THE STAGE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3429, 2 December 1919, Page 52

THE STAGE.

Contributions from the Profession chronicling their movements and doings are invited. All communications to be addressed "Posquin," Otago Witaes* Office. " PRINCESS THEATRE Fullers' Vaudeville nightly. HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. Einolio Polini —December 6 to 16. Allan Wiikie Dramatic Company—December 26 to January 24 (pencilled.) j Muriel Starr Dramatic Company—December 22 to 24 (pencilled.) Digger Pierrots—January 26 to January 31 (pencilled.) J. C. Williamson—February 2 to February 7 (pencilled.) St. Joseph's Carnival—February 9 i 0.14. N.Z. Band Competitions—March 1 to 6. Grand Opera Co.—March 8 to March 16. « "The drama's laws the drama's patrons give, And those who live' tc please muSt please to live." THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES. By PasOI'IS Monday, December 1. The programme to be presented at the Princess Theatre to-night will be headed by the Kenna Brothers, the pair of clever comedians whose act, "By Aeroplane to the North Pole/' was one of the features of the " Goody Two Shoes" pantomime. The American singing comedienne, Miss Daisy Harcourt, will also make a first appearance at the Princess. Another two acts which are highly spoken of are Preston and Perrin idancers) and the Newmans, who present a laughable arid withal sensational diversion on unicycles. The management retain also, and will present in a complete change of programme, the charming young violinist, Miss Maggie Foster, the amusing entertainer, Mr Wailing ford Tate, the xylophone duo, Renaux and Arta, the mezzo soprano, Miss Lillian .Fontenoy, and the amusing and clever monkey and dog circus of Daimaio and Clark.

Mr H. L. representative for J. and N. Tait's Emelie Polini Company, arrived in Dunedin on Saturday night to make arrangements for the company to commence its season on December 9.

Mr George Peterson, who has been associated with Wirth's Circus for many years, arrived in D'unedin from the north at the end of tho week and went through to Invercargill this morning. Mr Peterson is arranging for a visit to Dunedin of the famous circus. It is several years, Mr Peterson informed me, since he was last in D'unedin.

Mr Ben. Fuller has been busy in America selecting artists for his firm's Australian and New Zealand circuits. The latest batch includes Corporal John Nathan (novelty variety entertainer), the three Fishers (acrobats), M'Namara and Clinton (revue artists), Artois Brothers (equilibrists), Rev. Frank Gorman (The Singing Parson), and Fei*ry the -Frog. Ferry the Frog has been in New Zealand before, when he toured the circuit conducted by the late Percy Dix. Mr Harry Dearth concluded a tour of the Dominion at Aucklaaid on Tuesday last, and left the following day for Sydney by the Maheno. Mr Dearth's season in Auckland was a triumph, and he finished up his tour brilliantly before packed audiences. John Amadio, the gifted flautist, who was last here with the CappolH Concert Company, 'ntends leaving Melbourne for England and America. He was to have been given a farewell complimentary concert in Melbourne last week

Youth js one of the first essentials required for the portrayal of the part of Gina Ashling- in the "Eyes of Youth," which will have its first production in Dnnedin on Tuesday next, and that Miss Emelie Polini, fortunately, possesses. Gina. through the medium of the Indian jewel-hawker's magic crystal, sees herself in three possible phases of life—a weary, care-worn country school teacher, an" operatic prima donna, and the divorced wife of a millionaire. Verv expertly has the dramatist worked in all the characters in her real life into„the three "crystal' scenes, and a. 3 they develoo. so is she able to sift the wheat from the chaff, choose in the end wisely and well, in Australia and through the North Island Mi«s Polini and the fine company with which she is supported has scored a triumph. Hi:! Majesty's Theatre was we'll filled on Saturdav night on the occasion of the farewell concert of Mr Martin Duff. Mr Duff was lin good vot'.ce. and connribnted a lengthy programme of classical and popular numbers. Mr Duff opened wtih "Scottish numbers —three bracketed items, Campbell's " March of the Oameron men." Hume's " Afton W.rter " and Cowan's "Border Ballad." In response to an undeniable encore he sang "Kathleen Mavourneen.", " Snirito Gentil," the beautiful aria from Donizetti's " La Favorita," followed, and then came " Questa Quella," from "Rigoletto." It was, however, n the more difficult aria of "-Salve Dinorah" (from Gounod's "Faust") that Mr Duff achieved his chief success. In response to the inevitable recall Mr Duff sang- tastefully the graceful "La Donnac Mobile." and" later in tho evening a-avo " Come into the garden, Maud,'' Tosta s "Parted," and

" I hear you calling mo." The vocalist a'.so took part in the 1 anions "Miserere" scene from "II Trovatoie" (in which the famoiu " A che la Mcrte' is the piece de resistance with Miss Violc* Bartli, and in Sergeant's duet, "Watchman, what of the night?" with Mr Bert Rawliuson, in both of which he was successful. Captain Oft Zeisler (vocalist). Mrs Wilfred R. Andrews (vocalist), Major F. H. Limncri (hurnoroiw sketches), Miss Isa Duff (vocalist), Mr J. A. Wallace (violinist), and Mr Y. E. Galway (accompanist) also contributed to the programme. WELUNCTOrt VVj.NO WHISPERS. lsj: I'kter Pan November 27. Dear "Pasquin,"—Allan Wilkie's capable company of players are meeting with cordial appreciation at the Grand Opera House, their mays drawing splendid houses. This week \ve have had "The Midnight Wedding," with Mr Wiikie as Paul Valmar, the dashing swordmaster of the Green Hussars, a part" in which Harcourt Beatty mads such a hit when around these parts some years back. To-morrow night Mr Wiikie presents Sheridan's "School for Scandal," with the actor-manager in the role of Charles Surface. If for nothing else, Mr Wiikie deserves well for reintroducing such old and charming plays. Mr Peterson, the well-known advance manager for Wirth's Circus, arrived from Sydney last week to herald the coming of the big combination, which has not been in theso parts for five years. The tour is to commence this month. The Wellington competitions closed on Saturday night, when the big Town Hall was packed, and many hundreds had to bo turned away. The concert by the winners of the sections was a big success, and once more Hazel Johnston, of'Dunedin, created a great impression. This clever little child sang "Jammy Face" with all the naivete of a professional. She had to bow her acknowledgments of the tumultuous applause over and over again. Mr George Matheson. of the J. C. Williamson managerial staff, has arrived from Sydney and gone north to put in hand matters for the coming, visit of "the firm's" grand opera company. It is over 10 years since Mr Matheson was in NewZealand. .In the interim he has been managing Her Majesty's Theatre in Sydney. ' Mr Charles Berkeley will be ahead of the Muriel Starr Company on its coming tour of the Dominion. This company will provideo Christohtirch with its Christmas dramatic attraction. The Cn.mille Trio, Keldine and Klimo, De Bater'3 Living Models, and Le Blanc's Rsvue Company pi-ovide the main attractions on, the bill at Fullers' this week. "THE PLAY'S THE THING." Facts relating to a remarkable "amusement boom?' which is being experienced in London and New York were furnished by Mr George Highland, the well-known producer, in tho course of an interview in Melbourne. Mr Highland, who produced "Katinka," "The Pink Lady," "Going Up," and other successful musical plays for J. C. Williamson (Ltd.), has returned to Australia, after some strenuous months spent in England and the United States in search for new plays. Mr Highland states that in both cities the prices of admittance to theatres and picture shows have been raised, but night after night amusement houses, including 103 first-class theatres in New York, are packed to the doors. "A seat in the stalls at any of the leading New York theatres now costs 4dol or 5d01,' said Mr Highland, " while a gallery seat, which before the war was obtainable for 50 cents (about 2s), now costs Idol (4s 2d). Stall seats im the leading London theatres used to cost 10s 6d each, but the price is now from 13s to 15s. These increases were rendered necessary by the tremendous increase in the cost of production. The prices of everything required in a large production have risen—shoes, tights, silk stockings, scene canvas (which has gone up from 10£d to 4-s a yard), timber, paint, and many smaller articles. Performers —"stars" and members of the chorus and orchestra — are receiving higher wages, and authors and composers are demanding larger fees. "How long the present boom is likely to last it is difficult to say. The apparent prosperity, in London especially, seems largely artificial. People in all grades of society, who made large sums of money during the war, are spending freely. The best seats at a theatre are no longer occupied by the ' bloated aristocracy' or the 'idle rich.' I attended the first night of the musical version of ' Monsieur Beaueaire' at the Palace Theatre. London. The house was crowded, but only about a dozen persons were in evening dress, and men and women in the stalls smoked cigarettes throughout the performance. I saw ' The Maid of the Mountains ' at Daly's Theatre when it had been running for more than 1100 nights, and the house was packed. A sailor with his cap on and accompanied by his ' donah ' strolled into the front stalls, having paid 27s for the two seats, and hundreds of people who would once have occupied the gallery were present in the best parts of the theatre." Mr Highland considers that prohibition has been" responsible for a great in tho attendances at theatres in the United States. " The working man who used to_ spend money in the saloons." he says, "is now buying land, building his own house, taking his wife and family to the theatre, and in. many instances owns a Ford motor car. You' can take it from me that, despite anything vou may hear to the contrary. 90 per of the 'people of the United Sttaes are 'tickled to death' with prohibition, and it has come to stay." Among the plays which Mr .Highland has for J. C. Williamson (Ltd.) are "The Maid of the-Mountains." "Kissing Time." "Oh! Lady. Lady." "Good Morning. Judge" Ca musical version of Sir Arthur Pin'ero's "The Magistrate." which was produeed in England as "The Boy"), and " Listen. Lester." all of which are musical pieces, and he has also obtained the Australasian rights o'f two successful comedies. - "Three Wi«e Fool"" and Tan Hav's first nlav. '"Til'lv of Bloomsbury." which is founded on his novel " Hat>pv Go Luckv." Mr Highland's opinion is that Australian th°ntre-goers are "remarkably lucky" in b"ine able to witness productions at the prices prevailing here. "The cost of nroduetion has risen in Australia as elsewhere." he states, "and to put on the stage in Melbourne or Sydney any one of the musical I M-n? mentioned is going to make a hole in £SOOO or £7000."