THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3215, 27 October 1915, Page 63

THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

By PAsqum.

Tuesday, October 26. '“From information received,” as the police have it, I learn that there is a prospect of the Beaumont Smith Enterprises (Limited) sending a company to New Zealand shortly to play “ihe Barrier,” and “Mr Wu,” two pieces which have been staged with some success in Australia. It was Beaumont Smith’s intention to follow his recent comedy tour in New Zealand with a dramatic company, and maybe these desires will shortly bo fulfilled when “ihe Barrier” and “Mr Wu,” the latter an Anglo-Oriental drama, will be produced. Ur Dave O’Coni, or, now a substantial manager on his own account, who is showing at His Majesty’s, is a hnk of the halcyon days of Pollard’s Opera Company, when we in New Zealand were treated to the latest and best of operas by a company which could not only act, but could a marked feature in the Pollard operas, — but of trifling importance these distressing days of t-hiffon musical sketches and point lace pot pourris. Dave O’Connor has done well for himself, and in securing all the latest successes from J. 0. Williamson (Ltd.) for production in Australia and New Zealand, outside of the big centres, is in a fair way of piling up a fortune. He has associated with him a compact company, not numerically strong, but clever and talented, and quite adequate for the class of musical plays presented. By the way, Miss Cliff Palmer and Mr Frank O’Sullivan are also old Pollardians; but the others of that merry company—where are they? The perfect woman—if there is one— Annette Kellerman, and the perfect theatrical manager—if there is one—Frederic Shipman, are due in Dunedin about the same time. Annette, not in the flesh, but in the film, and Frederic Shipman, not in the film, blit in the flesh. Some day soon this will happen, but the time is not yet. Meanwhile, Annette Kellerman is showing to thousands of the curious in Auckland. Leo D’ Chateau, of the many-coloured Dandies proprietary, drops a welcome line from Sydney, where ho has been actively engaged in superintending, the opening of the new Garden Theatre at. Darlinghurst. This now house of drawing-room vaudeville was opened the other night with much grace by the “Violets,” the Dandies’ show through • NeV Zealand recently, in which Dorothy Gard’ner and Marguerite Lo Boy were picturesque figures. Sometimes we do get ahead of Australia. The other day in Melbourne was produced for the first time in Australia the French-flavoured farce comedy, “Nobody’s Widow,” with Muriel Starr and Grace Palotta (the latter returned to the stage specially for this performance) in the loading roles. In Dunedin several years ago Hugh Ward and Grace Palotta played “Nobody’s Daughter,” under the title of “Seven Days.” Mr Graham Moffat pays a signal tribute to Dunedin audiences, as ho has found them. Speaking of the Dunedin season of “A Scrape o’ the Pen,” ho is reported by a Melbourne writer to have said that never since the record at Glasgow had the piece gone so well, the people seeing points that had been missed everywhere since the production in Australia. On the next trip of the Niagara from Sydney to Vancouver, Mr Bon Fuller, governing director of Fullers’ Enterprises, will be a passenger. Mr Fuller intends touring the big cities of America with the special object of witnessing some big attractions which have been expressly recommended to him. As some of these attractions arc very expensive ones, Mr Fuller considers it necessary to see them personally. Mr Fuller will also put in train arrangements for a constant supply of vaudeville artists for the firm’s big circuit. If report says truly. New Zealand will see something quite out of the ordinary in vaudeville specialties. During Mr Bon Fuller’s absence, Mr John Fuller, senr., will take over th" control of the firm’s business, for which ourooio in will rema v; in Sydney.

Mr J. O. Macdonald, lato of this city, and for years the touring manager of the Black Family of Musicians, is presenting at the Grafton Picture Theatre, Auckland, “The Famous Players” series, the first of which includes that once well-known actor, the late H, B. Warner, in the problem play, “The Tost Paradise. ’ In connection with the forthcoming revival of “The Old Guard,” by the Royal Comic Opera Company, at Her Majesty’s, Melbourne, it is interesting to recall that the first production of the opera at this theatre was in 1900, with the following oast: —George Lauri (as Polydoro Poupet), P. Bathurst (as M. do Volteface), Charles Kenningham (as Gaston de la_ Rochnoir), Wallace Brownlow (as Captain Marcel), Hugh Ward (as Marquis D’Artemare), Carrie Moore (as Maud Chotwynd (as Patatout), Lily Everett (as Follow-tho-Drum), Fred Young (as Sergeant Caramel), Miss I. Outtrim (as Nicholas), Miss Evelyn Muret (as Prudhomme). Leon Caron was musical director, and the opera was staged under the direction of Henry Bracy. A revival followed in 1901, with slight alteration in the cast. Mr Harry Plimmer and h;e wife, Miss Shanahan, have been resting in Brisbane, but will probably organise a company to play comedies at the Palace Garden in Brisbane. Harrington Reynolds, with the “ Associated Players,” tried this a little while ago with farce, but it didn’t turn out trumps. The cause, so Brisbane people state, was that Reynolds started too soon after the winter for outside performances. Not only is Herr Hugo Coerlitz, formerly of New Zealand, controlling the American tour of Miss Stella Carol, the English soprano, but he has the management in the United States of Mr Desider Vecsei, an Hungarian pianist, and Miss Mary Lentay, an Hungarian violinist. Speaking of the Goerlitz people, the New York Courier says:— “ There promises to be a permanent reunion of the Goerlitz family in America before the war is through. Louis Sherwin, the well-known dramatic critic of the Now York Globe, is his son. Jeannette Sherwin, the actress, his daughter, who is just now playing leads in South Africa, has a New York engagement which will bring her here later in the season ; and it is very probable that Amy Sherwin (Mrs Goerlitz) will come here during the winter and make New York the permanent scene of her teaching activities.” The London County Council has concluded a minute topographical inquiry into the site of the Theatre —the first playhouse ever erected in London —in Curtain road, Shoreditch, now a hub of the wholesale furniture trade. The results are set forth in one of the valuable booklets in the council’s series of “Indications of Houses of Historical Interest in London,” published in connection with the continuous plan of placing tablets on such houses. These results differ somewhat materially from the conclusions which were formed by HalliwellPhillips, and were endorsed by Mr T. Fairman Ordish in his “ Early London Theatres.” They place the site about 80 yards nearer to the present Curtain Road School. This may seem a small matter, but a mighty shade lends interest to the inquiry. For if Shakespeare really began his dramatic career by holding the horses of playgoers, the entrance to the Theatre was the scene of that initiation. Sir Sidney Lee has little doubt that he acted here in his early days, in London.