STAGE GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 3195, 9 June 1915, Page 66

STAGE GOSSIP.

The Cberniavskys concluded their series of recitals at His Majesty’s on Tuesday, and appear at Invercargill evening. Mr Frank Levy drops a line to say that he has arrived in Auckland to pilot the Allen Doone Dramatic Company on another tour of New Zealand.

The post of musical director of the Wellington Amateur Operatic Society has been offered to, and accepted by, Mr Bernard F. Page, the city organist. John F. Forde played John Slofel to Fanny Wiseman’s Lizzie Stofel in a production of “Struck Oi.” at the Empire Theatre, Brunswick; Victoria, a fortnight back. Amongst the Austra’iun officers wounded in the Dardanelles was Captain John Carandini Wilson, whose mother was a member of the well-known Carandini family. Miss Beatrice Day’s only son, Robin Wall, aged 20 years, has been granted a commission, and is a second lieutenant in the third battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment. Dan Thomas, the pantomime comedian who played the Dame in the Willoughby production of “The Babes in the. Wood,’’ is now under engagement to the Fuller vaudeville circuit.

A success equalling that of “Within the Law” has been achieved by the Muriel Starr Company in Sydney in “Under Cover,” a thrilling American play dealing with Customs smuggling and corruption. Henry J. Ford, who has scored such a notable success in the Smith-Hoskins production of “Who’s the Lady?” hears a striking resemblance to the Julius Knight of younger days, and makes an admirable stage lover.

‘The Glad Eye’(,-£)ompany has followed up its triumph with greater one. “Who’s tlie Lady?” has proved a winner right through the North Island, and playgoers here can look forward to another big laugh, and, if anything, a better-acted piece. Daniel Frawley, who appeared in New Zealand with a ? fine American company, producing “Arizona,” “Brother Officers,” and other American plays, is reported to have married Miss Peggy O’Neil, an actress wlio made a name in the American success “Peg o’ My Heart.” Fred Stone, in “Chin Chin,” a review running in New York, imitates Paderewski, and last week (says the Musical Courier of May 5) Paderewski occupied a box at the performance. He forgot the evoos of Poland long enough to laugh heartily at the burlesque of himself. Arthur Shirley, who makes his initial appearance as a Kalem player in “Mike Donegal’s' Escape,’’ is an Australian. Shirley was a favourite on the legitimate stage in his native country. Securing Shirley is looked upon as another victory for the motion pictures over the legitimate stage. In the Belgian Day procession in Sydney J.ulius Knight rode a white horse as Napoleon, and Cyril Mackay appeared as King Albert of Belgium. Miss Celia Ghiloni, perched on a lorry, was Britannia. The Belgian flag brought 120 gs, and the Union Jack taken to Antarctica by Sir Douglas Maw-son, 210 gs. In the cast of “Under Cover” at the Criterion Theatre, Sydney, are Muriel Starr, Chas. A. Millward, Dorothy Davies, Hobart Kavanagh, Eardley Turner, Geo. Chalmers, jun., Lincoln Plumer, Sylvia Bremer, Gertrude Boswell, Leonard Stephens, Boyd Irwin, James Hughes. The piece was produced by George Barnum, with Thomas Foster a-s stage manager.

Tilv Mialyon, who plays Fraulein Schroeder in “The Man Who Stayed at Home” at Melbourne Theatre Royal, made her first appearance in Australia as a member of the company of Miss Ethel Irvin", with whom she came from England. Subsequently she appeared with Mr Julius Knight in “Milestones,” and other plays. Miss Malyon is noted not only as a clever actress of “straight” parts, but also as a fine exponent of character roles.

The reorganised J. C. Williamson Royal Comic Opera Company, which opened in “The Marriage Market” at Melbourne Her Majesty’s on Saturday last, included in the cast Ethel Cadman and Thelma Raye (their first appearances in Australia), Derek Hudson, Robert Whyte, jun., Harry Burgess, lack Ralston, Leslie Holland (his reappearance after a South African tour). Phil Smith, Maggie Dickinson, Addie Lennard, Ethel Bennetto, Eileen Shettle, Nellie Payne, Mrs George Lauri. What was Hammerstein’s Opera in London, and is called the London Opera House, will be reopened shortly to grand opera, when a five weeks’ season of Russian works is to be given. Mr Rosing, formerly of the Imperial Opera in Moscow, is the impresario of the contemplated venture, and will give Tschaikowsky’s “Pique-Dame,” Cesar Cui’s “Mam'selle Fifi,” and Rimsky-Korsakoff’s “Mozart and Salieri.” Other works under consideration are “Eugen Onegin” and Rimsky-Korsakoff’s “The Tsar’s Bride.” Some other operas “cannot be produced owing to the impossibility of obtaining scores from Petrograd. The conductor-in-chief will be Cou rev itch, of Moscow, who will direct an English orchestra, while the chorus, it is said, will be Russian.”