THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3867, 24 April 1928, Page 72

THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL.

By

Pasquin.

Joe Brennan and Cyril Northcote’s clever revue company in their eetond presentation at the Princess Theatre last week, “ Keep Smiling,” produced a number of entertaining sketches, in the forefront of which was “ Ringing the Changes,” a story of a lover’s difficulties. Joe Brennan, of course, takes the lead in the comedy work, and he receives staunch support from Cyril Northeote. Other members of the company, Ida Newton, Ira Vanda, Gus Dawsan, and G. Corelli, all fill their parts capably.

Mr Irvine Elston, the popular theatrical manager, late of J. C. Williamson, is associated with Sir Benjamin and Mr John Fuller’s enterprises, and has taken over the management of the new Opera House in Christchurch.

It was recently published that Nat Madison, son of the noted actor Moscovitch, who appears as Sam Hackitt in The Ringer,” is an accomplished violinist -who has won fame on the concert platform in England and Europe. This was a misunderstanding, however. The famous violinist, who is known as Anton Maaskoff, is another son of Moscovitch. Mr Madison is stage director of “ The Ringer ” and ” The Terror.” and is also directing the rehearsals of “'The Silent House,” which is set down for production shortly.

A leading jazz band can always be counted on as a certain vaudeville attraction, and now J. C. Williamson, Ltd., announces the importation for a season of Jack Hylton’s band, which will tour Australia and New Zealand this year. The tour will be along the lines adopted for the visit of the Savoy Havana Band, and will be conducted on concert lines. Hylton is recognised as one of the masters of jazz of the present day, and for the younger generation at anyrate the forthcoming tour should be most interesting. “ The Ringer,” described as one of the most sensational plays ever staged, adapted fr'-m the “ thriller ” by Edgar Wallace, has been playing to packed houses at His Majesty's Theatre, Auckland. Outstanding performances are those of Maurice Moscovitch (Maurice Meister), Patrie Curwen (divisional surgeon at Scotland Yard), Nat Madison, Mary Macgregor (as Cora Ann Milton, wife of “ The ■ Ringer ”), Reginald Newson, and Ashton Jarry. Advice has been received that Doris Duane, the English actress, was successful in a divorce case instituted by her against her husband, Harry Cohen, in the London l,a.'v Courts in January of this year. Doris Dunne will be remembered as the leading lady in a J. C. Williamson comedy com pany which played Scandal ” through the Dominion. Mr Cohen, who is a native of Dunedin, toured with the same company as business manager.

“Outward Bound.” Sutton Vano’s eerie play of the afterdeath, has been revived for the third time at the Prince of Wales's Theatre, London. “ Rose Marie ” was revived at Sydney Her Majesty’s on April 4 for a brief season

The new Fuller Theatre in Auckland Is expected to open at the end of June, the opening piece being “ Archie,” which will be produced in Christchurch- on Monday It is appropriate that Signora Aranghi Lombardi, the leading dramatic soprano of La Scala, Milan, and one -of the most popular operatic artists of ■' Italy, should make her first appearance in . the title role of “Aida” with the Williamson-Melba Grand Opera Company, which is to open its Australian tour in Melbourne on lay 12, for this is her favourite role. One of the most remarkable operatic performances ever given in Italy took place last year x 1 Verona, when Lombardi sang this role in "Aida.” The performance.. took place 'ii the vast open-air stadium, and over 30.000 people were present. The stage effects of Verdi’s great oepra aprticularly lend themselves to a place of this nature, and under such romantic circumstances a degree of reality in the scenes was obtained which is not so easily realised within the limits of the theatre. In Verona is the tomb of Romeo and Juliet, and whilst the tomb itself is placed in a romantic setting, the approach to it is far from satisfactory, as the visitor' has to walk through a Quadrangle which is now used , for stabling horses. It is the custom of visitors to the tomb to leave cards on the sarcophagus, and many famous names can be seen there on the bier in the little walled-in irarden with the characteristic Cyprus trees. Noel Coward’s acting, combined with S. N. Behrman’s wit and technical skill as a dramatist, is drawing all London to ' The Second Man” at the Playhouse. “If onlv Coward had written the play himself,” says a London critic. “ what a triumphant vindication of his career as a dramatist. As it is, we must be content with his triumph as an actor, and wait for the day when he will write a comedy of equal merit. His performance is easily the finest thing he has done since “The Vor tex.”

A .deputation from the -Australian Musicians’ Union waited upon Primo Minister Bruce at Canberra to urge that. '*ah. embargo .be placed oh foreign musicians. The speakers demanded that such embargo should operate while Aus-

tralian musicians were unemployed. Discussion turned strongly on visiting American players rather than the Italian orchestra, and there were bitter comments on the treatment meted out to the Commonwealth Band in the United States. It was stated that almost all the musicians of Australia were members of the union, which had 5000 members. Foreigners, who were not specially skilled, were displacing Australians, and most of them were on the minimum wage. Mr Bruce’s reply was non-committal. While being sympathetic, he declared the question was full of difficulties. lie would consider whether it was possible to take any action.

Annie Croft’s comparison between English and American audiences is that the English grow fonder of their artists, and crowds gather round the stage doors to watch them come and gd, but the American audience is more commercial, and the theatre far more of a business treat. “ They choose almost entirely for types, and get wonderful results by doing so, but the whole atmosphere of the American theatre is commercial.” Miss Croft is a great success in “ The Girl Friend” in Sydney. What a wise old owl is E. J. Carroll when it comes to picking winners—■ theatres and shows, not horses (says Everyone s, Sydney). Just a few years ago the trade awarded him the merry-ha-ha for thinking he could build the Sydney Prince Edward and conduct it as a long-run house. Then it became, “ Betcha he loses in London all the money he’s making out of the Prince Edward.” Fooled again! “The Wrecker,” his latest theatrical venture in the Big Smoke, is such a hit that E.J. has formed half a dozen touring companies, and has invaded the United States with Guy Bates Post as his star.

There is mystery in the report that a war of reprisals is threatening between Britain and U.S.A, (writes a Sydney Bulletin correspondent) because an obscure American actress was refused permission to play in the Cold Land -owing to her nationality. There must be more against her than her birth. London’s greenrooms are full of Yankee mummers, just as its stage is overrun with American plays. There was certainly some trouble between an American actress and an English company at Drury Lane during the war. The English cast refused to play with the lady because her country was too proud to fight. Nothing more was said, however, after Woodrow decided to come in.

Railways were used by dramatists for the purposes of their plots almost as soon as there were railways (says the Australasian). “After Dark.” “East Lynne,” and many other early thrillers depended on railway accidents or villainous uses of trains, and at a later period the disaster in “ The Silver King ” helped Wilfred Denver to escape from his past and to begin a moral and money-making life. It might be thought that in our time plots would deal rather with motor cars, if not with aeroplanes, but there is a certain fondness still for the old device. We find it in “ Mr What’s-his-name,” the very light comedy in which Mr Percy Hutchison and his company have been appearing at the Athenaeum Theatre from April 7. Injuries received in a railway accident cause Adolphe Noblet to lose his memory, and he begins life anew as Leopold Trebel. a hairdresser, in his new occupation he is extremely popular, and soon he marries, unaware of the fact that he already has a wife. But before long he is sent for as a hairdresser by the forgotten partner of .his former joys and sorrows, Juliette, and she is shocked to find that Trebel is the husband whom she had thought dead. Matters are complicated by the fact that Juliette, considering herself a widow, has become Madame Cor ton.