THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3556, 9 May 1922, Page 50

THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

By

Pasquin.

.... . Monday, May 8. b* 1 ® following is the list of performers at :e ( Princess 'lheatre this week: *—Harem and iscarem, Miss Effie Fellowes, Victor thc< tireat (ventriloquist), those delightful vocalists Beresford apd Rennie, Newman and Wynne, Gladys Victor, Frank and Gladys Alber, Hartley and Wright, and the two Nichols Mr Victor Beck, advance for the Quality Performers, left for Oamo.ru this morning. The Quality Performers made a first appearance at His Mjajesty’s Theatre on Saturday night. The performance of the various members was listened to with the keenest interest by an audience which packed the theatre. One of the very first requirements for such a company is a good orchestra, and the Quality Performers have carefully attended to this important matter. Mr William Key is a particularly fine player of the piccolo, while Mr Asioli is an accomplished violin player. The company opened with the laughing song, and Messrs' Sharratt, Webster, and Scott amused in a humorous trio. Miss Beatrice Wenbau appeared in character comedy, her song—much on the lines of what is affected by Miss Lilian Oolenso —being rendered all the more amusing by sudden breaks in the voice in an ascending direction. The feature of an ensemble was the clever dancing of Miss Anetta Lang, in various national aspects. Mr Leonard Nelson is an old favourite hare. Miss Nina Gordon occupied the attention of the audience for some little time with her imitations, and with complete success. Miss Gordon is at the same time an accomplished pianist and vocalist. Mr Harry Webster and Mr Aneurin Morris also presented excellentturns. The popular Australian actress Miss Vera Pearco is playing in “Love’s Awakening’ at the Empire 'theatre, London, and is receiving favourable notices in the press. Australian players should think twice before they make for the American stage according to Mr W. May.ne Linton, who arrived in Sydney recently under engage ment to J. O. Williamson (Ltd.). “The man who is working in the United State? to-day is very lucky,” he said. “Any man or woman should be pretty well fixed financially before venturing there for the theatre, because he or she will be up against a number of 1 clever people who are walking round t.he streets looking for jobs. Of course, there is always an opening for clever people, but it is not easy to find, unless one has luck or influence. Business in the United States is dead, especially in the theatrical world, and I am telling you this in the interests of Australian actors.” The Wanganui Operatic Society will produce “Miss Ilook of Holland” this month, under the direction of Miss Eva Moore. The New Zealand Diggers are now appearing at. the Wellington Grand Opera House. Messrs Tano Fama and Stan Lawson (the remarkable female impersonator) are still leading members of the company. Rosina Bookman and Maurice D’Oisly are expected to commence their tour of New Zealand at Auckland on May 20, under the direction of Mr E. J. Gravestock. A cable message from. Paris announces the death of Mr Henry V. Esmond, the actor and dramatic author, who was married, in 1891, to Miss Eva Moore, actress. His plays included “One Summer’s Day,” “When We Were Twenty-one,” and “Eliza Gomes to Stay.” He was in his 53rd year. Mr George Tully, of “The Man from Toronto,” is appearing in the "strong man” part of the London production of “The Sign on the Door.” Miss Gladys Cooper and Mr Leslie Faber (the brother of Miss Beryl Faber, once a Brough company actress) have the other principal parts. During the Xmas festivities at the Savoy (London) Tetrazzini, who was staying at the hotel, graciously sang to the guests. She gave them some simple English ballads, and then, for her own delight, asked the orchestra to play Coal Black Mammy,” and insisted on having it a second time. When feyeryone had gone she called the Italian waiters and cooks together,_ and sang the soprano arias from “La Traviata.” She has never had a more appreciative audience. Cable advices received from London state that Miss Gertrude Johnson, who has been engaged to sing principal soprano parts with the National Opera Company, will make her debut at Covent Garden on May 11 as “Queen of the Night,” in Mozart’s opera “The Magic Flute.” a role made famous by the late lima di Murska. Miss Johnson has already won much success in London in oratorio, and on the concert platform. Miss Lola Stantonne, who is appearing at Fuller’s New Theatre. Sydney, has the distinction of teaching the inimitable Charlie Chaplin to play the violin. The occasion was on the visit of the Karno Comedy Troupe to America, of which the genial Charlie was an inconspicuous member, and long before his comedian possibilities were discovered for picture work. Miss Stantonne . included Kriesler’s “Souvenir” in her programme, and Charlie was so enamoured with it that he sought out the little lady, and requested that he should be taught to play it by ear. Miss Stnntonne gladly assented, and for a week

afterwards coached “the funniest man in the world; in the intricate measures of “Souvenir.” Charlie played left-handed, and Miss Stantonne laughingly recalls the grotesque figure Charlie Cliaplin cut. However, he managed to memorise the piece at last, and just before Miss Stantonne left America, meeting Charlie at a charity, he must needs borrow her violin and show her lie had not forgotten the lesson taught him several years before. Drury-lane Theatre was reopened last month. A sum of £150,009 has been spent on rebuilding it. The theatre opened with a Florentine spectacle entitled Decameron Nights. The Princess Mary and Viscount Lascelles were present in the brilliant audience. ThS theatre derives its name from a cock pit, which was converted into a theatre under James I. Rebuilt and called the Phoenix, Charles II granted an exclusive patent to Thomas Kiiligrew in 1662, and it was opened in 1663. Nell Gwynn performed U 1 “ 6 ‘ L u fnt down in 1672, it was rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren and opened in 1674. Garrick’s debut took place in 1742. ihe interior was rebuilt by Adam, and was ? Pened in 1776. Garrick’s farewell was in. 1776. The theatre was rebuilt on a large scale and was reopened in 1794. Hatfield fired at George 111, in th e theatre on 11th May, 1800. It was burnt down in 1809 was rebuilt by Wyatt, and opened, in 1812. G. V. Brooke appeared as Othello on 27th October, 1861. Sir Augustus Harris entered into arrangement in 1879. and elaborated the Christmas pantomime, which used to cost him up to £30,000 to stage. Grand and light operas frequently have been staged, S'? . t” e Comedie Francaise and the SaxeMeiningen Court Co. have played there, towards its end the last theatre was not very successful, and the end came through a fire a few years ago. Miss Clara Butt and her husband, Mr Kennerley Rumford had a novel experience Vancouver, British Columbia. The Colulol Theatre was occupied by a theatrical company, but the difficulty was got over by the famous concert artists appearing after the conclusion of the theatrical performance each evening. The concert started at 11 o’clock each evening, and ended at 1.30 next morning. Despite the cold weather, the audiences were large and enthusiastic. Chaliapin, the Russian basso, is an outstanding figure in the operatic world, and recently he has created quite a furore in New York, where he was engaged to sing in performances of Moussorgsky’s “Boris/’ Chaliapin was born in Kazan (the old capital of Tartar Kahn) in 1873. He is of peasant descent, and for a time worked as a shoemaker. He entered the Archbishop’s choir. At 17 he joined an opera company.' When he could get no pay he worked as an outporter at the railway station. In 1892 he was singing in Tiflis, the capital of Caucasia, where he was heard by a teacher, who gave him some lessons. His genius won recognition, after which he appeared in Glinka’s “A Life for the Tzar,” at Tiflis. In 1895 he sang in Petrograd, and thenceforward began his triumphant career. In 1896 Mamantov paid the necessary money to release him from the Imperial opera, and he became famous at the Private Opera House at Moscow. Later he went to the Imperial Opera, Moscow, and appeared in 1913 at Drury Lane Theatre with the Boeoham Opera Company, where his success with the public w r as immediate. Chaliapin has an extensive repertoire of operas, not only in Russian, but in other languages. Mr James F. Kearsley, .of Wellington, who is enjoying a holiday visit to Europe, writes interestingly from Turin, in Italy, under date March 6 “My/first experience of opera in Italy was a charming one. It was ‘Aida,’ produced on a scale of magnificence I had never imagined. In the orchestra were 100 instruments all artists, and in the big scenes in the opera there must have been 500 people on the stage. The opera started at 9 o’clock and finished at 1 o’clock in the morning. Then the theatre itself so gorgeous and large, with its sculpture and paintings, gilding, brilliant lighting, and a blaze of red and gold velvet drapings. The audience, a very large one, was almost wholly in. evening dress—a. most affable and courteous people, who between the acts would enter into conversation with their neighbours. A very large proportion of the audience were officers from lieutenants to generals, all in full uniform. One or the other of the grand operas are produced every evening, including Slunday—it is part of their life.”