THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3352, 12 June 1918, Page 46

THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

liy PaSQPIW Tuesday, June 11. Mr J. L. Ca'thro, touring manager in charge of things in front 01 Jack Waller's "Look .Who's Here Company,'' looked in at this office the other day with tidings of the company's forthcoming visit to Dunedin. At present August 24 is pencilled as 'the date, but this arrangement is apt to be altered, and the show may reach here earlier. Mr Jack Waller is at present in Australia collecting a budget of good things to offer the New Zealand public, and promises some novelties on his return. The company is now being reorganised under the old banner, and those members who have strayed—namely, the White dancing trio, Howard Hall, Gregorj lvanoff, Patsie Hill, Wylie Watson, and Ada Smart —are being returned to Wellington to rejoin " Look Who's Here.". Mr A. Brandon Oremer is at present on a flying visit to Dunedin, and at the conclusion of his C'hristchurch season may play a season of stock drama at the King's Theatre. "The Bird of Paradise" has reached its sixth week at the Criterion Theatre, Sydney, where Muriel Starr has added to her popularity by her realistic performance as i-uana, the Hawaiian princes.fi, In due course " The Bird of Paradise" will tour New Zealand, the ep-mplete production being sent over by J. O. Williamson (Ltd.) exactly as when staged in Sydney and Melbourne. Miss Dorothy Gard'ner. who went to South Africa with the Steele-Payne combination, is thus referred to by a Durban paper:-—"Charming and delightful in all she does, always breezy without being ooisterous, she abandons herself to her work in such an easy, natural manner that compels the highest admiration. And her talent is not confined to any particular groove. Dorothy carries the uncommon gift •jf being able to do almost anything in the entertaining line—singing, dancing, reciting, story-telling, and instrumental-playing being included in her great fund of talents, and she handles each of her offerings in such a polished fashion which leaves not the slightest doubt as to her future." A gala performance given at Her Majesty's, Melbourne, recently, realised about £I7OO for the Red Cross appeal. A condensed version of the big J. C. Williamson management's revue, "The Bing Boys," was given, in which the leading roles were enacted by the children of the company. The audience was amazed at the cleverness of the youngsters. It was interesting to watch the real principals of the company sitting amongst the audience watching ehe performances of the juveniles, who mimicked the adult artists to perfection and aroused uproarious laughter. The "Million Dollar Girl" at the Tivoli, Sydney, has the merit of possessing in Miss Celia Ghiloni, Mr Charles Workman, Mr Frank Green, and others, principals who can both sine and act, and who aro especially good in light matter. News has readied Sydney of the death in New York of Mrs William Desmond, wife of Mr Desmond, who was leading man in 1910 for the J. C. Williamson management. Mrs Desmond, who was the only sister of Nance O'Neill, was also an actress, but was prevented from appearing in Australia owing to an accident in Melbourne to her knee, which accident is said to have indirectly led to her death in early middle age. Mr Graham Browne, the English actor who was so popular when associated with Miss Marie Temncst. during their recent comedy season, is to reappear in Melbourne. Owing to the delay in their departure caused bv the irregularity of shipping, J. 0. Williamson (Ltd.) were able to arrange with Mr Browne for a special starring season in " General Post" at the Theatre Royal. Melbourne. Associated ivith Mr Browne will bo Miss Lizctte Parkes and Mr Arthur Styan. " General Post" has had an immensely successful season in London. It is a military comedy,, and deals with the topsy-turvy state of affaire in the social fabric caused bv the war. Its humour is said to bo irresistible. Mr Grahame Browne will havo an ideal role, and a specially-selected cast will support him.

It appears that Miss Dorothy Brunton, the Australian musical comedy star, 13 not returning to Australia, as \va3 recently announced. She has prone to London under a contract engagement, and will then return to New York to fulfil another engagement made. In connection with the successful tour of Australia and New Zealand of the Allan Wilkio Co. with "Seven Days' Leave," it

is interesting to know that it was at first ;i comparative fiiilurc in the United .Slates. Managers were declaring lit,it motion pictures had killed melodrama. Daniel Froiiman had tried " Seven Days' Leave" in Boston. He returned to New York, announcing that anyone who wanted to pick up a London success at a bargain would do well to communicate with him at the Lyceum 'iheat.ro. New York. A. 11. Woods communicated, and had the property overhauled by Max Marcin. author of '•Cheating Cheaters." Then Mr Woods decided '•melodrama is dead." and left the question cf resuscitation to Walter Jordan, who produced ".Seven Days' Leave" at the Park Theatre, and has been turning money away ever since, while it has been current in London and Australia. The moral is that managers are not infallible, and that an interesting play appealing to the strongest sympathies —highly coloured, crowded with action, _ and well acted —will draw the public despite oicturc shows. The Theatre Magazine, Sydney, says: Suave and shrewd is Collctt Dobson as the hard-up Lord Elton in ' The Sorrows of Satan.' 'J. B. Atholwood is an impressive Hawaiian priest.' 'Maggie Mooro infects the audience with the fear she herself feels in' The Bird of Paradise.' " "Nothing but the Truth," a London success, is described as one of those plays which arc called poor ones' and which are great successes. Robert Bennett wagers 10,000dol with Ralston and Donnelly, his partners in a shady stock-jobbing firm, and with a third rogue called Van Dusen, that he will, for 24 hours, answer truthfully every question put to him. Roberts's 10,000dol stake is a sum collected by Gwendolyn Ralston for a charity, and her father having promised to double whatever she collects if she can reach what he coneiders the impossible total of 20,000d01, she naively comes to Robert, her lover, to have the 10 turned into 20. She points out that it is his everyday business to buy shares low and sell them high, so the task will he quite an easy one for him. The impecunious but devoted Robert, equally incapable of disappointing _ his adored one and of finding an obliging stock which will be sure to double its market price in 48 hours, seizes the opportunity of the anti-lying bet to obtain the money. His first act is to tell clients on whom Ralston is trying to unload Mexican quicksilver shares that the stock is rotten, tnus sending Ralston plunk into the well at once, but for the next 24 hours Robert suffers the tortures of the damned himself, and drives his acquaintances into hysterics by having to speak his mind without wearing the condoning motley. The opposing trio shadow him, and invent for him ■ the most awkward questions, so that he has to insult his hostess, Mrs Ralston, by telling her that he didn't want to come to her house, and by telling one of her guests that she dresses terribly and sings awfully. Gwen herself ho paralyses by stating that ho has been in love before, and is not even certain he will bo true to her in the future, but will try. Finally, Robert wins his bet, though he ought not to have done so, for he left the two questions, "Where did you get the 1 0,000dol?" and "What did you do with Gwen's money?" unanswered. To add to the fun, the clients whom Ralston has swindled over the quicksilver shares avenge themselves by subscribing some 70,000d0l to Gwen's charity on hearing that the stockjobber has promised to double whatever his daughter collects.