THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3871, 22 May 1928, Page 72

THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL.

By

Pasquin.

The Royal Australian Sunbeams concluded their very successful season at the Princess Theatre on Saturday night.

The Princess Theatre will be closed this week till Saturday, when Len Jackson’s Revue, which comes to Dunedin with an excellent reputation, will make its appearance. ’

Orf Saturday afternoon at His Majesty’s Theatre the successfid musical comedy, “ Archie,” under the management of Sir Benjamin and Mr John Fuller, was presented to the theatre-goers of Dunedin for the first time. While expressing ail the glowing charm, youth, melody, and colour of “No, No, Nanette” and “Lady Be Good,” “ Archie ” is in contrast to those successes by its distinctive atmosphere in story, setting, and score. Its suave comedy, cleverly contrived surprise situations. captivating orchestral numbers, unique solo and ensemble dancing, colourful lighting, sparkling numbers, and rich modern frocking make “ Archie ” a sparkling attraction.' It is well interspersed with delightful musical outstanding features among which are “ Cairo Moon. ’ a great piece of character work in dialect portrayed by Elsie Prince and Jimmy Godden; “A Lane in Spain,” a tuneful ballad charmingly rendered by Nelle Dean; and Elsie Parke’s sweet voice was heard in "On a Side Street.” A real note of pathos was touched by Elsie Prince in her solo. “ C'est Vous,” and she had another good piece in “My Idea of Heaven ”; Jimmy Godden droned a doleful ditty. “ The’e’s Nothing Left in Life Jor Me to Live For.” which was carried out in his own inimitable style. Among the spectacular numbers which gave the beautiful ballet a chance to display their wonderful frocks were “ Underneath Your Parasol.” “On the Ritz,” and “ I Know All About Girls.”

“Sunny” and “Mercenary Mary” will follow “Archie.”

The Gayle Wyer Band Box Revue Co. is at present nlaving at the Christchurch New Opera House. Dunedin, once the best show town in Maoriland. seems to have gone to pot (writes a Sydney Bulletin correspondent). Shows fare badly now. and most companies give a very brief season. Georg? Rignold played “In the Ranks” for 11 nights to big business there in 1836. and the Royal Comics got a Tun of 12 nights out 'of “ Patience ” in 1882. With double the population, the dour city can’t get anywhere near that now. The explanation seems to be cheap picture shows.—[The explanation, if one be needed, is that any company presenting a rood n’ay dra-’-s just as large houses in Dunedin as the other centres of New Zealand, and sometimes it draws larger houses.—l’asquin.J Long Tack Sam and his troupe have started a tour of picture houses in China. Pir Harry Lauder is now playing his fifth final farewell season ” in America with all the success that marked his previous visits. To a New York audience he declared he was on his wav to Australia. “There,” lie added, “they have become accustomed to my farewells, and would be lost without them.”

The Auckland organist, Mr J. Maughan Barnett, received advice by the last English mail that the council of the National Institute for the Blind, on the recommendation of its musical advisers, and with the permission of the publishers, has issued an edition of several of his piano compositions in Braille, solely for the use of the blind (reports the New Zealand Herald). Mr Barnett received a copy of the publication, but was unable to understand his own work. It is interesting to note that since 1915 no fewer than 2.220.000 copies of books, periodicals, and musical scores have been issued bv the institute in Braille.

Five years ago the amazing artistry of an 11-year-old boy pianist caused a veritable stir in musical circles of Baltimore (U.S.A.). He had but lately arrived from war-ridden Russia, where his parents, after years of privation and suffering, finally won permission of the Soviet Government to leave fo>- America. During two years spent in Baltimore Shura Cherkassky appeared in a number of recitals. This marvellous boy will leave America shortly for Australia, where he will make a concert tour, commencing in Sydney at the Town Hall on June 30. The principal towns of New Zealand will be visited after the Australian tour, under the direction of E. J. Gravestock, Ltd. Margaret Bannerman, whS opened the new J. C. Williamson Comedy Theatre Melbourne, with a production of “ Our Betters ” on Saturday, April 30, was married on the following Monday to Anthony Prinsep, a London producermanager. who accompanied her to Australia. The ceremony was attended only by Dame Nellie Melba. Sir George Tallis, and Colonel Stanley Bell, manager of the “ Our Betters ” Company. Mr Prinsep is a son of the late Mr Prinsep, and was previously married to Miss Marie Lohr, who obtained a divorce last year. Quiet and romantic was the wedding at St. Mary’s Cathedral. Sydney, recently 5 of Mr Dan Carroll, of the well-known theatrical family, and Miss Muriel Treble, of Parramatta, the pretty young secretary of Messrs E. J. and Dan Carroll. Mr Carroll is one of the managing directors of the Prince Edward Theatre, Sydney. Miss Treble, who is about 22 years of

age, had been Mr Dan Carroll’s secretary for four or five years. Although the marriage was celebrated quietly and privately, it was not altogether a surprise to Air Carroll's closest friends. Nevertheless, the wedding was exclusive. The only guests at the ceremony were Air Hal. Carleton, general manager of the Prince Edward Theatre, and Mrs Carleton. Amy Sherwin, the Tasmanian prima donna, is now settled in America, where her husband, Hugo Gorlitz, is interested in films; the son, Louis Sherwin, is chief publicity man for the Frohman circuit; and the daughter, Jeanette, is on the stage. Our recent visitor, Fraser Gauge, was one of Aladair.e Sherwin’s pupils.

There is a likelihood that Aliss Muriel Starr will return to Auckland this year to play in “ The O’Donovan Affair,” under the J. C. Williamson management. The new play is a comedy-drama, with one of the fashionable murder mysteries of the moment.

Oscar Asche, the theatrical producer, who is said to have received more than £lOO,OOO from royalties from “ Chu Chin Chow,” of which he was author, producer, and leading actor, has recently been granted his discharge in the Loudon Bankruptcy Court. The popular Gilbert and Sullivan Company, recently in Christchurch, is now playing a season in Perth, Western Australia. At the end of tins season Charles Walenn will leave on his return to England. The company will then be reorganised for a tour of th? Austra’ian country centres, and will later come back to New Zealand. Alost of the principals will be retained, and the company will still be a very strong one, though smaller than at present. The Williamson-Alelba Grand Opera Company opened its Australian season in Alelbourue on Saturday, May 12.

The Fuller-Gonsalez grand opera season is now in full swing in Aielbourne. Under the present arrangements the Gonsalez Company will open in Dunedin next month. The authorities of the Fullers’ management describe the Sydney season as highly satisfactory. “ When we first negotiated with the Gonsalez brothers for their return to Sydney.” said Sir Benjamin Fuller, in an interview before he left for Melbourne, “ we were prepared to lose a little, money —of course, we are not philanthropists—but this season has resulted in a good margin of profit. Aly chief regret—not so much from a financial as from an educational standpoint—is that our grand circle was not three times its present size. We should have required that size to meet the demands for admission to that part of the house. We hope that in our next season, next year, we shall be able more effectively to meet these demands.”—“ You propose a season next year? "■—“That is our present intention,” replied Sir Benjamin. “ Personally, I am of opinion that we should try^opera in English. At least onequarter of mv enjoyment of these operas has been affected by the fact that they are given in a foreign language. This, of course, could easily be overcome if I learned Italian; but there are thousands who. I ke myself, have not the time to learn a language.” Sir Benjamin Fuller spoke in high praise of the organising talent of the Gonsalez brothers, and said that to this factor an important share of the success of the season must be attributed. Mr John Fuller also suggested that an effort would be made to produce opera in English in the coming .seasons. Franz Lehar, the composer of “The Merry Widow” and other famous light operas, made a somewhat startling claim in Paris recently. Asked, in an interview, what was the first waltz he composed, Lehar replied: “ You will never believe what I am going to tell you. The first waltz I wrote had no success at all in Vienna. But, strange to say, it emigrated to England, where it was adopted and became the air of “Tipperary.” which had such a tremendous success during tlm war.” i wonder what the hundreds of thousands of the British troops who marched miles to the strains of “ Tipperary ’’ will have to say to the claim that their tune came from the enemy ?

MR JOHN FULLER INTERVIEWED.

Bringing back with him many suggestions for the solving of Alelbourne’s traffic and other problems, Air John Fuller, managing director of Fullers’ Theatres Pty.. Ltd., arrived by the Orient liner Orama on April 9. Air Fuller has just completed a 10 months’ business tour of America and Europe, during which he selected the “Good News” and “Rio Rita” company for the Australian season. While in Great Britain Air Fuller took a great interest in the solving of traffic problems. Britain, he said, was confining trams to the wider thoroughfares, where they were not a menace to public safety. The buses which were used in the narrow streets were six-wheelers, modern, silent, and well sprung. Speaking of the influence of prohibition in America Air Fuller said that it was the primary cause of much of the youthful degeneracy of that country. He had statistics to show that since America had adopted prohibition crime and lunacy had increased. When drink was consumed behind closed doors trouble began. The road house, where American undergraduate and their flapper friends consumed wood alcohol under the guise of cocktails, was the outcome of prohibition. In Germany and other European countries where intoxicating liquor was consumed openly and out-of-doors, crime from drunkenness was decreasing. Alystery plays, said Air Fuller, discussing tl.e stage abroad, hacj had their day. The public were swinging over to. the deeper psychological plays of Lonsdale and Coward. Europe and America had had enough of the commonly termed sex play. Plays of that type had lost their magnetic force, and “ Potiphar’s Wife ” and “The Cradle Snatchers” had proved failures. In England the stage was regulated by a censor. He much preferred the Australian

system, where the police could intervene when a play overstepped the bounds of decency. Speaking of the recent banning of smoking in Melbourne and suburban theatres. Mr Fuller said that he did not agree with the health authorities. He favoured a system whereby the circle was reserved for smokers and the stalls for non-smokers. In British, American, and the Continental theatres special fans had been installed to keep the buildings clear of smoke. Air Fuller said that “Rio Rita” was a musical comedy, almost approaching grand opera, and was admirably suited to their leading lady, Gladys Aloncrieff. “Good News ’ was a bright American comedy, depicting school life, and should prove popular. REGENT THEATRE. Air Beaumont Smith and Air R. A. Shepard, managing director and manager respectively of J. C. Williamson Films, Ltd., arrived in Dunedin on Tuesday afternoon, to complete arrangements for the opening of the new Regent Theatre. In conversation with our representative, Air Smith said that so well had the construction of the building progressed that another fortnight at the outside would see the interior completed and ready for the opening on Alay 30. In his opinion, the Regent Theatre, when completed would be superior to any in New Zealand, and, in fact, would be surpassed in beauty of line, interior decoration, and heating, ventilation and lighting arrangements only by two theatres in Australia and New Zealand—the Capitol, in Aielbourne, and the Regent, in Sydney. Aloreover, the easy access to the dress circle and the orchestra stalls would be a unique feature which was not possessed by any other theatre in the Dominion or the Commonwealth. Air Alauricc Gutteridge, who. for the past 18 months has been musical director at the Regent Theatre, Auckland, has been appointed to a similar position at the new Regent Theatre.