STAGELAND

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 764, 22 July 1916, Page 4

STAGELAND

BOOKINGS. Opera House. 11l Season- Fuller's Vaudeville. Theatre Royal. July 20 to August T—"Mother Goose" Pantomime. August 5 to 19—Allen Doom' Company. August .10 to September s—The Tivoli Follies. Super-scenic display is said to be one of the several attractions of "Mother Goose." The two acts and 16 scenes comprising the J. C. Williamson pantomime (which opens in Christchurch on Saturday next) will include the following attractive features and specialties:—The Children's Soldier Ballet; the Golden Goose; the Bon Bon Ballet; the illuminated swings; the novel Balloon Parade; the glittering Hall of Gold; the comedy acrobats; the comical donkeys and the horse; the Flower Ballet; the Allies' Ballet; the BoyScouts' Parade; the educated horse and the wonderful ship scene; Ihe quaint little Dream Girl; the Ballet of Copper, Silver, and Gold; and Gooseland, showing the glittering capital of the feathered kingdom, and grand goose procession, introducing an astonishing array of "Gooseland" citizens. The humorous is a big feature, the "book" being full of comedy, and the comedians having plenty of scope for unlimited fun-making. Mr Victor Champion has succeeded in securing the most alluring song successes, whilst the ballet and incidental music has been specially, composed for the pantomime. The scenery is again one of the most brilliant phases of the production, the 17 gorgeous scenes being from the brush of Mr W. R. Coleman and assistants.

Mr Harry Muller, manager in Victoria for Fullers' vaudeville circuit, arrived in Wellington from Sydney by the Moeraki last Monday night. Mr Muller leaves for San Francisco by the Maitai, and will visit New York, Chicago, and other big centres in America in search of specialities for the Christmas pantomime, to be f>roduced in Sydney by George Marow, Ltd. Mr Muller expects to return to Sydney in November.

Reginald Newberry, the boy soprano, who won the Daisy Jerome competitions at the Auckland Opera House a few months ago, has been meeting with success in Sydney, making his first professional appearance •ver there at the Town Hall. The lad, who is now playing on the Fuller circuit and creating a favourable impression, has just signed a contract with the firm for 24 weeks in Australia, with the option of another 20 weeks, at an advantageous figure.

Harry Norman, formerly stage manager for Bland Holt, who left Australia at the beginning of the year with the A.1.F., is now with the British Expeditionary Force in France, and has been promoted to the rank of sergeant-major.

Albert Chevalier, the famous coster impersonator, is playing Eccles in "Caste," in the English provinces.

A new "stock" company is being formed to play melodrama-in New Zealand. A Wellington syndicate is reported to be making the arrangements, and the company will be formed in Australia.

Under the address: "Kriegsgel'anS!cnensendung, Englanderlagef, Ruheben, via Berlin, Germany," Mr Horace Hunt, the young Auckland musician, now in durance vile at Ruhleben, writes cheerfully to Mr "Walter Gorham, of Auckland, as follows:—"Was awfully delighted—excuse Ibsenism—to have your letter with its cheering tone and interest-

ing Wellington news. Did not know thai yon were fathering some of my things. Thanks, old friend. Sent yon a programme of a lecture-con-cert I gave recently—hope it arrived. Am helping one Jones, of Christchurch, in a Maori evening soon. Gelling a certain amount of piano now, but was quite without for many months. Glad Bloy was in such good form, physical and musical, when yon wrote. Look forward lo more joint concert work one day."

The Gonsalez Italian Opera Company has played ever since its opening in Melbourne three weeks ago to crowded houses nightly. The company has firmly established itself in popular favour, and there seems Utile possibility of Melbourne tiring of it in the short eight weeks to which flic season is limited.

Paul Dufault's tour of Australia will end in November, and he hopes to be in New York at Christmas. His American lour commences in January.

After a successful break at Ballarat the Allan Wilkie Shakespearean Company opened in Adelaide last Saturday night lo a crowded house. They will spend three weeks in that city, and then come to New Zealand for an extended four.

"Fifty Years of a Londoner's Life," a book of memories by H. C. Hibbert, recently published in London, contains many interesting peeps behind the "scenes." Here are some:—

"Probably the biggest fee paid was to Sarah Bernhardt for her first appearance at the London Coliseum—namely, £IOOO, for her personal services, apart from the salaries of her company and the other expenses. Sir George Alexander and Sir Herbert Tree had £750 at the Palace. Miss Marie Tempest had £SOO at the London Hippodrome. Mr Seymour Hicks, Mr Charles Hawtrey, and Mr Arthur Bourchier command from £250 to £350, in circumstances.

"Some dancers now receive very large salaries. At the Alhambra in the' old days £25 a week was considered a large fee. Genee came to the Empire for £ls a week, and for a long time was contented with £3O. Toward the end of her time there she had £7O. Then came the boom. Not to be precise, the four most prominent dancers of the day range from £250 to £750 a week. Pavlova has, in America, soared away from the topmost figure. . . . "11 is significant that no factor of the music-hall programme has maintained his price so steadily as the 'red-nosed comedian.' Little Tich commands £250 a week, but then he is desperately fastidious as to when and where and how he will work. Mr George Robey is at least a £2OO a week man. . . ."

"Peg o' My Heart" has passed its 100 th performance in Sydney. Besides establishing this record for all Australasia (says a recent issue of the "Daily Telegraph"), it has made another record for the charming young Irish lady who plays the name part, as Miss Sara Allgood will, on July 10, when the comedy becomes a centurion-play, have made 260 consecutive appearances in the role. She played it for 20 weeks on tour in England before she came here, and has not missed one performance in Sydney. It is just on the boards that before Miss Allgood goes back to the cold country she will have come very close to, even if she does not beat, Miss Laurctte Taylor's record of 004 appearances in New York. For it is expected that the tour of "Peg o' My Heart" through the oilier Australian capitals and the New Zealand centres will take at least a whole year, and after that there are the country towns to follow.

"Cabiria," the great picture drama depicting episodes of the Punic wars between Rome and Carthage, is rightly considered one of the greatest spectacular picture productions ever produced. It was arranged, mounted, and filmed in Italy, and all the leading actors and actresses of that country took part in it. It is little wonder, considering all that has gone to the making of it, that it should have attracted huge audiences wherever it has been shown throughout the world. "Cabiria" will be screened for the first time in Christ church at His Majesty's Theatre on Monday night, and is certain to attract crowded houses here. That most famous of modern Italian authors, Gabriel d'Annunzio, wrote the plan of the play, and it was produced by the Itala Film Company. Even if this spectacular picture were not already renowned, these facts would be sufficient to indicate that it is something very much out of the ordinary. Quite apart from its great effects, "Cabiria" is perfect in its acting, and its technical merits are the wonder and a point of emulation for other great picture producers.

Sir Frederic IT. Cowen has joined the ranks of variety stars, for, although up to the present he has only appeared at the London Coliseum, he has been induced by his friend, J. M. Glover, to head the bill at the Royal, Plymouth, in the twice-nightly season of the Garden Scene from Faust, played by members of the Carl Rosa Company, who arc on vacation.

The Tivoli Follies had a brilliant opening in Auckland. Among those present were Rear-Admiral Matsumura and the officers of the Japanese training squadron, the local military oificers, the Hon. Mr Holman, Premier of New South Wales, and other people. It was found impossible to accommodate all who wished to see the show, and at about 7.10 p.m. the sale of tickets had to be slopped. An excellent season followed.

No fewer than five Drury Lane pantomime artists will appear in the big J. C. Williamson "Mother Goose" pantomime, due here on Saturday next. Lilian de Venney has been principal boy at the classic house twice. She is said to be the beau ideal of the hero of extravaganza. Mr Arthur Stigant is credited with being England's most artistic and popular exponent of "dame parts." Mr Albert Fclino is acknowledged io be the premier animal actor of the day, having played the Goose in "Mother Goose" no fewer than 1000 limes. Mr Arthur Reynolds is, besides being a fine character actor and vocalist, a famous English pantomimisf, while Mr Billy Le Brun has appeared frequently at Drury Lane in various important roles.

The Juvenile Moving Picture Board in New York City, and other similar organisations in other cities, are attempting to solve the problem of supplying children with the movies they like and which are suitable for them. The members of the New York Board see every picture designated as suitable for children by the National Board of Censorship. From these they choose the ones they wish for a schedule of programmes. These programmes they send on lo their sister organisations in other cities. At the first showing of each programme chosen by the committee of censorship board, consisting of seven boys, ranging from eight to 16 years of age, pass judgment on them in their own way. Their opinions are treated with due respect, and a number of pictures chosen for particular educational or other merit have ben tabooed by the Board of Juvenile Censors.