THE STAGE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 20000, 16 July 1920, Page 9

THE STAGE.

NOTES AND COMMENTS. (By “ THE LIMELIGHT MAN.”) Messrs Ben. and J. Fuller announce flip appearance in the near future of Miss Helen Charles, <a. recent arrival from London, and now appearing in Melbourne Miss Charles specialises in child studies, ■ and she whistles the choruses of her songs. 'With a. striking beauty of face and figure, a. pleasing personality, and a, wardrobe that is, said to eclipse that of any vaudeville artist previously seen in these joartp. Miss Charles is said to bo veiw larMiss Lee White, -who is; appearing at Sydney Tivoli, draws a,, very high salary. It is said that she is; receiving between £3OO and £-100 a week, and that she is worth it as an entertainer. Tlio many admirers of the brilliant. Australian violinist, Daisy Kennedy, will be glad to learn that she has fully recovered her health, and is now practising daily with a view to the resumption of her season. The young artist was forced to suspend her'act ivities in " March. 'Madame Stralia (Miss Elsie Fischer) has signed a. contract with Sir Thomas ■ Beocham for an ■ opera, season for twelve months, from September next. . Sho is also under an engagement to i appear under tho direction of Albert Coates. Madame Stralia expresses-the hope that she will bo able to visit Australia about the end of next year. “ Tlie Maid of the Mountains," which- had. a. four years’ run in Loudon, has been long delayed ,as an Australian production, but Mr Clyde Moy- ■ Ufiß, who has just returned to Melbourne after a lengthened absence, has finally made arrangements to stage the, musical comedy there. Other musical comedies arranged for are ‘‘Who’s Hooper?'’, from the-• Adolphi, and ‘ Baby Bunting," the Lyceum success, in which Miss Dorothy Bnmtou got ■ her opportunity. Miss Ruth Bucknall, soprano, now appearing at Fuller’s Sydney theatre, tho Empire, is an Australian, girl, who some years ago went to London, and has since made a, name for herself in English vaudeville. Coming to A usiralia again on a Hying trip to adjust some family matters-sho was persuaded by the Fuller management to accept an offer to tour their Australian and aow Zealand circuits before returning to Loudon, where she has a, lengthy list ot contracts for. 1921. Captain Horace Stevens, who has been hailed as the greatest Elijah " since Santley, was hoard for a. few moments while rehearsing for his forthcoming recital (says tho Melbourne “Herald”). Hi? voice- is stronger and more beautiful than ever. Melbourne people should be proud to think that another Victorian has been added to tho honour roll of musical England. Immediately after this recital and when he has transacted certain personal business here, Captain Stevens will return to England to fulfil,engage- ( incuts in London and tho provinces ' in October and November. John M’Corniack, the Celebrated, tenor, who has just left America under engagement to J. and X. Tait for a return season in. Australia, is talking of buying a ranch in America, to which ho can escape for a rest and change after he has concluded his musicitl lours. John M’Cormack, it may le explained, leads a very strenuous carcoi on his tours., -, Every day is*.occupied., '■nth rehearsals,- interviews with vepor tors, or appointments with photographers, and ho has in addition to spend a lot of time in travelling from city .to city, and handles each day a large personal mail. ; Much of Dan Barry’s success was d’. 1 ® to tbo personality and expertness' ol Bert Geigers, for raaiiv years his ‘ advance agent (writes a Sydney " Bulletin ’’ correspondent.).■ A blaze of diamonds, and accompanied by a showy Bernard, Odgers made a deep impression on tho Back blocks. Luce he arrived at Cobar (X.S.W.) to find three rival agents ahead of him. Odgers thought hard, then purchased a hogshead ot beer and a dozen pannikins, and that afternoon, he acted- as host just outside the big mine. As tho miners came off shift in hundreds they were confronted with a temporarv bar. bearing a huge placard—“ Dan Barry invites, the Cobar boys to hare one vath him. He’s coming hero next Saturday.’’ That did it! Lowell Thomas, the famous war correspondent and traveller, will shortly i V-! Australia at tho invita'tion of the Commonwealth Government, to deliver his famous entertainment descriptive of the operation;-: in Arabia and Palestine in wliich ilui Australians and New Zealanders played so glorious a pari. Illustrated with 'marvellous moving pictures, Air Lowell Thomas has presented this entertainment in England and America under the auspices of the British Government with unique success. For weeks the Opera Douse, Covcnt Garden,, London, was packed to the doors, and the takings uere the biggest week by week that tins historic theal e had ever held at th° prices. President "Wilson cabled to Air Thomas requesting him to visit America. The lecturer and traveller his entertainment at Washington, New Fork and other centres, and at the White House Air Thomas was personally congratulated and (hanked by the President. J. C. Williamson Ltd. will present Mr Lowell Smith throughout Ilia Australian and New Zealand tour.

Mario Riguold, here -with the. Conn* ncidge Comedy Company, recalls Van Bienc and his “ Broken Melody ’’ (writes a Sydney *' Bulletin •*’ correspondent). This Miss Rignold, one of three sisters who have shown their talent on the Australian stage, was \an Biene’s leading lady, and played the duchess who teas supposed to hare fascinated tiro long-haired ’cellist, and to be tho' explanation of why Van Bieue left homo. . Her older sister, Bessie, is remembered as (ho niece whom George Rignold had iu his company for a, while, and whom in. much embarrassed on one occasion whom she was playing Marguerite to his Mephisto. She was uttering her despair ;on the doorstep of the Cathedral, and the deep rich tones of a devil who was not supposed to bo either visible or audible were heard counselling lit-

to 20 slow. “ Take your time, Dessio ” -•tile words rang out like the cry of Lxeelsi-or ” on the startled air. and the audience emphasised Uncle’s advice with a round of applause. Dora, the other llignold sister, was tho tall, handsome young thing who played Oberou in a. beautiful production "of “ Midsummer Night’s Dream,” and '•Tola in -'Twelfth Night.” Tim charm of her sweet and gentle personality and musical voire cling to one’s j recollection. The sisters are daughters I of George Rignold’s big brother Wii--1 ham, a fine, virile actor who was driven from the stage by blindness. Ho was nearing that calamity when.ho visited Australia and was Falstaff in his brother's “Merry Wires.” Opera in the open air was to bo l tried in London in Juno, when it was proposed to “stage” Purcell’s “Dido and .‘Eneas ” for several performances in Hyde Park, Mdme. Pavlova gave at Drury Lane in May a new Chopin ballet' called “ Autunm Leaves.’’.which, apart from tho crude orchestration of some ,of Chopin’s loveliest piano pieces, is dm scribed as haring leeu a delightful thing. Mdme. Pavlova plays tho’ part, of a drooping chrysanthemum. The wind robs her of her petals, and a passing poet, who has glanced at the (lower, has no thought left for her when an agreeable girl strolls into the park. Tho chrysanthemum dies.

nd ’ a ? eilor i Al* Khan, who . wort r-u Oriental costume of scarlet, and' * gold, was well received at a recent. London- concert, when he sang operatic anas. < It ja stated that ho is to be ' Jieard in opera. As to the conceri appearance, a. “ lYesniiaster Gazette” critic remarkslt can hardly be £ aid tno,t either his voice or his singing was ot a very electrifying kind, -the quality of ns tone being-too nasal 'to he altogethcr picasing tp Western bars.” A touching incident occurred at llui Shakespeare Day festival at the New Theatre. MissElleu Terry broke down completely when sho began to reeilo the sleep' 1 speech from Henry TV: j.ltei several vain attempts to proceed nitli the speech, the veteran actress advanced to the footlights. “I’m too nervous,- she said; “I must read it/' Ilio audience broke into a. storm ol cheering as Hiss Terry resumed hei seat at a tabic. At the conclusion o/tlic reading Miss Terry was awarded one ot the greatest ovations she had ever received m her life. K a t G Terry, who retired from the stage more than twenty years .ago, gaio an address at a. Shakespeare din--111 London. She said sho had beer? told that she was carried on to tinstage m long clothes. She was twenty jxars on the stage, yet slio left it when she was twenty.three. From the age of seven tor nine was with ill and Mrs Charles Kean, and to them she owed almost everything she did on the stage. Before she was lifvW B k- act ? d Cordclia - 111 the scene where King Lear recognised his dauriiO) they Used t 0 weep copionslv. ivean’s tears tell upon her, and hen upon the stage. The thing was so depressing that one night he said, “Mv. dear Katie, we must have'a pair of 1 httle buckets made to catch our tears. Otherwise wo shall flood the audience. ■ “ The Beggar’s Opera,” which is he-,. in <= in London, made a tre-' mi n m U , S r n 4 Sat,on Ivhen hj "’ as brought’ out iic.il |y two centuries ago. Its anS?’ vIIOSQ “ Trivia ” lias? dTll JoTers Mon-;.’ center} ' O n-u " t^ie Piece ac-‘ I WAV C( ? 1Ia y Cibber •-■refused- it for Jun-j’ Lane, but Bich had the wisdom'' ( 5i n n ll , al Lincohds Inn Fields/!. ' imi »c(hatc!y attained a degree of popularity that was. as modem adveS Fird n r-IcrI VoUld . Eay ’ " Phenomenal. I ', uisi tKkcl on January 29 172R it S'hfas 62 ,,j 1 " 5 ,- F « !it if mro t r had matl ° ;C7OO Pro-’ S; 8 2f d/ re f^ e;l l ?f'- its- -Suci.?s aCt |p !:;iC ’ ■Li® 0 a " t! toid JH vast numbers, her honour C publffi, salaiy nas only doubled,; so° that it reached the munificent sura pf JOs tells hwZ T k ' m Ijookill g agent' re- • ncV , . f° Ursc of a year, he ' ; • lUI heats dozens of “artists 11 nniv'ti K !' lgasollH;n , tSl ol] t' of the, nanj there are only a, few worth ting on a programme. One of \h,* most, curioim turns offered to'him nV one m winch a giant ™ ' Pimcipal hgnro. This man claimed to have the thickest skull eve bln ami ho promised to allow anv rnSer ol the audience f 0 ™ 're “ / rrv’w caredrpurd o J,3oibn/t some time afterwards that'the negro Fid obtained an cngagcmenfc.il, So&* hi 1-sf ir cal T d °" * !l ° sif >Korenu m Jn,.t u giit and tendered his cm-,' omarv invitation. to ,| lc audience. Atd the sight, of a . conyhi of miners carr-v-« hitwm ■ ni f rs ,- I,m y cV€, '« llis " cl l -ii ’ f ui ,h- v the time they., reached sfage he had fled ! . 1 As already, i-ccorrlod, the first London* N,cht hi Homo.” .■ tt? / Mr Hartley Manners for his , / ! ' s /aurotre Tayl'or. was* slopped hy ir hostile demonstration by* / body pt.meh in the gallery. Tim reiise ol Uip disturbance was unknown.■ the second first night ” went smooth-;-I}, iii.li much applause, though a -critic!. describes t he play as feeble in construe-- 1 tion and, lacking in action. In a/ alter the tall of the cuvUiin,Miss laylor fan American actress, well tnowu in England as the original ‘Beg o 1 My Heart”) said:—“ You. were all so anxious to be kind Uial; •' when anyone laughed yon said ‘Hush! 1 i and wlu’ii anyone clapped- you looked to see if he had' a, bomb. In dark/ corners people have whispered things’" about mo. But 1 am sure 1 need. 1 hardly assure you ol my absolute" loyalty to England ami America." -’At” one time I was awfully afraid I was ■’ going to be made an inlcrnalional pues- ' lion; they do muddle in tenia lioiml things so, don’t they:-' 1 deivl, know if- ■ the thing that look place on Tbnrsday - will over be cleared up. I flunk i’t- • must have been the doing of some poor madman. I can’t see aiijd-hing else.” 1

Managers and producers •of musical comedies arc realising that the, names of famous, musical executants Mve-. : a very definite commercial value (says a Lo'nd'on paper). This mas. proved conclusively when, recently: .Charlies'' DRilingham produced ‘•Apple Blossoms,” for which .Witz Kreislcr, they; famous virtuoso-violinist, wrote the. music. The result is that managers are now making attractive offers in tha shape of advance royalties, to other concert artists if they will, write ;i score for a. new musical show. That the recitalists have had no previous,',* experience in writing music for the') popular taste matters not. The ninn- ” agora reckon Unit'names such as Elman or Heifetz is. sufficient to attract a, large patronage. Beth Mischa Elman and Efrem Zimhalist have signed big contracts to deliver the musical comedy goods. Other names- sought- f* after hy enterprising managers arc ;" Josef. Hofman, Pablo Casals, and Bach-- '; maninoff. Rachmaninoff. it. will be -i remembered,, escaped from Russia during the early days of the Bolshevik. Regime. It was reported that he had,.,, lost his life. He did. howver. lose most of his most valued material pos- .:! sessions, including many manuscripts which cannot he replaced. Laughter, both of audience and of players, is considered in arf interesting chapter of Mr Louis Calvert’s “ Problems of the Actor.” There are times,:,.,' he says, when it is better to “ kill” a laugh, generally by speeding up the scene, in order to get a bigger one later. Condensed, some of his other „

advice is as follows:—“ There is a-,,; great deal in being aide to chooso the ■ exact moment at which it is wise to ;:■> break into tho audience's laughter, VTo should break off a bit of the laugh each time. Sir Charles "Wyndhaiu once said to me. ‘ Break off the end of the laughs, and the audience will give you all iho bits welded into one big laugh before Iho end of the play.’ Extraordinary as it may seem, there may be too much laughter during a play’s performance.” Mr CaivenTcon- T aiders that Bernard Shaw may have ' f been perfectly serious in requesting tho audieuco not to laugh during the per- • formanco. of ” John Bull's Other Jr* land.” “It was Shaw, too,” he add*c “who taught me never to show that | ■ was enjoying my own jokes, and tin* lesson should be taken to heart by many and many of our comedians to* day. The moment wo let tho audience feel that we a re, seeing the humour of .. i our own actions it will lose interest; it likes to feel it is through its own . cleverness that, it detects the comedy. •) I have hoard of actors being told that, c to make the play go with a swing, they should laugh at each other’s jokes', '-I and over and over again I have seen • an audience stop laughing, when this was tried, and let the" actors do it.” ’;*?