THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3100, 13 August 1913, Page 60

THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

By I’asqui.v

TUESDAY, August 12 The members of the pantomime company received an unusually flattering sendoff from Dunedin when they departed for Tasmania by the Alaunganui on Sunday. The company had made itself exceedingly popular during its short stay, and tile members had formed friendships outside the theatre. These, and the merely curious assembled in large numbers, and proceeded to Port Chalmers, to take final farewell. The company proceeds to Hobart, thence to Launceston. Geelong, and Ballarat before entering on a season in Adelaide. T he tour finishes in Western Australia in October, and the company will disband. The English principals, including Miss Violet Loraine, Air “ Pip ” Powell, Mr O. E. Lennon, and Gaudsmidts, will sail from Fremrfntle by the Omrah for London on October 21. Miss Violet Loraine will, on arrival, have a brief holiday before resuming her old part of principal Ixn- in “Puss in Boots” at the Prince of Wales Theatre. Birmingham: Mr ” Pip” Powell walks into the part of the Dura® in the “ Cinderella ” pantomime at Bristol, while Mr O- E. Lennon will pray the Cat in “ Dick Whittington ” at Bradford. There is a probability that Mr “Pip” Powell will return to Australia to again play in pantomime 'n three yearn’ time. Miss Ivy Schilling, the clever dancer of the “Puss in Boots” pantomime, celebrated her 21st birthday in Dunedin on Wednesday last. The popular danseuse was the recipient of numerous congratulations, and the company generally drank her health and wished her “ Many Happy Returns.” Last week whe n the pantomime company was in Dunedin, Air Frank Dix. who was brought out from England by the J. C. Williamson Co.. Ltd., to produce “ Puss in Boots,” received a cable offering him another six months’ engagement. Air Dix promptly accepted, and will produce the next, t-antomimo, “The Forty Thieves,” in Melbourne at: Christmas. In the “ book ” of the new pantomime Air Dix proposes to keep as closely to the storv as possible. In addition to the names of the Engl’sh principals engaged for the new pantomime referred to in last week’s issue, there will bo included in the east ATiss Alarie Eaton, as, the Captain of the “ Forty Thieves. ” Regan and Ryan will bo the comedians, and Mr ITassan, who : s nor in the present pantomime. will probably play the Donkey. It was originally intended to cent! the Royal Comic Opera Comnanv to New Zealand in September, but the Williamson firm lias now decided to despatch the New rv>mio Opera, which was through earlier in the

year with,' 1 The Girl in the Train.” ‘‘Night Birds, ’ etc. The repertoire on tho forthcoming tour will be specially attractive, as it will include two new musical plays in ‘‘The* Count of Luxemburg” and “Autumn AlaiKEUvrcb,” while it is proposed to revive those popular pieces. “ Tho Arcadians ” and j “'The Chocolate Soldier." Miss Hilda Lining. a new English artist, who lies rtcenily j arrived in Austral a under engagcmi nr. will j probably play the leading role in “The | Arcadians” in New Zealand, while it is hoped that Aiiss Florence Young will lift I up her voice to the Strauss music in “Tho i Chocolate Soldier.” The season commences at Auckland early in September, j Air John Farrell, who bias been acting | manager for “ I’uss in Boots ” in the linal stages of the New Zealand tour of the ’ pantomime just closed, reports tho most successful tour yet undertaken. In Alelbourne, where the pantomime was first | produced, “ Puss in Boots ” was a coini parativo failure, but Sydney and Brisbane ; liked it, and in New Zealand it has been ! a great success. Tasmania, South Australia, j and West Australia are yet to be visited before the tour comes to an end. By that lime it is anticipated that “ Puss in Boots ” i will have made more money than any pro- ! vious pantomime. Albs Alice Rnsson, principal girl of tho recently departed “Puss in Boots ” and her ; husband, Air Vernon Davidson, tho young | English baritone, were brought out to Ausj tralia for musical comedy, but the casts ' being completed, they wore placed in pantomime with practically nothing to do. Mr Davidson lias done good work as juvenile in musical comedy in England and America i and was under offer to appear under Froh- | man’s management in New York this year. | but preferred to accept tho Australian on- ! gagement, though naturally disappointed at | not being placed in his own lino. Tho | present contract is for twelve months, before i the end of which time there is every prob- | ability of his signing on for another twelve I months for musical comedy. As Vernon j Davidson has played load in ‘‘The Ami- ; clians” and Ids wife has played Eily l Cavanagh “Tho Girl with the Brogue,” in tho same production in England, it would appear to be good management to cast them for “The Arcadians” on the forthcoming tour of the New Comic Opera Company. Having seen the “Puss in Boots” com- : puny safely off to Tasmania, Mr John Ear- | rell loaves on Wednesday for Auckland to j advance the cause of the Now Comic Opera | Company, which opens its New Zealand j tour on September 8. Mr Richard Stewart, i who passed through Dunedin recently for | Australia will join tho Comics in Sydney, and will return with them as business manager. S< me time has elapsed since Air Harry Musgrovo was last in New Zealand, but ho is duo shortly, and will pilot the Julius Knight Company through Maoriland. Mr Alusgrovo leaves Sydney on Saturday for Wellington, where the Now Zealand tour commences ut the end of the month. The repertoire includes “ Alilestonos ” and “ Leila Donna,” and the company is headed by Julius Knight and Aliss Irene Browne, who was through with H. B. Irving last year. Julius Kmght will play Dr Isaacson in “ Bella Donna,” while Irene Brown will piav the title role, a part made memorable in England by Mrs Patrick Campbell and in America bv Madame Nazimova. Air Alartin Lewis, an English actor, will play tho Hon. Nigel Arm no, while Leonard W Hey, who m i 'e a picturesque Afessala in “ Ben Hur," will play the Egyptian Baroadi. It A anticipated that, with the taking over of the leases of tho loading theatres in South Africa, tin' J. C. Williamson Co. will send some of ih< ir Australian, companies cut to plav feiis<>.n,s there, while English companies under contract to the firm will play South Africa in route to Australia It is not improbable that pantomime companies, instead of running 10 months as they do now, will run 16 months, and South Africa will bo included in the circuit. A company of local amateurs, under the

actively rehearsing a bright little comedydrama. "A Bit. of Blarney,” to be produced in Ilia Majesty's Theatre on the 20th and 21st August. The cast includes such wellknown names as Messrs Anthony. Crawford, Reynolds. Dermiston, Carolin, Hill. Budge, etc., aaid Masses Healey. Lilian King, and Ethel Young. The production is in aid of local charity, and promises to be a success. “There is something in the climatic conditions of Xew Zealand which fosters the development of the voice, and to Miss Mabel Man son it has given a pure soprano of rare quality.” So says the London Musical Courier in an appreciative article of Mies Mabel Manson, who was Miss Mabel Braith--waite, of this city. “Mitts Manson sang naturally as n child, and showed such marked proclivities that she was early afforded the opportunity of visiting Europe to study. She had previously heard Sir Charles Santley on his visit to Dunedin, and | forthwith went to study with him.” Miss Manson. ears the Courier, hag marked I histrionic talent and an aptitude for grand I opera, but it is in oratorio and concert work that she has won a high position in the three kingdoms and the principality of

V\ ales. She has u large repertoire of the cluss.cn 1 and modem choral works, and her singing is so masterly that choral societies find m her an artist of perfect roliabi ity. Her voice, too, is well adapted to this work, and her charming and unaffeett d manner gives an assurance of her sincerity. Of a. recent London recital the London Times says: ‘Tier voice is delightful, fresh, and pure in quality; her voice production is excellent, and her performance of the better class of English lyrics shows her to possess taste and intelligence.” In the retirement through ill-health of Miss Harm Ireland, the Australian stage will lose a talented ami conscientious actress, who has become popular with playgoers in ail tile cities of the Commonwealth. Miss Ireland began her stage career in Hobart as a member of a company organised by her father, the late Air George R. Ireland, in his day one of the soundest actors in Australia. Later she fulfilled an engagement with Mr Bland Holt, and next appeared under the \\ iliiamson-Alusgrove management, us the Queen in ‘‘The Three Musketeers,” Mario Louise in ‘TV Royal Divorce,” and Berenice in “The Sign of the Cross ’ in the Knight-Ferrar Company. She was also associated with Air Kyrlo Bellow and Airs Brown Potter on their last visit to this country, in such productions as “The Ironmaster,” “Franeillon.” “Romeo and Juliet,” and “The Lady of Lyons.” Then followed the long engagement of 12 years with Mr Bland Holt, in the course of which she filled many leading roles on the stage, and all with success. With the regretted retirement of Air Holt from theatrical management, his company disbanded, Mss Ireland then appeared with the William Anderson and George Marlow companies. She has made troops of friends in and out of the profession, and the proposal to organise a benefit for her at the A del phi Theatre on Tuesday, August 12. :s naturally receiving widespread support. ( W. S. Percy will tour with the New Comic Opera Company to Brisbane and through Now Zealand. After finishing tho Maoriland dates, he will stop off at Auckland for America by the Makura. “I am going across Canada to Afontreal,” he told The Theatre; “then I will drop down to Chicago, and next have a look at New York. After that I will cross to England. I am not going with a view to engagements abroad, but merely for a holiday. I planned it a long time ago, and have worked hard for it. ' I shall be awav 12 months.” C.vri! Mackay was offered an engagement by Oscar Asene for the South African tour of 15 weeks, with three months lo follow guaranteed in London. At the same time George Willoughby, managing director of George .Marlow (Ltd.), offered Air Mackay a contract for two years. Ho closed with the latter. George Stephenson and A. Linley state that they nave completed arrangements for a pantomime tour of New Zealand. Tho productions to be staged are “ Little Bopeep,” “Mother Hubbard.” and “The Man in the Moon.” Stanley APKay has been playing these pieces throughout New South Wales with considerable aiccesa for gome tune past. It is this company—with Air MTvay himself in charge—-that Messrs Stephenson and Linley are taking to Now Zealand. As reconstituted and built up it will consist of something like 40 people. The company leave (Sydney in October. *‘ London.” says Miss Olive Godwin, recently returned from a trip to England, “ is all life and go. At every turn in tho West End you see some celebrity. One is pointed out a man of international fame, a distinguished author or traveller, u politician, a leader of society, a sportsman, an aviator —names always that have penetrated to Australia. At the theatre you look from your i>ox and see the theatrical stars you have heard of all your life—no, I don’t mean that they are ancient, or anything like that,—and in the auditorium you look about for a familiar face, ft is astonishing how many you see that you knew in Australia. The night I went to ‘ The Sunshine Girl ’ there was sitting in the opno-ito box —who do you think? Mr George Tallis, my Australian manager! And in the stalls I saw numerous faces I knew in Australia. From every part of the world everyone goes to London. And v r t in time you begin to ■want to see Australia. Thru the want increases. At last it becomes irresistible. Someone wrote ‘ London Galls.’ Well. Australia calls just the same wav. At least it did to me. London is the place for a holiday; Australia is the country in which to work and live. I saw all the London musical comedies. They are pictures of daintiness, and the principals are in many cases an acquired taste. Gertie Millar t consider the most legitimate worker in this field there. No one approaches her. I think she is great. So is Joseph Coyne. I liked ‘The Dancing M=stress.’ ‘The Girl in the Taxi.’ ‘ Ginsv Txive.’ arid ‘ Princess Caprice,’ all of which I saw in turn. What struck me most were the chorus girls. Thev were all so bored-looking, and they wandered round in a languid kind of wav, and a ‘ well-what-aro-you-going-to do-about-it ’ expression. T saw Tittell prune at the Lyceum. She was playing ‘Nell Cwynnc, - and tho audience scorned to love her. She

lias become a great favourite in this theatre. Apart from the musical comedies ' Grt-Rich Quick Wallingford’ and the revues, there were few successes in London. "