MUSIC AND DRAMA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18780, 8 June 1929, Page 25 (Supplement)

MUSIC AND DRAMA.

“The more one sees of New Zealand, the more one becomes impressed with its wonderful potentialities." Thus Mr Clayton Greene, who not only is the producer of, but has a leading role in “The Wrecker,” to a Press representative who asked him to give his impressions of this distant outpost of Empire. “I regret very much,” continued Mr Greene, “that I have not been able to see as much of this beautiful country as I« would like. But one thing has impressed itself very much on my mind and that is the prosperity, generally speaking, of its people; its high standard of conduct and living, and the intelligent interest manifested by all in the important questions and problems facing the world to-day. All this shows a remarkably high degree of intelligence and a correspondingly high standard of intellectual thought. You are right up-to-date in all your methods and in many important respects can show points to much bigger countries.” Plans are being made for an* extensive tour of New Zealand by Frank Neil’s comedians under the Fuller management. This company has spent most of the last four years in Sydney and Melbourne. The repertoire of the company includes many of the most popular to-day. The Dominion tour of “Young Woodley,” the fascinating play of college life, that has proved such a great attraction in England and Australia, has been arranged by Mr_ Bert Royle, New Zealand representative of J. C. Williamson and J. and N. Tait. The tour will open at Auckland on June 11, and the Christchurch dates are July 18 to 24. The great J.‘ C. Williamson, production “The Desert Song” will soon be delighting New Zealand audiences. This beautiful musical play, the success of which has outrivalled even that achieved by “Rose Marie,” contains some of the most beautiful and impressive scenes ever staged. There is light and shade and varying colourings; the wonderful charm of the tropical climes, the beauties of the forest, the magic beauties of the desert, and all the stage wonders of the artistic producer's work. One of the hits of “Young Woodley.” coming to New Zealand shortly, is Trevor Bjogan, who plays Cope, the “fag”. He is only thirteen years old. but a born actor. He is very proud of his Press notices, for the newspaper critics have written really flattering things about his performance. Trevor is a Sydney boy—he comes from Manly. He enjoys acting in “Young Woodley,” he says, and is having a real good time, for, though the youthful actors in the cast give him a bad time on the stage, they are like big brothers to him off it. The Westminster Glee Singers are expected back in the Dominion about the middle of July. Since their last visit to New Zealand they have been reorganised, and. according to report, some particularly fine voices have been drawn from such famous places as Westminster Abbey, Worcester Cathedral. St George’s, Windsor, and St Paul s Cathedral. They are at present touring Canada with remarkable success. Their repertoire comprises over 150 pieces of part music, embracing all styles, including delightful anthems. carols, old folk songs, sea chanties, glees, and part songs so well known the world over. Mr Leo du Chateau will again direct the business side of this popular organisation. No musical comedy has created a greater sensation in Australia than Rio Rita,” the fascinating musical tale of Mexico, to be presented by Sir Benjamin and Mr John Fuller in New Zealand, opening at Wellington on June 17. Apart from the Gonsalez Grand Opera Company, “Rio Rita is the most pretentious attraction staged by the Fuller management for many years, and it comes here after triumphant seasons in Sydney and Melbourne. It has a strong musical score, a well-de-fined plot, and a generous leavening of comedy. Miss Gladys Moncrieff sustains the name part of Rio Rita with fine distinction, repeating her former triumph in ‘The Maid of the Mountains.’ Tanette Gilmore, Dave Mallen, and Charles Norman give her adequate support. The dressing is on a scale of rich magnificence and the colouring gorgeous. Altogether it is a production that is outstanding in every way. Betty Ross Clarke, who was seen here in “ The Ghost Train,” has the leading role in “ The Barker.” an American play now running in Melbourne, and which will be produced in New’ Zealand in due course. “ Perhaps this play,” said Miss Clarke, after a performance in Melbourne, “ will give an insight into the lives and ways of people whom the audience might never come in con-, tact with.” The play, according to critics, is a revelation of what is supposed to happen behind the meretricious trappings of a circus. The dramatic critics seem to be the only persons in Melbourne who can’t agree about “Young Woodley,” at the! Comedy (says the Sydney “Bulletin”). 1 The general public votes it the most touching and interesting, as well as the most smoothly acted exposition of theatricalised life presented for many years. Theatregoers have seen many alleged “ juveniles,” but they saw the real thing in Lewis Shaw, as the boy who falls in love with Love, w’hose name might have been Helen of Troy, but was, unfortunately, Mrs Simmons, the housemaster’s lawful wedded wife. The dramatic critics have often accused tdie Firm of staging nonsense, but J.C.W. have* never staged nonsense to equal the comments made on “Young Woodley ” by some of the critics. Anna .Pavlova, the world-famous dancer, buys at least forty pairs of shoes a year for her personal use oft stage. As regards her dancing shoes, she wears a new pair every night, but the old ones are never given awaythey are destroyed. Madame Pavlova receives scores of requests for these shoes as souvenirs, but she steadfastly refuses. “ Call it superstition ,or -what you like,” she says, “but I never give the dancing shoes away. When I finish with them I destroy them.” There is. however, one pair that will be always kept as a memorial of the great dancer —in the National Museum in Berlin. These shoes were worn by Pavlova when she made her first triumphant appearance in that city. It is pleasing to hear that there is every probability of Pavlova visiting New Zealand for a short tour before she leaves to fulfil important London, New \ork and Continental engagements. t’J 5J J’* Another attempt is being made in London to revive real English vaudeville. Wish Wynne, whose types are delightfully English, is among the performers assembled for a venture of the kind. She has been in New’ Zealand, and has provided unusually artistic representations of London and country characters. m 8 The American dramatist Elmer Rice has struck a novel idea in “Street Scene.” The whole action is in front of an apartment house, at the open windows of which, or seated in the “stoop” to catch whatever cool air is going, the inhabitants of three floors are shown. From their conversations and arguments the characters and tangled life-

stories of the apartment dwellers are developed. The play has fifty characters. Few actor-managers are left in any of the English-speaking countries. At the death of Irving, Tree, Alexander. Wyndham, Hawtrey, Waller, and others there were no successors Actormanagers remained, but gradually near ly all have left that position or died, and their places have not been filled In America and Australia there has been a similar change. Williamson. Brough, Boucicault, Rignold, Blana

Holt, and others were or had been actors as well as managers, and "they took a personal and artistic interest in their productions which is seldom found in quite the same way in the case of the producer who is engaged at a salary to put a piece on the stage. The enterprise which was displayed by the theatrical firm of J. C. Williamson, Ltd., in launching out as producers in the West End of London and in the English provinces, is being rewarded by big business, according to information which was given in an interview

to-day by H. B. Burcher, who is travelling by the Niagara en route to England to bring out a company to Australia (says the Auckland “Star” of Monday). Mr Burcher .passed through Auckland seven weeks ago when travelling from London to Sydney. In England he is associated with Sir George Tallis. “We have the biggest musical success in London just now,” said Mr Burcher. “in ‘Air Cinders,’ with Bobby Howes and Binnie Hale as strong leads. They are at the Adelphi. At the Vaudeville we have ‘Coo-ee” and in the provinces two or three companies from ‘The Pats}’.’ The London shows are playing to capacity houses.” Mr Burcher said that the best of the firm’s plays would be bfought to New Zealand. Young Andre Paul Antoine, son of the famous actor, Antoine, has caused no end of .sensation with his play. “L’Ennemie, presented at the theatre which still bears the name of his illustrious father (writes the Paris correspondent of the “New York Herald- | Tribune”). The enemy—to explain the title —is evidently a woman. It is the eternal struggle of the sexes. The plot is laid in a cemetery and is a dialogue between the three men who have died for one and the same woman. Elaborate tableaux emerge from the misty veils of the past alter each introductory dialogue, and the succeeding picture is the scenic realisation of the exchange of confidence between the men. Thus it is learned that the supposedly gentle young girl for whom, the sailor killed himself has married and worried the life out of the middle-aged man who steps out of his tombstone to take the air. These two early victims of the ever-vanquishing woman are joined by a third victim of the enemy. Much of the conversation in the third act shocked the first-night audience as being unnecessarily bold in its sex talk and the views of the cemetery are not cheerful. Nevertheless the play is drawing curious crowds. Mine Sylvie and Andre Luguet lead the company.