THE STAGE FROM THE STALLS

Southland Times, Issue 14437, 7 June 1910, Page 2

THE STAGE FROM THE STALLS

(By “Monocle.”) .MUNICIPAL THEATRE BOOKINGS. 1910. June 11 and 17—Fuller's. June 20 and 21 — H. J. Ward’s Musical Comedy Company, June 22—League of Empire. June 27 and 28—Hassan (Indian Magician.) July 12—Orange Lodge. July 21 to 24—McCabe visit (pen.) Aug. 17 to 20—Meynell and Gunn. August 24 to September 2—Competitions Society. 1 September 12, 13— F. Graham. Sept. 20 and 21—Boxing Association (pen.) Oct. 14 and 15— J. C. Williamson (pen.) Dec. 1 to 3—J. C. Williamson. December in & 14—Cromo Bell Ringers. December 25 to 31—McMahon. 1911. January I—A. A. Paapo. January 2 and 3 McMahon. February 10, ll—Clarke, .Meynell & Co. May 23 and 24—Boxing AssrfciaUon. June 13 to 19—Aristo Pictures. Sybil Arundalo Inis been engaged in London by the J.C.W. management for this year’s pantomime. En passant, the scenic artists arc already at work on the scenery. Miss Tittell Brune appeared as Chorus In ” Henry V ” at the Shakespearian Festival at His Majesty’s Theatre, London, last month. Miss Brune undertook the part at seven days’ notice. May Beatty and her husband, Edward Lauri, will probably visit Australia professionally in the near future. As showing the difference between concert and music hall salaries a writer in England quotes the ease of a Welsh contralto, who appeared at Leeds concerts at 30s or £2 a week, and now commands £2O a week in the variety H ill Is. Mario Majeroni is on the road in U.S.A. with Constance Collier In ’’ Israel," one of Bernstein’s plays. Cuylor Hastings is jit Bucket's Theatre, New York. In a new piece called “ The Turning Point.” .Evidence given in the American courts recently regarding moving pictures patents revealed the fact that Mr Thomas A. Edison received £llsO weekly as royalties from the moving picture business in the Fulled Slates. Pictures were Introduced into Bangkok, Siam, about live years ago, and have become the most sought-for amusement of all classes In that country. The hails are well filled every night, and simple comic pictures and animal set nes are most appreciated. Mr Roland Cunningham and Miss Alma Barber, Mho In years past woe well known out in Australia, the latter In connection ivith half a score of successful J. C. Williamson productions. Mere both included in the cast of "The Merry Monarch," which was presented in London last month. This Murk tvas highly spoken of by the critics, and Alias Barber's dancing was singled out for special mention, as well as her delightful rendering of the part of a maid of honour, which received full justice at her hands. Australasian tour of " Aladdin"’ which commenced last Saturday, will he one of the most complete ever undertaken by a J. C. Williamson company, and will cover practically the whole of the CommonM'calth and New Zealand. Five months has been alloM-'d to it and in order that no time ."hall he lost h"Isveen playing towns u complete reprodied ion of all the scenes lins been made, so that while the company are using one set tin- other may he sent ahead to (he next theatre on (lie list and he got ready for them. The new set of seenery has been painted by .Messrs W. U, ('oleman and George I pward, ns an exact replica <d‘ the original production. Everything is there from the sphinx and Urn Magician’s Cave lo the beautiful picture of an Australian forc-t wllli its birds and foliage, and from the mysterious balloon to the " properly dog ” M-hich -Mr Pliydora brings into the Turki ■ 1 1 hath. Sii Arthur Wing I’inero, the eelehra t l id English dra mat is t, is of Port uguese extraction : his name is renllv “ I'iejierjo:;." In 1 S71; Pinero was a " general | utility" in Mr Eduard Salsa’s sf-ek company al 11; ■ • Alexandra Theatre. Liverpool, and M'hen the ghost walked " each (('Hi he received 13. Two years before that the " ghost " al the Theatre Royal. Edinburgh, doled him merely 3 (is co'i-.v week-end. Far his lirsi pin.', he reeei "I'd a s.el of siiba si uds. I le reeei ved a " II v er " fur hj is second play, and his third effort was secured by hi.s old manager, Sir Henry Irving, for £SO. Frank Barren, tic ei .-a ma ! --g r.i p! - expel I a 11 ached to lie stall oi tic Bathe Freres. has returned to Melbourne from a trip through New Zealand. Samoa, ami the Fiji Islands. Mr Barrel I hj is obtained some .'hi.ami feet of \>>w Zealand pictures, besides securing some Wonderful scenes in Fiji. The nmsl reiua >’ka hie trip he had Mas in lie island of Snvaii one of the Samoan group, Tlier*' |c saw and turned hi-; machine on ;t wonderful volcano, lie eraler of which embraced 25 acres of boiling lava. .Mr Barrett expects to leave on another ramble m'lHi his machine next M'eeU, Ills destination will he the New Hebrides. Speaking of die Auckland petT uan-aiu-e of a vocalist well known in liiwi-. i argil I. lie N.Z. He raid ;ays : .Miss Winnie Nixon, a .Southern -■oj.e-mo. Mlinm vocal |.u oduete.in i-, it is claimed, a pm - Cecily natural on", made a me?-j r i.u ions first appearam ". Not only is lea voir--~f aimsil.il fall V-C. (loin -1 IndoV. the liehle slave to <' in ail., bill the .vmms hnls | 10-s-.-’.o'S mm-h I cm a a lie ai I. and I lone is s iiie-u a I y of pm pos,. in e\ ei y Par she sings. I Mr intonation Is good, though the local resonance le-low C or (hereabouts, on the third line. Is mil on I In- same level as the more brilliant tones above tills. Her upper note pru-

duetion is of delightful llute-likc quality, and if she docs not fall into the error of forcing the voice on the middle and lower register. Miss Xixon may yet be acclaimed a great singer. Alallinson’s ambitious " Snowllakes " was artistically sung, much attention being pula to the general sentiment and expression. In "One Spring Alorning” (Xevin) the singer was convincing, portraying elfeelively the dainty theme, while thr interpolated high C towards the end was clearly given. Alallinson’s “ O Thank Ate Not ” followed, and in the second part Miss Xixon gave a powerful yet devotional rendering of, Alascheronrs " Ave Maria," the violin and piano accompaniment being further amplified by Air- H. Leslie Hint at the organ. The singer's Latin diction was sometimes faulty in tins number, which was vigorously re-demanded. Alisa Xixon's encore songs were " 1 Wonder Why ?” (Raymond) and "Mother Darling,” both displaying tasfu and insight on the singer's part. Tims a Alelbonrne lady winter on posters that will probably be on the Invercargill hoardings soon : —Have yon seen " The Girl From Hector’s " posters V 1 read somewhere nr some person told me Hint in America the posters wore ruled out of order. Xow that they arc placarded over every hoarding the story seems credible. If the girl from Hector's is one-half so much as the posters it will lie quite the most we have ever seen in .Melbourne. Some of them art. slightly humorous also. There Is one of a nymph, a very naughty nymph, ivearing very little more than is fashionable among nymphs, curled on top of a huge, wicked-looking crayfish. It typifies a late supper —that sort of late supper most admirably ; but I wonder that some of tlie people who make it their business to object to these tilings have not been on a deputation to tlie Premier already. Humour has it that he once was fond of crayfish himsolf. so he miglit not lend ix very sympathetic 1 ear. I don’t think, after this, that any hite-stopplng-out husband will dare to suggest the much-maligned "■Cray” as Hie cause of his condition, either that night or next morning. Speaking to a London Dally Express representative, AVlss TiUell Hrnne said ; " I love my work, and i live my characters, and what struck me more Ilian anything else here was the absolute cordiality and goodwill of those who worked with me. They all wanted me to Wlh, And English audiences as Signor Grasso recently observed are wonderful to play to- Their stillness is so tense. They are with you fill the time. They are waiting for you at the goal to which you are working. 1 have several plays wiili me, and later I hope to appear in them. 1 have played Juliet and Leal) Klesclma. lam merely hiding my time in London." Sardou, the great playwright, was once visited by a little girl of some fifteen years of age. Years afterwards he spoke of the impression the child made upon him. "Her little phiz ” was so dainty, so quizzical, so Impertinent, so expressive. The nose was slightly turned up, there were drooping lines at the corner of the dainty, full mouth, and the hair was a wisp of tow. She came from out of the abyss of poor theatrical life. Her mother was some poor servant in the theatre, possibly one of those forlorn creatures who open the doors of boxes. The father of the girl was dead. There was something about tliis orphan which appealed to Sardou/ He helped her, and to-day she is known to all the world as Madame Uejane next to Sarah Bernhardt the most famous French actress of her time. __________________