THE DEADHEAD'S DIARY

NZ Truth, Issue 1018, 30 May 1925, Page 19

THE DEADHEAD'S DIARY

"Wildflower" stepped off the boards m Wellington during the week m order to allow "The Cousin From Nowhere" to introduce herself. Both have captured all hearts. Miss Marie Burke, a lithe young comedienne, has an amazing vitality, sings pleasantly* and dances well. She/takes the star, roles m both productions. : : . : : : : Both "Wild-flower" and "The Cousin" are lavishly produced by the Williamson firm. The Sydney successes are certain to be reproduced m the New Zealandv cities, for m Wellington theatregoers have acclaimed the company as one of the best that has crossed the Tasman. The distinction of the firstnamed play—it is", termed* a musical play— is the well-defined 'plot;. Another of the strong vaudeville that, have made a mark for Messrs. Williamson m this branch of : entertainment m New Zealand has opened m the North. This is Hie sixth combination. Further playing dates so far arranged are: Dunedin, May, 3o to June 6; Christchurch, June 17 to 25; and Wellington, June 27 to July. 8. / .' , - -.-■■: ':'\- >.\ ■ .:: ■■ ■■- :: ■ '• ; •• :: ,■ ' ' This company is headed by the Chinese vaudeville celebrity, Long Tack Sam, supported by ian entirely new company of, twelve Orientals. Besides, Long Tack's performance there are the'Novelle Bros., a/pair of French musical acrobatic clowns; Arthur Mayes, basso cantante; Chris Carlton. illusionist; Errol Addison and Gertrude Mitrenga). speciality and classical dancers; and Moran and Wiser, billed as hilarious hat spinners m a- skit "All m Fun." All these acts are selected from the cream of the Williamson Sydney ' and . Melbourne theatres. ' '.-.'" /.■<.'■ The Long Tack Sam coterie of a dozen is entirely hew except for his wife and two daughters, and there is a nine*-months-old addition to the family since Long Tack's last visit. Since then , hie has been to China, and while ; there cpllected the rest, despite the civil war. He rehearsed the company m Shanghai, and en route to Australia much time was spent aboard ship perfecting the act. . . :., it :: ; :i Mr. Chris Charlton, m the sixth Williamson I vaudeville company, an illusionist extraordinary, baffles all ' with his magic kettle. It has been keeping England \mystified for many years. Mr. Chariton holds it m front of his audience, asks them individually what ;they would like to drink, and produces anything from beer to milk from the spout. There is a call for whisky andj whisky runs out. There" is a call for ] brandy, rum, or gin, and any one of these. runs out to order. Even wines and' liqueurs issue forth from the spout when "directed.: Pussyfoot John- j son can be sitting, m the stalls and call for, milk, and milk will come. This kettle has provoked as much laughter and • mystery m the music halls of England as anything In the last ten years. . -. • : ..- --\ . ■• * " * • ■ "■.•..■ To Kreisler, who comes to New Zea-. land next week, -violinists of to-day owe a great deal. The repertoire of this instrument is surprisingly small compared with that of the piano," for example; and those who have gone to violin recitals m the past and have had to content themselves with parts or the whole of concertos with piano accompaniment and w^ith unaccompanied Bach! pieces, realise that they were not the most stirring of musical events. '■'■„■ Kreisler, who is a deep student of the .literature of music, realised this years^ ago,, and he decided to; mark out a new. path for himself. Buried m libraries and musical collections m Italy and France were* vast quantities of music by composers long forgotten, who flourished, particularly m Italy, during the . seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. At that time the violin was more generally cultivated than it is to-day, and a vast amount pf music was written for it. For years Kreisler gave a great part of his time to hunting up and going, over this, separating the wheat from the chaff. As a result of his search he unearthed much very

beautiful music which was well worthy of a place on a recital programme. Moreover, he made a number of arrangements of smaller compositions by modern composers with the result that his recital programmes "became a model which all other violinists are following. With Porpora and Chaminade, Pugneni, and Dvorak and others, whom centuries divide, appearing m juxtaposition, great piquancy is given to the slighter portions of a gramme which invariably include works of major importance, and. so the critics who as a rule ,look askance upon arrangements are disarmed. :: :s :r Wee Willie Lancet, ..the " t tiny • comedian has a particularly, fine medium for his peculiar gifts— for a most gifted*'performer he undoubtedly is — m the sketch, "Willie Comes Home," with which he is at present proving a, shriek of laughter to patrons of Fullers' Theatre. In this he is assisted by William Avron, practically a life-long companion, and the well-known, actress, Miss Murriel Dale, Willie figures as a boy, ten or twelve years of ''age. Miss Dale is his mother. He is brought home from school, in. view of the mother's contemplated marriage to Mr; Avron; The idea is to bring about a kindly understanding between Willie and his - prospective father-in-law. Willie* is not . _ 'inrfately bad. Merely mischievous! The discomfiture he causes on both sides is followed by rodrs of laughter .on the part of the audience. Bach's, music has the, great advantage of appealing at once to all lovers of music, learned and unlearned m the art, and the lofty regions into which he soars and takes, his hearers with him.' are accessible to both of them. Bach's great Concerto m D minor for pianoforte and orchestra has just been recorded m London and is on its way out. The pianoforte was played m this instance by Miss Harriet Cohen and the orchestra was conducted by the eminent; Sir Henry Wood. , ' t . There is more dancing m "Primrose" at Melbourne Hi!s : Majesty's than m any other musical comedy staged m Melbourne for some years. Mr. Harry Burcher, the producer, calls it a dancing musical comedy. Team after team of dancers comes on, and followed by another. It. is a, quick succession of dancers that makes the page rapid all through the three acts.