MUSIC AND THE STAGE

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17230, 22 December 1923, Page 8 (Supplement)

MUSIC AND THE STAGE

BY THE LIMELIGHT MAN

Miss Gertrude Elliott (Lady Forbes Robertson) will open her Christchurch season on January 17, with “ Woman to Woman.” This will be followed by ** Bluebeard’s Eighth Wife.” “ Smilin’ Through” and “Enter Madame.” Wirth’s Circus, which will be in Christchurch early in the New Year, includes a number of new artists specially engaged by Mr P. Wirth. amongst them being the following:—Prince Guiseppi Bignoli, the smallest lockey and comedy artist in the world; Bert Hughes and company of ladies and gentlemen who play basket ball on bicycles (a very clever act) : the Egochago troupe of bull-fighters from South America: Big Alfredo, Spanish clown, and Trained Dogs from Cuba, Havana; Mimi Wharton and Louie Carmelle. duo jugglers. Calliope: Alfrod Clark, England's greatest rider; Evans and Perez, the equilibrist. These are a few of the new artists who are making their first appearance in New Zealand. It includes the largest herd or elephants ever seen in Australia, including Jessie, the baby elephant. The famous English comedy actor, Air Laurence Grossmith. will appear at the Theatre Royal, Christchurch, on li >xing night, in “Ambrose Applejohn’s Adventure.” a play which has achieved n wonderful success and lengthy run in England and America. It provides Mr Grossmith with remarkable opportunity tc* display his versatility in the dual role of an English gentleman and a pirate. Mr Grossmith comes of a noted theatrical family, and is said to be as popular in America as in England—a unique achievement for an English actor. A specially selected cast will be associated, with the star, including Miss Diana W ilson. Tn the second production. -‘The Silver Fox\” there is a “ mystery picture.” Everyone wants to know who painted the large picture of the nude which adorns the sittingroom of Frankie Tyirner in the last act. It is a charming bit of painting, and attracts the attention of the audience immediately the curtain rises. It draws to itself, also, a good deal of dialogue from the characters during the''last act of the play. Mr W. A. Low has joined the J. C. Williamson staff as touring manager for “ The Beggar’s Opera.” The Humphrey-Bishop Company, who commenced their New Zealand tour at the Town Hall, Auckland, on Thursday, have had a remarkable series of adventures in the course of their world tour. They claim to bo the first theatrical company to tour Mesopotamia. performing in the historic towns of Bagdad and Bursa Kut. In India they had the misfortune to lose everything they had in a big fire at the theatre, but by means of buying from the native bazaars and borrowing from other companies, they were able to open their show again on the following night at another theatre. Miss Kathleen Cruickshank, daughter of Mr and Mrs AY. H. Cruickshank (Wellington and Masterton), ■who came to England three years ago to continue her vocal studies, made •her first appearance in London -on October 24 (writes the London correspondent of the Wellington “ Post ”). For her debut she chose Leighton House, Kensington, whiqh is the home of the Kensington Musical Society, and the centre where many delightful concerts of chamber music are now frequently given. Miss Cruickshank hag not a powerful voice. But any lack of volume is more than compensated for by her artistic use of it. Het voice—a light soprano—is true in quality ; it is well placed, well modulated, and every note is full and round. The singer impresses one as being very

intelligent and as being naturally gifted. She sings with much expression, and the. natural tear in her voice is clearly evident in the Spirituelles, which she gives with dainty charm and feeling. For some time past Miss Cruickshank has been studying with Mi sc ha Leon. He was present last night, and later he expressed to me his delight at his pupil’s success, commenting specially upon her composure, her accurate breathing, and her true production. He lias found her a very apt student and a keen-and-intelligent worker. . Complimentary, remarks were made throughout bv musical people present, some, of whom said, they would rather hear Kathleen Cruickshank’s artistic singing than listen to the bigger but less pleasing voices of some artists now well established. The audience, of course, was a very friendly one, for New Zealanders in London rallied round the young singer, who received-many beautiful bouquets.* - Always when singing in a small hall or in a private . house Miss Cruickshank will please her hearers. ‘' Sally ’’ lu.s celebrated its 100th performance in Melbourne. During his tour abroad in search of novelties for Williamson’s. Mr K- J. Tail says he saw 170 shows, ranging from grand opera to burlesque. Dame Nellie Melba had a wonderful reception in Sydney recently on the occasion of her first concert on her return from abroad. The Town Hall was packed with music lovers.

i There is one absorbing topic among chorus girls in Australia at the moment, and that is the new log recently framed by the Actors’ Federation, which demands on their behalf £6 a week. It also calls for. a full month’s sick pay, 10s a day travelling expenses, in addition to weekly wages and extra pay for matinees. | A London correspondent recently ani nounced that Mr Seymour Hicks had arranged to take his wife (Miss Ellaline Terriss) to Australia to recuperate after a long illness. It is now intimated that Mr Hicks will appear during his stay of the greater part of next year in Australia under engage- < ment to the Hugh _J, Ward Theatres. I Othello is said to he Oscar Asclie’s favourite role, and he played, many parts in the tragic drama under F. R. Benson’s tuition, before he even tually played the title role, in 1807, I under liis own management. It was J in 1907 that Asclie took over the lease of His Majesty’s The.•.re. London, and “Othello’’’ was the first Shakespearean play h_s presented. It is twelve years since Asche last presented “Othello” to Australia, with Lily’ Braytou as his Desdemona. j According to a cable message in the Sydney “ Sun,” Sir Benjamin Fuller, now in England, has had a dream realised. The knight states that he left Hoxton. an East End slum, in 1894, to work his passage to Australia, saying that he would make a fortune abroad and come back to Park Lane to live. He now announces that his ambition has been realised, for before the end of the year he will move into a flat in Park Lane. Just how long Sir Beniamin intends to remain in England is at present undecided. Ada Reeve will appear in pantomime this Christmas in Australia. She was last seen in this class of entertainment in the panto, season of 1897-98 at Her Majesty’s, Sydney, where she scored a great hit as Robin Hood in “The Babes in the Wood.’’ The babes were plated by Carrie Moore and Lily Titheradge. Alice Leamar was Maid Marion, and John Coleman and John Burke appeared as the robbers. The wicked uncle was played by Bert Gilbert. and the Dame by George De Ada Pace, and Minnie Everett were in Lara. Minnie Hooper Lucy Cobb, the cast. The version was in three acts, and the. final seen?, “The Wedding Breakfast.” • was the ' talk of Sydney at the time.

The best item of the theatrical news we have had tor manv a day is that Miss Vanbrugh and Mr Boucicault have no intention of leaving Australia immediately (says a Melbourne paper). They are as pleased with their audiences as the audiences are with them, and intend to stay as long as possible. There is not the slightest fear of wearing out their welcome. In about a year we may expect them back in Melbourne again, and nothing in theatrical provision could be much better for Melbourne. Of both principals and company it may be said that they are actors with some sense of the dignity of their art, have no need of and no taste for the perpetual publicity stunts—with a camera in the foreground—which in the case of the smaller stars of the stage have become so ingWhy is it that so many Australian plays are written and so few produced? (writes a Melbourne paper). The answer probably is that publishers are enterprising, while conservative theatrical managers are scared of local talent. Amongst the new local dramatists are Judge Beeby, of Sydney, Helen Stephens and Rose Soley. The last-mentioned, whose pen name is “ Rose de Boheme,” has written a most interesting three-act play called “By the Light of his Past,” a story of journalism in Sydney thirty years ago, when Bohemia ruled the literary life of that city. Many well-known writers of that period may be recognised in the leading characters'in. the drama, and the writer has produced some exciting incidents from real life colour. Miss Soles road her play at the Lyceum Club. Sydney .last week, when members expressed the hope that it would be jiut ok the professional stage. “ No. T am not going to retire from the stage.” said Miss Etnelie Polini. who is now appearing at Her Majesty’s. Melbourne, to a pressman. Miss Polini, who is in the midst of a’ goodbye season at Her Majesty’s, will leave

for London early in the new year. “I will have a well-earned rest first.’’ she added. “ I want to see all the ‘London shows, then slip over to Paris for a look around, and then 1 Avill start work again. It may be in London, or it may be New York, but I am not going to sit by the fire or rusticate oil a farm as long as the public want to see me act. lam looking forward keenly to my visit to those places, though I shall deeply regret leaving Australia, and hope to return. It is a grand stimulant to one’s'art to see. all the varied phases of stage art as depicted by the notable people of the stage in other countries, and to . see the latest plays. Even in acting one must keep abreast'of the times.” •

Hugh M.'Crae, already knoivn as poet., artist, humorist, and . actor is (says “First Nigh ter” of “The Argus”) now turning to dramatic Avorlc. He - has written a stage fantasy . ‘ ‘ The Ship of Heaven,”, for which Alfred Hill has composed the music. The play combines plenty of action, with colour and spectacular effect, a Sydney correspondent tells me. There are two acts with four scenes, and one scene, “ The Doctor’s Shop,” passes in dumb show, aided by the music. Mr M’Crae has designed the costumes, and has written lyrics, uhich he regards as amongst his best work in A’erse. Mr Hill’s score is generally light and dainty, but in two places, in accordance with the plot, it becomes dram-

atic, in the manner of grand opera. “ The orchestration will serve to paint a picture rather than hammer on an anvil. It will assemble ’cellos, violins, one instrument of each of the wood wind group, a horn, a harp and a small drum:” Mr Hill has composed the music for several stage pieces. In “ A Moorish Maid.” Miss Rosina Biickman appeared before going to England. “.Tapu,” a Maori comic opera with a book by Arthur H. Adams, was staged-by J- C. Williamson. Mr M’Crae made some appearances in New'York with the GranvilleBaker company. In Australia lie lias appeared, in the intervals of authorship.' with' the lan Maclaren company and in the Tn it repertory productions by a professional company. Mr J. E. Tait, who- has iust returned from a scout through the theatrical •vorkl after novelties for Williamson’s, says that there is still a discernible difference’in the manner in which musical comedy is presented in England, America -and Australia (says “The Australasian’’). He prefers the Australian style,-which has yiore life in it-. Production,. he maintains, is with few exceptions, better in Sydney or Melbourne than it is in London or New Yorit. and the Australian audience is, perhaps, the hardest in the - world to please. With respect to new productions, Mr Tait mentioned that lie had arranged for the presentation of “The Wild Flo Aver.” the outstanding success in musical comedy in New York. He had also obtained the right of producing “ The Green Goddess.” a line drama depicting military life, in the Himalayas. “ The Lady of the the musical comedy success at aDly’s Theatre. London, would be produced in Melbourne at Easter. He had obtained, too. the following musical Avorks: —- “The Cousin from Nowhere.” “ Catherine,” “The Beauty Prize.” “Stop Flirting,” “ Hassan ” (a gorgeous production from Her Majestys. London, and “Lilac Time.” The last-mentioned play was a storv of Schubert’'? life, the niusic having ‘been arranged by Mr George Clutsum. an Australian. Come-

dies which would be produced in Australia, included “ Merton of the Movies,*’ a satirical work on moving picture life, which was now in its second year in New York; “The Seventh Heaven,” a comedy-drama, now in its twenty-ninth month at the Booth Theatre, New York: “Thank You,” a comedy which lias been running for two years in New York* and other American cities: “Kempy,” which will be included in the repertoire of John, I). O’Hara, who will return early next year; and “Aren’t We well?” an English comedy*, which was highly popular in America, with Cyril Maude lieatling the cast.

A new play, “The Lie,” by Henry Arthur Jones, a white-bearded veteran of seventy-two. has been produced at the New Theatre. The chief actress in it is Miss fcs3 7 bil Thorndike, who made a great success of a strong part. “Of course,” says the “Telegraph,” “Mr Jones is a first-rate playwright; and in Elinor Shale he has written a part such as an emotional actress might pray for. The opportunities that it offers to Miss Sybil Thorndike are so great that for this reason alone the play can hardly fail to run. The scene of wild rage which brings the third act to a close, and the scene of denunciation in the last act, where Lucy is at last confronted with her lie and made to promise to confess it to her husband, are both theatrical tours de force, deliberately and admirably designed to sweep an audience away into ecstasies of excitement.” “Mr Jones’s play,” says the “Times,” “so del'tlv patterned, is like one of those engraved and hand-coloured fashion plates common in the sixties which..when we come upon them by chance, demand our admiration for their competent workmanship but which are without significance for us now. But we would add that the greater part of the audience received the performance with every sign of approval.”

Musical taste on the American stage is evidently developing. One critic writes : “No more the bawling syncopated soubrette. whose only acquisition was a reputation in the divorce courts and a vulgar method of kicking. The new era of finesse has arrived. America has found herself on the musical comedy stage, and where she led the world into a chaotic mass of blaring sound and wild and rampant colours in revues she will agaifi take the lr in bringing the theatre to comic opera which will live up to what the name conveys.”

Tlie present theatrical season in New York is reversing that of last year in the fact that musical pieces are cropping up like mushrooms and the big, serious things are less in the foreground (says an American paper). There are fourteen musical comedies, revues. operettas, running in vhe metropolis, and it is said that :he weekly takings for these shows amounts to about 300,000d01. And right in the face of that Flo Ziegfeldt says he will producee no more “Follies” after the one just off the stocks, which is the eighteenth of the series. '

Dr Richard Strauss, the world-re-nowned composer, is never at a loss for an original idea. His latest is to set his own life to music. In his Southern Bavarian home he is just completing another opera, to which he has giren the title, “A Bourgeois Marriage; An Intermezzo.” The work is in two acts, and will be performed for the first time at the famous Salzburg “ Stadt Theatre ” in the course of this month. The new opera is unique iu that it has its main foundations in actual episodes from the married life of the composer himself. It is said to contain some harmonies which may rival the famous waltz in his “Rose Cavalier.” There was recently produced in London at the Comedy Theatre by Mr J E. Yedrenne, in conjunction with Mr Charles Gulliver. “ The Last Warning.” This play is based on the remarkable novel by Wadsworth Camp, “ House of Fear.” In this thrilling story the haunted house is not a private residence, but a theatre, which has been mad© “ impossible ” by che supernatural consequences of a tragedy of five years before connected with th° mysterious disappearance and death of a certain actor-manager. As a result the house has since been the scene or nothing but disaster. The play shows the fate of an attempt to reopen it, and the things that happen are said to ‘j.suoi aq} lunsp o* qSnoua aq tious.