THEATRICAL'NOTES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21414, 11 February 1933, Page 10 (Supplement)

THEATRICAL'NOTES

COMING PRODUCTIONS His Majesty's: This Afternoon and this Evening.—Dame t, Sybil Thorndike ' and Company in " Saint Joan," to be followed by r " Macbeth," " The Medea " and " Madame Plays Nap." Next Month.—Little Theatre Society production, Walter Hackett's " Ambrose Applejohn's Adventure." ; April.—Amateur Operatic Society's presentation, Planquette's " Les Cloches de Cornville." THEATRE AND CONCERT HALL Messrs. J. C. Williamson have purchased the rights of the play "Service," and leading actors will be chosen for a company to open a season in Australia at Easter. A tour of New Zealand will follow later. "Service" is the second play of C. L. Anthony, < whose first play, '! Autumn Crocus," was such a great success. " Service " deals with the trials of an old English store which has fallen into financial difficulties, and the reactions on the owner, Gabriel Service, the rich young wife, a daughter by a previous marriage, and a son. Faced with a diminished income, the wife leaves her husband, but the son and daughter help their father to carry on, and save the business from being sold to a chain store company. " Waltzes From Vienna," a delightful musical play which has been one of the most popular of its type in recent years, having run for 600 twice-daily performances at *he Alhambra Theatre, Condon, is Being staged in Australia. It will be presented in New Zealand probably about July or August. The principals in the cast are all English and include " John Moore (Schani Strauss), Shirley Dale (Resi), Miriam Spbbage (The Countess Olga Baranskaja), Aubrey Mailleau (Johann Strauss, senior), Ivy Kirby (premier danseuse) and Jocelyn Yeo (Augustina, the bride). The captivating music throughout is by Strauss —indeed, the story is written round the life of Johann Strauss and his son—two men of renown in the musical world of Germany. The strains of the " Blue Danube " waltz haunt the production. Music-lovers throughout the Dominion will be delighted to hear that John Brownlee, the world-famed young baritone, who has just created a record in Australia by giving 92 concerts during hiS'Six months'. tour, will visit New Zealand before returning to France. He will open his tour of the Dominion early in March, and will sing in Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin, and also hopes to visit several of the smaller centres. Although he is only 32 years old, Mr. Brownlee has held the position of principal baritone at the Paris Opera House for the past six years, and is also firmly established at Covent Garden, and at the great opera houses in South America and Spain. Apart from his .glorious voice, Mr. Brownlee's fine presence and. acting ability have won him many triumphs. After a series of successes at the principal European opera houses, the famous baritone last year visited South America, and in association with such artists as Gigli and Lily Pons, earned new laurels in record seasons at Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro. While opera has hitherto occupied the greater part of Mr. Brownlee's career, he has frequently found time to appear on the concert platform. On his tour of New Zealand he will be assisted by the brilliant young Belgian pianist, Raymond Lambert.

At the close of her Auckland season next Saturday, Dame Sybil Thorndike, the famous English actress who is at present delighting Auckland theatre-goers wUh her art, will undertake a provincial tour of the North Island, in response to countless requests. This news should give great pleasure to the residents of the various districts to be visited, for it is seldom that an opportunity is afforded them of witnessing in their own town a performance headed by such a stage celebrity as Dame Sybil Thorndike; for this great arnot only stands supreme in her profession, but has been the recipient of > one of the highest honours ever, conferred by His .Majesty the King on any female , stage celebrity/The provincial itinerary is i as follows: —Hamilton, February 20;' Wanganui, February 22; Hawera, February 23; New Plymouth, February 24; Palmerston North, February 25; Hastings,. February 27; Dannevirke, February 28; Masterton, March 1; after .which a j short return season (March 2, 3 and 4) will be played at Wellington before the distinguished artiste and her splendid company sail for South America. The play ] chosen for the provincial districts is the i enthralling. comedy-drama, " Madame Plays Nap," in which Sybil Thorndike is i perhaps seen at her very best as the voluble, mercurial and dissembling wife i of the Parisian pawnbroker, who combats wile with wile, and wins out in the end. i The members of the company, too, have opportunities not available in some of the other and heavier plays in her extensive re- ] pertoire..