ACROSS THE FOOTLIGHTS

Waikato Times, Volume 96, Issue 15864, 8 December 1923, Page 16 (Supplement)

ACROSS THE FOOTLIGHTS

(By "Fra Ditwttla"}

PLAYS AND PICTURES THEATRE ROYAL N.'jrhfly—Pictures. December 12.—J. C. Williamson — Miss Gertrude Elliott (Lady Forbes-Robertson). December 18.—Hamilton Choral Society ("The Messiah.") December 24. —J. C. Williamson Comic Opera Company in "The Cabaret Girl." ir: "? January 21, 22 —Humphrey Bishop Comedy and Operatic Company. NEW STRAND THEATRE. Nightly—Pictures. FRANKT.ON'S OWN. Nightly Pictures. Gertrude Elliott on Thursday. An event of outstanding interest in the theatrical history of Hamilton is the visit of Miss Gertrude Blliott (Lady Forbes Robertson) to the Theatre Royal on Thurday next. Miss Elliott U a distinguished English actress, and has for years been a London favourite Her engagement by J. C. Williamson, Ltd., for an Australasian tour Js one of the most important ever entered into, and it is not surprising that the tour has sO far proved a wonderful success. «„.„». In "Woman to Woman" Mips Elliott, has a wonderful opportunity of displaying her many gifts. It is said to be a highly dramatic play, with manj touches of humour. The Theatre Royal is sure to be crowded on Wednesday night. The Supporting Company. Tht company supporting Gertrude Elliott (Lady Forbes Robertson) on her New Zealand tour is an exceptionally strong one. It includes William Mollison, Mayne, Lynton, Lilias Waldergrave, Anne McEwen, Athol Fordc, Herbert Milliard, Milton Brooks, Gertrude Boswell, T. M. Oliff, and J. B. Rowe, many of whom are artists with English reputations. Mr William Mollison, the leading man, is one of the most versatile actors 'on the English stage. He is the son of the great tragedian of the same name, who for so many years was the heavy lead in Sir Henry Irving's company. I

Musicians Leaving.

Mrs W. R. Pox will sail on December 21 to join her husband in Sydney. Mr James Lee, Hamilton's sifted violinist, will also proceed to Sydney at the same time to rejoin his old teacher. They will both be greatly missed in local musical circles. "The Messiah," Interest in the forthcoming production by the Hamilton Choral Society of the seasonable oratorio, "The Messiah," is very keen, and in it the Society should be heard at its very best. This week I attended a practice, and it was good to see the enthusiasm of the members and to listen to the really fine 'choral work. And, apart from the choir, what an Imposing array of soloists has been engaged. Miss Ethel Osborn (soprano) is a Brisbane singer whose voice has created something of a sensation in the South. Mr Len Barnes, baritone, has just returned from England and .America, where he received excellent notices from the leading critics. Miss Laura Stone (contralto) and Mr Arthur Ripley (tenor) sang so tunefully and appealingly in "Elijah" that everyone is eager to hear them again in "The Messiah." Colobrity Vaudeville at Theatre Royal. All who heard Harry Musgrove's Celebrity Vaudeville performers, headed by Ella Shields and Wilkie Bard. will remember the high standard of every turn that bad a place under his banner, and Avill read with interest that arrangements have been completed whereby Mr Musgrove's best acts will corne lo the Theatre Royal, Hamilton, in conjunction with pictures. This has been made possible by the linking up of a chain of theatres in the Dominion in which Musgrove's vaudeville will be staged. At Auckland the management of the National Theatre arc pulling in a stage and dressing rooms at a cost of £ 1400 to meet the requirements of this innovation. Demand's "Loves and Pigeons" will be (he first of Musgrove's Celebrity Vaudeville offerings to be shown al Ihc Theatre Royal, Hamilton. This has been a star act on Ihc Tivoli circuit. Among those to follow are The BiK Four, a quartette of mule singers who have been what is called in theatrical parlance "a riot." Slightly Mixed! A. man walked into a local music shop and said to the young lady behind the counter: "Have you 'Yes, we have no bananas?'" She replied, "Yes, we haven't no bananas—l mean, no, we haven't 'Yes, we have no bananas,' but we'll have some to-mor-row," with which he had Lo be satisfied. Pupils' Recital. As a conclusion to their year's study the pupils of Mrs M. Nice-oils will participate in a pianoforte recital to be held in St. Peter' s schoolroom on Wednesday next. The recital promises to be a very interesting entertainment, the programme providing a varied and wide range of music, and including several songs, some of which will be rendered by other than Miss Niccolis' pupils. It is felt by those who know Mrs Niccolis, and.by those who attended her very successful recital last year, that in the forthcoming enter-) tainment her pupils will do ample justice to themselves and to their teacher. Concert at Claudelands. On Thursday next, a! the Claudelands Hall, a -concert, will be given in rikl or the funds of the St. Pelc« BoysVßiblc Class. Mrs If. C Ross has » arranged; an attractive programme. Among the'performers will' be Miss' Mary. Mc.K.enz.ic, pianist: who did sol well" a I the recent •.•Wellington compe-| tif'ions, 'and--Misses*iMyrH anov Peggy;

Mews of Sir Keith Smith. People who met Sir Keith Smitli when ho came to tell us bis thrilling Story of the experiences of his party on the historic flight from England to Australia will probably be interesleri in the following extracts from a letter I received from him by the last mail:— "J am in Sheffield, have been here for some lime studying and .learning what I can of steel-making and the ini dustry in general. Vickcrs have a very bfg plaid, up here, and I find the work of the greatest interest in every way. My plans are somewhat indefinite, but I expect to be here until ' after Christmas, then to Switzerland for some winter sports—a great way to spend a holiday, and one gets very fit indeed. I'll probably spend some little lime in Manchester and Glasgow. After that I think it will be Australia via America. "Flying over here is progressing slowly but surely. It's all a matter of educating the public, and one must not rush things. lam not surprised to hear that (lying in New Zealand is not as bright as it might be. It's an expensive item for a small country. In a country like New Zealand aeroplanes will have to put up a very big] performance to compete with the rail-, ways; the distances are not great enough, lo my way of thinking. Australia, America, Canada and Africa arc different The airship scheme is still very much alive. It's a proposition well worth supporting, and'l hope the present conference will come to some definite decision to back x it up, and get an experimental service started, as far as India anyhow. "This is a very pretty part of England outside this city. The moors of Derbyshire are very beautiful, and all Ihc trees are getting their autumn tints. It's a country well worth seeing. . . I hope to visit New Zealand again some day; my recollections of it are of the happiest." The Concert. I will not heed this music Low and vibrant, Poignantly sweet —■ I shall whisper A platitude \ To my companion— c , I shall not listen. Who is he, This player with souls, j That he should have the power , To make my heart cry , As if in pain? . I shall laugh aloud— , Strike a discordant note, In all this sweetness— I will not bare my soul For everyone to see. —Borghild Lundbe/g Lee. c

Humphrey Bishop Company. The Humphrey Bishop Comedy and Operatic Company, who arc due in Auckland at Christmas and-will appear at Hamilton next month, are coming with a reputation of three years' success in Australia. The company is composed of well-known London artists on a tour of the world, and is a novel blend of music, comedy, singing, opera, burlesque, presented on a scale and style different from anything else. The orchestra, which is under the baton and personal direction of Mr Humphrey Bishop, is said to be one of the features.

Christmas Attractions. It is said that the Laurence Grossmith Comedy Company will be one of the Williamson attractions in New Zealand during the holiday season, with a repertoire including ''Quarantine" an<« "Joseph Entangled." Mr Grossmith's "Captain Applejack" of last year is a tic light fill memorv.

Olher Williamson companies in New Zealand will bo "The Cabaret Girl" Musical Comedy Company, "The Beggar's Upera" Company, and Miss Gertrude Elliott (Lady Forbes-Robertson) and her English Dramatic Company. Another outstanding attraction will be the Humphrey Bishop Comedy and Operatic Company, which will spend the holiday season at Auckland. Pantomime Arrangements. Pantomime arrangements for Christmas are making way in Australia. Ada Reeve is to be principal boy in "Aladdin" for Williamson's, the principal gnd. being a young Sydney artist, Anona Wilkins, who has played small parts for the firm, and will make her first appearance in Melbourne. Hector St. Clair is chief comedian, and Tom Payne, recently with Harry Lauder, the dame. • The preparation of "Mother Goose" (with Dorothy Brunton as principal girl) at Ihc Palace is going on rapidly, and the Tivoli proprietary will have a pantomime this year in "The Forty Thieves," which is to be staged in Sydney. Jack Cannot will he chief comedian, and Bert Harrow—who has had much pantomime experience in England—will play dame. In Sydney Jim Gerald is producing "Red Riding Hood'' for Fullers. British Plays in Demand. British playwrights are enjoying notable popularity in this country and in the United Stales (writes a theatrical correspondent of the London Daily Mall). On the London stage there are at least three British plays to every imported one: and so pronounced is the lead of native drama that the production of the American piece, "The East Warning," at the Comedy Theatre, becomes a distinct event. All the greatest of the autumn successes are by English authors—"Hassan,"' by Mr James Klroy Flecker; ''Our Belters," by Mr Somerset Maugham; "The Green Goddess," by Mr William Archer; "The Lie," by Mr Henry Arthur Jones. Sir James Barrio, with two plays running and a third in rehearsal; Mr Seymour Hicks, with two plays; Mr John Hastings Turner, Mr Sutton Vane, Mr J. E. Harold Perry, and Mr Charles MeEvoy, are other nativ° dramatists who are figuring in this present boom of home-made plays. In the United States Mr Frederick Eonsdale has two plays canning—- " Aren't We All"" wMh Mr Cyril Maude as the chef player, in I\ew York, and "Spring Cleaning," in Chicago. Mr St. John Ervine's "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary," is one of the big successes in New York; Mr J:>bn Galsworthy's "Windows" is beinj given by the Theatre Guild; anl "Battling Butler." "Loyalties," and "Secrets" are being played with good results. A Doctor-Conductor's Worries! A dramatic UfXli was given to the tig choral competition at the festival f#iys the Bulletin). Young Dr. Verbrugghen arrived with his Guyra Musical Society late in the afternoon, and bad a rushed final rehearsal; then just I a? the folk were assembling in tbej Town Half there came an urgent calli for the doctor to return to Guyra,

about 30 miles away. The Armidale Society sang, and the evening wore on towards midnight, but the medicoconductor did not re-appear. Armidale's Mayor made a long speech of sorts with the sporty Intention of "holding on" in the hope of the Guyra man turning up; but finally it had'to be announced that the Guyra choir would sing under the baton of the Armidale conductor. Just then there came a hammering at the closed doors of the hall, which were opened to admit Ihe breathless, travel-stained doctor. Re crushed his way through the packed house to the stage, on which stood his choir, and the crowd cheered wildly. There was an echo of D'Arlagnan's great ride about the whole affair: but the flaw in the, drama was that Guyra choir was beaten by live points.

"The Beggar's Opera." This is what a Wellington paper had to say about the first performance in New Zealand of Gay's 200-ycars-old "Beggar's Opera":— "There was no questioning the unfeigned delight with which that quaint work 'The Beggar's Opera' was received at the Grand Opera House on Saturday evening by a very large audience, which revelled in its manifold absurdities and charming music. The genuine wit and raciness of the dialogue and the ridiculous situations made a general appeal, to Judge by the volumes of laughter and applause which Mr Gay's merry burlesque created. This, of course, was accentuated in the case of those who realised that 'The Beggar's Opera' was written in 1728 by Gay, wit and poet, in a spirit of satirical raillery directed at the vogue for a certain class of sickly romantic Italian opera which held London in thrall at the time, and which it absolutely ridiculed out of town. The opera—if it can be so dignified—■ i; educative, too. in the sense that it discloses in the quaintest possible way the rude but sharp wit and manners of Ihc day, and awakens one's sense to the rare beauty of the music of English medieval composers. There is too, a world of humour in the manner in which the acting Iwo centuries ago is parodied—-the stilled gestures and attitudes, which, though absurd ir the .light of the more natural school, gave glimpses of a grace and courtesy in bearing curiously at odds with the license of the time's.

1 "Mr Hilton Osborne, a bright young ; English actor, plays Machcath with : an air of debonnair superiority that is ' distinctly attractive and quite tradi--1 lional. He cuts a graceful figure, and attitudinises with immense dignity and 1 reserve. If lie has a fatlll il is his manner of speaking his lines too rap/idly. Mr Osborne is aided by a strong vibrant barilone voice, well suited to tiic music. Of his solos, '.My Heart was so Free,' 'lf the Heart of a Man,' 'Youth's the Season,' and the prison soliloquy were outstanding. Miss Pauline Bindley made Polly a demure little miss instead of an artful minx, and on these duos succeeded. Her chief charm "ay in Ihe ease and manner in which she carolled the many beautiful numbers allotted Lo her role, notably 'Virgins arc like the Fair Flower' (Pureed), 'O, Ponder Well,' 'Cease Your Funning.' Her duet (with Mr Osborne), '0 What Pain to Part,' and two with Lucy were also instinct with musical beauty in its best sense. Miss Lily Malyon, as Mrs Peachum, senses the spirit of the burlesque more accurately and effectively than anyone in the cast. Her make-up, gestures, grimaces, attitudes, and keen sense of comedy stood out in bold relief as the finished performance of a consummate artist. Mr Reg. Roberts lost his identity completely in his very excellent characterisation of Peachum, and Mr George Wil.loughby was also in the picture as Lockit. Miss Beryl Walkely, a charming mezzo, sang the music of Lucy with especial grace, and Miss Ida McGill made a spirited Jenny Dyer. Filch was well acted and sung by Mr Charles Mettam, and Mr Harry Schofleld was clear spoken as the Beggar. The male chorus —a double quartette—who appear at the opening of the tavern scene (Act II), is a stimulating feature, and the chorus, 'Fill Every Glass' (solo by Mr Mettam as Mat of the Mint) was a most stimulating number, as was also 'Let us Take the Road' (in which a llandelian air is effectively used). The opera is enlivened by a gavotte (to entrancing music), a mock ballet of prisoners in chains, and a country dance. There is a good deal of en'tractc music, which would be enjoyed to a greater extent if the audience were more subdued. 'The Beggar's Opera' was produced by Mr Ceorge Highland, whilst the musical direction of Mr Slapoffski left little to be desired." , On and Off the Stage: " Heaven only knows why I married you," said the angry lady in the pink tights. "Well," replied the dressy tenor, "if you can find anyone who knows J why I went mad and bought you a ring —l'll buy him a big prize." Three minutes later be was on the ( slage with a rapt expression of un- - dying love spread all over his face, singing: '. "An angel was born one Easter morn, And God sent her down to me." Footlight Flashes. The old favourite, Miss Maggie Moore, is appearing in the final production ("Enter, Madame") of the Gertrude Elliott season in Auckland. "Casanova," with Lowell Sherman in the lead, has opened in New York. > No late comers were allowed into the j ■theatre on the opening night until the | conclusion of the first act. This lead! j might well be followed in Hamilton, i j where late-comers are often a great| p nuisance. | ■ Miss Clarice Buckman, sister of Newj Zealand's famous prima donna .Rosina j Buckman, returned to New Zealand | last week from Australia, where she i has been doing professional work for l,h 0 past J I months. Miss Buckman is \ over on a holiday visit to her people, j Nicola, Ihc American magician, and : his company missed the Japanesej, earthquake owing to their success in, J Kobe, where they were detained an- j J other week, otherwise they wouldi,* have been in the 'centre of the ciis-'; turbane*- ' c