STAGELAND

Sun (Christchurch), Volume 1, Issue 235, 7 November 1914, Page 6

STAGELAND

BOOKINGS. In Soason—Julius Knight Company. November 28 to December 3—"HuinptyDumpty" Pantomime. December 4—Nazareth House Concert. December 26 to January 7—-J. 0. Williamson Company. During the present Julius Knight season playgoers will have the opportunity of seeing that popular actor in his most notable characterisations, including Napoleon in "A Royal Divorce," Sir Percy Blakeney in "The Scarlet Pimpernel,'' the title role in '' Monsieur Beaucaire," Marcus Superbus in "The Sign of the Cross," and Wilfred Denver in "The Silver King." Miss Irene Bl'owne in the role of the Empress Josephine in "A Royal Divorce," which opens in tho Theatre Royal to-night wears some gorgeous costumes, and Miss Cummings as Princess Marie Louise has

also some fine costumes with which to adorn herself. Miss Lizette Parkes as Stephanie, disguises herself in the. third act as a French Officer, and it is said she looks particularly charming in this uniform. Julius Knight first, impersonated Napoleon at Brighton, England. He had then returned from Australia after a season with. Laura Villiers. The manager who engaged him was none other than the celebrated W. W. Kelly, who owned the English rights of "A Royal Divorce." He had not begun to make money with the production of the,. Napoleonic, drama up to that time, and his managerial life was uncertain. He used to say: "I came to this country with a shoe-string—and I've still got it." Now, says Mr. Knight, he is Mayor of Birkcnhe.ad, and owns a couple of theatres in Liverpool. Miss Idai Inglesole, of the HumptyDumpty" Pantomime, is to be a quaint comedienne besides being an excellent eccentric dancer. This is her second visit to the Dominion. She toured with the Julius Knight Company as a child actress and played the little "King of Rome" in "The Royal Divorce" some years ago. Mr Arthur Greenaway, who was lately seen here in Mr Julius Knight's revival of "Diplomacy," is now -appearing in the same play in New York in: a cast which includes Mr William Gillette (the famous stage, exponent of Sherlock Holmes), Miss Blanche Bates, and Miss Marie Dow. - Mr Hugh G. Buckler.is reviving "The Admirable Crichton" in Sydney. This fantasy by Sir James Barrie was produced here by Cuyler Hastings ten years or so ago. Miss Margaret A.nglin, who will be well remembered •by New Zealandcrs as having toured these parts some five years ago, was to commence a season at the Broad Street Theatre, Philadelphia, on September 28, in Oscar Wilde's play, "Lady Windermere's Fan." Miss Anglin, at the conclusion of that season, was to take the play on an extended •tour which would include Australia. "Death or Glory, Boys," an ancient melodrama, has been revived by William Anderson at the King's Theatre, Melbourne. "It's a Long Way to Tipper^ry'' is introduced in the play. Adelaide G6nee, the dancer, is not quite ready to go into retirement, remarks the Boston "Globe." She will supplement her last two " farewell'' tours with another, which will take her over the standard variety circuit in the coming season. David Belasco, the well-known New York producer, is shortly to produce, in association with Mr Andrew Carnegie, an elaborate spectacular drama, employing about one thousand persons, and called "The Prince of Peace." The play is a plea for universal peace and the brotherhood of man. Mrs W. S. Percy (Miss Jessie Ramsay), wife of the popular comedian, has returned to Dunedin, from London.. In "The Prince of Peace," a history ,of the world will be epitomised and unfolded in a series of stage pictures of tyranny, of selfishness, and of the tragic misery and devastation following in the train of war. The drama shows Christ as the first apostle of peace, and is woven together and made appealingly human by the use of that legendary character,- Cartaphilus, the Roman doorkeeper for Pilate, who struck Jesus as he came out of the Hall of Judgment. Therefore this grim character is made

the Dante who wanders with majestic sadness through the world, the philosophic observer of all that transpires in the centuries down which he travels.' From the "Musical Courier" (New York): —Despite the war, the Berlin Royal Opera opened on September 1. The public in the German capital is supporting amusements liberally and will continue to do so. Those who know say that the winter of 1870-1871 was one of the most profitable theatrical and musical seasons ever experienced in Berlin. # Three New Zealanders are prominent at Middlesex Theatre, Drury Lane, at present. They are Miss Adelaide van Staveren, daughter of the Rabbi of "Wellington, Miss Nora D'Argel, of Wellington, and Mrs Manson, formerly Miss Mabel Braithwaite, of Dunedin. "Masetto," in the Bulletin: Nordica's esstate, reckoned at about £400,000, didn't all come in door-money. A lot of it was the fruit of speculation. Her jewels were assessed at £200,000. House and land property also figures la,rge, one item being a £SOOO bungalow, which was the residence occupied by the soprano and her fourth and last husband, Mr Young. Nordica made a will in Batavia at the end of last year ■ leaving her property to her sisters and nothing to Young, as she "had already given him £80,000." Romayne Simmons, her strenuous .accompanist and secretary, benefits to the extent of £6OOO. * However, Young has possession of another will, made four years ago, which made him sole legatee. Be states that he will not contest anything as long as_he.kno.wa what really .were the last wishes of the deceased singer, but he denies that lie ever received aiiy big amount fom his wife. On the contrary, he declares he sent her some £6OOO while she was on her last tour. They appear to have been very friendly; in fact, Young herd his wife's power of attorney, and was otherwise fully trusted with her possessions. Says Madame Melba? in a Melbourne interview; Miss Rosina Buckmaniij ,the young New Zealand soprano, is getting on very nicely. She appeared in German opera, and did very well, and also appeared successfully as Musetta in "Boneme" at Govent Garden, LoiuTon, and there was every possibility that she would be re-engaged, for the next Covent Garden season. The war, of course, may be responsible for an upset of plans. Fred Rivenliall, the vaudeville artist, is well-known to New Zealand audiences, having toured the Dominion several times under the Fuller banner, has gone to the front. He is a member of the Dublin Fusiliers. Miss Gertie Millar was, when the last mail left London, making a great hit at the Coliseum in selections from, her greatest, musical comedy- successes. This is her first appearance on the variety stage.' , - Anotthet be risirig f Miss Ara who made her debut on the lyric stage of Italy on July 18 last at ithe Teatro Politeama, Volterra, near Florence. She'has had long study in. Paris under M. Bouhy, the French baritone, and in Milan, under the Italian baritone, Guiseppe, both \ot them celebrated singers in their day.; It is said by a Parisian newspaper that. Jcnn Gilbert, composer of Girl in the Taxi, has been making £''.o,ooo a year out of his scores. He wrote the music of "The Joy Riders;" •' Mamselle Tra-la-la,'' and " The Cinema Star," each of which has achieved" a phenomenal success. The '' Orange Dandies,'' after a five months ' tour of the Dominion, have returned to Sydney. This company proreeds to Perth, where it will play the summer season.. Next year two dies" companies will again tour New Zealand. Vaude, of Vaude and Verne, vaudevillains, speaks a piece in the '' Theatre," in which he says that, when Ada Reeve' was performing, at the Sydney Tivoli,she never occupied the stage for less than forty-five ininutes. The turn after her the bill. The management tried act after act. _ But it was always, the .same —the. audience went out. At last Vaude and Verne were put on after Miss Reeve. The first night of the experiment, Vaude—-before going on —dipped-his umbrella in the water in the stage fire-bucket behind the wings, and shook.some water, over his hat. The moment he appeared before the audience he stood up his umbrella, showing the water dripping from it, and at the same time- knocked the water from his hat.. To the , audience he said, '' Don't go out, for Heaven's. sake! It's raining like the dickens!" Not one stirred. For four weeks Vaude and Verne's was the turn that followed Miss Reeve in the closing of the bill. Apparently theatrical matters in Australia are not so flourishing as we have been led to believe. A Sydney writer is responsible for the statement that all over Australia theatrical managers, are feeling the effects of the war, an<T have been faced with the alternative of reducing expenses or shutting up theatres. They placed the matter before their artists, and the artists cheerfully accepted a reduction varying from 25 per cent, to 33 per cent. This will have the effect of keeping all the actors and actresses, in employment, while the reduction in salary is not such a serious matter to them as it would be to lowerpaid people. A meeting of the Sydney managers wa%held recently, and it was decided that the various unions connected with the stage should also be asked to arrange a reduction in terms. This means the suspending of awards, and there is, of course, s me doubt, as to the attitude the unions will take tip.