MUSIC AND DRAMA

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22628, 16 January 1937, Page 14 (Supplement)

MUSIC AND DRAMA

THEATRICAL NOTES Tour of Savoyards The South Island itinerary of the J. \C. Williamson Gilbert and Sullivan Company ia as follows: —Christchurch, February 6 to 13; Timaru, February 1,3 and i 6; Oamaru, February 17; Dunedin, February 18. Revivals of Popular Plays Miss Gladys Moncrietf and the J. C. Williamson Comic Opera Company will give a season of revivals of popular plays at the Theatre Royal, Sydney, in February, after the completion of the Monte Carlo Russian Ballet season. The plavs to be produced include "The Merry Widow," "The Maid of the Mountains" and "The Southern Maid. Mi 33 Harding in "Candida" The appearance on the English stage for the first time of Miss Ann Harding, the American screen and stage star, in Bernard Shaw's "Candida," will be one of the events of the new year, says the London Sunday Times. She has been engaged by H. M. Tennent, Limited, and there will be a seven weeks' tour in the provinces before the production goes to London. Miss Harding has never completely deserted the stage for the screen, and has already played the part of Candida in America, where she had her own repertory company. In this forthcoming revival the cast includes Nicholas Hannen, Athene Seyler and Edward Chapman. Many Costume Changes The production of "Wild Violets" at His Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, is taxing the resources of the mechanical and wardrobe staffs of J. C. Williamson, Limited, for it has 14 scenes and many changes of costume. In order that the production, should run smoothly and without long delay, the revolving stage is again brought into use, and for swift movement the production of "Wild Violets" rivals the films. J. C. Williamson, Limited, have taken a bold step in introducing several new young, promising artists into the cast for "Wild Violets," including Lloyd Lamble, whose splendid performances in "I Lived With You" and "Night Must Fall," place him as a very talented young actor.

"THE TWO BOUQUETS" NEW LONDON SUCCESS LOCAL RIGHTS ACQUIRED The Australian and New Zealand rights for the new London theatrical success, "The Two Bouquets,"' have been secured by J. C. Williamson, Limited. Styled as "a comedy with music by Eleanor and Herbert Fargeon," "The Two Bouquets'' is at present playing at the Ambassadors Theatre, London. The directors of J. C. Williamson, Limited, are contemplating the production of the play by the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company in Melbourne nest March, after the company' 3 return from ita present Xew Zealand tour. Writing from London about "The Two Bouquets," Mr. J. Xevin Tait say 3 that "it is an early Victorian play of the 1880's. with an atmosphere reminiscent of Gilbert and Sullivan. It cleverly depicts the sentimental young girls and their swains of that period with their Victorian parents."

MONTE CARLO BALLET TOUR OF NEW ZEALAND AUCKLAND ON FEBRUARY 24 The New Zealand tour of the worldfamous Monte Carlo Russian ballet will commence at Auckland on February 24. according to an announcement bv J. C. Will iamson, Limited, and J. and N. Tait. The ballet ia at present performing in Australia.

There are 62 notable artists in the ballet, the number including Valentina Blinova, Leon Woizikowsky, and Helene Kirsova, who have amazed audiences in all parts of the world with their glorious entertainment. To music by a full operatic orchestra conducted by Jascha Horenstein. formerly conductor of the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, the ballet presents a feast of dancing, posturing and miming in which grace, youth and beauty are expressed in exquisite portrayals of the dance in its most artistic sense.

TASTES OF THEATRE-GOERS NEW PLAYS AND OLD OPERAS Opera audiences in London are verv conservative, but audiences of plays and ballet prefer something netr. This is the conclusion reached in the annual report for the 19.'1.j-')6 season at the Old Vic and Sadler's Wells. "In opera, full houses can be expected for 'Faust,' 'Lohengrin,' 'Carmen,' and so forth; anything less familiar, even Mozart, is less attractive,'' says the report. "In drama, on the other band, Shakespeare and the older classics draw less well than Bernard Shaw. Ibsen or Tchehov. In ballet, which is perhaps the greatest national aehievment of Vic-Wells, it also happens that what is new attracts most, provided that the particular production wins approval." tbsen's "Peter Gynt," translated by R. Ellis Roberts, made an outstanding hit, Tchehov's "The Three Sisters," and R. C. Sheriff s "St. Helena" were successes, but "Macbeth," "A Winter's Tale ' and ''King Lear," each an artistic success, were not successful from the box-office point of view.

In opera it was the lesser-known works which failed to draw big audiences. It is astonishing that Puccini's comic masterpiece, "Gianni Schicchi," let alone his "Tabarro," should have remained unappreciated, especially as other Puccini operas are popular with the Wells' audience.

The ballets were a long series of successes, and 40 musical critics from 19 foreign countries, who visited the Wells under the auspices of the British Council for Cultural Relations with other Countries, were warmly appreciative of a programme consisting of "The Rake's Progress," "Facade," "The Blue Bird" pas de deux, and "Job."

The report announces that plays will not in future be advertised for a definite period, so that a play drawing big houses need not be taken off after a run of only three weeks. Revivals .are often failures. "At the start of last season," it is recalled, 'Peer Gynt,' was such a box-office success that it might have filled the house for months. When revived for the last fortnight of the season, the momentum lost, it fell flat."