THE THEATRE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8740, 23 May 1914, Page 10

THE THEATRE

(By “Durus.”) The clever Kennedy family and their party will open their Wellington season on June 20th. The party consists of Mr Keith Kennedy, violinist; Mr Bauoe Kennedy, flautist and baritone; Mr Laurie Kennedy, ’cellist and cornetist; Miss Dorothy Grace, soprano; Miss Koe Fitzgerald, contralto; Madam© Bertha Kennedy, pianist©; and Mr S. K. Kennedy, manager. The southern papers have gone into ecstasies over the mnsieal programmes in which tli© party has appeared. The “Otago Daily Times” of March 28th said: —“The Kennedy Concert Company gave its concluding concert in Bis Majesty's 'Theatre lust evening. The artists provided one of the most high-class and enjoyable feasts of chamber music that has been given in Dunedin for many a day. . . . Both vocalists and instrumentalists were recalled time after time, and the audience was manifestly loth to allow them to depart.”

“The Dandies” continue to attract, iargo audiences to the Town lia I i concert chamber. They are certainly a delightful little group of _ entertainers, with versatility that is _ positively amazing. Mr John Hopkins, under whpse guidance _ the party is _ making its appearance in the Dominion, has been in Auckland during the week. - The Willoughby Dramatic Company will appear in “At Cripple Creek” foi the last -tame to-night. “For the Term »f His Natural. Life” will commence on Monday.

Mr A. W. Batiste, of the Willoughby Dramatic Company, lias handed me the following Dominion tour for “The Rosary,” which opened in Melbourne on the 9tih inst.: —Wellington, Thursday, June 25th to Thursday, July 2nd, Christchurch, Saturday, July 4th, to Saturday, July 11th; Timaru, Monday and Tuesday, July ISth and. 14th; Dunedin, AV-ednesday, July 15th, to Tuesday, July 21st; Invercargill, AV-ed-nesday and Thursday, J uly 22nd and 23rd; Gore, Friday, July 24th; Balciutha, Saturday, July 25th; Oama.ru, Monday July 27th; Ashburton, Tuesday, July 28th; Gxeytown, Thursday, July 30th: Mastcnton, Friday, July 31stj Dannevirke, Saturday, August Ist; Napier, Monday and Tuesday, August 3i-d and 4th; Hastings, Wednesday, August sth; AA r oipaiwa, Thursday, August 6th; Palmerston .North, Friday 1 and Saturday, August 7th and Bth; Hawera, Monday, August 10th; Elthom, Tuesday, August 11th; Stratford AVcdnesday, August 12th ; Now Plymouth, Thursday and Friday, August 13th and 14th; Wanganui, Saturday and Monday, August 15th and 17th; FoHding, Tuesday, August 18th; Marten, ' Wednesday, August 19th; Taihape, Thursday, August 20th; Tanmaurunni, Friday, August 21sfc; To Kuiti, Saturday, august 22nd; Paoroa,. Monday, August S4th; AVaihi, Tuesday August 25th; Thames, AVddnosday, August 26th; Hamilton, Thursday and Friday, August 27th • and 2Sth; Cambridge, Saturday, August 29th; Auckland, Monday, .August. 31st, to Saturday, September sth. The, English members of “Mr AVu” company sailed from London for Sydney yesterday. Miss May Congdon, very pleasantly remembered for her work as leading lady_ with Meynell and Gunn’s first dramatic company, playino- “The Midnight AVedding” and “The Fatal AVedding,’’ will ho included in the company, playing the important role of Mrs Gregory. MRs Myrtle Jersey, the -prima donna of the George AVilloughby American Musical Comedy Company playing recently in “The Tenderfoot” at the Adelphi Theatre, Sydney, obtained her first start on the stage in Chicago when one of the leading impresarios of the United States' heard her sing in a small part which she was playing. Ho instantly offered her a much bigger role in one of his own -productions, and from the very first night on which she appeared in this piece she made' good, with the result that she has now many big successes to her credit.

“The Rosary,” which was staged’ in Melbourne on May 9th by the new Willoughby company, received enthusiastic notices by the critics, and much praise is bestowed on the players whom Mr George Willoughby has specially brought from America for the production. The “Melbourne Argus” says: —“Mr Edward E. Rose had the courage of his sentiments in writing “The Rosary.’ He has dared to reaffirm the inextinguishable spirit of faith, hope, and charity, and even to weave it into a drama that strikes a wonderfully aloof note amongst the mass of eccentric and fatuous frivolity that satisfies the narrow intcllectualism of the hulk of modern playgoers.” In her illustrative recitals on the heroines of Shakespeare, Miss Ellon Terry not only entertains her audiences for two hours with her analysis of the various characters, but acts some halfdozen of them with a skill and fascination that makes this happily-in-spired sotting of Shakespeare a new delight. “Tho Glad Eye” and “Who’s the Lady” company, now in Africa, will leave for Australia in a few weeks’ time. It will be further strengthened by the inclusion of Miss Ethel' Dane (the original Kiki in “The Glad Eye”) and Mr Frank Bradley, , both of whom will come direct from Loridon, via Suez.