet, full of cheery good spirits, and possessing a fund of anecdotes regarding stage-folk tho world over. Ho had toured America and had played extensively in England. He used to attribute his success in character parts to tho training he received as a junior in tho company of the brilliant Annie Hughes. Dore had that fault of many artistic and temperamental people!—ho was over-generous.

Toscha Scidolj tho young Russian wizard of tho violin, was born in Odessa jpst twenty-two years ago and ever since bis first appearance in Christiania in 1915. ho has had a meteoric career, having nwido great successes in Russia, France, JDenmark, Sweden, Norway, America .and England. Ho is at present adding to his laurels in Australia. Toscha Seidel 5)3 a pupil of tho famous Professor Auer, with whom ho studied for six years, and ha,c'l as a fellow student Jascha Heifetz, and the two brilliant youngsters were fast fri<fe)ids. Seidel is coming to New Zealand and will commenco his tour, under the 'direction of J, and N. Tait, about tha middle of July.

Gertrude Johri!»on has don© well since her arrival in England, having beon engaged frw prima donna rolea - with the British National Opera Company, at pre-sent-on tour in Scotland. The gifted young Australian soprano has also received several important concert engagements.

Experiments in entertainment by wireless were, made at Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney, recently, under the supervision of Mr. Finkelstein and Mr. L. Hooke, of Amalgamated Wireless, Ltd, Among those whose music was carried to tho four winds with an invitation "to those in peril on the sea" to listen were Mr. Jaseha Spivakovsky, tho Russian pianist; -Miss Maud Fane, Miss Madge Elliott, Mr. Frith, and others of the artists in " A "Ni"ht Out" company. Although they have not been asked to do so, it is expected that ships at sea will report in what, manner tho music came to them.

Nicola, tho magician, has finished his Melbourne season, and will now carry out the remainder of his tour, which includes Tasmania, Alolaide, Brisbane, and New Zealand. One of Nicola's latest feats was performed as the result of a challenge. He was placed in a tank, which was filled with water, and then locked. Nicola undertook to escape in one minuto, or drown. He escaped, but how it was done the committee of the audience who went upon tho stago failed to discover. Tho most puzzled people in Melbourne are said to have been those who went upon tho stage of the King's Theatre expecting to find out how Nicola porformod his mysterious and seemingly impossible feats.

"Tho Maid of the Mountains," for which playgoers have been waiting these many months past, is scheduled to commence its New Zealand season at Auckland late this month.

The fortunes of Mr. Ceorge Bernard Shaw vary. It is not long since he denounced English managers, and cried to high heaven that his plays were rejected. Better times came for hiro, though—and on tho opening night of his last piece the house clamoured for a speech from the author. At the end of a few busy minutes, tho manager appeared _to announce that the famous dramatist co\nld not be found, but he was probably asleep somewhere in the theatre.

We in the antipodes have a pleasant prospect before us in matters musical, if the- names of some of the artists who are coming here shortly arc any indication. Especially gratifying is the information which, has come to hand from Mr. Frederic Ship man. managing director of International Tours, Ltd., Sydney, who is now <>n his way home after a business trip to America and Europe. Hero are some of the famous artists who will visit Australasia in the near future under his guidance:—Maier and Pattison, pianoforte ductists, who arrive in Sydney on June 16; Paul Althouse, tenor, and Arthur Middleton, basis baritone; Sarah and Nellie Kouns, noted vocalist.' •■ Rosa Rais?., operatic star, and her husband, Giacojrno Rimini, baritone, both of the Chicago Opera, House, with Frank St. Legerr as accompanist; the famous London string quartette; and an old New Zcalan/i favourite, Paul Dufault, the French-O nadian tenor. Truly, the prospect is »n alluring one.

When the New York Morning Telegraph instituted a popularity contest just before the war. Miss Elifcabe/th Dunn, now playing the coloured maid in " The First Year" at Melbourne King''a Theatre, was included among the ten. actresses who were adjudged by New York playgoers the most popular on the New York stage. Miss Dunn's actual position on the popularity list was third.

Milan's historic opera house is to have a grant of 2 per cent, from every cinema house and theatre in Lombardy, as a national monument. In addition, it has started its new season (Toscanini conducting "Falstaff") with a guarantee fund of 6,000,000 lire.

The Wanganui Operatic Society will produce " Miss Hook of Holland" this month,jnnder the direction of Miss Eva Mboro.

" The be.st actors," recently declared Phillips Tead, who plays the leading role in "The First year'* at Melbourne's King's, "are those who commenced their career with the stern disapproval of their parents frowning upon them. It puts them on their mettle and they've simply «?ot to go ahead and win out or go under. My father was a prominent Congregationahst minister of Somerville, Massachusetts, and my boyhood was mostly spent attending church services, and taking part in Sunday school entertainments. It was really from the latter that my inclination for the stage developed. "When I made known my desires in this direction, there was a stormy scene under the parental roof, but I was not to be deterred from my ambition, and for a long time my parents refused to recognise their wayward son. Time, and success, however, healed tho breach, and now, I am glad to say, that my father and mother are among my most ardent *■ boosters.'"

Tho death of Mr. Luther Munday In London, will be deeply rogretted by thousands of theatrical people. Sir Herbert Tree once said that Mr, Munday's lifo story would be one of the most interesting biographies ever written. Born in 1857, he had been: —A tramp in London; had served as an able seaman; enrolled in the Thames police; later in the Metropolitan fire brigado; had been a chorister in St. Paid's Cathedral: chairman of a London music hall. It was among theatrical people that Mr. Mundav found many of his warmest friends, "including Sir Herbert. Tree and Sir Charles Wyndham, with whom he worked a s manager-in-chi e f* But he had other friends—Ruskiu, Gladstone, Whistler and Wilde, and high dignitaries of tho Church, Robert Browning and Cecil Rhodes. His book, " A Chronicle of Friendships," is full of good stories of men and women whom ho knew intimately.

Washington, D.C., was one of tho limited number of American cities which heard Madame Marguerite d'Alvarez Jast season, durir«g her brief visit to th© United States. Her Washington engagements formed one of the Concerts Diplomatique, given under the patronage of tho Diplomatic Circle. Additional social interest was given to the event since her brother, the Marquis de Buerno Vista, is the first secretary of the Peruvian Embassy, and consequently the audience was one of th© smartest of the entire season. Madame Marguerite d'Alvarez will be in Australia in June for g," concert tour under the management of J. and N. Tait.

Since " The Great Adventure" broke the record at the Kingsway, Arnold Bennett has not been too successful as a playwright. Nor is " The Love Match" likely to prove much more acceptable than plays like "The Title" and "Judith." which seemed to suggest the author had little enthusiasm left for tho theatre. There, is no trace of tho brilliant creative power of, say, " The Roll Call," in tho new piece at the Strand says a London critic. It is a variant of the eternal triangle, with some novelty of treatment bufc not nearly enough to make an audience "sit up and take notice." Arthur Bourchier in his usual strong-man manner, is the lover of another man's wife (Kyrle Bellcw.) Tho other man (Holman Clark) has to be told of tho liaison, and the lover to marry tho wife after the divorce. Tho strong man finds her rather a handful, and tries to train her to be obherwisa by pretending to have lost his money. But his Pctruchian methods are not very effective.

Says a Melbourne writer :—" Meeting Talbot OTarvcll, the Irish star, I congratulated him. Ho thanked me, and added, ' The approach shot was a perfect dream.' ' I was referring to your wonderful success at the Tivoli on Saturday nijrht,' said I. 'Oh, that!' said Mr. O'Farrell. coldly. 'I thought you were talking about that throe I got at a fire bogey yesterday.' Wo have evidently one more stage golfer amongst ns.** Musico-Deahaticus,