Theatrical Talk

NZ Truth, Issue 1079, 29 July 1926, Page 2

Theatrical Talk

i CH4UAPIN THE great Chaljapin, the world's * foremost bass : singer, commenced his Australian anfl New Zealand. tgUP under they direction of J. and N. Tait at ttte Auditorium, Mfilbotu'ne, on July 10. The. appearance of this world ' sihg^r will be a most notable musical event. Chaliapln's tour, however, willbe a brief one. He gives but 35 concerts throughaut Australia and New Zealand before he returns to America for another concert season. ,# #■ t i ONLY A RUMOR S i. i ... / IT has been whispered that there is aj * comedian at present m New Zea-

land who before he came to this country was .billed to appear at a, , London music hall. ' \ . ■ Before -the show started he was terribly annoyed to find he was billed to give his performance immediately after a troupe of performing . apes. Being of fiery temper, he sought out -the stage manager, and m no ladylike terms wanted to know why tlje J3O«an(l-SQ a thing like that was done to' him, and finished. up by insulting the manager and shouting: "I don't want to come on after. a gang of monkeys." • The manager, not being the softest man m the world, but a. man of delicate humor, nodded his head as it considering the position. : '•'Yes," he said, alter a moment's thought, I think I see • what you mean. You don't want the audience to think you're the encore, eh?" ' *"' '* A *- iiiiiiniiiiiniiiiii^ GFjAlNGIifx

DERCY. GRAfN- * GER, the farnous pianist, who will be seen—and heard —m New Zealand m the near future, though a genius, is thor^ oughly human. ':. He loves the put-of-doors and is

liiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimimiimiiiiimn? never happier than wh'en'tramping through the bush with a swag on his back. Some of his best works have been composed under these conditions. He does not "coddle" "his hands like some pianists do. As a matter of fact, he make?- a constant effort to "harden" them. In the course of a chat to a 'newspaper interviewer, Grainger sajd: "It always amuses me 'to hear people speak about a pianist taking care of hia hands. The hands of a pianist must be very strong, because a two hours' concert taxes the muscles to the utmost. After practising for four or five hours every day, and then performing for two hours, unless the hands— and especially the "finger- tips —are hard, then there will probably be trouble for .the pianist." .. . / -'.--,. • ■■<* - ■ - •.- '