THE STAGE

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11423, 20 January 1923, Page 15

THE STAGE

OPERA HOUSE BOOKINGS. Jan. 13-36 Lee White Jan SfT-Feb 17 Comic Opera March 7-10 N.Z. Diggers March 20-29 ‘‘Sentimental Bloke" Easter Williamson Company Of .Miss Leo White, now appearing at the Grand Opera House in “Bran Pie.” described as a musical belter skelter, it can truly be said that she :ame, she saw, she conquered. Rarely, f ever, has an artist received such a reception as was accorded this favourite London star, Olay Smith, and the talented members of the company. As usual, with a New Zealand audience, it was friendly expectant, and critical, but none too libera] in its applause—it was waiting for the goods, as the Americans say. And when they were delivered in full and plenty, as each successive ‘dip” revealed feature after feature, as Leo White's personality affected first one section of the audience and then another, they cast aside all reserve, and gave tne star one of the most enthusiastic receptions ever witnessed in a New Zealand theatre. The scene at the conclusion, when the curtain descended and had to be lifted again and again, was truly a remarkable one. The audience rose to its feet and cheered and cheered, the star was surrounded with floral emblems —one particularly handsome one came from some admiring “diggers” who remembered the joy maker of the war period—and Miss Lee White, Olay Smith, and producer R. Greig had to make speeches. It was truly a memorably scene. In addition to the principals, many first-class turn* 'are provided by Ernest Sefton, Lance Lister, Lucine Beck, Clarence Hardwicke, Muriel Oathcart, P. J. Julian, Zoe Wenke, Maie Baird and Archie Thompson, with a specially selected ballet. The dressing is magnificent, the settings are gorgeous, and the whole is a triumph of the pro ducer’s art.

"Bran. Pie” will only be opened this afternoon (for & special matinee performance) and evening. On Monday the London favourites present "The Girl Par the Boy,” in which Lee White made one of her greatest England’s capital city. There are many musical and dancing specialties, while gorgeous scenery, fascinating frocks and delightful music (the augmented orchestra is under the Baton or M. Slapoffaki) are only some of the features of the' production. At Bis Majesty’s, Puller’s high class vaudeville and revu» dompany still hold sway, and the large audiences testify loader than words to the all round excellence of a diversified programme. "The King of Donnowhereski,” as produced by Walter George’s Sunshine Players, iadull of jolres, jingles and 'tlfef' febole performance goes with a merry swing from start to finish. There is an excellent vaudeville programme, which includes Wendy and Alphonse, two clever mnsieal comedy performers, who provide one of the most enjoyable turns yet seen at His Majesty's; CJrieghton, the Marvellous, who presents an interesting and mystifying performance; Pat Doonan, Louie Duggan, The Andrews (the fnnny man with the fiddle), and a clever boy ventriloquist. There ■will be the usual finaP performance of the present programme to-night, and on Monday pew specialties wili bi presented. Manager Burton has some vaudeville plums in store for the Many patrons qf His Majesty’s. Despite strang counter-attractions, Mr iCdward Branscombe’s famolr Westminster Glee Singers, now appearing .at the Town Ham, have attracted large audiences, and that tne Wellington reason haa been a great uusicai success is vouched for by 1 those who appreciate sweet music. The f adults have oeautiful voices, and the lada aing sweetly. The soloists, boys and men, are of course, a prominent feature, but the concerted pieces. The k ‘nKing<if Arthur Collier, Mews Donald Held, Vizard and Cunyngham is alone worthy the modest prices charged for admission, and to-night’s perfnrmance (the last in Wellington) should attract a crowded house. Mr Leo dr Chateau is New Zealand manager and Mr Mgurice Ralph touring managed. Miss Lee White and company hold the boards at the Opera House until and including next Friday, when thei clever combination continue their tour of New Zealand. Next Saturday there will he a great treat for theatregoers, when the famous J. C. Williamson Comio Opera Company appear in "A Night Out." Of the farewell performance in Auckland, Mr J. Farrell wires that every seat was occupied, the major portion having been, booked days in advance, and the audience was one of the most enthusiastic ever seen in the northern capital. Wellington theatregoers are looking forward with eagerness t°. renewing their acquaintance with Miss Maud Fane, "Billy” Percy, and the mahy other favourites included in the company. Mr O. M. Berkeley, the energetic manager, has been in Wellington making the preliminary arrangements. The famous English comedy star, Lawrence Grossmith, has aohieved a tif'ilhant triumph in New Zealand with Captain Applejack,” and it will be some time before he returns to Aus. tralia to appear in Melbourne, Ade- !*•£?• ® t “ er centres. Oscar Asche paid a high oompliment the other day to this notable artist. "The firm ” he said "was very lucky in having succeeded in persuading Lawrence Grossmith to come to Australia for there ia no more popular artist in England or America to-day.’ 1 * Jack Cannot, who is adding to the gaiety of Melbourne by his performance as Ali Baba in "The Forty Thieves,” is an enthusiastic amateur fisherman, and whenever he goes to New Zealand he indulges in the trout, fishing for which the North Island.is famous When ho was last in New Zealand he joined a party that camp re on the bfmk of a favoured stream, and one day when he was in the water casting Ins fly, he came upon another seedy-lookmg fisherman, and they got into conversation. "How are you ‘loinir. JecV?” asked the stranger, and the comedian, tpuch puzzled, answered, Not too had, hot how did you know my name?” "Oh, I saw yon in Wei. lington a while back and enjoved your performance immensely.’ "Go on,” said Cannot, more interested than oW' " an d who the dickens are you?” My name is .TcTlicoe. ” was the ro ply. ft was Isirrl Jellicoe the hero of Jutland and Governor-General of ■ew Zealand, who had stolon away fer a couple of days of the sport be loves.

During one of the last week’s matinees of “The O’Brien Girl,” at the Melbourne Princess Theatre, a tiny box of chocolates, accompanied by a note scribbled in pencil obviously by a childish hand, was brought to Mr Lucas’s dressing room bv the call hoy.. It was a tribute of adjmiration from a little girl who has evidently been captivated by the handsome young tenor who makes love so romantically to the “O’Brien Girl.” / “I have never experienced anything' so charming before,” said Mr Lucas. “To mo the little box of sweets is. ff priceless compliment, because of the evident sincerity of the sender. I was sorry I did not have the pleasure of thankmg my little frifend in person for the gift.” Though he earns fabulous fees wherever he appears, and from his forthcoming tour of Australia under the J. and N. Tait management he will draw a sum that would allow him to live in . luxurious retirement for tlie rest of his life, Rachmaninoff, the world-famous composer and - pianist, ia one of the saddest of men, for today he is practically an exile from his homeland. The unhappiness and misery, the bloodshed and the political, social, and industrial upheavals that have been Russia’s fate during the past few years, have left their permanent impression upon him. YThe touch of pathos about him adds to the appeal of a personality that audiences find overwhelmingly irresistible.

Though the master at the Melbourne Grammar School expressed the opinion that “Asche will never ,be an actor,” and on that account did not include him in the college dramatic club, Oscar Asche as a youth gave every indication of his leaning towards a stage career. During his holidays he organised amateur theatricals, and a remarkable characteristic of these productions seems to have been his particularity regarding everything connected with the staging. Every detail had to he just right, or he would refuse to appear. Ho insisted on proper footlights, and the scenery, which he painted himself, fulfilled every requirement of the production. The plays from whioh he chose his repertoire,, too, showed artistio discernment heyond his years. The “jealousy‘scene,” and. the “smothering scene,” from “Othello,” appear to have been his .favourite: offerings, and on one occasion he gave an open-air performance in his garden of the “cave scene” from “Timor, of Athens.” All the settings for this he built himself, making a realistic cave from rocks and' shrubs, and painting an excellent background of anow-oapped mountains and trees to give reality to the whole. Of the English members of "The O’Brien Girl” .Compapy, the only ono who seems to get happier as the mercury rises is the pretty brunette, Maudie Vera. Miss Vera, on her arrival in Melbourne, plaintively asked where tlie Ardent Australian sunlight that she had heard so much about had gone to. During the Christmas week she again expressed regret that it was so long delayed. When last week the temperature stepped up to 95 and the rest of the cast were beginning to wilt, she 6aid the weather waa just right. “It’s what I have been looking for,” Miss Vera added, “and T hope we have lots of it.” If summer is going to be summer this year, it is probable that the dainty little comedienne a little later on.

The publication of the lyrics of “Gairo’’ in the programme at Melbourne, Her Majesty’s has' greatly pleased patrons of Oscar Asche’a wonderful production. Apart from theHract that, as writer of the lyrics, troy are another indication of the remarkable versatility of the famous ''Australian actor-author-producer, they are marked by poetio fanoy, delicate sentiment, and alluring “atmosphere," thoroughly in keeping with the spirit of the play. There is one, ‘ particularly, which has aroused widespread interest. It is entitled, “Have you been to Mecca?” It contains just enough philosophy of life to give it a wide appeal. It has been translated and published in eight different languages. A curious circumstance led to Miss Mona Magnet’s J. and N. Taits (“The Forty Thieves”) first appearance ae a leading lady. She was a member of a company touring South Africa, and was playing a small part. One day, getting out of a train at the end of a journey, the leading lady fell and I broke her ankle. The mishap was as serious for the company as for the lady, for she had no understudy. When the management was on the' point of cancelling the performance, Miss Magnet begged for a chance to play' the part, to save Hie company from being thrown out of work. The manager laughed at her, but Miss Magnet went home, studied the part until the late afternoon, and then demanded a rehearsal, in which the company supported her. The result was that a performance was tried and the new leading lady proved so successful jjjftt she played for the rest of the tour. When the company returned to England, Miss Magnet found that the newspapers had made mpeh of the incident, and her position in the profession as a leading lady was assured. Mona Magnet has made a decided success as principal hoy in “The 'Forty Thieves” at the Kingqj Theatre, Melbourne. - Mora copies of “If Winter Comes” have been sold throughout the world than of any other novel ever published? A. S. M. Hutchinson has put up a unique tecord with his story, which is still selling by hundreds of thousands. Sir Beorge Tallis met the author in London recently, and was informed by him that the sale of the rights of the play and the picture in America alone had brought him an ample fortune to retire op. Altogether, he reckoned that from all sources be would receive over £300,0001 Preparations are now being made by J. 0. Williamson, Ltd., for the production of “If Winter Comes,” with a specially organised company. According to present arrangements, it will be seen for the first tune in Australia at Melbourne Theatre Royal. One of the resolutions made by June Roberts, the exquisite dancer of “TheO’Brien Girl” company, when she left New York for Auslwflia with her sister Dorothy, who also appear* in Hugh Ward’s delightful musical comedy at the Melbourne Princess Theatre, was that she would learn to play'golf before slio returned to America. She is still waiting for an opportunity to get acquainted with the royal and ancient game. With the matinee performances of “The O’Brien Girl,” almost every day since it opened as well as night performances, June has not even had time to sallv forth and buv brassey, niblick, mid-iron, driver and the rest of the equipment one needs for cow-pasturc billiards. Moreover,

nobody has volunteered to teach her how to use them. Well, if you -would really like to just sing on the dotted line, and send your offer along to her. The “New York Herald,” in a 'recent notice of tlie tour of Benno Moiseiwitsch, said that “unfortunately the visit of the famous Russian will be comparatively brief, as he is due to leave for the great Australian Commonwealth early in 1923. Moi6eiwitsch had a unique success when last in that country. On one occasion in the Melbourne Town Hall he played without lights, as the illumination tor the hall’ wa6 not forthcoming, and in the darkness the concert went on until, later, candles were placediupon the Steinway, and he held his audience in his thrall just as strongly as ever. Moiseiwitsch says it was one of the strangest events of his career, and had an indescribably weird effect upon him.” “The Forty Thieves” pantomime at Melbourne Ring's Theatre has so_ far broken all pantomime records in Melbourne. Though twelve shows per week are being given, hundreds of disappointed people have had to be turned away from every performance. This has been, called “the children’s pantomime,’’ for J. and N. )Tait have 60 framed their prices that children can see it for sixpence.

The announcement that Oscar Asche is to produce the comic opera, “A Southern Maid.” for •n* C. Williamson, Ltd., and that-the first production is to be given in Melbourne, has drawn upon the J. C. Williamson, Ltd., management a whirlwind of applications for places in the company. Every actor who is not already under engagement—and actresses, too- —have applied for inclusion in the company. And as regards chorus and ballet, ten companies could he equipped from the numbers who have asked to he engaged. There seems to be an overwhelming desire to 'achieve the distinction of being included in the first comic opera to be staged by Oscar Asche in Australia. Rehearsals for “A Southern Maid” will be commenced almost immediately, now that “Cairo” is running smoothly at Her Majesty’s, and the interruptions of holiday matinees are over. A feature of particular attractiveness to Melbourne playgoers at the present time is the aggregation of pretty girls' in the J. and N. Tait pantomime, “The Forty Thieves,” at the King’s Theatre! Everyone is asking producer Wenman, “Where did you get all the pretty girls?” His reply is, “Picked them—but not off trees,’ though there are lots of peaches amongst them.'’ The fact is, that Melbourne is crowded with pretty girlp, and the discrimina-’ ting eye of the producer had no difficulty in ' securing his " full quota. \ May Beatty has landed her first Melbourne job as an art decorator, Mark Daly, the popular comedian of “The O’Brien Girl” having commissioned her to “do” his dressing-room. at the Melbourne Princess Theatre. He and Miss Beatty had several animated talks in the wings at the matinee on “The O’Brien GirFrecentiy; as to colotfr schemes, ' att. papers, “&iia 6 56 forth, and once Miss Beatty nearly'mjfesed an entrance while they debated as to the particular tone of paint which was to he used for the dressing-table.