MUSIC AND DRAMA

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18889, 12 October 1929, Page 26 (Supplement)

MUSIC AND DRAMA

Nicola, the king of mystery, accompanied by his famous show, which has astounded the world, is now doing a limited tour through the Dominion by arrangement with Sir Benjamin and Mr John Fuller and will open at the New Opera House shortly. Over 20 tons of gorgeous paraphernalia, scenery and effects are used for staging this wonderful show, which will suit the tastes of all theatre-goers. This master magician, Nicola, "is coming with many new “escape” stunts, including the Mystery of the Elastic Woman, the Great Indian Basket Trick, Three-Card Monte, the Three Prison Door Vanish and Transition Torture Cell, Doll House Marvel, and many other wonderful mysteries that will thrill and amaze everybody.

Two animals which take a prominent part in “The Desert Song” are the white Arab horse ridden so well by Lance Fairfax, the mysterious Red Shadow, and the donkey, which is the particular property of Mr Herbert Mundin and Miss Renee Murphy, the two clever artists who are responsible for most of the humour in this charming musical play. Both are remarkably well-trained animals, and *fiay their parts as capably as the exacting stage manager, Mr H. Nightingale, could desire. Sign orma Dusolina Giannini, who is regarded as the leading feminine singer in the .world, and who will shortly tour New Zealand tinder the direction of Mr E. J. Gravestock, is an American by birth, but of Italian parentage. She opened her Australian tour on June 29 at the Sydney Town Hall, and created a sensation, and repeated her Sydney triumphs in Melbourne, receiving extraordinarily fine notices in the Press. The Melbourne “Argus” critic prefaced his notice with the sentence, “Words fail utterly in the face of such supreme art as that of Dusolina Giannini,” and in a subsequent critique he wrote: “More perfect art it is impossible to imagine.” The visit to New Zealand of Mr John H. Tait, one of the managing directors of the big theatrical firm of J. C. Williamson, Ltd., who left Auckland yesterday for Sydney, was remarkable for the comparatively large amount of time he devoted to business matters in the cities, considering the short duration of his stay in the Dominion, and the long distances between the north and south extremities of New Zealand. This was due to the rapidity with which he travelled by rail, steamer and motor. Mr Tait was very much impressed with the general advancement and prosperity manifest in the Dominion. While in Wellngton, Mr Tait stated that the firm have in contemplation the effecting of various improvements to several of their New Zealand theatres. In Christchurch, at the Theatre Royal, a considerable sum of money had been expended, and a wonderful improvement bad been effected. Dunedin had been provided with a very fine picture theatre. The Regent, in the lower Octagon, while at Invercargill, he had seen for the first time the splendid new picture theatre \Yhich had been built by Sir Joseph Ward, for lease to J. C. Williamson Films. The structure was a roomy, artistically-ap-pointed theatre that would grace any city. At the Opera House, Wellington, the greatest urgency was for individual seating accommodation in the gallery. This might necessitate a good deal of structural alteration in that part of the house, but Wellington patrons could rest assured that the very best arrangement possible for their comfort would be made. 8 8 8 The celebrated pianist, Backhaus, will tour New Zealand early next year under the direction of Mr E. J. Gravestock. There are many sides of George Wallace’s activities as a revue producer, and the one for which he has special talent, and which perhaps affords him most pleasure, is that of scene painting (says “The Dominion”). A visit to His Majesty's Theatre on Monday would have been rewarded by the sight of the little comedian, clad in paintsplashed overalls and ancient shoes, bard at work on the scenery for “A Toy Maker’s Dream,” a very pretty scene to be presented by the Wallace Company. George undertakes most of the scene painting work in connection with his productions, and the results fully testify to his ability as a wielder of the paint brush.

A cable message has been received by Mrs T. M. Wilford in Wellington from her daughter, Miss Isabel Wilford, of London, stating that she has been appointed understudy again to Miss Talullah Bankhead in a new play, and also that she has been given a small part in the play. The inclusion in a recent Maoriland musical competition of a class for “ vocal solo—New Zealand composer,” started a search for the rare bird (writes a Sydney “ Bulletin ” correspondent). Attempts were made to ring in Alfred Hill, George (Slutsam and Charles Willeby, but they failed. Hill was bom in Melbourne. Clutsam in Sydney and Willeby in Paris. Of the three, Hill has the best claim, since he drew so much of his inspiration from Maori sources. Willeby, who lived in M.L. as a child and later as a young man, wrote many of his most popular songs in the Dominion, and Clutsam’s earlier compositions were scored in the land of the fern, but neither’s work shows a trace of its topographical origin. 8 8 8 Mary Lawson, one of London’s most popular comediennes, will play a leading part in the sparkling musical comedy, “ Hold Everything,” which probably will be one of the J. C. Williamson Christmas attractions for New Zealand. The story of “ Hold Everything ” concerns two boxers, and towards the end of the comedy the hero wins a championship in view of the audience. J. C. Williamson, Ltd., has secured the Australian and New Zealand rights of Edgar Wallace's thriller, “Persons Unknown,” which is still one of the reigning successes in London. Out ot a cast of nineteen, eight are detectives and police; there are also a doctor, a nurse, and a goaler, while the scenes are laid in a tidal basin, a police station, and Scotland Yard. Thrills follow one another in quick succession,' and there is a liberal dash of that typical Cockney humour which Mr Wallace knows so well how to exploit. In the Australian production it is expected that Leon Gordon will have the leading role. The sensation of Sydney at present is the performance of Leo Carrillo in “ Lombardi, Ltd.” Acting ability, personal charm and compelling personality are combined in this notable star, who plays the role of a. male dressmaker in the play that is drawing all Sydney to the Criterion Theatre. A remarkable feature of Carrillo’s art is that, though he keeps the audience in roars of laughter, he is able to touch their susceptibilities so deftly as to also make them cry. And at times he sheds real tears himself I The role of Tito Lombardi is one of the longest ever written-longer even than that of Hamlet. It comprises 175 pages, or “ sides,” as they are termed in the theatrical profession.

If there is a Horne for Aged and Infirm Plays, and Charley’s Aunt ” ever qualifies for admission to the institution, a kindly, white-haired gentleman will be observed on . Sundays leaving flowers and other little luxuries to lighten the declining years of thA dear old creature (says an Australian paper). The white-haired gentleman will be Frank, Neil. It was in August, 1925, that that prosperous entrepreneur, after a disastrous run of modern dramas, turned in desperation to Brandon Thomas’s antique masterpiece and ended his season at Melbourne Palace in a blaze of glory. To-day he is as important in the theatrical life of Melbourne as “ the firm.” At least, he has the same number of shows running.

The final appearance of the famous prima donna, Dusolina Giannini, drew a large audience to the Town Hall last Thursday night (says the Melbourne “ Leader ”of September 28). The recitals of this renowned artist have been 'enjoyed by all who were privileged to hear them. Throughout a successful season Giannini sustained _ her reputation as a singer of the highest order, winning critical and popular esteem. Giannini will be remembered as a conscientious vocalist incapable of inferior artistry. In operatic excerpts, songs and folk music she lias given immense delight to many large and enthusiastic audiences. The beauty of Giannini’s singing is not created by the richness of her voice alone; it is spread abroad by an artistic intelligence allied to an emotional nature steadily centred on each idea she is expressing, and poised in even balance of thought and reflected feeling.

“Interest in Australian plays and in the ability of Australian writers to produce pieces of genuine dramatic merit continues unabated,” says a. Melbourne paper, “ and a large audience greeted the Theatre Guild's 3 performance of four Australian playlets at the Kelvin Hall. It was an audience particularly prodigal of its applause, and few of the players can have complained on the score of ungenerous treatment.” The productions were:—“ The Stranger,” a weird and airy fantasy; “ Blue Blood,” a comedy, dealing with, the incidents surrounding an erring husband in convenient return to the bosom of his family; “ A Gift Horse,” another comedy containing a little bright dialogue and a plausible plot; and “ Twin Flats,” which dealt with the lives of two couples, the one suburban and refined, the other rustic and unsophisticated, living adjacent flats.

In an. interesting chat, Mr George Parker, producer for J. C. Williamson, Ltd., of the famous war play, “Journey’s End,” said that nationality had made no difference to the success of this remarkable dramatic work, for it was played to crowded houses all over the world, including London, New York, Paris, Berlin, Norway, and Sweden. Many companies were playing it in the big cities and provincial centres of England and in the United States and Canada. There was no question of war bitterness about the play, said Mr Parker. This was illustrated by the fact that in Berlin, it was subjected to somewhat unusual treatment, in that it was played in the evenings as though the incidents took place in a German dugout while at the afternoon performances, it was played in an English dug-out. “The applause of the audience at the performance I attended in Berlin,” added Mr Parker, “was prolonged for several minutes when the curtain fell. The effect created by the play was simply astounding.”

Hold-up men kidnapped the manager of the State-Congress Theatre, Chicago, as he was about to enter his home, forced him to return to the theatre and open the safe, from which they secured booty to the extent of 5000 dollars. This was one of a series of theatrical hold-ups in Chicago.

“After Dark,” one of Dion Boucicault’s melo-dramas, has been running for nearly twelve months in New York. The play, which was first produced in New York, at the Bowery Theatre, on November 2, 1869, and introduced one of the first railroad scenes ever staged, was not revived in that city until the late ’nineties.

The best acting on the London stage just now (says the “Daily Mail”) is coming from two actresses whose combined ages total 129 years—Mrs Patrick Campbell and Miss Marie Tempest. Mrs Campbell in “ The Matriarch,” at the Royalty Theatre, and Miss Tempest in “ The Second Mrs Fraser,” at the Haymarket, are giving performances which, in point of instinctive cleverness, are miles ahead of anything on the West End stage.

Mr Bernard Shaw, Socialist as he is, occasionally' falls foul of workers’ unions. A few weeks committee of tradesmen wrote to Snaw, asking if they might present a performance of his play, “The Showing Up on Blanco Posnet,” free of the usual royalty fee. He wrote in answer: “ Under no circumstances can any play of mine be performed without payment of the standard author’s fee. A labour advisory committee ought to understand this as a point of trade unionism. It is hard enough for my poor fellow-auth-ers to meet the competition of my plays without the additional handicap of having them performed gratuitously You see the point, I hope.”

Jack Buchanan, popular London stage star, has entered into an agreement to appear on the New York stage without a salary. He is to be the leading star in the-American production of the London Pavilion revue, “ Wake Up and Dream,” and he is to be paid 10 per cent of the gross box office receipts. These are expected to average more than £BOOO a week, in which case Mr Buchanan’s weekly share will be nearly £IOOO. The production is being done by the well-known London producer, Charles B. Cochran, in association with Archie Selwyn, of New York, and the company will be picked from the London.stage.

Estate in England valued at £9835 was left by John Hartley Manners, of New York, the author of the popular and highly successful “ Peg o’ my Heart” and other plays. He left the residue of his property (including considerable property abroad) to his wife, Laurette Manners (Miss Laurette Taylor), who made her reputation in the title role of “ Peg o’ my Heart.” The play was credited with having earned more royalties for the author than any play in the history of the theatre. In London alone it had a run of 500 performances. Mr Manners, who J'as an actor as well as a playwright, was a native of London, but spent his da}'s in America.

A notable personage of the British drama has begun his last professional progress through England (says a London paper). In the leading cities the hoardings will make the sad announcement, “Sir Frank Benson —Farewell Tour.” This distinguished actor is but a respected name to the bulk of the present generation of London theatregoers, but in the provinces Sir Frank Benson is a great idol indeed. For more than forty years Sir I rank has served the public. He has fostered interest in the plays of Shakespeare and

added lustre to the reputation of the British stage. A bright array of brilliant theatrical stars have owed allegiance to Sir Frank in the past—Henry Ainley, -Oscar Asche, Matheson Lang, Lily Brayton, Lilian Braithwaite and others