MUSIC AND THE STAGE

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18015, 27 November 1926, Page 25

MUSIC AND THE STAGE

At the Caledonian Hall, on Decern- < her 4 and 6, Miss Bessie Macdonald ] will hold her annual dance recitals. , ; An entirely new style of recital will i be staged this year. In Miss Macdonald Christchurch has a teacher of • dancing who is capable of imparting 1 a commendably high standard of tech- 1 nique and musical appreciation to her ' pupils, and of turning out an annual crop of budding dancers. A happy ; selection has been made of musical numbers. Some of the best of the latest song successes will be sung by Mr David M’Gill. One of the special | features of the recital will be an operatic ballet with Miss Macdonaid and her partner. Mr H. W. Gardiner, in a Pas de Deux. The proceeds will be given to St Saviour's Orphanage. Miss Amy Hansard, who has been pursuing musical studies in England and on the Continent during the past four years, is taking up her residence in Auckland. This New Zealand contralto possesses a voice of rich quality and has sung solo parts in many choral works under well-known conductors abroad. Gisborne, long one of the best of Maoriland show towns, has fallen on evil days (writes a Sydney “Bulletin" correspondent). No show that has visited it in recent years has paid expenses; and a smart revue company snowed lately to seven persons, including three pressmen. After the open ing number the curtain came down with the almost forgotten dull, sickening thud. Gisborne’s isolation has been blamed for the theatrical slump, but actually there is a twice-daily service from Napier, the railhead. Blame must rather be laid on the pictures and a long succession of dud companies. Miss Ber\*l Barraclough, the character comedienne with the Joseph Cunningham New English Comedy Company, which last week commenced a New Zealand tour at the Opera House, Wellington, hails from Sheffield. Miss Barraclough is much travelled, having toured South Africa, the Near, Middle and Far East, Egypt and the Continent. One can quite imagine that these peregrinations would include some thrilling adventures, but the most thrilling of all stands “starred" in her diary as the night she danced with the Prince of Wales at a supper party given at Government House. Madras. India, by Lord Willington. after a performance of “Romance,” in which . Miss Barraclough played the ; lead. Elocutionists and those who have a predilection for clear enunciation and correct intonation, two essentials in stage and platform equipment, should not miss the opportunity of hearing Miss Henrietta Cavendish, of the Joseph Cunningham English Comedy Company, which last week opened a brief tour of New Zealand at the Grand Opera House, Wellington. It is a treat to hear English spoken as it should be spoken, without any mouthing or pedanticism, and with proper regard for the splitting of sibilants, and the pronouncing of final consonants. Miss Cavendish has earned her undoubted distinction as an actress in the principal West End London theatres, and is touring New Zealand for the first time. The “Midnight Frolics" at Fuller's Theatre, Auckland, have proved a wonderful attraction. “The greatest show that has ever been in Auckland" and accorded “the most wonderful reception that any company has ever had” is the Press report on this brilliant combination of “all star” artists, which goes on to describe the revue as “just one thing after another, worked that fast that you haven't got time to applaud an item lief ore another one is before you.” “Evidently the Auckland audience on the opening night were not to be outdone, and saved up their applause till the finish, when three hearty British cheers were given the performers. As Eric Edgley himself says, never in all their history have they had such a reception. The paper goes on to say that not only are the sketches good, but the singing, dancing, scenery, wardrobe, lighting effects and general atmosphere is something altogether different from what the Auckland public have been having. The lighting effects in particular are exceptionally brilliant and intensify the beauty of the wonderful scenery carried by this company. Most of us are acquainted with fly- , ing horses and carpets, but flying bedsteads are still an unheard of novelty to many. However, the Brocks Brothers, who are at present appearing at Fullers’ Theatre, Sydney, created a sensation , in London just .before they left for Australia by cycling through the main streets in “The Flying Bedstead.” As one of the English papers reported it, “the spectacle of a bedstead going belter skelter through the streets of Liverpool was one that is not likely to be forgotten.” Oscar Beck, the handsome young Norwegian tenor, appearing with the Midnight Frolics at Fuller’s Theatre. Auckland, is a vocalist of more than ordinary calibre. Although yet in the early twenties, he Jias had a wide and I varied experience in grand . opera. ' Following a long course of training at the Koval Music Conservatorium. Copenhagen, he joinexi the Christina Opera Company, controlled by the ..Government of Sweden, and for four years sang important roles in many operas “Honeymoon Lane.” a musical comedy in which William Valentine, a New Zealander, has a prominent role, pleased the critics greatly when pro-

dueed in New York last month. One paper says it should run for - two | In Garnet Walch’s day (writes a Sydney “ Bulletin " correspondent) there was no complaint that the Australian playwright did not get a chance on the local stage: for years Garnet was represented almost continually b> a comedy, a bjirlesque or a pantomime —all the pantos, were home-grown then. Besides a “ Robbery Under Arms,” which still lives on the bills of some touring companies, he wrote “ His Evil Star,” “ Humble Pic,” “ Perfidious Albion,” “ Proof Positive,” and a host of others; and some of his “ Christmas annuals ” —“ Head Over Heels,” “ On the Cards,” “ A Little Tin Plate,” “With the Compliments of the Season” and “Larrikin Jack’ —might be revived with profit.^ Judging on performances the Jews put it all over the Irish in “ Abie's Irish Rose” (says a writer in “Smith's Weekly,” Sydney). Which is perfectly natural when one considers that each performer in this wholesome hilarious little show appears to be scoring off his (or her) own bat, so to speak. The Yiddisher characters are perfectly cast and old man Levi completely overshadows old man Murphy. Why? Because the skin of the latter part doesn’t fit as well as in the case of the former. Neither the Priest nor Murphy quite hits the true Hibernian note. Which is another injustice to Ireland. The play itself is a gem of clean and genuine comedy, full of simple, homely humanity. The women of a theatrical company are not the only ones who must guard against putting on flesh. A plump leading man lacks romance in the eyes of the audience, and nobody would believe • that a fat villain could be anything but good-natured. According to Cecil Kellaway, who is playing in “Katja” at Melbourne His Majesty’s, a comedian can afford superfluous weight. “I refuse to starve,” he confessed, “and no amount of dancing or other exercise seems to take off a single pound. So I don't struggle against the inevitable. If I began to worry I would get thin, and my day as a comedian would be over. I can afford to smile at those who write to Marie Burlcc to ask her the secret of how she kept her slim figure.” 25 S 5 :* Percy Grainger, who is to give concerts in New Zealand shortiy, was born in Brighton. Melbourne, and re ceived his first instruction from his mother, a fine musician. At the age of ten he made his first public appearance as a pianist. He also had lessons from Louis Pabst, was a pupil of J. Kwast (pianoforte) in Frankfort, and a little later studied for a time with Busoni. His career as a pianist began in London, where he created a sensation. He then toured Great Britain. New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, meeting everywhere with the greatest success. Returning to London in 1906, he met Greig. who was so impressed with the young artist’s playing that he invited him to his villa, Troldhaugen. Here they spent the summer of 1907 prepaiing for the Leeds Festival, at which Grainger was to have played Greig's pianoforte concerto with the master himself as conductor. Death, however, frustrated the plan, for on September 4 Greig passed away. Nevertheless, Grainger did play the concerto, and gave such a masterly interpretation that ever since he has been identified in a special manner with this work. There is plenty of colour in “Betty Lee,' the new musical comedy staged at the bt James Theatre. Sydney, by Sir Benjamin Fuller and John Fuller on November 13. which begins in the courtyard of a Spanish villa in southern California and then moves to the Japanese tea house on the Chopin estate, and later to a flowery corner of the tea house garden. The ochre tinted walls of the courtyard arc set with quaint stiff pots of flowering plants and prickly cactus bushes rear spiky leaves from giant tubs. A futurist sky of the most dazzling blue completes the scene, and pictorial cowboys and their women partners wear ! marvellous clothes suited to such a ill(ini!!!(i!!ilii![:ill!lillH!l!ll{iiiliiUliUliliiiiil{lllintUlii:ilUU!lUilliillll'iiiiaili!

place of fantasy. The next scene show' flowering trees surrounding a vermilion tea house-while the same blue sky looks down on a bevy of pretty maids in floral muslin and close turban hat.: fastened with flower posies who dance with companions in delicate greer , frocks and green hats with upturned black velvet brims. The last scene in I the flower garden is enclosed by a high white trellis and girls, trailing wreaths j of wisteria climb up out of the earth j to hang suspended on the trellis against the brilliant blue of the sky. I The public examination in London of Oscaf Asche’s affairs disclosed that ] his full name is John Stranger Heiss j Oscar Asche. From “ Chu Chin Chow ’ j he received during the play’s five years’ run £BO a week as actor and royalties « as author amounting to £IOO,OOO. » $s Miss Anne Nichols expects that her : comedy-drama, “Abie’s Irish Rose.” , which has already broken all long-run records in America, will hold out for perhaps a couple of years more. The now affluent author of "Abie's Irish Rose” is writing two more plays. One of them is to be a comedy and the ■ other is semi-serious. j The New York receipts of “Rose | | Marie” have exceeded even the colossal ' j returns of Drury Lane, London. The price of booked seats in New’ York is supposed to be five dollars, but during the entire run it has been practically impossible to secure any place under seven or eight dollars. It has made I a huge fortune for Mr Hammerstein and the composers, Rudolph Friml and ‘ j Herbert Stothart. j 25 j Pauline Frederick, the famous film i actress, who toured New Zealand last \ year, is to play “Madame X” in London. ?vliss Frederick has not hitherto acted on the English stage. She played the leading part in “Madame X," as a film, some years ago, and last July played the star part, in a stage version, which was produced at San Francisco. When appearing as an actress Miss Frederick’s salary is usually £3OO a week, with a percentage of the takings. The famous Strad. used by Kubelik the great violinist, is valued at £25.000 and went to England from j I Brussels in 1815. It was given the name I i of the “Messiah,” or “Emperor.” Even- j 1 tually Mr Edgar Haddock, of Leeds, I acquired it, and, as is generally believed, sold it in 1910 to Kubelik for . £IO,OOO, the same sum once refused by the City of Genoa for Paganini’s “Joseph." The only figure comparable with this is the £7OOO which Eugene Ysaye is credited with having refused for his Strad. j Even after he had acted in Russian, * ' Hebrew. Spanish, German and English, Maurice Moscovitch discovered that the necessity for speaking new Jan . guages had not passed. Just before going to Australia he visited South I Africa, where, at one theatre, he was i notified by the management that a i certain performance would be attended j , by a Zulu chief and many of his ! tribesmen. As a compliment to the J chief, Moscovitch arranged for somebody to compose and teach him a I short speech in the chief's own language. After the show’ he duly delivered the speech, to the tribe's mani- . ' test delight. Moscovitch’s glory as a I Zulu linguist was short-lived, however, for the chief insisted on talking to j him, and the actor had to explain. * , through an interpreter, that he had • spoken all the Zulu he knew. XXX I The French dramatic critic has tradi- , tionally been in one respect the envy j of his fellows in other lands, says an i exchange. The notice of a plav in an English morning newspaper has usually to be. written with one eye on the ! clock and with the fumes of the play- j house still dizzying the brain But in France a "repetition generale" for the ! benefit of the Press and the friends ol the management has for long preceded the actual first night, and with a day I to think over the play the critic has | been able to get a perspective in his I view and a polish in his style that arc wanting in more hasty work. Now, j however, according to the Paris corre- j I spondent of the London "Observer." j I! 'ililllilll!lill!!lillli!|!llflll!ll!li!iirillli!!ii!jliillilli;iill|i;i!llill!lll||||||||iRi{l!llti||lll

many managements think this kindly provision as wasted. Perspective or no, they get nothing but hard words from too many of the critics. They have resolved, therefore, to let the public lie the first judge and to admit the Press only after its verdict has been given. To the rationalist Barrie's mind must for ever be a se&led book (says the Melbourne “Herald”). But to those who do not live according to the principles of pure reason he is the one author who. more than any other, gets to the very heart of life. He never discovers the secret of the dark spring* that flow’ with such force beneath its surface, but he does express, and in “Mary Rose’* especially, the ordinary humanity of human beings, and some of the strange aspirations and faiths that are part of their lives. Never was the genius of Barrie more spontaneously or more tenderly exhibited than in “Mary Rose.-’ There is the homely, human touch (in the fireside squabble of the rival connoisseurs, pacified by the gentle intervention of the housewife) ; there is the dainty freshness of early and happy love in the scenes between Mary Rose and Simon; there is the "eerie” atmosphere of the islandtha t-likes-to-be-visj ted; and there is a pathos almost too poignant for tears in the return of Mary Rose, still young, to the parents and husband grown old. to say nothing of that wonderful scene of the son cherishing yet half-shrinking from the mother* 9 ghost.

SYMPATHETIC PARTS.

THE GREAT NEED OF MOST LEADING ACTRESSES. "‘I need sympathy” was the plaintive refrain sung by one of the chief feminine characters in the musical comedy. "Firefly.” Sympathy is the great need of most leading actresses (says "The Australasian”). Very few dare to play "against the audience,” and it is a matter of familiar knowledge that the larger part of any audience judges a play emotionally rather than critically. Let us illustrate these facts generally. Calmly considered, to take some familiar examples, Katisha in "The Mikado" is better worth knowing than Yum-Yum, that conceited little flapper; but most lyric actresses, if they had their choice, would rather be pretty, saccharine, and empty-headed as Yum-Yum than strong, determined, and ugly as Katisha. In her early stage years Miss Florence Young skilfully played both parts. She was one of the few who saw the dramatic possibilities and the other values of Katisha. and triumphed by making full use of them. Some of the other actresses who appeared in the part spoilt it by refusing to hide their good looks sufficiently under the appropriate make-up For the sake of the plot there must be actresses to take “unsympathetic” parts, but most leading women flatly refuse to take them. Therefore a really "wicked" character, however powerfully dramatic, seldom enjoys first importance. From Sarah Bernhardt to the player of heroines in popular melodramas, actresses have sought the sympathetic. The chief character of "La Dame aux Camelias” led a life that was scarcely open to defence, but by emphasising the better incidents, Bernhardt could melt hearts of stone and make the most cynical persons in the audience believe, for the time, in the nobleness and generosity of such a woman as the one impersonated. In the English version, "Camille.” there have been some very insipid performances, as well as some very good ones. Yet one or two of the actresses who were insipid because they wanted vast quantities of sympathy were able to do convincing and well-applauded work when circumstances caused them to take parts that were nominally unsympathetic. All the same, they returned as soon as possible to characters of their favourite variety.