A TALENTED ACTOR-SINGER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20472, 28 July 1928, Page 10

A TALENTED ACTOR-SINGER.

MR LIDDY OFF THE STAGE. FUTURE OF MUSICAL DRAMA. OPERA AND COMEDY MINGLED. Gorgeously clad in the regal apparel of the Karlsberg Court, or more soberly in the freshman garb of the University of Heidelberg, the dashing and fascinating star of a The Student Prince, Mr James Liddy, looks a roost superior person, but coax him into a quiet corner where Tie can lounge in the roomy comfort of. an easy chair and sip brown sherry—a great favourite —and he is quite as other men are. He carries his 30 odd years handsomely and brings to his survey of the world around him things and men —a not too critically analytical mind. Things are good or bad and he meets each cheerily, because both are indispensable. He is not dismayed at the bad, nor is he cynically surprised at the good. And so it is with his judgment of the swiftly changing panorama of humanity that confronts him in his wide wanderings in pursuit of his calling. Like the rest of us his ego is well nourished, and he likes those three tiny words dear to all of us—l-my-me—He is reasonably proud of his attainments and enjoys being the idol of his audiences, but there is no doubting the fact that his handsome head has not yet been turned by the ringing plaudits of enthusiastic houses throughout America and Australia, and at the present time, New Zealand. He strikes one as a man proud and pleased to be able to bring to the vocation he has chosen gifts and talents of the highest rank. Sitting with him in the lounge of the Grand Hotel yesterday a Daily Times reporter found him to be anything but a showman. An actor —yes! A singer—most certainly! An opportunist on the stage—admittedly! But in his hours of leisure he is just one of those humanly indolent folk who live by the hour. Though be does not actually say so, it is clearly apparent that his 1300 appearances in the dashing and fascinating role of Prince Karl have not diminished- his partiality for this notable production. Nor have the years before the footlights —despite the distracting variety of orchestral pitches and ever-changing audiences—wearied him or damped the ardour and zeal he has for the stage, and which he expresses in a dozen and one involuntary ways. The stage for him has a glamour that can never pass until there are no more audiences capable of appreciating and enjoying the musical drama which he espouses to the exclusion of all else.

Musical drama, lie calls it, and explains parenthetically that it is a rather nice discrimination (he hopes not too nice) between modern, or rather popular, musical comedy and light or comic opera. This musical drama is neither one nor the other, but combines all that is best in each, and. although he feels that it is a little difficult to describe it accurately theatrically, there is no indecision or uncertainty in the voice with which he acclaims it as the future entertainment. Already it is ousting pantomime and farce comedy from the American stage, he says. The well-written play with a musicianly score of unbroken sequence, reasonably simple in theme, and with a minimum of the mummery of pure leg show and shrill, piping voices is, according to Mr Liddy, undoubtedly the coming programme in the theatres of America and the Old World. “ The Student Pirnce,” he maintains, owes its tremendous appeal tad continued success to these features. He pays a high tribute to the genius of the composer, Sigmund Romberg, and gives no small share of the credit to Dorothy Donnelly, who wrote the book and the lyrics to suit the masterly score, providing a sequence that allowed of no encores, and _ consequently made the repetitions on which a certain class of music thrives, absolutely de trop. Mr Liddy is an American, born of English parents. He left England as a child, and grew up in America to be an American. In early youth the paternal mantle of journalism descended upon his handsome shoulders momentarily, but a few sallies in those troublous waters sufficed, him. He had his own ideas about a career, and very soon acted upon them, his inherent ability both as an actor and a singer making the period of learning very pleasant and not too arduous. Nevertheless his training was none the less thorough. His voice has not reached its present quality and richness without it. In his singing he was guided and taught by many teachers, but the most notable of all was Constantino, a tenor of rare brilliance whose name can be mentioned .in the same breath as that of Caruso without sin. Jeannotte, a great New York teacher, and a pupil of the celebrated Jean de Reszke, also had a hand in the fashioning of the raw material into the ringing, resonant brightness that is now one of the features of this artists singing. Mr Liddy’s dramatic debut was made in a performance of the old Merry Widow" comedy in musical drama form, but before that his schooling had been intense. He considers that his most effective training period in the dramatic art was the two-and-a-half years engagement he had with a dramatic company in San Francisco, the most remarkable point about its management being the frequency with whicu it changed its programmes. It was the custom to present a new production every month, so that in two years and a-half the young actor would play many parts in many plays. Such experience was invaluable, and accomplished what many years of specialised study or training might have failed to produce. The years brought that maturity and stagecraft without which there can be little success, and the result to-day is an actor with an enormous following in America, and a singer with an even greater vogue. Australia has .acclaimed him, and before the year is out New Zealand will be recalling his performances, and wondering how long it will be before “ The Vagabond King, Mr Liddy’s nex* play, will reach this country. “The Vagabond King” is a musical drama remodelled from that fine old musical comedy, “If I Were King,” and it is anticipated that it will be presented in Sydney for the first time about October next. However, should this play come to New Zealand soon the pleasure will be mutual, since the star of “ The Student Prince’ has conceived a strong liking for audiences in this country, and he considers that from the population point of view New Zealand and Australia have about the best theatre-going publics he has encountered.