THE STAGE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19878, 20 February 1920, Page 4

THE STAGE.

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

' (By THE LIMELIGHT .MAN.) Lucien Cesaroni, the operatic basso, who toured New Zealand with Capelli, the Italian tenor, is to tour tho Dominion, commencing next July, under the John Hopkins direction. News has been received in Auckland of the death in Toledo, Ohio, U.S.A., on December 13, of Mrs Hamilton Hodges, formerly well known in musical oirles in Auckland. Mrs Hodges and her husband first came to New Zealand some years ago, with the. Fisk Jubilee Singers, the, deceased ladv being one of the sopranos of that combination and Mr Hodges one of the baritone singers. Both settled in Auckland and opened a studio, where they taught singing for a considerable period, besides ‘accepting professional engagements from time to lime. Recently Airs Hodges had been revisiting her native land, ami Mr Hodges is at present living in AA'cllinoton. °

Air Bert Green, the well-known young Dunedin basso, who first enmo into prominence as a singer at the local competitions (says the “Otago Witness”), has written to an old friend (Mr AV. E. M Kinlny, at present in tho Soldiers’ Convalescent Home, Narrow Neck, Auckland) to say that his latest engagement is at the Palladium, London, where he is appearing with Princess Iwa (Miss Eva Skerrctt, tho Bluff contralto). Mr Green, who was a pupil of -Air G.’ AV. Johnstone in this city, won the bass solo in 1913. and was a. member of the. Dunedin Lyric Quartet, with Messrs Leech, Gemmcl, and M’Kinlny. Prior to taking up his present engagement he was for three months with impressnrio Herman Darowski, and Was billed as the “ star.”

Mrs Robert Brough, who recently returned to Australia, is to have a good part in J. 0. AA illiamson’s forthcoming production of “ fillv of Bloomsbury.”

Tho net proceeds of a complimentary concert, given in Melbourne to John Amndio, .the well known flautist, previous to his departure for England, were £460.

, May Martin Wirth, the somersaultmg girl on horseback, who took American circus audiences by storm with her performance, was married recently in Now York to Frank Martin 'Wirth, a young Australian who took the name ot tho Moyal A\ irth F'nmilv for business rea.sons (says the. “Bulletin.”) Since Mrs Martin, n sister of George and Philip Wirth, and a, lino performer on horseback in her day, look May and an assisting team away to (he States the bridegroom has managed the booking end of the act.

The recent increase in the wages of musicians awarded by the Victorian Arbitration Court amounted to 20 per cent. At a recent conference between the managements and tho Stage Employees’ Association of Melbourne, the managements conceded an increase of 21 per cent, corresponding to the advance in the cost of living that had taken place since tho last award of tho Arbitration Court was made in 1917. 'I he increases in tho musicians’ and stage employees’ salaries amount to over £20,000 per year in tho case of J. C. Williamson Ltd. alone, £IO,OOO of which is distributed between Melbourne and Sydney.

Charley and Harry Coghill were running a variety show at St George’s Hall, Alelbourno (writes a “Bulletin” correspondent), and a. feature of their entertainment was a lively thoughtreading turn given by Professor Something and Alaclame his gifted sisterThe sat blindfolded on tho Bingo, and her voluble brother went among the audience soliciting articles and confidences, which the ‘lady on tho stage described and explained aloud by virtue what the Professor said was her miraculous gift of clairvoyance and second-sight. Nothing, it appeared was a mystery to her: she could dip into all minds, fathom , all intentions’; by her supernatural gifts she was cognisant of all things. Ono night tho Professor found a most sympathetic subject in the front stalls, and to the audience’s delight the lady read him like a book. The show having done with him, the young mm was passing out of the hall -with just a trifle too much haste, when tho Prof, clapped his hand to his fob pocket, and the next moment yelled : “ Hi, hi, stop that fellow! He has stolen mv watch P 1 It was pitifully true. Tho fellow had not only taken the Prof.’s watch, but had purloined everything he had about him, and the great clairvoyant and thought! reading turn went bung on the spot. Barry Lupino is not only one of the most diverting of dames in tho pantomime of “Mother Hubbard,” at tho King’s Theatre, Melbourne, but his acrobatic ability is shown to advantage in a wonderful bit jjf trap work in the final scene of the first act. The scene represents tho deck of a pirate ship, and tho comedian makes an unexpected appearance through tho stage as if ho had been ejected by some explosive. Hie artist rises several foet, and the skill of the operation will bo rcadilv understood when it is explained that he is wearing a very baggy pair of sailor tronsc/ which are likely to impede his exit through tho trap and otherwise affect the pace of his journey aloft. Barry Lupino declares that it is tho most successful trap trick that ho has ever undertaken in pantomime, although, of course, the risks are not. minimised by tho necessity of imitating a shot from a gun. If anv part of his clothes slionld he caught when ho is emerging from the aperture in the stage, ho might suffer serious injury Barry Lupino is about tho most experienced trap artist on the English-speak-ing stage. It was one of the first tricks ho learnt as a boy in England, and it is worth while noting that his father and grandfather were similarly initiated in the long ago.

When Rignold finished his eight years tenancy of Sydney Majesty’s in ’95. Alfred Woods carried on for a spell. He put up a nanto at Christmas, and a- feature of the harlequinade vrns a moss-grown hut ncrer-failing “hare” (writes a “Bulletin” covres-

pendent). The clown (Tommy Cosgrove) made some horseplay with a mimic Salvation Army, and at once a gentleman in evening dress stood up in one of the DcC. boxes and protested loudly. The shrinking young angel beside him implored him to sit down, but that only made him more excited. Finally, after a heated wrangle with the clown, and amidst derisive uproa» from the house, the Salvation champion overbalanced himself and wan dragged on to the stage. Immediately the clown seized one coat sleeve and the pantaloon the other, the dress suit came in halves, and the trio look headers through a, trap in the scenery. It “ wut ” so well that a friend of Woods’s bet him that lie could improve on the sensation and upset the proceedings. This practical joker rigged up a bogus policeman, and arranged for him to “arrest” the D.O. interjcctor as soon as he got going. Walter Hirers (since dead in America)' played the protesting .Johnnie, hut on this particular night ho took ill, and went home after the first act, leaving If Foster to take his place as the Johnnie. The conscientious Foster got into the trick dress suit, and took his sent with his lady in due course. ‘ As soon ns he stood up to interject, the counterfeit John, in full uniform, strode through the circle and seized the interrupter by the arm. “Go ’way, you darmi fool!” implored his victim ip an agonised whisper. “ It’s part of the blanky show!” Bub the policeman was obdurate, and finally lugged the wildly protesting Foster through the circle to the stairs and down into the vestibule. Then a real policeman, noting the disturbance, came to lend his “mate” a hand, and between them they man-handled the struggling mummer till they dragged his trick clothes off, and the joke was exploded. The wretched Foster was allowed to sprint into Pitt 'Street and round to the stage door, lightly clad in pink fleshings and a thick cloud of profanity. Miss Ada Reeve was anounced to appear at the London Alhambra, in January, in the loading part of an English version of a Dutch piece called “ Medora.” W. S. Percy was allotted a good part. At a reception given in her honour by the Loudon Music Club, Dame Nellie Melba spoke of the pleasure it bad given her to And herself back in England once more, and finally announced that, having now returned, she had no intention of going away again. l! Tbo Gold Diggers.” a new American play, is not at all what the title might suggest, being in reality a rather savage satire on theatrical life (savs a contemporary). Modern Now York slung, which calls tho girl dork a “clock-watcher,” knows chorus-girls as “ gold-diggers’—tho allusion is unpleasantly obvious.

Tlie British stage censor has raised objection to certain parts of “A Dear Little Devil,” a play which is described as dealing with “ the adventures of a very _ modern young woman, who is determined to control her own love affairs without interference from parents or others.” As a result of the objection, tho first performance was postponed.

Miss Lena Ashwell has founded a London repertory company, with members drawn from tho dOO'players who performed under Miss AshweU’s auspices to soldiers behind the firing lino throughout tho war. Tho season opened at tho reconstructed Excelsior Hail, Bethnal Green, with 11 Lear Kleschna.” The appearance of the stalls is stated to have suggested a migration of West End playgoers to tho East, similar to that which followed Mr John Drinkater’s ‘‘Abraham Lincoln” to Hammersmith.