THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3714, 19 May 1925, Page 64

THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

Br

Pasquin.

The Gayle Wyer’s new review for tonight will be entitled “Oh, YOu Wonderful Girl.’’ Anita Shawe and Harry Taft finished up on Thursday night, Oardini on Friday night, and the Two Daveys on Saturday night. The Kentucky Four in plantation melodies opened on Friday night, Videau and Kirby (burlesque artists) on Saturday, and to-night Paul Warton and Company—there are five iq the company—. will stage a spring-board flying-comedy act. The Phil Smith ltevue Company will open at the Princess Theatre on June 6. Sir Harry Lauder concluded his Dunedin season on Saturday night. Sir Harry sang some new songs, and many of his old ones, and they proved as popular as ever. One of Sir Harry’s chief assets is his remarkable aptitude in taking his audience into his confidence, and they laugh heartily with him as he unfolds the many woes which fall to his lot in the sphere in which he may for the time being cast himself. Apart from the turn presented by Sir Harry, excellent acts are staged by Eddie Gray (juggler), W. W. Robinson (anecdotes and musical items), the Hilo duo (Hawaiian instrumentalists), Lydia Caine and Jaok Kelleway (dancing and patter), and Harry Moore (conjurer). “Wee Gecrgie Wood,” the popular little comedian, has come back to Melbourne Tivoli with his ‘boy” sketches. Kreisler, long known to the public not only as a fascinating interpreter, but as a composer of the most exceptionally successful compositions • and arrangements in small forms, as well as the originator of the music of the comic-opera “Apple Blossom, ’ has recently turned his thoughts to compositions in the larger forms. He confesses that he wants to write, among other things, a string quartet. He is as modest as a kout other matters, and as sensible. He knows that many a writer of small delightful pieces has failed to achieve success in the greater forms. If this has been true of Grieg and Dvorak, and other Ver y gifted and famous not excepting men like Frederick Francois Lhopin, it may, of course, easily be true likewise of Kreisler. But there is every reason to expect significant new compositions, in grander form, of this great man. Kreisler is not- only a player but a thinker He not only rejoices in melody and rhythm, but he knows the world, has lived’ and reflected on life. These are things—these and the fully adequate technique of composition which Kreisler has developed that result in significant music. Mr Leo Duchateau is general manager for J\ew Zealand for the Kreisler season. The eminent violinist will appear on one night only in Dunedin. Miss Cecil Haines, who has scored such a success as the- little maid in “The Masquerader, is a New Zealand girl, and only 18 years of age (says the Australasian). Her last, appearance on the stage was six years ago, also in “The Masquerader,” W vr 11 S l6 ? ,av . ed lh ® child Peggy. Mr Cyril Ritchards, the tall young Sydney actor who tfsed to dance with Miss Madge Elliott is to make his first appearancc in New icrk in the Elsie Janis revue, “Puzzles of 1925.” There has been some amusement caused lately by the number of theatrical artists who have claimed to have begun their theatrical career with the Eight Lancashire But everyone knows that Lancashire !S the native country of innumerable vaudeville artists, and the Lancashire Lads, with whom there was always one girl mascot dressed as a bov, was an established act for many years, the personnel being continually changed Dorothy White, with her lZ° Whlfce * both of whom are with the Midnight Frolics appearing in Fuller vaudeville, were among those who commenced their careers as members of the team The management paid beginners 6d per week and found. Mr Hugh J. Ward, who, since last June has been abroad selecting plays and artists (° r Australian presentation by Hugh J. Ward Theatres Pty. Ltd., is expected to return at the end of this month. He will be acoompajned by Mrs Ward and their son, ‘ Mel, the clever young eccentric dancer, who has been on a visit to Mrs W aid s relatives in Pittsburg. When “Dorothy” was produced at the London Gaiety, it was a failure (writes the correspondent of a Sydney paper). Hairy Leslie bought the opefa from George Edwardes for £3OO, and transferred it to the Prince of Wales’s. There it had a record run. Leslie introduced “Queen of My Heart” for Hayden Coffin, and gave Arthur Williams a free hand with Lurcher, which had been an unimportant part in the initial production. Williams expanded the role to his liking, and ft is this enlarged Lurcher we have seen in Australia. Williams was a fine inventive comedian, but, like most comio stage-men who have “arrived.” he was not a cheerful person in private life. Kubelik's “£25,000” Strad came to England from Brussels in 1815, and was given the name of the “Messiah,” or the “Em-

peror.” Eventually Mr Edgar Haddock, of Leeds, acquired it, and, as is generally believed, sola it in 1910 to Kubelik for £IO,OOO, the same sum once refused by the City of Genoa for Paganini’s “Joseph. The only figure comparable with this is the £7OOO which Eugene Ysaye is credited with having refused for his Strad; though £3900 was realised for the Red Cross at Christie’s during the war, where Lady Wernher’s Strad brought £2OOO and then £l9oo—a unique selling. Piatti’s Strad ’cello brought £4OO0 —from Mendelssohn, the Berlin banker.

Percy Grainger, the Australian pianistcomposer, was playing in Boston recently at the same time as Kreisler, though, as “stars,” they were naturally at different concerts. In each case there were remarkable scenes of enthusiasm. Grainger was conducting the People’s Symphony Orchestra in his own compositions. The Boston Post said that the orchestra presented “the most ambitious, the most sensational, and, as it proved, the most successful concert of its career.” Although there were greatly gifted assisting artists, “all was subordinated to the one chief interest of the afternoon, and that was Percy Grainger.” The St. James Theatre was “mobbed” and hundreds had to be turned away. Camped on stools, and drinking coffee to keep them awake, men, women, and girls formed a queue outside the Drury Lane Theatre 24 hours before the opening of the first night of “Rose Marie.” Sir Alfred Butt invited them to come inside and watch a rehearsal, but they declined, not wishing to spoil the effect of the first sight of the play. It was pure luck that gave . George Robey (the famous London comedian, who draws £6OO per week) his first chance. He was attending a performance given hg Professor Kennedy, who in those days w r as famous as a hypnotist. George pretended to fall under the professor’s spell and sang a comic song so well that a well-known variety agent who was present offered him his first professional engagement. There are two very fine turns at Wirths’ Circus, which is soon to be seen in New Zealand. The first is where Peggy, the flapper elephant, is put through her paces by Miss Eileen May. The solemn young thing fairly revels in her work, and when it comes to dancing on her hind legs she cuts loose with all the enthusiasm of the moat abandoned jazz baby. The other turn is the juggling act of the Carmella Dub. Their juggling looks at first very easy, but really it is something quite out of the common, and includes some hazarjous feats. Though it is being a silent drama. “The Mystery of a Hansom Cab.” from Fergus Hume’s remarkably successful novel, will attract many theatregoers. Fergus Hume was a New Zealander—a Dunedin boy—-and he achieved considerable fame as a writer. His “Mystery of Hansom Cab” took Australia by storm. Miss Betty Blythe, who was recently reported to be captured by Bedouins while motoring in Palestine, is a notable film star. From the day that she became associated with the screen as a Yitagraph actress she has triumphed in one picture after another. That her rise to stardom would be rapid was indicated in the emotional quality of her first portrayal. Miss lily the, after an education received in the University - of California and Paris, took up a stage career, and appeared succesfully with such well-known managers as Oliver Morosco, and Comstock, and Gest—playing in such hits as “So Long Letty,” “Nobody Home,” and “Experience.” The screen beckoned her and she joined Yitagraph. She subsequently became acquainted with World, Selznick, Goldwyn, and Fox. It was with the last-mentioned company that •she created the title role in “The Queen of Sheba,” and contributed a performance which was wudely acclaimed for its cdourfulness and depth of feeling. Other pictures in which she did splendid emotional acting were “Fair. Lady,” “His Wife’s Husband,” “How Women Love,” “The Darling of the Rich,” “Sinner or Saint,” “The Spitfire,” “Recoil,” “The Breath of Scandal,” and “The Truth About Wives.” Miss Nellie Stewart is on the road to a complete recovery from her serious illness. Her convalescence (says a Sydney paper j "'ill be . a long one, but each week sees the patient adding to her strength, and now she is able to sit up for a period each day. Her intimate friends and relatives are delighted with the progress she is making. An interesting feature of the tour of Elsa Stralia, the Australian prima donna, in New Zealand will be the appearance with her of Arthur Jordan, who is well known to gramophonists through his records of the principal tenor solos in “Elijah,” “The Messiah,” “Judas Maccabeus,” and St. Paul,” also as a singer of culture of tenor arias in Gilbert and Sullivan operas. \He is a star in English concert halls. It is stated that Edward Knoblock is ! shortly to revive his play, “Kismet,” at the New Oxford Theatre, London. This was produced at the Garrick Theatre in 1911, and was revived at the Globe in 1914, just about- the time New Zealanders first saw’ it at the hands of Oscar Asche. The outstanding theatrical success in. Sydney for somo time past has been “Wildflower,” which is now in its seventh month of successive performance at the Theatre Royal in that city. This suocess is due mainly to the cleverness and unique personality of Miss Maggie Burke in the name part. Miss is an English artist of* great London popularity. She is credited with possessing an exceptional voice, in range and culture; also, this piquant comedienne is a finished dancer. Her popularity ‘ in Australia is beyond doubt. “Wildflower is said to be the very prettiest and most alluring of latter-day musical plays. It has a quite original story, and is, according to contemporaries, gowned and accoutred In an exceptionally lavish J. C. Williamson manner. The second attraction of the season will be a further new play, “Miss Nobody from Nowhere.” The cost of reserved seats (with booking fee and tax) for the Kreisler concerts in Melbourne is £1 3s. A London Graphio critio recently referred to W. 3. Percy as “one of the greatest laugh producers on the oomic opera stage.” Robert Geddes, the young Aucklander, once juvenile lead with Emilio Polini, has a good singing part on tour in England in “The Street Singer.”