STAGELAND

Sun (Christchurch), Volume IV, Issue 1164, 3 November 1917, Page 10 (Supplement)

STAGELAND

BOOKINGS. Theatre Royal. November 5 and season—"Pink Lady." Opera House. November s—Pom Pom Pierrots. Nov. 20 Dec. s—"Turn to the Right." His Majesty's. Nightly—Fuller's Vaudeville. "The Pink Lady," which is to be staged here on Monday by J. C. Williamson's Royal Comic Opera Company is based on the French farce "Le Satyre," by Georges Berr and Marcel Guillemand. The English adaption in the form of the comic opera is of particular interest, in view of the fact that for it were responsible two of the most noted composers and writers of musical plays. The music was composed by Ivan Caryll, of "Our Miss Gibbs" fame, and to whose credit stands a long list of musical successes, including the "girl" series of musical comedies. The libretto and lyrics were written by C. M. S. McLennan, who wrote "The Belle of New York." With such ideal collaboration, it is not surprising that "The Pink Lady" has achieved such a wonderful success wherever it has been staged. Included in the caste are many old friends, and the whimsical and irresponsible comedy should fit into the carnival spirit of race week. "The Pink Lady" will be folowed by "The Cinema Star."

"The Waggle o' the Kilt" is a new song recently launched in London by Harry Lauder. It concerns Private Jock McDade, of the Ninetythird. This song and its accompanying action is described as being as line as anything Lauder has done, and has achieved remarkable popularity. /" «. * + *

Ada Reeve will return to the Dominion early next year at the head of an entirely new Mcintosh company. The comedienne is now en route for Australia to fulfil her Cup week engagement in Melbourne.

A reputation as a brilliant artiste has its advantages, but incidentally it sets an anticipatory standard which often results in disappointment. The securing of Genevieve Lee, the young. American actress, by the Fuller management was hailed as an event, and it must candidly be confessed that after witnessing her talent, in conjunction with a very clever actor in Ted McLean, at His Majesty's this week, one can only speak in terms of admiration. The sketch presented by this talented pair was a straight-out comedy, but it gains humour in the handling, not of the farcical order, but of purely irresistible fun. In fact, it can be said that they do not extract humour from the dialogue, but infuse merriment into it. Their repertoire is extensive, and Christchurch audiences are to have an opportunity of judging the performers in a versatile selection, in which tears and laughter will mingle. -

Miss Lee is young—a bare twentythree—yet at the time of her engagement she was playing ingenue lead under the Belasco management in California. "This tour is really in the nature of a rest" she confided to the writer, and produced the very concrete, but amazing evidence that in a yearly season in the States she had played in fifty different productions—a fresh play with a principal part each week. These productions included "Paid in Full," "The Barrier," "Peg o' My Heart," "The Great Divide," and "The Virginian." She was playing principal parts very soon after she adopted the stage as a profession. Her first appearance, it is interesting to record, was made under the management of James Young, husband of Clara Kimball Young, of "movie" fame. Miss Lee, just prior to leaving for Australasia, visited Panama, where a sister resided who was married to an American infantry officer* H. 6 is now in France, being in the first of Pershing's contingents. It was elicited from Miss Lee that at the conclusion of her vaudeville engagement, she has been reserved by the Fuller management for the ingenue role in a play which they are producing. Its title, however, as yet remains a secret. "Yes, I'm looking forward to this," she stated in answer to a question. ' "I like vaudeville, but I'm awfully keen to get into real harness again and take part in a big production. There is an excitement about it which fascinates one." Miss Lee, seemingly, however, has no desire to act for thy kinema, and has refused engagements to do so in California. She very naively confessed that she liked an audience and

its applause, and a camera as a substitute did not appeal. ▼ v v "You're in Love," staged by the J. C. Williamson New English Musical Comedy Company at Her Majesty's, Sydney, has been breaking all records. Maud Fane, Dorothy Brunton's suc-

cessor in "the firm," has stepped into the front rank of popularity, and is a firm favourite. Some curious scenes are witnessed nightly in the stalls when Miss Fane swings out over the audience on a ship's boom. There is a good deal of competition as to who shall secure the fair artist's satin slipper should it fall; and in one or two instances it has been taken from her foot by an audacious playgoer—male, of course! v v v

It is now announced that as a result of the recent strike, which caused Cyril Maude to rearrange his Australian tour, the projected visit to the Dominion has been cancelled.

Says "Theorbo" in the "Bulletin": —"I take this to be the most remarkable phenomenon in Melbourne's musical history since Melba burst forth. At a recent concert by pupils of the University Conservatorium, eight original songs, written and composed by Miss Phillips, a pupil, were given. They excited surprise and enthusiasm, and unmistakably have a flavour of genius. How very few women have shone in musical composition! I recall only one opera written by a woman."

A story of the late Sir Herbert Tree is told by Madame Sarah Bernhardt. Wishing to visit His Majesty's Theatre on one occasion, and not being desirous of trespassing on Sir Herbert's hospitality, she instructed her manager secretly to engage a box. In the middle of the performance on the evening in question an official entered the box and handed the celebrated actress an envelope, on

which was Written in Sir Herbert's rather illegible handwriting, "I render unto Sarah the things that are ■ Sarah's," and in it was the amount she had paid for the box. ♦ ♦ ♦ A recent arrival in America is the I famous Lily Langtry (Lady de Bathe), who is said to be negotiating

with the Hearst newspaper syndicate for the publication of her "recollections" in serial form. The price suggested by the ex-actress is alleged to be £2OO on instalment, and the Hearst people are reported to be carefully considering whether Lily's stolry is worth that much.

It looks as though Steele Rudd's new Australian comedy, "Grandad Rudd," is likely to prove as phenomenal a success and as big a money-maker to the Bailey-Grant management as On Our Selection," to which the new play is a sequel. Dad Rudd has become a grandfather, Dave and, Lily have a grown-up son, and Joe and Madge have a family.

Mr Maloney has become Mr Regan, and uncle has been transformed into Mr Banks, the hen pecked husband of a temperance reformer. The Melbourne Press is unanimous in praise of it. Some critics go so far as to say it is a better play than "On Our Selection," the characters being better drawn and better handled.

* * * In the matter of spectacle "Seven Days' Leave," now being staged in : Sydney, gains in comparison with the play as given at London Lyceum Theatre, and is a telling example of Allan Wilkie's attention to detail. The scene plot of the submarine play did not arrive from England with the ; script, and Mr Wilkie skilfully produced the piece without any guidance other than the dialogue of the drama. The big sensation in the third act, in which a submarine is seen at the bottom of the sea, then rising and ultimately smashed by two cruisers which appear in the distance, is not worked in the Lyceum production in London. Instead, there is a brief tableau.

* * + Mr Alfred Hill, the New Zealand composer, recently had produced by the Sydney Conservatorium at a chamber concert a quintet, "Life," for piano and strings, with octet of voices. In the course of his remarks on Mr Hill's composition, Mr Henri Vergbrugghen, director of the Conservatorium, said that it was, as far as he knew,, the most important chamber composition written in Australia. The director again called attention to what can be achieved, even yet by using the old idioms and old forms. It was in this way an example that the voung people might well imitate. The great novelty of the work was the introduction of the voices in the finale. This; was a bold departure, and one that greatly increased the difficulties of writing in the chamber form, and also in the matter of performance. For this reason the. composition would not probably become as widely known as it would had the composer confined himself to the instrumental quartet or quintet. Continuing, Mr Vergbrugghen said: "It is the best Australian composition in existence today; if it is not, I would be very glad to meet the other."

*_*■.* London is paying a good deal of attention to a Polish dancer, Jan Oy-ra, who was recently appearing with the pretty Parisienne, Regine Flory, in the revue, "Vanity Fair," and who subsequently arranged the dancing specialities for another frivolous disturbance called "Hanky Panky." The Pole is now threatening to shine as a comic opera producer, and, when last heard from, was engaged in adapting a Polish > musical comedy in which he appeared in Warsaw. The title proposed for the English version is "The Beggar Count." Oy-ra is something of a celebrity in his native land, it appears. He was specially secured for the part of Wun Hi in the Polish production of "The Geisha," which was staged in Warsaw just a few weeks before war broke out. •£• * 4

The latest arrivals on Fuller's New Zealand circuit include Miss Ruth Budd, who combines a dainty trapeze and singing turn; the "Creole Fashion Plate," a female impersonator who mystifies the audience by the faithfulness of his portrayal; Helen Pearce, a bright entertainer ail the way from England; Lew James, a Hebrew comedian; and several others. They will appear at His Majesty's in the course of the next few weeks.

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