THEATRICAL NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18996, 18 April 1925, Page 8 (Supplement)

THEATRICAL NOTES.

From Factory to Staga. The Now York Outlook reports a case of rapid advancement from factory to stage. In the city of Middletown, Ohio is the plant of the American Rolling Mill Company, a concern which employs over 7000 workers. The managers and Lie workers have built up a remarkable runnher of glco clubs, orchestras, quartettes, and developed some striking instrumental and vocal soloists. It was t.<e fortune of one young girl to ho brought up in this environment. That girl was Miss Louise Hunter. She sang for her friends, and through her friends in that great steel plant "she was given special opportunities for training. Her friends had faith in her voice. It was the president of the company who wrote to Mr. Otto Kahn, of the Metropolitan Opera Company, asking for an audition to learn if "we ought to send Miss Hunter to Europe to finish her musical education." Mr. Kahn granted the requost. In the great empty auditorium of the Metropolitan Opera llouso the directors of the Metropolitan Opera and Gatti-Casazza patiently waited to hear Miss Hunter's voice. -Miss Hunter sang once; then she was asked to sing again, and again, and again. When the audition was over, there was a. new member of the Metropolitan Company. That was two years ago, and Miss Hunter is steadily advancing in the importance of the parts to which she has been assigned. Plays and Players. Mr. Thurston Hall, who plays the part of Mr. Hiram Draper in "So This Is London," has much sympathy for the beginner on the stage, having suffered many difficulties and trials himself. When very young Mr. Hall joined a company of strolling players, who staged their plays in a tent and put on a new play every night. Mr. Hall's contract read that he was to receive five dollars a week and "cukes"—the latter meaning his food. Everything is not just beer and skittles for a beginner. The great interest being taken in the present visit to Australia of Madm'e Galli-Curci, was indicated by the rush to purchase records made by the great prima donna. Four huge shipments were disposed <>f, and another shipment was sold before it landed. Tn one day, a gramophone dealer .in Melbourne sold 300 records of "Caro Nome," from "Eigoletto." Madame Galli-Curci xvill open her season ia Melbourne, this evening. She has won world-wide success, but it has been on her concert tours through her inimitable singing of songs that she has reached the hearts of multitudes. The London Times recently described her as "a great artist, a charming, cultured woman, and the wonder of her time." Miss Muriel Allen, of Pukekora, Cambridge, met with a favourable reception on the occasion of her second annearance on a London concert platform last month. Miss Allen, who has adopted the professioml name of Joan Muirella, says the Herald's London correspondent, sang in Italian, German and English, her programme bein>r an attractive aud interesting one. The songs were arranged ill groups, and they were given without intermission fo i h i - - good idea, for applause after every item is often tiresome. Miss Muirella started with Mozart's "Ecco il punto" and "Non piu di fiori" ("La Clemenza cli Tito"), then came a group of eight Schumann's songs, "Frauenliebe lind Leben," and lastly five of Elgar's "Sea Pictures." Maude Fane has a remarkable collection of curios of the East, which she gathered when she was touring as a member of the Scarlet Troubailors company, with which she ultimately came to Australia. Miss Fane has- visited India, China, Japan, Siam, Philippine Islands, and Burma. She has explored the Forbidden City in Pekin, and gazed with awe at .the snowclad heights of sacred Fujijama in Japan. She has made the complete tour of the East no fewer than three times, and on each occasion added to her store of curios and souvenirs. • Some very rare Chinese carving was presented to her at a special performance given by the company at the palace of a great Mandarin in Pekin. "It was the most amazing palace I have ever seen in my life," said Miss Fane. "It resembled a spectacular scene in a pantomime. There were tahles covered with inlaid pearl, vases of carved jade, nnd a piano stool •• sot with precious stones. When tho performance was over, we were entertained at a wonderful banquet, and each of tic was presented with a present worth a month's salary!" Cbnttinc of his American days, Maurice Mosonvitch, who is so well known to Melbourne theatre-goers, was led to speak of Vladimar do Paehmann, the praat pianist, also a native of Odessa. Tn New York tho.y lived in the same locality, and frequently foregathered. "One day," related the actor, "we were passing along a street, and from the open door of a horse heard someort playing Liszt. Do Paehmann stopped, and from a s'gn saw that the tenant was a teacher of the pianoforte at 25 cents a lesson. 'Come along," he said, and ho went, into the room where the young man was playing. 'Yon should not, plav Liszt like that;' he told the man. Twill show you how to play it.' And forthwith bo sat down at the piano, and performed in his own brilliant way. The man looked a hit astonished at our sudden entrance, and obviously wondered at the liberty that wo as strangers had taken. A few weeks later wo were passing the same house, and do Paehmann chuckled with glee when be recalled the incident. But the chuckle was turned to a gasp of chagrin when, in place of tho original notice, there was ono with tho name of the teacher and the words: 'Pupil of de Pachinann. Terms—Five dollars.' "