MIMES AND MUMMERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10769, 15 May 1913, Page 2

MIMES AND MUMMERS.

(By THE LIMELIGHT MAN.)

The Dandies at the Theatre Royal on May 21, for lour nights only .

Hortie Wright, the comedian who was hero with "Our Miss Uibbs," has gone to America.

It is stated that Miss Maggie Dickinson, of the Williamson dauoors. is to appear in Mdlle Adeline Genee's ballot.

Sir George Alexander has retired irom local government work, and did not- seek re-election to the London County Council, on which lie has sat since 1907.

Hugh D. M'lntosh has gone to America. Hi search of novelties, and George I>. Tortus is managing the Tivoli in Jus absence. Harold Ashion, of tho J.C.W. linn, has gone to the States, too.

Adrian Hope's "Duds and Blos.sonir," valse has had a big sale in Wellington. In two weeks 2300 copies were sold there. The waltz is being played by the. orchestra- at tlis :Maje&tv's Theatre.

Costume, entertainers crowd upon tho city, and at the end of tlio month tho •'..butterflies,' : a little company that caused a sensation in Wellington Avhen it opened there without any heralding, will commence a- season at tho Theatre Royal. # »

.Fred Niblo's engagement with the Williamson firm has been extended, and ho will remain in Australia until February next year at least- The reason or it is the big success of •'The Fortune Hunter, 1 ' in which Niblo has caught the people.

Included in the cast of the Klaw and Erlauger production of "The Pink Ladv ' were Alfred Deery and Miss Lucie Carter, who both had leading parts. These two players are Australians. They were married in Australia, and went to Am ft lea about two years ago.

J. D. Williams, the man who stirred up the motion picture business in Australia, has gone back to America with a schemo for the handling of pictures more economically than they are at present. Ho has stated that he will return to Australia with something big in two years' time.

The Asche-Brayton production of "Antony and Cleopatra" has been drawing big houses in Sydney, and it looks as if Asche's farewell to Australia is going to be drawn out into a long one. After "Antony and Cleopatra" Asche will show Syd'ney his version of " A Midsummer Night's Dream."

On Saturday a new Williamson Dramatic Company will commenco work in Australia with the American drama " Within tho Law," a play which had a big run in New York. Included in the cast and heading it are Miss Muriel Starr, Miss Mary Worth, Lincoln Plumer and E- W. Morrison.

Under tho direotion of Joseph L. Goodman,' the Alhambra, in Sydney, the old Haymarket Theatre, has returned to vaudeville, after having been devoted to motion pictures for some time. Tho Haymarket was a vaudeville under the management of Frank Smith, and Joseph isomers, the conductor, was a member of the orchestra in those days.

Dark nimours of movements in the picture business continue to circulate, and already some of the small men in the business are feeling tho effect of combines. A picture monopoly should not be tolerated for one hour, and if there is any danger of the pleasureseekers of the dominion falling into the grasping maws of a monopoly the Legislature should step in at once.

Claude Haigh is once more in town telling the advance tale for the Dandies, who are to appear in Christohurch for four nights next week. Haigh is full of proofs of the excellence of the company that, he precedes, but independent and therefore unbiassed advices states that this combination of Dandies is worthy of the name. It has scored big, and if it is half as effective as its advance printing, it will succeed. May 21 has been selected for the opening night— next Wednesdav.

According to an Australian newspaper Miss Margaret Cooper, who was here last year, has not been doing well in Johannesburg;. Before Miss Coos •.■:• left Australia she was interviewed Perth, and there she declared that • Australians lacked " a reverence for their betters," and she suggested that " a leaven of English aiistocracv was needed to elevate and improve the colonials." The result was "that in Perth and Freraantle Miss Cooper played to small houses. Now in Johannesburg, it is reported, she indulged in the practice of playing the " nobs " of the goldmining city to their seats, while Miss Cooper's husband stated openly that there was only one gentleman in Jo'burg. Again business was disagreeably affected.

The principal parts in the American drama " Within the Law," at the Melbourne Theatre Royal on Saturday night, will be as follows:—Sarah. (.Edward Gilder's private secretary), Miss Katherine Lawrence; Richard Gilder (Edward Gilder's son), Eric Max on; Edward Gilder (proprietor of the Emporiuni), Reginald Wykeham; Helen Morris (a saleswoman at the Emporium), Miss Gwen Burroughs: George Demerest (Edward Gilder's lawyer), Jerrold Robertshaw : Mary Turner (a saleswoman at the .Emporium), Miss Muriel Starr, her first appearance in Australia ; Detective-Sergeant Cassidy (of the New York police), Boyd Irwin; Agnes Lynch (a confidence woman),"Miss Mary Worth, her first appearance in Australia ; Joe Carson (a forger), E. W. Morrison, his re-appearance in Australia ; Fanny (a maid), Miss Mareiery Soper; William Irwin (a lawyer), Herbert Ford ; Eddie Griggs (a crook known p.s "English Eddio"), Harry Sweeney; Police-Inspector Burke, Lincoln Plumer, his first appearance in Australia; Thomas (a butler), George Chalmers; Chicago Red (acrook), Oarletan Stuart; Tom Tupper (a detective), George- Chalmers, jim. The play null be produced by E. W. Morrison, with A. L. Pearce as stage-manager.

Tlie Quintan Grand Opera Company is booked to sail from Liverpool oil May 19 for the South African season. Th.e company will number 16;' i people, and 3(i(! tons of baggage, will be carried. The Australasian tour will open in Melbourne on August 16, and the following operas arc set down to be given hi Liig!i<<h : -- Wagner -~ TV Rin«("Phinegnld." "Valkyrie." " Sio£ fried," "Twilight of the Gods"), "The Mcistomngors." " Lohengrin," "Tannhauser," "Tri-.tan and Isolde." "The .(''lying Dutchman." Puccini—" Marion Lescaut." "Madame Butterfly." "La Tosca," "La Bobomo." "The Girl of the Golden West." Verdi " Aida " "La Trariata." "_ Rigoletto." "11 Ti'ovatoro." Sin int. Saens—"Samson and Delilah." Massenet—" Marion." Mozart—" Marriage of Figaro." CharSmtier—" Louise." Bizet—" Carmen." ottneel —" Faust." Debussy- " The Prodigal Son." Offenbach —" Tales of Hoffman." Among the artists engaged are Miss Felice Lyne, Miss I'crcivnl Allen. Mdmo Jeanne Brola. Miss Gladys Ancrum, Miss Alice Prowse. Mdmo Edna Thornton. Miss Mabel Dennis, Miss Helen Juta, David G. Henderson. Thomas Meux, Maurice D'Oisly, Spencer Thomas. Svdney Russell," 'Robert Parker, W. J. Samuell, Graham Marr, William Dever, C. Magrath. Karl Corhems, William Anderson and Arthur Wynn. H<?rr Richard Eckhold And_ Signer Tullio Voghern. anve been retained as conductors. The Quintan toi'r, y.-hirh is under the J. O. Williamson direction, will embrace Zealand. There is ;: tlieiitri«\ii nuiy.a>-.iiii in

Australia controlled by 1 lie .1. (.■. Williamson I'rcsf. agents, rind now and again it comes out with :;omo mtev>" ; .t;ing information. One of jc.s l;iivest e» curfiions is to Ml Australians how lucky they an; in being .served hv a management that docs no more than select for production Wforo then plays that havo been successes in Now York and London. It is an intei-osting piece of special pleading, but while Australiinis may see only pieces that have succeeded, they do not sec all tho plnys that have* mndo big lute, nor do they see nil the successful plays that are suitable to Australia. Nor d'o they always sec successes given the interpretations that they deserve. To see. succosse.s only is doubtless an advantage, but does it compensate for the knowledge that there' are many plays and many players who do not appear in Australia and New Zealand, and that despite all tho managerial announcelrientK, the productions are not equal to those put on in London or New York. Here is a paragraph from ''The Theatre" on the .subject :— n The Australian public, wo say again, have much to ho thankful for in being removed from such competition. It is far l>ettcr that managers should undertake tho responsibility of exercising their powers of discrimination as to what piny out of so many Mould be most likely to interest us. Tn this way we enjoy the advantages of what wo might call, the eclectic theatre. Experts select what is doomed' most acceptable from all schools, so we have no cause for complaint." Isn't that rich?