THE STAGE FROM THE STALLS

Southland Times, Issue 17230, 28 December 1912, Page 3

THE STAGE FROM THE STALLS

(By " Monocle.”? MUNICIPAL THEATRE BOOKINGS. "miT* Jan. 1 to 3—lvam Travis (pencilled.) Jan. 23—Julius Grant. March B—J. C. Williamson. April 28. 29, 30, and May I—Geo. Marlow (booked.) May 6-13 —Missionary Society. May 30 and 31 —J. C. Williamson. June 2 to s—Boxing Association (pencilled.) June 12. 13, 14—John Fuller and (pencilled.) July 7 to 10—George Marlow Ltd. (pencilled.) July 11—-Oranga Lodge. July 31 and August 1 and 2—J. C. Williamson Co. August 4 to 20th—Competitions Society. Sept 20— J. C. Williamson (pencilled.) Nov. 28 and 29 J. C. Williamson (pencilled.) ZEALANDIA HALL. Fullers’ Pictures, “very evening LYCEUM. Hayward's Pictures, every evening. Miss Maggie Moore has been doing good business in Sydney with a revival of her old piece, ” Meg, the Castaway." Miss TUtell Brune’s melodrama, " An Aztec Romance," appears to have railed thoroughly in New York, as it was withdrawn after a season of four nights only. Louis N. Parker, author of " Disraeli, ** Drake," and other successful plays, is contemplating making Omar Khayyam the central figure in a play.

Moving pictures of the funeral of the white wife of Jack Johnson, the negro pugilist, ware recently suppressed by the Chicago police. Mr Ronald Macleod, son of the managing director of the Bulletin, has a part In " Milestones." now being produced in Sydney. Miss Vera Pearce, who won West’s Pictures beauty competition, appears as a dancer in the revival in Sydney of “ Floradora."

Gerald Kay Souper, .here in " A Fool There Was.” has been engaged by George Marlow, Ltd., for the Christmas production of “ The Monk and the Woman.”

The licensing authorities of Bristol (England) have refused to allow the erection of any more picture palaces, as they consider that there are enough In their town already. Other towns may yet be obliged to follow the example of Bristol. “ The Choir Boys of St. Mary’s,’’ which has been secured for Australia by Mr William Anderson, is by Theodore Kremer, author of “ The Fatal 'Wedding.” Both Mr Bert Bailey and Mr Edmund Duggan, the proprietors (with Mr Jules Grant), of the “ On Our Selection ” Company, state emphatically that the new municipal theatre at Napier is the best theatre in Australasia. They say that they would “ give their eyes ” to have such a house in Sydney, where, they add, there is no theatre to compare with it. While they 1 are sincere in their opinion, they believe that It is fifty years ahead of Napier, and must prove a white elephant as a commercial speculation. Mr Duggan states that the first night's rent is US r— a figure that will largely preclude second and third-rate companies touching Napier, and as the first-class companies who can spare the time to visit Napier-are few and far between, there cannot be sufficient bookings to pay the interest on the money expended on the theatre (approximately £10,000), and the price of the land. Mr Duggan adds that as far as theatres are concerned he believes that New Zealand heads the world. "Nearly every small town visited has a new theatre.” said Mr Duggan. "many of which would be considered fine in Melbourne and Sydney. We have nothing at all like it' in the small towns in Australia, where the little oldfashioned halls 20 and 30 years old, still have to suffice both actor and public.’.’ ■ Two announcements which are of interest to Australians appeared in the London Daily Telegraph on October 26: Madame Clara Butt and Mr Kennerley Ruraford are leaving for the Continent on Monday, in order to give a series of recitals In Paris, Berlin, Vienna. Budapest. and Munich. They are also to appear at the Chevlllard orchestral concerts in Paris, and with the Philharmonic Society in Budapest. Mr and Mrs Rumford will return in December to give a farewell concert at the Albert Hall—on the 14th of that month—prior to a tour in America, Australia, New Zealand, and India, which will keep them out of England until the summer of 1914. Minnie Everett, who is responsible for the ballets, marches and groupings in the J. C. Williamson pantomime of "Puss In Boots” in Melbourne, speaks eulogiatically of the work of the girls who, from raw material, have progressed to Stage of the finished article, and will grace the big Christmas show on Saturday night, 21st. "There can be no doubt that while the number of girls offering has largely increased during the past two or three years.” said Miss Everett. ’’the quality has not shown an appreciable advance, and yet we were exceedingly fortunate in being able to secure as fine a body of girls as one could possibly wish for. It is a striking fact, too, that this year’s girls have proved remarkably quick and intelligent. They have dropped into the work as if they were quite used to it, and what lias surprised me particularly is their vocal ability. Once upon a time, as the story books says, we used to have the chorus sung ‘off stage’ instead of by the ballet, as the work with their feet was practically all they could do. Now. we have the ballet singing as well as dancing—which means the saving of an immense amount of trouble and re-arrangement. I think that in this respect—the versatility of the chorus and ballet girls—in Australia we are far ahead of the theatres in London and New York, for example.” On Tuesday. October 29. at the Comedy Theatre, London, a matinee of "A gcrape of the Pen,” in aid of the Santa Claus Fund, was made additionally interesting by the appearance of Mr Harry Lauder in the part of Geordie Pow. "The stage" says : “It was a Lauder tfterneon, as, after the second act, he appeared before the curtain to say a few words, when he sang a verse of ■Rocked in the Cradle of the Deep.’ He explained that the matinee had realised £228. He wanted to bring it up to £250. He would give £1 towards that object, and hoped that the plates which awaited the audience at the doors when they departed would do the rest.” One of the London critics penned this appreciation ; "If ever Harry Lauder tires of the music-halls —one can hardly conceive the music-halls tiring of him—he may rely <m finding a ready opening for his talents on the legitimate stage. So much was proved by his appearance at the matinee in ’A Scrape of the Pen.’ It was particularly noticeable that Mr Lauder at no time attempted to give the character a prominence in excess of its merits. He was always in the picture, always prepared, when the exigencies of the piece required, to subordinate his efforts to those of his companions. But his pawky humour, his neat sense of characterisation, his feeling for what is artistically effective, shone out steadily and clearly throughout the afternoon.” John Philip Sousa, the March King, who was in Wellington last year, is still very much alive in the United States. The Milwaukee Free Press of October 27 hails his re-entrance into Chicago in the following manner '"Sousa, John Philip Sousa, is a greater, more popular, more indomitable Sousa than be ever was. It is possibly a safe guess that more than half his capacity audienre.-r at the Pabst yesterday had gathered to ec* Sousa himself, regardless of his band. People came to see a formidable personality, a great musician with a great knack of ingratiating himself into the good graces of his audience, and they were as elated as ever over his success in turning the trick again. Probably never before did lie seem so completely self-confident. so irresistibly dominant and i-igenuous. The indescribable ease of attaining fine, artistically compelling effects, the little touches, peculiarly his own: his graciousness and quiet. refinement of manner are all the mark of a man of great stature The programme was a fine one, popularly and artistically, which seemed both the same thing last night, for even when Sousa put. on cap and hells and burlesqued the ‘won't he killed’ ‘Everybody's Doing’ It,’ he did so splendidly that he pur his audience In a fit. of sparkling good humour that went all the way around,” Miss Ethel Irving is again the central figure at St. James’ Theatre in scenes of enthusiasm in ” The Turning Point,” for the play, according to private advices, has been running to packed business for six or eight weeks now. and appears likely to continue this prosperous career. News comes of the warm which awaited Mias Irvins and

her husband (Mr Gilbert Forteous) on their return from Australia, and on the first night at St. James’ the house rose at the actress, while hundreds of people waited outside after the performance to cheer her, and, if possible, shake hands with her. They get just as excited in London over their stage favourites as they do in Sydney. "Drake” leads amongst the big spectacles in London, while in musical comedy " Tim Girl in the Taxi,” originally put on merely as a stop-gap, is coining money. The charming " Milestones ” which Sydney people are now enjoying so thoroughly at the Criterion • lias secured a steady hold upon the favour of the London public, and has now reached Us 300 th performance under the Vedrenue-Eadie management. The success of an Australian composer, Mr George Ciutsam, in his opera,

"The Harlequin King,” just produced in Berlin, is recorded in the English papers. The plot of the opera shows how the King of an Italian State of undefined situation and epoch lies on his death-bed, while the enemy is menacing the walls of his capital. At this juncture the dissolute heir-apparent returns from Venice, but instead of the anticipated military aid brings with him only a troop of comedians. In a quarrel for the favour of the Columbine of the company, Harlequin kills the Prince, and, to save his own life, disguises himself as the dead man, whom he had often impersonated in jest, ascends the throne which now falls vacant and leads the forces of tho State triumphantly against the foe. The conspiracies at court, in which he becomes involved, make many dramatic situations ; and Mr Ciutsam Is awarded high praise for his vigour and the facile command he exhibits over both vocal and orchestral resources. "Peter Pan” was to be revived as usual this Christmas in London, at the Duke of York’s. The, vogue of Barrie's fantasy in London should make those playgoers think who neglected it here. It is interesting further to read that, as a compliment to the author, the London Playgoers’ Club has just decided to make its annual ladies' dinner a “ Peter Pan ” dinner, and that amongst those who accepted invitations this >cai "neic Miss Nina Boucicault, the original impersonation of "the boy who v.ouldnt grow up ’’ ; Miss Pauline Chase, Miss Hilda Trevelyan (the inimitable Wendy), "Nana.” the famous St. Bernard, Mr George Shelton, and Mr Gerald clu Maurier. “ Miss Chase is the present Peter Fan in London ; and if. as was hoped, Miss Cecilia Loftus was able also to be' present, there would then have been three Peter Pans at the dinner. Mr George Stephenson has re-organ-ised his costume comedy company. ' I lie Wanderers," which is now composed of Ivv Davis (soprano). Mabs itowarth (comedienne), I’uby Esdaile (soubrette). Percv Coward (tenor), Mel Brewer (baritone). Courntney Ford (basso), Victor Loydall (comedian), and Herbert Brahms (musical director and producer). The Wanderers commence a season at the King's Theatre. Adelaide, on Saturday next, supplying the first part foi the Brennan-Fuller management.