The Stage

Otago Witness, Issue 3862, 20 March 1928, Page 76

The Stage

BOOKINGS. PRINCESS THEATRE.Fullers’ Vaudeville nightly. HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE. March 10 to 21—“ Rose Marie.” March 24.—“ Rose Marie.” (Return from Invercargill). March 30 to April 5.—“ Tip Toes.” April 7 to May 18.—Connors-Paul Revue Company. May 19 to June 9.—“ Archie,” “ Mercenary ~ Mary,” “ Sonny.” June 14 to 23. —“ The Cuckoo in the Nest, “ Thaik,” and ” Rookery Nook.” THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL. By Pasquin. Mr George Wallace and his merry band ;of funmakers. despite strong counterI attractions, continue to draw large audiences to the Princess Theatre. Last week the company staged “ Off Honolulu,” in which revue the versatile Mr Wallace plaved the part of Nelson, A. 8., the pride of the navy, and repeatedly had the house in roars of laughter with his eccentricities. Marshal Crosby, Ada Scaddan, Fred Haining, Les Daley, Letty Craydon, Tom Lincoln. Marie Nyman, and the other members of the company ably assist in providing an excellent entertainment. *

The New Zealand tour of the enchanting musical romance of the Canadian Rockies, “ Rose Marie,” is now drawing to a close. The company has a very fine comedian in Frederic Bentley, and Harriet Bennett, in the title role, acts with great charm. Miss Bennett and Mr Reginald Dandy are associated in some musical numbers, the chief, of course, being that in which the hero sings to Rose. “ I Love You,” and the refrain comes in every now and again right through the play. It is, however, the performance of Stephanie Deste and her wonderfully costumed chorus in the great rhythmic, barbaric dance “ Totem Pole ” which will remain a vivid memory in the years to come when other features have been more or less forgotten. Nothing like “ Totem Pole ” has ever previously been seen in Dunedin, and the ballet joined with abandon in its presentment. There was only one drawback and that was that the stage at His Majesty’s was not spacious enough and that the large body of dancers were somewhat cramped for room. The company has some very fine dancers, both solo a.nd ballet, and none of them is more nimble on his feet than Mr Bentley. Mr E. J. Gravestock hag secured Miss Cornelia Otis Skinner, daughter of the famous kinema star Otis Skinner, for a tour of Australia and New Zealand. Miss Skinner presents character sketches featuring dramas of love and tragedy.

Mr Leo Du Chateau has been commissioned to prepare a tour of New Zealand for the notable tenor Alfred O’Shea, who is well known by his gramophone records. Air O'Shea, like Dame Nellie Melba, was born in Australia, and was recently selected with the diva to sing at the opening of the Canberra Parliament. After Mr O’Shea's first Albert Hall (London) concert the critic of the London Morning Post wrote :—“Australia has sent us some good singers, including Melba, and now, for the first time, a distinctive tenor with the sorrow of Ire land and the sunshine of the Antipodes in his voice. Effortless, sweet, pure, and always a delight, Mr O’Shea held his vast audience as if under a spell.” The rise in theatrical management of Messrs Richard White and Eric Edgeley may bo truly described as meteoric. A few years ago these boys (they are only in their twenties) were practically unknown on the business side, and to-day, in addition to directing the destinies of the Alidnight Frolics, they are the proprietors of the Joseph Cunningham English Comedy Company, and ha ve a working arrangement witn Air E. J. Carroll in connection with the Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne. MessrJ. C. Williamson, Ltd., are also presenting

two of their plays, “The Last Warning” and “ The Alarm Clock,” in Adelaide and

Brisbane. The Midnight Frolics will tour New Zealand- under the direction of Sir Benjamin and Air John Fuller later in the year.

” Theosophists might call this boy pianist the incarnation of a Carl Tausig or a Franz Liszt. I call him the greatest child artist I ever met,” wrote Theodore Stearns, the critic of the New York Alornmg Telegraph, of Shura Chercassky, the 16-year old pianist who is to tour Australia and New Zealand under the direction of E. J. Gravestock during the coming year. Several new artists have been engaged abroad by the Fullers for the musical comedy Rio Rita,” to support Miss Gladys Aloncrieff. who is now on her way from London by the Alooltan. “ Rio Rita,” one of the outstanding successes of the present New York season, is To begin its Australian career in Sydney at the St. James Theatre. Cyril Vernon, a son of the old Gilbert and Sullivan actor, the late Howard. Vernon, is a member of “ The Cuckoo in che Nest ” Company.

Details of a tour of New Zealand of a company headed by Miss Nellie Stewart are now being arranged. Miss Stewart will appear once more as Nell “ In Sweet Nell of Old Drury” and in other favourite plays in which she achieved success many years ago.

The following companies will be seen and heard in New Zealand in due course: — London Comedy Company (“The Cuckoo in the- Nest,” “Rookery Nook,” and “ Thark ”). Nellie Stewart Company, Maurice Moscovitch Comnanv (“ The Ringer ” and “ The Terror ”). J. C. Williamson Company (“ Madame Pompadour ” and “The Student Prince"). VanbrughBoucieault Company (“ The Letter.” “All the King’s Horses,” and “Caroline”), and the Williamson-Melba Grand Opera Company and the Fuller Grand Opera Company.

Among the Australians whom Air Rolls (producer and booking manager for Fullers) met in New York, was Aliss Dorothy Brunton, -who will probably appear in that city shortly. Air Robert Chisholm has made a decided hit in the Arthur Hammerstein production “ The Golden Dawn,” and has now been engaged on a two years’ contract. While in Alinneapolis Mr Rolls met Air Henri Verbrugghen, and heard a concert which he describes as magnificent, given by his orchestra in the new and spacious auditorium. Air Verbrugghen, he adds, talks affectionately of Australia, but has an assured position at the head of the Alinneapolis Symphony. Air Rolls, who has just returned to Sydney, saw 193 plays in his seven months’ trip abroad. Allan Wilkie is making plans to descend on Sydney once more. April or Alay will see him back with four new productions in his repertory—“ Anthony and Cleopatra.” “All’s Well that Ends Well,” “ Coriolanus,” and “ Aleasure for Aleasure.” He will also revive “Twelfth Night” and “As You Like It.” All the plays will be newly costumed, after his extensive purchases in “wardrobe” in England, following the fire which destroyed all his effects.

Alaurice Aloscovitch went to Australia under a six months’ engagement to J. C. Williamson, Ltd. Two years and a-half have passed, and he is still there. The firm wants him to stay another year, and has plenty of suitable plays for him. One wonders if the glories of opera such as obtain at the Aletropolitan, in New York, will ever return to London, states a London writer. Look on this for a single week’s programme at the Aletropolitan:—-“ Le Prophete,” with Alartinelli; “ Hansel and Gretel,” and “ Cavalleria Rusticana,” this with the golden-voiced Mme. Rethberg as Santuzza; “Der.Rosenkavalier,” “ Turandot,” with Aline. Jeritza and Lauri-Volpi; “ Gioconda,” “ Tosca,” also with Alme. Jeritza and Lauri-Volpi and Antonio Scotti; “Lohengrin,” with Alayr, Clarence Whitehill, and Alme. Stuckgold; “Le Prophete” again at a matinee, and “ Alarta ” as the popular Saturday night entertainment. It is prodigious.

Private advice received in Australia from Philadelphia reports that Florence Austral, soprano, made a triumphal debut in “ Aida.” " She took 10 curtain calls.

Referring to statements concerning the meagre salaries formerly paid to operatic and dramatic stars in Australia, a Sydney writer mentions that Nellie Stewart, in her book, “ Aly Life’s Story,” states that when she was prima donna for the firm and played principal pantomime boys and girls, as well as having a repertoire of over 30 comic operas, she never drew more than £l5 per week salary. Her biggest salary up to the publication of her book was £5O a week, which she got as “ boy ” at Drury Lane. In drama she drew £7O a week for “ Zara.” Union Theatres paid her £5O a week for 12 weeks to speak a brief prologue twice a day for their picture “ Over the Hill,” at Sydney Globe a few years ago. Alleging mutilation and distortion, the Swedish Legation has attempted to stop

the production in London of “ The Dance of Death,” a work of the Swedish playwright, Strindberg. The Weekly Dispatch reveals that the Legation’s astonishing action is the outcome of a dispute between the Swedish Alinister in London, Baron Pahnstierna, and Robert Loraine, the wellknown actor-manager, who is producing the play, regarding the English translation of the text. Baron Pahnstierna wrote and accused Air Loraine of distorting the text to such an extent as to make it unrecognisable. The actor retorted, “ Your grasp of English is insufficient to enable you to judge the translation.” Such a protest by a Foreign Alinister is unprecedented in the annals of British drama. Air Loraine has declared that only the fact that Baron Palmstierna is protected by diplomatic privileges has prevented legal proceedings.

Mr Henry Hayward, of the Fuller-Hav-ward Theatres, stated at Auckland lastweek that the firm would commence to build the new Majestic Theatre in Willis street, Wellington, right away. “It will be the largest, most modern, and most beautiful theatre in the Dominion,” said Air Hayward. “ The land cost £72,000, and the main building will cost £69,000. An other item is £ll,OOO for building a new tearoom, which is to be modern and different in every way. The theatre will seat 2500 and the tearoom 500. When the theatre and tearoom are equipped the cost will be well over £160,000. The Empress Theatre, occupying part of the site, will be entirely demolished. The new theatre will be 106 ft wide.” Mr Hayward also stated that the Lewis block, opposite the Post Office, Auckland, in the main street, had been purchased for £42,000. The buildings on the property included the Albion Theatre, which would be modernised and renamed the Alajestic. The policy of the firm was'to modernise their theatres and give the name Alajestic to all of them.

If dragging one foot slowly after the other while being held up by a stronsr mole partner can be called dancing, Johnny' Loughlin has introduced Adelaide to steps never heard of before in that sphere c.f amusement (says an Australian paper) Loughlin started out to dance for lOOhouiv at the Adelaide Theatre Royal, his goal being to break rhe world’s record. He began operations with an excellent exhibition of dancing, and continued this for about 50 hours, when he supplanted orthodox dancing steps with a weary walk, most of th*; time leaning heavily on a male partner with his hands clasped around his partner’s neck. At various intervals he would leave his partner and dance a few steps of the Charleston or Black Bottom; then his partner would come to the rescue again and practically carry him around the stage. Periodically he would sit down while his legs were massaged or his shoes were being changed. ' While these operations were in progress he would give a slow motion exhibition of toe tapping with one foot only, kept up only by the insistent

reminders of one of his seconds, who would give a tug at his trouser leg every now and again to keep him awake and on the move. When he was finally prevailed upon to stop he immediately went to sleep, and was taken home in an ambulance. Thus ended Adelaide’s first continuous dancing exhibition. It will probably be the last.