THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3557, 16 May 1922, Page 44

THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

By

Pasquin.

MONDAY, May 15. Four fresh turns are announced at the Irmocsa Theatre.—'Raymond, the “escapologist.” Geo. Dean, whose name is associated indelibly with some of his comic opera productions in Australia; Carr, “the Modern Samson;” and Wells and Dells, a brilliant pair of comedy acrobats. Chief among the stopovers are Bradley and Hamilton, Effie Fellowes, the Harem Scarem duo, \ ictor the Great, Newman and Wynne, and Gladys Victor, the pupular combination which has been appearing at His Majesty’s Theatre during rfj? 'P a3t week, under the style of the Quality Performers,” brought a highly successful season to a close on Saturday, when two performances were given—one at a matinee in the afternoon, and the other in the evening. 'The company play next at Invercargill. Mr Scott Colville has been appointed to the permanent staff in New Zealand of J. C. Williamson, Ltd., and J. and N. lad, and will control the firm’s concert attractions in the Dominion. The first artist for this season will be Toscha Seidel, a violinist, who will open his Dominion tour in Auckland in July. • J< A,T n , e the Dunodin-bom actor, is still featured in movie drama, his latest vehicle being the Realart special, “The UUU-A • khe cast are Agnes Ayres &nd MUton Sills. Mary Pick ford, giving evidence in a lawsuit m America, said that her income the P as t two years was 1,123,625 dollars fabout £230 000) Mr E. J. Ludvigh, counsel for Mr Adolph Znkor, testifying to the expansion of the cinema industry, said that 17 l >lckfor d was_ paid 30 dollars (about 1 5 Js ' ® week for her first cinema engageUf nt - , " ( ' w receives 10,000 dollars (about £2500) a week, and 50 per cent, on the sales of her pictures. A marked, copy of the Honolulu StarBulletin, which has been forwarded to me contains a photograph of Frederic Shipman’ managing director of International Tours’ During his visit to America, Mr Shipman engaged a number of artists for Australia and New Zealand, and they will Play at Honolulu on their way through. colon ies 1 - 6 the six features coming to the L Guy Maier and Lee Pattison, “duo pianists. they appear in concert music for two pianos and are widely known on the American mainland. They arrive in HonoM °o 7 M S y AA and ,. leav e for Australia on May 27. 2 Metropolitan Opera Co. artists taul Althouse, tenor, and Arthur Midcueron, baritone, appearing jointly Thev arrive July 18 give two cherts In Honl lutu, and sail for Australia July 24 Rudolf Grucn comes with them as ' accompanist. 5. Sarah and Nellie Kouns, called the mirror-voiced sopranos,” because of the remarkable similarity of their voices They Btuff echoes and the' like-in addition to concert numbers. They will come m _ ebruary. 1923. 4. Rosa- Raisa dramatic soprano, and the Chicago Opera’Co™ b toiie Rtmim, due in May, 1923 5 The fiTIX VO2? 9 uartet ’ due Honolulu ill July, 1923 for one concert. 6. Paul DultXire th ? F , rench Canadian tenor. Duct 14 a-neady has many admirers locally He made a pronounced hit when he appeared here in concert some years ago. Jaston Merwale, Emma Brainpton Elsie Parkes, Frank Hawthorn, and Car.el on Stuart are in the cast of “The ama bdn » sta = cd Madame Marguerite d’Alvarea. the famous 1 eruvian contralto, who is shortly coming (o Australia for a starring tour under the J. and N. Tait- direction, recently appeared in Washington, LJ.S.A and achieved a wonderful success. Reasons for the furore she created are contained in the following criticism published in the Washington Herald:—“Madame d’Alvarez is an exceptional artist. She is intensely dramatic, and in stage parlance puts her songs ’‘over’ with tremendous effect. Her voice is not only colourful, and responsive to her slightest shade of feeling but it is dramatic; she acts with it. Her singing of ‘Nobble,’ by Respighi, brought an ovation of applause that was sustained tor some considerable time. She created a verdable sensation.” Some indication of the extent of the J. •; uliamson organisation is afforded by , e fact . d,a( «f the present time (he firm has no fewer than fifteen attractions under its management, whilst at least five others are in progress of formation. During the year playgoers throughout, Australia and New Zealand will have presented before tnem some of the most notable attractions procurable m musical comedy, comic opera drama, comedy, farce, revue’ as well as concert artists of world-wide fame. Toscha Seidel, the famous young 22-year-old Russian violinist, who has created a furore in Sydney, is accompanied on his visit to Australia by his mother and a younger brother. The latter is studying to be a doctor. Seidel’s father is in Russia somewhere, but has been lost sight of since the Bolshevik regime and its consequent chaos began. Seidel was in Dresden receiving tuition from the famous Professor Auer (one of whose pupils was also Jascha Heifetz) when the war broke out. Being under military age' —be was only 13 years of age at. the time—he was not placed under control, but was merely kept under surveillance. After four months he was re-

patiated to Russia in an exchange of prisoners. Seidel was born in Odessa, which was also the birthplace of Jascha Spivakovsky, Benno Moisiewitsch, Mischa Elman, the Cherniavskys, the Hamburgs, and other famous musicians. Asked why it was that Odessa produced so many notable artists, Seidel shrugged his shoulders and replied: “I suppose it merely happened 1° be Odessa instead of some other town.'" The fortunes of Mr George Bernard Shaw vary It is not long since he denounced English managers, and cried to high heaven that his plays were rejected. Better times came for him, though—and on the opening night of his last piece the house clamoured for a speech from the author. At the end of a few busy minutes the manager appeared to announce that this famous dramatist could not be Found, but he was probably asleep somewhere in the theatre. Playgoers at the King’s Theatre, Melbourne, have marvelled at the naturalness and realism of the acting of Miss Elizabeth ■UP i? s dl .° coloured maidservant, Hattie, .'c First Year.” It has been said that it is more than acted role —it is the liv lug character itself. One of the newspaper critics said: “We could not conceive of the part being played better than Miss Dunn plays it.” The actress says that the part appealed to her as quite a simple piece ot acting. She was bom in the Southern States of America, and lived amongst the darkies from childhood. Hattie, she says, was a type that was thoroughly familiar to her. The intonation, the (gestures, and ' ),ua in t mannerisms of the coloured ‘help,” including the peculiar bending of the body from the hips, are all characteristic of the type. Charlie Chaplin, the now well-known author of “My Trip Abroad,” Harper’s, is convalescing from the “flu.” He expects to be working within several weeks, however, at his side-line of making motion pictures. There can be small doubt that he is amazed at the warmth of his reception in the literary world. Even the Now Republic, America, in a full-page review of “My Trip Abroad,” calls it a “fascinating book.” Francis Hackett writes in this review : “Two young men of our generation have great celebrity—Charlie Chaplin and the. Prince of Wales. . . .” WELLINGTON WING WHISPERS TBy Phter Pan.l May 12. Dear “Pasquin,”—A round of good opera will commenoe to-morrow evening, when Williamson’s Comic Opera Company will present “Merrie England.” Miss Ethel Morrison, who is a Wellingtonian, is .a prominent member of the company, and she is said to have made a big success of her part. Local playgoers will be pleased to renew her acquaintance, as she is a great favourite here. The box plans opened yesterday, and Walter Monk is quite satisfied with the indication for a prosperous time here. Mr Bert Royle, J. C. Williamson’s resident manager here, is busy booking tours. The “Babes in the Wood” pantomime is at Auckland, and shortly will be on tour. Following the pantomime, in quick succession will be “The Maid of the Mountains,” Nicola, “The Peep Show,” and “The Irish Players, and then Emilie Pol ini and Frank Harvey in “My Lady’s Dress.” Miss Rosina Buekman is due here from London next week, and will be tendered a civic welcome. Miss Buekm.a.n will then leave for Auckland, in which city her Dominion tour commences. Mr E. J. Gravestock comes from Auckland to meet Miss Buekman. Alsace’s Entertainers, headed by the Rev. Papakura, held a short but successful season here this week. There are some new turns at His Majesty’s this week, including Rasfcus and Banks, coloured entertainers, Saidie and Trent, Videau and Kirby, The Roger Trio, and Gus T. Raglus, the bouncing-ball expert.