THEATRICAL NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18771, 26 July 1924, Page 8 (Supplement)

THEATRICAL NOTES.

');;,;■'. ;" .' ' '■- -,-■ : jjVAudeville and Salaries. Vaudenl le perform ers in England can V have no complaint on the < score ■of wlary. If a '.'report current in Sydney / fe : i/ws-ect, George Robey's weekly envelope.;..; •;:>'• :the contract just entered into with .the"..MftsS" Empires will contain £750/ which is at the rate of £38,000 yearly. Excepting, perhaps, Sir Harry Lauder, no other British vaudevillian has soared to financial heights such as these. Lauder, in 1920, was paid £2000 for a week's engagement, covering 13 performances. Marie Lloyd was said to have earned £250 to £300 a week at times, while Vesta Tilley's top salary quoted as being £500 a week. : . Plays and Players. After an absence of two and a-half rears from the Australian stage, ... Mr. John D. O'Hara, the American actor, returned to Sydney recently. The very popular Humphrey Bishop Company will play a return season in Auckland next month, opening at His Majesty's Theatre on Saturday, August 16. The season will be a short one, and this popular combination is sure to play to capacity business throughout its stay hero. . i Miss Keba Cohen, the Auckland vocalist, says the London correspondent of the Herald, writing on June 17, has. continued assiduously at her studios since. March of last year, when she gave her first recital in London. Miss Cohen, who is living at Hull, will be in London again in a few days' time to take part in the 122 nd concert under the auspices of the League of British Artists. . "Do Shrimps Make Good Mothers?" will bei sung by Mr. Edward Elliott, the talented comedian with the Humphrey Bishop Company, during the return season of the company in Auckland next month. "I Always Have, a Glass of Milk Before x Go to Bed," is one of Mr. Elliott's latest works, which has caught the Dopular fancy in Wellington. This he will also be presenting for the first tune, in Auckland next month. Winifred Emery, wife of Cyril Maude, whoso death was announced, last week, was a daughter of the late Mr. Samuel Anderson Emery, a grand-daughter of Mr._ John Emery, and a great-grand-daughter of Mr. .Mackla, Emery, nil of whom were famous actors!' in .their day. She made . her first appearance on the stage in 1870, when she was only eight years of age, and appeared in innumerable leading roles, until her retirement a few years ago. She was seen at her best as Lady Babbie in " The Little Minister." .-■■-.■- A correspondent of the Sydnoy Morning in writing of Mr. Seymour Kicks' production of "Old Bill, M.P." says: "It is the finest anti-revolutionist, anti-Bolshevist, and. ariti-Communist lesson that I have ever heard, and-1 advise all working men who to-day are at 'the parting of the ways' regarding Communism and constitutional government to_ see this wonderful production;;' It strikes : such a national nota that is surely want- . ing in our children to-day, that I would like to see as many as possible of our Public school children also attend." , / Jim Gerald once averted a panic in a theatre by*, a if-imely joke..,. Some scenery had caught; fire,; and the : small of burning had alarmed the audience, who appeared to be on the verge of panic. Mr. Gerald appeared at the and attempted to quieten the crowd, sayt ing there was absolutely no danger. Hist efforts-:second little, iresponse., until he! suddenly" l7;ad' : : ; "Ladies and gentlemen," he said; "do ; ycu imagine for one moment that if there were any danger I should remain here?'*] , The laugh which followed relieved the] tension, and order was restored. i ." I'm \happy as Larry,"- was Dame Nellie Melba's characteristic exclamation , when interviewed after her last .opera ; night in the recent season'in Melbourne. , "I feel that I have made hundreds of new friends, please make it quite clear that even after "the extra week of opera we are going to give on the conclusion of the Sydney season, :; L will still sing for '. charity. But my days of strenuous opera ; singing are coming to an end. I want to feef that the responsibilities inseparable < from a life that belongs to the public are being laid down. I'm going to have a i'oliy good time, when I make my last low, alter ,ray swan song.' ' \ A good story is told of "Dot" (Dion) Boucicault, who, . with- his clever wife Irene Yanbr ugh, commenced their season in Auckland this week with " His House in Order." A decade ago the Brough and Boucicault company was rehearsing " As v.,;. You Like It," at the Bijou,! in anticipation *,■■>' cf a successful Shakespearean season following-" Much Ado," and Audrey was in " the hands of a bu;tom member of the company who was rastive under Dot Boueiciult's drastic methods of stage manage- , me,nt. " Dot," says the,narrator, "although a very small man. was Nero, Legiee, Vandall,-Mohock" and illLthe rest of them when handling a bunch of weepful women at a rehearsal. '-Gallantry,' said he, 'goes with bad art.!' On this particular occasion 113 got; font after Audrey's impersonator wiith such vehemence that at length. the sobbing woman landed him a stunning box on the ears. Bouekault assumed a studied calm. - * Hand in your part,'! he said; He took over the script and passed hjis assailant another. ' Here,' he said, 'we'll! make a little change.' The .part the lady now held was that of Charles the Wrestler."