THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3870, 15 May 1928, Page 72

THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL.

By

Pasquin.

Provided as it is by a band cf talented juveniles who have already become decidedly popular with Dunedin theatregoers, the present programme at the Princess Theatre is one of more than ordinary interest. These youthful artists, who are known as the Royal Australian Sunbeams, give a delightful two hours’ entertainment, which is at once novel and refreshing. The acting and singing of the members of the company are of more than ordinary merit, and among those who are outstanding may be mentioned Baby Doreen, Harry Ussher, Jackie Clarke, and Valda C'hate. “Archie,” which is to bo presented by Sir Benjamin and John Fuller at His

Majesty’s Theatre on Saturday, includes ■'"Che whole of the cast of the “ No, No, Nanette ” and “ Lady, Be Good ” Companies, which proved so popular on their visit here hist year. The return of Miss Elsie Prince is very welcome. The vocal bright lights that fall to her include “ Cairo Moon,” a burlesque ballad, in which Phcebus shows a disposition to travel, and the singer’s accent changes with the geographical flights of fancy. Miss Prince and Air Godden make quite a hit in this number. They are also heard to advantage in many other songs. The .’Est of the cast is well selected, and reports from the north state that the musical comedy vies in attractiveness with “No, No, Nanette” and “Lady, Be Good ” —a very high recommendation. When the vivacious little actress Elsie Prince first appeared here with the J. C.

Williamson productions “ No, No, Nanette ” and “ Lady Be Good,” her beaming smile and remarkable stage personality made her the most popular artist who has stepped In front of the footlights for years. Miss Prince and her company will open in Dunedin on Saturday night. “The Student Prince” and “Aladame Pompadour ” Company will open at Auckland His'Alajesty’s on Wednesday. Alav

23, The leading lady will be Aliss Beppie de Vries. Others in the cast are the new tenor. Frank AVebster; Peg Desmond, Arthur Stigant. George Lane, Conrad Charlton. Stanley Odgers. A’era Spaull, Leslie Holland, Charles Hawthorne, William Perryman, Noel Dainton, Andrew M’Ghee, Fred Bonner, and P. Cory. Aliss Minnie Hooper has arranged the dances and ballets, and the producer is Mr Frederick J. Blackman, from Daly's and the Gaiety Theatres. London. “Australia and New Zealand as musical centres are attracting increased attention said Benno Aloiseiwitsch, the famous pianist who. under the J. and N. Tait management, is giving a series of recitals in the Commonwealth and the Dominion (the opening recital will be given at the Town Hall, AVellincton, on May 24). “Everyone now considers that Australia and New Zealand stand in the forefront of appreciative musical audiences. That is evident, I think, from the large number of leading artists you have had here during the last few years. Some years ago you had to beg artists to come to Australia and New Zealand; now the artists are almost begging managers to bring them here.” ' Aloiseiwitsch will appear in Dunedin on July 14. 16, and 18. AA’illiam Tilden, the tennis champion, is playing the lead in a mystery play, “ The Blizzard.” in New York. Two visits to New York to settle a dispute with Florence Zicgfield. the American manager, cost George Grossmith, the actor-author, over £l2OO. The dispute over the recent production in the* United States of “ The Three Alusketeers ” in 'musical version. Grossmith and P. G. Wodehouse wrote this musical play, but it was contended that while Wodehouse’s lyrics were made use of, Grossmith’s book had been dropped. Legal action is expected to result Harriet Bennet, the leading lady of “Rose Alarie,” is going on a holiday, her first for two and a-half years. She abd her mother are going back to CaliI fornia. • , Frederick Bentley, the Hard-boiled Herman of “Rose Alarie,” was to return to England last week. “The Girl Friend,” in which George Gee is appearing, has made a great hit in London, and is expected to run there until Christmas. It is proving successful in Australia, too, with Annie Croft in the title role. “ Princess Charming.” a new musical play with members of the “Rose Alarie” Company and a new American leading lady in Aliss Kathleen Recce, was to open at Her Afajesty’s Theatre, Sydney, last Satur- ' day. The nlay is claimed to be the equal - of “Rose Alarie” in many respects. It will probably be some time before it can be seen in New Zealand. r Florence Smithson and Reginald Aloore (the Australian tenor, known here, in the act of Stewart and Aloore), appear to be well booked up in London and its environs. The latter, in a recent letter to a friend in Sydney, stated that he was having an experience of a lifetime. playing all the best houses in England. Dale Austen (“Aliss New Zealand”) since last January has been constantly at' work in a number of Metro-Gold wyn- . Mayer productions at Culver City, and has gained experience in all phases of Screen work, as well as having been feted by civic officials and motion picture production executives and stars. Latest . advices state that she will probably be

one of Tim Al'Coy’s leading women in a coming production. Dame Alelba, having consented to sin" at a concert in Alelbourne on behalf of women’s hospitals, the Lord Alayor immediately set aside a special reserve of 500 seats at five guineas a seat, and then went out and sold 100 of them in one swoop.

Old theatregoers will recall D’Orsay Ogden and Helen Fergus, who figured before the public in the latter part of last century. Their daughter, Nellie Fergusson, is a member of the Betty Ross Clarke Company, now appearing in Alelbourne in “Tarnish.” This artist has been on the stage since lier childhood, and has played many leading parts throughout Australia and New Zealand, such as leading woman to Thomas Kingston in “ The Flag Lieutenant ” and in support of Aliss Titell Brune. Before that she appeared in Dunedin at the old Alhambra with her father. She was then (if we remember rightly) known as Nell Ogden. Airs Charlotte Smith, the mother of Alary Pickford, the famous screen actress, has died. Airs Smith, who was also the mother of Jack and Lottie Pickford, wellknown screen stars, was constantly with her famous children. She recently visited England and the Continent with Alary Pickford and her husband, Douglas Fairbanks.

Few of his friends realised how ill Air Heni’5 r Ainley was when he went into the nursing home where lie is still making a fight for recovery, says a writer in the Daily Chronicle. For months he has been suffering, but he kept it to himself as much as he could, for his policy in life is to keep a stiff upper lip in face of misfortune. Although he is thought of by most people as a very successful actor, he has had his share of bad luck; but be has never made a grievance of it. It must be 15 years since Air St. John Ervine called him the best actor on the English stage, putting him deliberately above Sir George Alexander. Sir Herbert .1 ree, Cyril Alaude. and Charles Ilawtrey, because be had so wide a range, and could shine in entirely different parts. Since then he has scarcely made "the progress looked for by his admirers, largely because of his health. His courage was severely tested, by the way, at the very outset of his stage career. An uncle went to see him act, and advised him strongly to go back to his seat in a stockbroker’s office (he had begun as 'a bank clerk). It was a discouraging start. AA hen fjm ancient Greeks over a period of many years gathered the legend of Helen and the siege of Troy they started a great deal of work and inspiration for writers and artists of these and other times. John Erskine is one of the most recent to employ the beautiful legend of the immortal Helen as a basis for his latest novel, which lias been made into an interesting film, “The Private Life of Helen of Troy.” Alaria Corda, a beautiful Hungarian, enacts the role of Helen, and Lewis Stone plays the part of the deserted husband Alenelaus. Ricardo Cortez makes a handsome Paris.

Though in their seat-selling stunt at Sydney Town Hall for the opera season, the Fullers shut down on wholesale buying, some speculators worked fiaihly barefacedly (writes a Bulletin correspondent). Tickets were sold on the spot to men waiting in the long queue, who evidently thought it better to pay a couple of pounds than to lose more time. When the whisper went round that “ Faust ” had sold out. one substantial looking country man offered a tenner to a chap who boasted that he had four tickets for that show. They cost the vendor just about £2 —an £8 profit, which was probably only a portion of the morning’s good work. Australian and New Zealand theatres differ from those of England and other countries in the strictly observed rule forbidding admission to the back of the stage to all save those with business there (says a writer in a Sydney paper). In some London playhouses it is hard to understand how back-of-the-house staffs are able to work, so thick is the crowd of visitors to the wings and dressing rooms, and in Parisian and New York Theatres it’s even worse, especially between acts. Here managers take the view that allowing the public behind the scenes destroys the atmosphere of illusion. “ Rosg Alarie,” which opened its Australian tour at Her Alajesty’s Theatre, Svdney, on Ala.v 29, 1926, is still being played in the CommonwcaTh. That is tosay.it has been running for practically two years, except for breaks in travelling. In addition to the main company, a No. 2 company was formed to do the country towns, and is still doing them. Though an expensive show to run, it is said that “ Rose Alarie ” has proved the best financial proposition the firm has handled. Allan Wilkie is trying the experiment of taking Shakespeare to the peonle. and announces a season at the .Newtown Alajestic. He will either make a 1 big success or a bad failure. When Shakespeare has been played in the Alile End road and Whitechapel in London, and in the poorer quarters of New York, it has nearly always been a financial success; but it must be considered that there is. a strong Latin element in these districts. and they are neopled by many educated foreigners fallen on hard times.