Plays & Players

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8190, 3 August 1912, Page 11

Plays & Players

OPERA HOUSE. In season —Pickards* 1 audcyille Co. Aacust b.—Maggie Mooro Company. August 15-29.-J. C. Williamson, Ltd., Pantomime, ‘‘Sinbad the Sailor. ■September 5-11.-“T1io Blue Bird Co. September 23-October 2,-Plimn,er-Den-OctotaT 9-20.—Oscar Asche-Lily Brayton Co. THEATRE ROYAL. Fullor-Brcnnan Vaudeville (permanent). PICTURE SHOWS. Non' Theatre: MatiMnhon and Donnelly, Continuous. . Fullers’. Skating Rink, Vivian street. Slioi'tfs Theatre, Willis street. Continuous. The Adelphi, Willis street. CONCERT CHAMBER. In season.—" The Dandies.” GOSSIP The next big attraction at the Opera House will bo the J, C. Williamson Pantomime Company with “Sinbad the Sailor,” which opens on the 15th mst. On December 23rd last this attractive extravaganza began its career in Melbourne, where it ran to within a fortnight of Easter, and the success which has followed its travels through Australia since then indicates that it has hit the popular taste. The company, consisting of over three hundred people, including tho necessarily largo mechanical staff, will b© the same as presented the pantomime in Melbourne and Sydney. Tho production, with its extensive and brilliant mechanical effects, will bo seen boro in its entirety. Tho ‘‘Diamond Valley” scone alone is conceded one of tho finest stage spectacles yet achieved. Many thousands of crystals are used, each of a different shade of colour, and when the full electric current is turned on it is a blaze of dazzling brilliancy; over 3000 lamps are used in this scene. George Marlow, Ltd., have decided, commencing from next year, to send to New Zealand several of their companies. The first of the series will commence in Christchurch next Easter Saturday, and will reach Wellington on Monday, May sth, for a twelve-nights season. Tho initial production willbe Cecil Raleigh’s Drury lane success, ‘The Sins of Society.” This production requires a cast of over 140 people, and of that number they will bring sixtythree from Australia. Tho rest, mostly supernumeraries, will be engaged locally. In addition to this production several other notable successes will lie sent along, namely, “The Hope,” ‘‘Under Two Flags,” and ‘‘The Marriages of Mayfair.” Each one of these pieces trill be played by a different company. As such numerous attractions require a great deal of attention, the firm has decided to appoint a permanent manager to represent them, and has appointed Mr Stanlev Grant to that position, with offices in Wellington. Every production will be under the personal supervision of Mr George Willoughby, the managing director of the firm.

Miss Maggie Moore, of “Struck Oil” famo of earlier years, commences a season of six nights at the Opera House on August Bth in “Mrs McSweeney.” An Auckland writer says:—“The dramatised version of the late Thomas Spencer’s series of sketches necessarily involves the curtailment of tho ‘Surprising Adventures,' but all the characters ho created are preserved. There is Mrs McSweeney herself, her well-trained husband, the irrepressible twins, obliging Mrs Gacitus, and some other characters imported to make a coherent story. Tho dominant note is good humour of the true Hibernian variety, merging into sentiment at a moment’s notice, particularly at any mention of the Emerald Isle. It is perhaps the only complete portrayal of Irish-Austra-lian humour, with its affinity to, and its divergence from, the Irish-American typo. It is noticeable throughout that love for 'the land we came from’ is freely commingled with loyalty towards ‘the land where wo made our money,’ a strong strain of national sentiment running through this production of an Australian playwright. From her first appearance on the stage. Miss Maggie Moore, in the title role, held her audience.”

The last two weeks of “Kismet” arc announced at the Theatre Royal, Sydney. “Othello” is Mr Oscar Asche’s next production, to be followed by “The Merry Wives of Windsor.” At the Criterion the New Comic Opera Company is giving tho closing performances of the “Night-birds” season. A morality play in the ’‘halls”! Tills is the striking novelty which was presented at the Oxford Music-hall recently. The title of tho piece is “Everybody”— a relation, evidently, of .the familiar “Everyman” and of the forthcoming Drury Lane production “Everywoman.” Among the characters are Honesty, Work, Advice, Pleasure, Fortune, and Luck. The players include Messrs Laurence Leyton, E. W. Thomas. Martin Lewis, Gilbert Yorke, and the Misses Winifred Branaby Williams and Violet Blyth Pratt. The action is in four phases, representing the luncheon hour, the pleasure hour, the darkest hour, and the future.

A strong feature in, connection, with tho coming New Zealand tour of the Plimmer-Denniston Company will be the elaborate dressing and mounting of the various plays, “Nobody’s Daughter," ( “A Woman of no Importance,” and ‘‘ln- , constant George." The whole of the costumes worn by the ladies were specially made for each production by Messrs David Jones and Co., Ltd., Sydney. The stage furnishings were specially prepared by Messrs Beard, Watson and Co., Sydney, and Messrs W. H. Rocko and Co., Melbourne, while the whole of the scenery is fresh from the scenic studio of the well-known artist, Mr Harry Whaite, -Sydney. When one anlyses the personnel of the company, it will readily be admitted what an nnsually all-round strong combination it is. In Geo. S. Titheridge, Mrs Brough, Miss Beatrice Day, Miss Lizett© Partes, Harry Plimmer, A. £. Greenaway, Harry Sweeney, Miss Beatrice Usher, the management have a company which will compare most favourably with the best Australia has lately seen. “Ben Hnr” is nearing the end of its run at Drury Lane. At tho conclusion of the engagement the production will be taken back to America and prepared for its trans-Continental trip, in which all the principal cities will be visited. Mr George Eelph, who has made such a success as Kafur in “Kismet,” both in England, under Mr Oscar Asche, and in America, under Mr Fiske (he has played the part over 490 times), was married on May 25th to Miss Deborah Nanson, the clever young lady who appeared as Christianno in Mr Laurence Irving’s production of “The Lily.” Tho ceremony took place at St. Mary’s, Broadway, New York City, and the happy couple are to spend the summer vacation on Lake George.

The new performers at .the Theatre Royal on Monday evening next include Mr Herbert Clifton, a notable English singer Humour is said to bo tho outstanding feature of his turn. Phil and Phlora will appear in their successful act, “Silent Comedy” They are reported to be an exceedingly clever pair of fun-makers Mr Maurice Chenoweth, a popular tenor, is an Adelaide boy. He was with the Westminster Glee Singers for six months and with the Brescians for two years-

New Zealanders will welcome Miss Lizetto Parkes, who will visit us again shortly as a member of the PlimmerDenniston Dramatic Company. It will be remembered that this young actress made her first big success as Peter Pan

in New Zealand. Since her last visit here, some eighteen months ago, Miss 'Parke.s is said to be a much improved 'actress, and has fully realised all the good tilings that wore xirophesied for her. In both ‘‘Nobody’s Daughter” and

‘‘lnconstant George.” the two star pieces of tho repertoire, Miss Parkes has scored her greatest successes. Tho Greater J. D. Williams Amusement Company have secured the sole Australasian rights of the famous American. Biograph Company’s films. Tins is probably tho most important moving picture deal accomplished for some years past.

Now Zealand is to be invaded by the strangest band of people that have ever moused the curiosity of this not-oasily-startlcd part of tho world. “Tiny Town,” with all its fairy-tale adjuncts, arrives at Invercargill on August 19th. Tiny Town’s inhabitants are dainty miniature men and women. Their heights are measured in inches. Their giants are tho lusty Austrians of 38 inches in their stocking feet. Tiny Town, in fact, will be a modernised Lilliput. It will hav<s its Lord Mayor—a pompous person of fifty-six years, whose enormous stature is 30 inches when he stands on his dignity. It will have its newspaper, for tho Lilliputians in mental ability shine at almost any standard. Hans Pfeiffer, who will look after the post office, for instance, has passed some of the highest commercial examinations in Germany, and tho Fom Thumb, who will edit “Tiny lowa Times,” speaks eight languages.