PAGANINI TRIUMPH

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20782, 17 July 1937, Page 14 (Supplement)

PAGANINI TRIUMPH

FIRCT NIGHT SUCCESS ARTISTIC REVIVAL IN LONDON When we are old, and watch our plays from the chimney corner on television sets, we shall tell oui' children of the thrills of a Cochran first night, says a writer in a London paper. The Lyceum audience made a characteristic setting for such an occasion,

and “Paganini” was more than worthy of it.

Storms of applause greeted Evelyn Laye, riding back to the West End stage on horseback, after four years’ absence; and Richard Tauber, singing for the first time for Mr C. B. Cochran. Even greater applause greeted their opening solo numbers; and in I the second act it became impossible to refuse encores. Repeated Encores Mr Tauber sang “Girls Were Made to Love and Kiss” and “Love at Last” again and again, and Miss Laye’s best I number “Love, Live for Ever,” held up | the action for a long time. I They have seldom been in better | voice, and to it was added Mr Tau- | ber’s infectious gaiety as Paganini, I which Inspired the whole company. | It four years have made any differI ence in Miss Laye they have added to her beauty and given her an even greater fire. The imperious Princess of Lucca said to be Napoleon’s sister (she has a good opening song about “My Distinguished Brother”) is gay and passionate by turns. This princess, Anna Elisa, falls a victim to the spell of Paganini’s music, but when he in his turn is attracted by a ballet dancer Anna orders his arrest. But when he plays again, in the Royal Banquet Hall (a splendid piece of Empire pageantry), his music conI quers her jealousy. Before he leaves the country she follows him to a smugglers’ inn disguised as a gipsy, and then they part. Richer Music than “Merry Widow”

I “Paganini” is warm and colourful, I and Franz Lehar’s music, if richer

If it is carried out in its entirety, the proposed world tour of Katharine Cornell, one of the foremost actresses on the American stage, will probably be the most extensive ever undertaken by a leading United States player. Countries which it is at present planned to visit include Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, China, the Philippine Islands, Siam, India, Egypt, Palestine, Turkey, Greece, Russia, Europe, Scandinavia, England. Ireland, South Africa and possibly South America and Mexico. If all the countries are visited tho tour would take between a year and 18 months.

Don Nicol, now appearing as Nisch “The Merry Widow'.” has been

richly endowed with artistic talent. He is not only an actor of exceptional ability, but also a caricaturist of note. In fact, he started life as a commercial artist, but it was not long before he succumbed to the lure of the footlights. Don can play any type of role, but his delicious sense of humour makes him admirably suited for comedy role. Nicol is a natural funmaker, and has a splendid career ahead of him. He has recently been winning long and loud applause from Melbourne playgoers. Before his debut in leading roles in J. C. Wiliamson’s city attraction, Don was a member of the "Firm’s” touring company. Whenever he has a few moments to spare you'll find him sketching a member of the company. Nearly every dressing room is decorated with a Nicol masterpiece. Two new authors, Philip Johnson and Howard Agg, were responsible for “The New School for Scandal,” described as “an impertinence in three acts," presented in London recently. They have put Sheridan’s famous story not only in modern clothes—as Sir Barry Jackson did with “Hamlet”—but into ultra-modern language. Joseph Surface tries to seduce Lady Teazle in Freudian jargon and one of Charles Surface’s best oaths s “Bless his blood pressure.” It is a good joke in streaks, but the plot shows decided signs of strain in moments of sentiment, says the London Daily Telegraph. The auction scene and Charles’ decision to keep his uncle’s portrait at any price seem to call for an 18th century settipg. Then, too, the complete triumph of virtue at the end seems quite out c ’ tune with the sophistication of the rest of the dialogue.

than that of his “Merry Widow” days, is not less tuneful. There is a wealth of melody, including a characteristic waltz song, “Pimpinelli. Prince of Men,” for Joan Pan ter and Charles Heslop; another lively duet, “I’m in One of My Mischievous Moods,” much charming concerted music, and a fine song specially composed for Mr Tauber by Herr Lehar, “Fear Nothing.” Mr Heslop, as a foppish minister, and Esme Percy, a marvellously bewhiskered impresario, were responsible for most of the humour. But Mr Tauber himself took his share, for his Paganini is more genial than the sinister original. Professor Ernst Stern's costumes and settings are brilliantly picturesque and a word must be said for the orchestra of forty directed by Frank Collinson, in the absence of Herr Lehar. ■Paganini” comes as a notable climax to the Coronation theatre season. It ought to last the year out. 14 Curtain Calls Fourteen curtain-calls for Richard Tauber and Evelyn Laye, and an encore by them in front of the footlights of their duet, brought "Paganini” to a boisterous conclusion. Crowds even greater than usual thronged the entrance to the theatre before the performance. An excited audience cheered themselves hoarse when Gracie Fields entered the stalls —and during one interval there was an invasion of autograph-hunters from the pit to keep her and other stage and film celebrities busy. The audience made it clear, both during the performance and at the end. that they regarded Miss Laye’s appearance as a wonderful return. When, at the end, she was taking her bows with Mr Tauber and smiling up at her husband, Frank Lawton, in a box, there were shouts of “Well done, Evelyn.” This caused Mr Tauber to give her a congratulatory hug. Amusing Incidents The evening provided two unexpected laughs. One was when, during the third encore of their big duet in the second act, Mr Tauber jokingly sang some phrases into her ear—and was then discovered to have a patch of powder on his nose. He was the only mystified person at the roars of laughter which followed—until Miss Laye whispered to him the cause, between bars of music. At the very end, after the giant curtain had risen and fallen half-a-dozen times, it became caught in the proscenium and refused to come down again properly.

Mr Tauber himself had to mak several jumps at it and tug hard be fore it finally righted itself.