STAGELAND

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 896, 23 December 1916, Page 4

STAGELAND

BOOKINGS

Opera House. Reopens Tuesday. Theatre Royal. December 26—"Are You a Mason?

The latest addition lo the city's picture houses is the Strand, by "which name the new building now Bearing completion on the south side of Cathedral Square is to be known. The interior of the Strand is to be on lines that make for both comfort and convenience, while the colour effect is to be pleasing to a degree. The new house is to be opened early in the new year and will be managed by Mr A. Rowley who, until recently," was manager of His Majesty's.

"Peg o' My Heart" returns lo the Palace Theatre, Sydney, to-night.

Claude Dampicr and his wife are at present with The Dandies in the Garden Theatre, Sydney. Oliver Peacock is also a member of this combination.

Mr John Farrcll will, at the conclusion of the tour of the Williamson Comedy Company, remain in New Zealand to take over the management of the New Comic Opera Company, which is the Christmas attraction in Wellington.

Mr Fred Duval, who has been for many years connected with picture and theatrical enterprises on the West Coast, has left Grcymouth for Auckland, where he will in future reside.

A cable received las! week announced the fact that Mr Aylmer Buessf, a Victorian musician, has been appointed a conductor of the Beecham Grand Opera, at the Aldwych Theatre, London.

The popular actor, Win. S. Hart, will be seen all next week at Everybody's in a play of an entirely different nature from anything he has hitherto appeared in. It is entitled "The Captive God," and is a story of life in Mexico in the sixteenth century, when the country was ruled by the Aztecs. The story of the capture of Montezuma is told in the picture.

Camille Clifford, the original Gibson Girl, commences a tour of the Moss Empires in October, at the King's, Soulhsea, to be followed by three weeks in London at Finsbnrv Park, New Cross, and Stratford. The new piece in which she makes her reappearance is called "A Girl of the Future," and is styled by its author and composer (Harold Simpson and Arthur Klein) as a musical phantasy, and gives her the opportunity of displaying her musical powers, as well as some charming modern gowns and other costumes of the Louis Seize period.

Mine. Bernhardt, who celebrated her birthday in October last, is more than 70 years of age. She has been acting since 1862, when she made her iirst appearance on the stage at the Comedie Francaise in Racine's "Iphigenie." Her wonderful vitality is shown by the fact that, despite her age and her recent opera!ion, she is now conducting a farewell tour of the United Stales.

Next week the Queen's will have a five-reel Palhe drama featuring Florence Reed, the beautiful heroine of "At Bay" and "The Woman's Law." It is entitled "New York," and is the story of a woman who is forced to commit murder to save her honour.

It also gives some interesting side"""lighls of life in the groat American metropolis.

The entertainment tax, as forecasted in the Federal Budget speech, is not likely to have the disastrous effect on the picture shows (hat was experienced in the Old Country. There were no exemptions in lingland, with the result that the places •which depended on the sixpenny and threepenny shows went to the' wall absolutely, with, of course, a few exceptions. In Australia the lax will not touch the small-priced seals and obviously those persons who are paying only what I hey can afford, and to this extent will nol be so disastrous as was anticipated a! the outset, but thai it will make a difference in the coffers must be admitted.

Commencing at the matinee on Boxing Day, (here will he shown at His Majesty's Theatre a magnificent seven-reel Vitagraph Blue Ribbon feature entitled "Salvation Joan." This play marks the first screen appearance of Edna May, Ihe original Belle of New York." It is a powerful drama, pulsating with life.

In arranging lor a real Australian pantomime, both Ren J. Fuller and John Fuller, jun., insisted on an Australian producer, and the results thai Nat Phillips is achieving in preliminary work for "The Bunyip" speaks volumes for the home-grown article. The essentially Australian ideas in the coming grand opera pantomime will be the big bushfire .scene, the great Wattle Dav display, the corroboree and blacklrackers, I lie Jenolan Caves, and Mother Waratah pulling the kiddies to bed wilh nursery rhymes. Over 100 people will participate in the corroboree scene. Added interesl to the production will be the sight of the writer of Ihe book in Ihe conductor's chair. Miss Ella Airlie is nol onlj a clever writer bill a distinguished musician, writing several letters after her name. She is known as a vaudeville artist of repule, but wilh Mr Nat Phillips looking after things on one side of Ihe footlights Ihe Fullers preferred lo have another person vitally interested in the show in Ihe other important position, and so il comes about thai probably for the first time in Australia the writer of Ihe pantomime will also lead ihe pantomime orchestra.

lo a recent interviewer Samuel Maughan, author of "The Land of Promise," staged last Saturday at Ihe Sydney Criterion, had something lo say upon the aspirant lor dramatichonours. "Whatever may be his ability," said Ihe English playwright "the new writer has an almost hopeless struggle before him. In London, and 1 suppose it is Ihe same in New York, theatrical managers arc always crying for new plays, for "i»etter plays, for more plays, but they

never seem lo dare lo Iry new experiments. Seventeen London managers, the best in the stage profession, declined my 'My Lady Frederick.' The eighteenth produced it, not because he approved it, but because it promised him a temporary means of keeping his theatre open. The public liked it, and in a few weeks three other plays of mine that had been rejected were being acted on other London stages. On the anniversary of the production of 'Lady Frederick' I was tempted lo give a dinner to the 17 managers who had turned it down. I finally decided

not to carry out the plan. You see, I anticipated that some day I might want to find a producer for more of my plays. More and more I have come to believe that play-writing is a knack which is born in one."

Messrs J. and N. Tait are evidently launching out in their theatrical business, which has previously, for the most part, been confined to the running of concert companies. Already a number of attractions are announced to tour Australasia in the coming year under their banner. "Very Good, Eddie," is the new musical comedy attraction due for production in Sydney next January. It is founded on the American farce "Over Night," with, it is alleged, a real plot to its story. The book is the joint work of Philip Barthelomae and Guy Bolton, with music, by Jerome Kern, and lyrics by Schuyler Greene. A strong feature of the show will be the chorus, to be styled the "Swagger Fashion Girls," on account of the smart, chic fashion and style of the dresses to be worn. The new American farce, "Turn to the Right," will first be staged in Melbourne in February. "Turn to the Right" is described as a humorous to the old-fashioned mother. It is in three acts, with a prologue. Mr Gaston Mervale has been engaged to produce the comedy, and arrived from America on the Sonoma on the 10th inst. Winchell Smith, part author of the play, in an interview, says: "We did want to show the tremendous power for good that lay in a perfect, clean soul, in unswerving belief."

The management of Slarland have secured another highly al tractive programme for next week. The Fox feature will be a powerful live-reel drama entitled "Her Hidden Past." The various parts of this play are enacted by an all-star cast, which includes Dorothy Bernard and Jean Sothern. "Temptation" is the Paramount feature to be shown during the first half of the week. In this picture Geraldiue Farrar, the wonderful grand opera prima donna, plays the lead.

Vaudeville resumes on Boxing Day at the Opera House. In a letter to the local manager, Mr Ben J. Fuller says:—"lt was no use sending too many quick returns, so the inevitable happened. However, we hope that when you are open again we shall be able to continue the string of attractions and thus obviate elos--5 ;g down again."

"Are You a Mason?" lo be presented by the Royal Dramatic Comedy Company, Lid., al Ihe Theatre Royal on Boxing night, was first introduced lo Australia and New Zealand by J. C. Williamson, Ltd., some years ago, with that line actor George Giddens in the character of Amos Bloodgood, n role he played in London and elsewhere wilh great success. It wenl like hot cakes everywhere. The Masonic joke tickled the big audiences then just as it does now. The play is not only genuinely humorous, but il is clever and should continue to appeal lo theatregoers for a long time to come.

The irregularity of steamers between South Africa and Australia has been responsible for an alteration in the dates of the New English Comedy Company engaged by Ihe J. C. Williamson management for an Australian lour. The company was lo have opened in Sydney at Christmas. II will now be well on in January before Ihe organisation can arrive in Sydney. The opening production will be "Fair and Warmer."

The J. C. Williamson Musical Comedy Company will this year eat Christmas dinner on the Tasman Sea—on board the steamer taking Ihem to New /calami, where on Boxing night they begin a season. Wellington will he the lirst city played and present arrangements are that "So Long Lelty" will be the production submitted. Neither Ibis musical comedy nor "Connie Ediss" has yet been enjoyed by Dominion playgoers.

The leading comedian of the J. C. Williamson Farce Comedy Company, shortly to appear in Sydney in "'Fair and Warmer," is Percy Marmont. Included in the company are Dorothy Atherton (comedienne), May Nightingale (soubrette), and T. A. Braiden (comedian). The company won great popularity in South Africa, where a number of farces were played. In their repertoire is "A Pair of Silk Stockings," which had a long run in London and New York. This comedy is by an English author, Cyril Harcourt, whose latest success is "A Lady's Name," played in New York by Marie Tempest.

America has discovered the existence of "warfare" between two Australian theatrical firms, J. C. Williamson, Ltd., and J. and N. Tait. For Williamson's, Mr Hugh Ward is at present in the United Slates; from the other firm, Mr E. J. Tait, who left the Williamson enterprise to join his brothers early this year. Concerning these two delegates the New York "Morning Telegraph" of October 31 says: "On January 14 last, when Edward J. Tait resigned as general manager of the J. C. Williamson, Ltd., the biggest theatrical firm in Australia, the first gun was fired in a prolonged theatrical warfare which at the present time is centred in New York. Both factions arc competently represented here just now by Hugh Ward for the Williamson Company, and Edward J. Tait for the Four Tait Brothers, doing business as J. and N. Tait. Both are on the ground chiefly for the purpose of obtaining the Australian and South African rights of the best American plays, and in consequence of the rivalry the Antipodean market offers higher prices than it did before.

"Mr Tait, perhaps, scored his first big coup when he acquired the rights of 'Peg o' My Heart,' which is flow current in Australia. Also after five weeks of negotiations he has been successful in acquiring one of the plums of the season, 'Turn to the Right.' Another play which has fallen into his hands is 'Very Good, Eddie.' When he returns to Australia he will take with him 12 American players for these productions. Meanwhile Mr Ward also is not losing any time fortifying his interests, as announcements of plays obtained by him from time to time clearly indicate."

Well, if it is really war between Tait and Williamson, America stands in the customary place of neutrality, and will cheerfully grow rich, selling munitions and supplies to both combatants.

The appearance of a new play by the author of "Bunty Pulls ' the Strings," would be welcome, and it is good news to learn that Mr Graham Moffatt has completed a new four-act play dealing with Glasgow life.

A well-known West End theatre—the Coronet—has been turned into a kinema hall. Reviewing the history of the old playhouse a writer in the "Era" tells the following story:— When the Lord Chamberlain objected to certain dresses in "Vert-Vert," Mansell asked for a hint as to their alteration; and, having got it, had the effrontery to advertise them as "designed by the Lord Chamberlain." He lost his license, and never regained, it so far as a West End theatre was concerned. He wandered about the Continent for years, and became a notable authority on Russian opera and German plays, an incorrigible Bohemian, a pleasant, venerablelooking creature, whom I last saw in Mr Oswald Stoll's production of "Joseph and His Brethren" at the Coliseum.

The Royal Dramatic and Comedy Co., Ltd., which opens a season a! the Theatre Royal on Boxing Night, with '"Are You a Mason?"' is composed of a strong combination of English and Australian artists. The leading lady, Miss Margaret Linden, is a young Australian actress who has done much good work in the Commonwealth in the "Sign of the Cross," "The Fortune Hunter,*' and "The Midnight Wedding." Miss Madae Surtees was associated with Lewis Waller's London Company, Miss Beatrice Esmond was a prominent member of the Nellie Stewart Company; Miss Ruby Guv was recently with the Madge Fabian Company. and Miss Mildren Carlton has done good dramatic work in Australia. Of the men, Mr Gerald Ha'vourt comes with an English and American reputation, having played leading parts under Oliver Morosco's at the Bijou Theatre, Broadwav, New York, and more recently wilh J. C. Williamson's "Are You' a Mason?" organisation in South Africa. MiGeorge Hewlett played Drominent parts wilh the late Lewis Waller and Messrs Freddy Coape, Colville Dunn. C. 15. Throsby, Ilarcourl Hare, and Reginald Collins, were associated with leading parts in the principal metropolitan organisations in Australia.

A dispute between Mr Oswald Sloll and Hit' orchestras at seven of his London houses ended in the resignation ol' 180 male instrumentalists, whose places were taken by women. The "Era" discusses the dispute in a leading article, and referring to the performances of the various ladies' hands, savs:—"lt must he chronicled that their success was never in doubl. They were naturally very nervous, but the encouraging applause at the end of the overture put them more at their case. There are among them excellent fiddle plavers --many of these, no doubt, holding diplomas—and if the brass was nol so strong as usual, that was regarded as somewhat of a relief, (he general complain! against English orchestras being that the brass is generally too loud. Our women are a more alert and sell-reliant race Hum their mothers, and alter Ihe war Ihey will be asking for more equitable social status. The problem of their employment will be an exceedingly complex one. Under newer conditions there will be fresh avenues of activity opened up to them; but the ancient avenue of music will attract more pilgrims than ever. Possibly in the nol too distant future orchestral women will be forming a musical union of their own. Happy thought!