THE STAGE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3348, 15 May 1918, Page 46

THE STAGE.

Contributions from the Profession chronicling their movements and doings are invited. All communications to be addressed "Pasquin," Otago Witness Office.

.PRINCESS THEATRE, fullers' Vaudeville Company HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. May 14 to 18.—Sydney James's Royal Strollers. May 25 to June 3.—Allan "Wilkie Dramatic Company. Xh« drama's laws the drama's patrons gl™. And those who lire to please must pItSM t* life." riMTRIOAL AWD MUSICAL NOTES. By I'AyQUiK. Tesday, May 14. The Allan Wilkio Dramatio Company concluded a most successtul season at Wellington on Saturday, and are appearing this week at Christchurch. At'Wellington His Excellency Lord Liverpool and a party from Government House twice attended the production of "Svcn Days' Leave," and also witnessed! the production of "The Story of the Rosary." The company open in Dunedin at His Majesty's on Saturday week—that is the 26th—in "Seven uays' Leave." It is safe to predict that this military drama will prove as popular in Dunedin as in every other part of the world in which it has been staged. It may be added that "The Story of the Rosary" is quite a different play to that produced hero a few years ago. The members of the theatrical profession in Christchurch were not long in "getting together" to assist Miss Lydia Carne. the popular danseuse of the Walter Johnson Revue Company, who had been taken seriously ill in Christchurch. and had to undergo a lengthy period of enforced idleness, with the attendant expenses. Mr Sydney James and his Royal Strollers joined forces with the Fuller performers in giving a benefit entertainment, and placing before the public, who responded, one of the best vaudevill programmes ever submitted to a Christchurch audience. At an interval a photograph of Miss Lydia Carne was sold for £5, and a box of chocolates embossed with the bencficiare's likeness realised £2 ss. Mr Walter Helsdon (Christchurch manager for Messrs Fuller and Sons) thanked all who had assisted, and acknowledged the receipt of £6 5s collected in Dunedin in a few minutes by Mr Scott Colvillo. Altogether, over £IOO is available for Miss Lydia Carne. "The Masquerader," with Mr Post, the American actor, in the principal part, was a success in Melbourne. In the dramatio form "John Chilcoate, M.P.," has been advanced a few years, so that, opening with the war, it surpasses the jibandonment of a rising statesman to the morphia habit. Ho has a "double," John Loder. Plays with a "double" are rarely produced with any satisfaction to the audience, and it is rarely that Shakespeare's two "Dromios," or "The Corsican Brothers," are staged, because of the "double" parts. But Mr Post gets over the difficulty by doubling the part, and this is what the Australasian says:—"On three separate occasions, at least, the dual characters —John Chilcoate and John Loder, doubled by Mr Post—occupy the stage at the same moment. They are doubles in life by family descent, so it is difficult to do anything by mean's of a substitute which will not be immediately discerned. Yet with such wonderful cleverness is it all arranged that the audience never once sees the wheels in motion. In one scene of the third act, Chilcoate and Loder apparently converse —on in the robust voice of the other in the querulous, petu. lant" tones of the strong, clean-living, honourable man; the nerve-tormented decadent. You know that the voice is always that of Mr Post only because you see no means by which it could bo otherwise, yet if the jugglery were really manifest in any small lanse to carelessness, and very obvious conjuring device, the act, and with it the absorption of the audience, would be utterly upset. It is a wonderful bit of wellconsidered contrivance, bv means of which a very difficult situation —more difficult even than the transformations of Dr Jckyll and Mr Hyde—is smoothly managed. In any play of artistic pretence it was a dangerous venture, and niicrht. at any moment, have reduced the situation to the commonplace of sleuth-hound melodrama." After being rejected by the manager of the Now York-Opera House (evidently by some blunder), Amalita Galli-Curei, a colorata. soprano, charmed Chicago, and then, coming to New York, took the public and Press by storm on her first appearance as "Dinorah." A thoroughly educated musician, having first been trained as a pianist, she has a voioo of wonderful quality. There aro no more enthusiastic admirers than those who may bo called competitors in her own profession "The brilliancy and beauty of everything she has." savs Qeraldine Farrar, of tho Metro-

polit-an Company, "arc thoroughly legitimafce. 'J here has boon no .such singer since iVielba, 20 years ago; \vc have no voice like it. 1 always adored Molba and Sembrick, but we thought this great generation of singers had died away." So extraordinary has been the reception of this wiie ot the Marquis di Simemi (his family name is C'urci) that the Press is republishing contemporary reports of the success achieved here by other famous stars, beginnings with Jenny Lind, who came from Sweden and sang in 1350 at the old Castle Garden house on the water-front. A new revue was to be produced in Sydney last week, called "Time, Please," those taking part including Barry Lupino, Beatrice Holloway, Zola Terrell, Fred Monument, Marie Eaton, and a number of others, including Espinosa, the producer, who was to make his debut in a dancing specialty. Espinosa is the principal dancer and ballet master at the Empire, London, and it is usual to find) his name on six or eight programmes in the metropolis—Empire, Palace, Daly's, Gaiety, Shaftesbury. Hippodrome 1 , Garrick. and Queen's. The Fuller management in Sydney gave some 2,000 kiddies the time of their lives on a recent afternoon at a matinee performance of "Robinson Crusoe." There were sick children from the hospitals, deaf and dumb and blind children, there were babies from the kindergarten, State children, and children whoso fathers have fallen in the war, and whose mothers were struggling against poverty. All were guests of the Fuller management, and also of the actors and actresses and the staff of the theatre, for all those who contributed to the afternoon's entertainment gave their services voluntarily. The kiddies cheered and clapped almost every performer—excepting the "bad man of the sea." And when the children were called on to show their appreciation of the kindness of the management and the artists, they cheered and waved and cheered again in a way that left no doubt as to their feelings. Mr A W. Green, of the State Children's Relief Department, and Mr W. Hilton Mitchell, Inspector of Theatres attached to the Education Department, returned thanks on behalf of the youngsters. Mr T. Rofo (one of the directors of the Fuller Company) responded. Miss Beatrice Lillie, a young Canadian, only 20 years of-age, has made a success as an actress in I/ondon. One of the most popular of her songs is "The Land of Promise," the writing of which came about in this way:—Lieutenant Gitz Rice, the author, went to Franco with the Canadians, and after a time was invalided home. Miss Lillie visited her compatriot whilst he was in hospital, and the pair naturally talked of the country they both love, which Miss Lillio called "The Land of Promise. The phrase stuck in the gallant officers mind and when his fair visitor had taken leave' of him he lay back in his bed and wrote the words, to which Miss Muriel Lillie, the actress's sister, has set such a charming and alluring rnclody. Madam Melba recently appeared in "Faust" in New York, and this is what a prominent press critic said: "No Mar. guerite of recent years has sung the role with euch smoothness of delivery, such glory of tone, and such command of style and'phrasing. Indeed, her art might well have served as an example to many of the younger generation of singers sat in the audience." But for Mr Ben Fuller it is probable the song "Australia will be there" might never have been published. Mr Francis, the author, offered it to several publishers in Sydney, but none of them were "taking any" in war songs. Finally, he submitted it to Mr Fuller, who engaged Francis right away to sing it in one of the Fuller vaudeville houses. And now it is the Australian song. In reply to a query from a correspondent in Sydney the following dates are given:—J " C. Williamson and Maggie Moore appeared in Dunedin in January, 1852, in " Eureka." In February of the same year " Patience" was produced by Williamson's Royal Comic Opera Company, and in March " The Pirates of Penzance." In 1883 Howard Vernon's "Tambour Major" Company produced the opera it was named after, also " Billeo Taylor." This was in February. In June, 1884, the Royal Comic Opera Company produced "Olivette" and two other light operas, and revived "Patience." In December, 1886, and January, . 1887, the Royal Comedy Company (one of the strongest combinations that has ever visited New Zealand) appeared in "The Magistrate," "Jim the Penman," etc. In March 1887, the Royal Comic Opera Company against visited us, appearing in "The Mikado" and " lolanthe." On this occasion the company was managed by the late Mr R. S. Smythe, who was understood to be financially interested in the tour. My Allan Hamilton, who for nearly 20 years directed as general manager the various- companies, in which the Broughs figured (Brough-Boucicault, Robert Brough, Brough-Fleming) in Australia and NewZealand, and then for another period as lessee of the Sydney Palace Theatre, has settled in Brighton, Sussex, during the past year, frequently visiting London. In a letter to a friend in Sydney (says the Referee) he says the theatres never did such business within the memory of the oldest playgoer. It is quite out of the question to book a seat at a "success" under four weeks. Marie Lohr,_ the daughter of our old friend Kate Bishop, has leased the Globe Theatre for 14 years, at a weekly rental of £250 for." the house and all privileges"—an alarming sum to cover from year to year. An American kinema operator wdio has spent 12 months in the South Sea Islands "filming" scenes and people has been telling a Sydney pressman of a lively adventure in the island of Malikolo, in the New Hebrides. As the operator and his party had wandered about the Solomons, of evil repute, without harm., not much attention was paid to the warning- about a cannibal tribe known among traders- as " Big Numbers." Tho kinema man and his wife with a crew of five friendly natives set off in a whtileboat for Big Numbers Bay, taking with them as a precaution three natives of a ferocious aspect said to bo friendly with tho cannibal tribe. On landing they found themselves quickly surrounded by a band armed with bows; and arrows, while some carried rifies. Not liking the look of things, the American and his young wife would have re-embarked, but the natives insisted that the party should interview the chief on the central plateau. After a stiff climb they reached the plateau, when their escort was reinforced, and a weird chant was faintly repeated from the bush. Presently the cnief, large, handsome, and hairy emerged from the forest. Mr Johnston —such is the name of the kinema man—was not reassured by a

glares from the chief, whoso gaze afterwarda never left Airs Johnston, who was small and pretty. Air Johnston offered some presents, which were accepted without a word, and then the savages and their surroundings were photographed. As they tinned to retrace their steps to the shore, suddenly, at a word from the chief, the two whites were seized and their arms pinioned. As 'they were being marched oft' a miracle happened. A native gave a shout. < nd, looking down from the plateau, Mr Johnston saw a British warship entering the bay. The natives watched for a while, and then released their captives, who hurried off down the hill. They saw the warship steam slowly round the bay, and as she made to leave the sound of a conch shell from, up above told that the natives were after them again.. But the party managed to roach their boat with somo difficult}', and got afloat not a moment too soon.

Another good season of Shakespeare is promised for New Zealand. Mr Allan Wilkie says that after the termination of his present tour of New Zealand and a further tour of Australia with the two plays which he is now producing, he hopes to return to New Zealand with a reportoiro of Shakep&arean plays, and the comedies of Sheridan and Goldsmith.

WELLINGTON WING WHISPERS. By Peter Pan. May 10. Dear “ Pasquin,”—Mr George Highland, producer Tor J. 0. Williamson (Ltd.) is spending a few days’ holiday in Wellington. Ho will rejoin the Royal Comics at Auckland. The English Pierrots, fresh fro 131 a big season in Sydney, will open here next Thursday. There arc 'two new “Pierrots” to make their first appearance here —Elsio Rosslyn (soprano) and Rima Young (pianist). All the old favourites arc sure of a hearty reception, as Wellington is a Pierrot “ strong point.” _ Victor Beck is hero arranging preliminaries. The Allan Wilkie Company closes its season at the Grand Opera House tomorrow, when his Excellency the Governorgeneral will attend the performance of “The Rosary,” which has been drawing large houses all the week. The Allan Wilkie Company, per the generosity of Ben and John Fuller, gave a matinee of “Seven Days’ Leave” last week in aid of the Press Babv candidate in the Baby Carnival. The big theatre was full, and a handsome sum for the New Jersey appeal should bo the result. The directors of the Crown Picture Theatre also gave an entertainment last night in aid of the Press Baby. . The theatre was packed to overflowing. With the splendid aid of theatrical folk, this baby is going to be mighty close to the top of the poll. Fullers’ Vaudeville is still going strong. Some big attractions are due in the immediate future. PRINCESS THEATRE. A fine programme of vaudeville turns and high-class music was presented at the Princess Theatre on the 13th inst., and the audience showed its keen appreciation of the entertainment by _ hearty applause,_ practically every item being encored. Pride of place must be given to the Kennedy (2) and Adelle trio, who were responsible for a programme of music which could well be claimed to reach the standard of that provided at a chamber concert. The trio have no cause but to feel gratified at the reception accorded them on their reapncaranco in Dunedin. Mr Gregory Ivanoff again caught the popular taste with his violin playing, and received a double recall, his rendering of “ The Rosary being marked for special recognition. As was indicated on her first appearance last week. Miss Patsy Hill has become a popular favourite. The programme is well balanced on the vaudeville side. The great reception accorded Mr C’. and Miss Maud Courtney on their reappearance here after an absence of some weeks was only what might have been expected as the reward of this popular pair. Both performers have fine singing' voices, and quite took the house by storm with their topical verses, in which prominent Ministers and the Defence Department came in for some humorous criticism. Mr C. is as entertaining a raconteur as ever. At tho conclusion of their turn tho performance was held up bv the audience clamouring for more. Another performer to renew acquaintance hero was Mr Ward Lear. Mr Lear is a comedian of the boisterous type, and he had the audience in roars of laughter as, interpreting the character of a ■Chinaman, he committed a midnight raid on a hen roost, sang an irresistible laughing song, and in other diverting ways played upon the humorous perceptions of those present. F. 0.8. and Miss Edna Seaton—the latter featuring a barefoot dance ana her male partner singing in acceptable fashion; Carlton Max and his pal “ Jerry a splendid ventriloquial turn; Bellora convincing mimics of birds and animals; and ftno Maxims, juvenile dancers, were the rest ot the performers in a thoroughly onjoyab.o vaudeville entertainment.