Music and Drama

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLI, Issue 4, 22 July 1908, Page 16

Music and Drama

Mellia’s concert tour of New Zealand, wader the management of Mr. Jno. Lemmone, was booked on July 10. It begins at Invercargill on April 13, and finishes al Auckland on May 20. Dunedin dates are April 15 and 17. J* -Jt Mr. 11. 11. Roberts has been delighting 'Auckland audiences in “The Prince Chap” at His Majesty’s, and those who have not seen him in this very human play have missed a good deal. To-night he stages “The Case of Rebellious Susan,” a play associated with the name of the Broughs, and it will be very interesting to see how he takes the part of Sir Richard Kato. Last Thursday the friends of Mr. Roberts—who is an old 'Auckland boy—gathered in great force at His Majesty’s, and gave him a genuinely hearty welcome. / J* J* The Mallinson song recitals in the Choral Hall, Auckland, last week, were most enjoyable, and the many admirers of Mr. Mallinson’s work had an opportunity of hearing how it should be interpreted. His aecoiupaniments to his wife’s singing were.a revelation. Nothing finer has been heard in Auckland. jX JX Since her record reign of last year “Mother (loose” has been the standard of comparison for all entertainments in Australasia, but at the present time it looks very much as though she were □n imminent danger of being deposed from her high position by her successor in the public, esteem—‘ Humpty Dumpty.” This attraction of Mr. J. C. Williamson’s will be presented for the first time in iNcw Zealand at His Majesty’s Theatre on Monday evening next. Amid the gorgeous setting of first grade extravaganza, a crowd of gay and irresponsible humourists “let themselves go” in “Humpty Dumpty”—well backed up by brilliant spectacles, ballets, marches, Specialities, and magical transformations. (You must be prepared to laugh when you go to "Humpty Dumpty,” and a readiness to meet a joke half-way will add very much to one’s enjoyment. iYour admiration may be held in reserve for such things as the Hall of Ten Thousand Lights, the Throne Room of the Palace, the nursery rhymes ballet, the Coral Ballet, the Australian States Ballet, and the Congress of Nations, in which the beauteous representatives of many flags inarch to the stately music of Sir Edward Elgar’s “Pomp and Circumstance.” Numerically, the company is the largest that has yet appeared in the Dominion. Included in the cast are the “Mother Goose” favourites, Messrs. Harry Shine, Victor Loydall, Queen, and Le Brun, Misses Mabelle Morgan, Irene Dillon, Beatrice English, and Nance Maher, and the newcomers comprise Miss Olga Grey, a clever impersonator, Mr. J. Cherry, as Humpty Dumpty, and the principal comedian, Mr. Bert Gilbert, who was specially imported for the production, and in the English version played the part of King Solium, a character said to be specially suited to his peculiar style. The children, such a delightful feature of Mother Goose, are again given many opportunities. Altogether “Humpty Dumpty” is described as a gorgeous show, a feast of light and colour, beautiful girls, magnificent scenery, and dainty ballets. JX There is no question about it, “The Prince Chap" is an attractive show, attractively staged and capably played. During the week it has filled His Majesty’s Theatre with appreciative audiences. A prophet may be without honour in his own but the success of “The Prince Chap” is sufficient evidence that a similar state of affairs does not obtain with the actor. The success of “The Prince Chap” is as much a tribute to the personal popularity of an old Aucklander as to the intrinsic merit* of a good show.

“The marriage of William Ashe,” despite Miss Fannie Ward’s second act all-diamond costume—£2oo,ooo worth — did not achieve a run in London. It was to be followed on June 10 at Terry’s by an American play, “The Three of Us.” Miss Fannie Ward would be in the leading role supported by Mr Cyril Keightley, and Mr John Dean, another Australian favourite in Miss Pattie Browne, and Mr J. A. Butler. Mr Charles Cartwright would be producer. J* A well-known Australian theatrical firm has been inquiring for dates in New Zealand for 1912 and 1913. JX Mr George Musgrove has left London for Melbourne with the nucleus of a company which is to revive such old favourites in opera-bouffe as “Les Cloches de Corneville,” “Maritana,” “La Fille de Madame Angot”—which was Mr Musgrove’s first success as an Australian manager —“The Lily- of Killarney,” and other operas of the same class. The principals engaged include Miss Stella Gas telle, who made a success in England with Audran’s light operas, “La Poupee” and “Amorelle”; Mr Wilson Pembroke, a light operatic tenor; Mr George Snazelle, already well known to Australians as a mellow comedian; and Mr Clement Lockname as musical director. All the minor parts are to be locally filled. ’JB J* Irene Franklin is continuously employed nowadays in the States. At latest, she was given a prominent position in the programme of the Colonial Theatre, New York. JX <s* The Williamson firm have issued a delightful and artistic souvenir of the “Peter Pan” production, and I have to acknowledge receipt of a copy. The story of this quaint Barrie phantasy, to enjoy which “we must forget we have ever grown up,” is delightfully told, and the illustrations are admirable. JX Joseph J. Pollard, who, with his sister, Mrs Nellie Chester, is the sole proprietor of the Pollard Lilliputian Opera Co. now appearing in San Francisco, gives the following explanation of how the organisation came into existence:— ‘There were seventeen brothers and sisters in our family, and we were all musically inclined. It is just thirty years ago that father conceived the idea of keepiiig us all together and in "the lines toward which we were most inclined. We started out to play the Australian towns, and met with such success that the name ‘Pollard’ became a standard in the amusement world there. As time went on we enlarged our repertoire, and the children of those of our kin and friends who displayed musical and dramatic talent were admitted to our ranks.” The celebrated actor, John Palmer, whose father was a bill-sticker, and who had occasionally followed the same humble occupation himself, being one evening strutting in the green-room in a pair of glittering buckles, a bystander remarked that they really' resembled diamonds. “Sir,” said Palmer, with some warmth, “I would have you know that I never wear anything but diamonds!” “I ask your pardon,” replied the other, “I remember the time when you wore nothing but paste.” The laugh was much heightened by Bannister exclaiming, “Jack, why don’t you stick him against the wall?” jX jX “Why plays fail” is the title of a recent article by’ Daniel Frohman; but, while Mr Frohman's article is interesting, it fails to tell why plays fail. Truth is, Mr Frohman does not know why plays fail. He knows why some plays would fail if they were produced; but be does not know why so many plays fail that seem to an experienced,

manager to have the elements of popularity. Public taste is capricious and fickle. One success does not ensure another. George Ade (says Frohman) wrote two extraordinarily successful plays; but his third play was a dismal “frost”; and now his fourth, “Father and the Boys,’* has caught the public’s fancy. Even the most successful playwrights make frequent failures. Why did the latest play of Augustus Thomas fail? If managers could answer this question the business of producing, plays would be indeed a business, rather than a series of blind speculations. ■j» di Anderson got, out of thousands of offers, no better name for his new Melbourne theatre than “The King’s,” and he pays his £5 to a charity. He has had £5O worth, of advertisement, and the end justifies the means (says the “Bulletin”). But the failure of the competition is a reflection upon the manager’s judgment, not on the ingenuity of the public. It is utterly’ out of reason to assume that among 1000 suggestions there were not 100 better names than “King’s Theatre” in a city where there are already a Royal, a Princess, and Her Majesty’s. The managerial idea is so extremely conservative in this matter that a good, original name would give it a positive shock of apprehension. After all, Anderson was advertising for an old hackneyed name, and as- he had already selected the tiredest old deadhead of a name in the dictionary, he won his own competition quite as a matter of course. 'JX 'Jt

A NEW ENGLISH OPERA.

Our London correspondent writing on June 6th, says:— I went on Saturday night to hear “The Wreckers,” a new English opera, sung at the Queen’s Hall. It was only a concert performance—that is to say, no scenery or costumes were used—and only two of the three acts were given; but it was wonderfully interesting all the same. I have called it an English opera, but the libretto, though planned in English, was written in French, translated into German, and sung in German on Saturday by- artists of various nationalities. It wp-s written in French because that was considered to be “the likeliest road to performance in England,” and the opera was produced first at Leipzig, hence the translation into German. The composer, Miss E. M. Smyth, offered the opera to the Covent Garden authorities, but they declined to undertake its production, and informed Miss Smyth that only operas which had established a Continental success would be performed at Covent Garden. That is the way they encourage English opera in England! The enthusiasm on Saturday’ night was simply astonishing. I had no idea an English audience could get so excited over new music, and especially over such very “modern” music as Miss Smyth’s. At the end of Act I. they cheered and cheered, and the lady’ composer and t'he artists had to appear seven or eight times. Herr Nikisch, the celebrated conductor, tried to get into a corner and escape the furore; but Miss Smyth was not to be denied. She ran to his corner and dragged her reluctant conductor into the full glare of the limelight, and insisted on hi s taking his share of the applause. Madame Blance Marchesi and Mr. John Coates and the other artists who sang the music were all applauded to the echo, and everyone got very excited and rapturous. The enthusiasm reached its climax when Mme. Marchesi impulsively planted a kiss on Miss Smyth’s hand. Then they sought out Nikisch again, but the conductor was plainly embarrassed by their attention,, and beat a retreat. Possibly he was afraid of a too fervent demonstration on the part of one or other of the excited ladies. The enthusiasm was repeated at the close of the performance, and Miss E. M. Smyth must have been a proud and happy woman when she went home that night. It was a memorable evening. The story’ of “The Wreckers” is most dramatic, and the music is full of vivid impressionism. The sea-pictures which the music conjures up are wonderfully realistic. You can hear the wash of the sea upon the shore, the plaintive cry of the seagulls, the booming of the great waves in the caves, under the Cornish cliffs. The orchestration gives you the whole atmosphere and background of the drama with such convincing realism that the audience can easily follow the course of the action from beginning to end. The story itself is a Cornish

tragedy of the 18th century. head num of the village and local preacher. encourages his people in their cruel trade, which depends largely upon the regular extinction of lighthouse lamps, and which has lately languished owing to the- “treachery" 1 of someone in the village, who has been lighting beacons to guide ships into safety. Avis, th* lighthouse-keeper's daughter, is moved by jealousy to denounce Pascoe as the traitor, she being unaware that it ia Mark who has done- the thing—Mark, who has forsaken her for the sake of Paseoe’s wife, Thirza, The lighting of the beacon by Mark and Thirza is the great climax of the second act; and with their splendid love-duet the selection concert ended on Saturday. The finest dramatic situation was still to- come, for -when the lovers have left the stage, being pursued by the search parties organised in the village to discover the author of the deed, Pascoe enters, and, discovering his wife’s shawl by the beacon fire, falls senseless, and is found by the villagers. The closing act of the drama shows a kind of rough court of justice held in one of the caves, from which egress is possible through passages in the rocks which can be closed from the land-side. Here Pascoe takes upon himself the blame of lighting the beacon; but Mark confesses, and at length the lovers are left to the incoming tide. Some day, perhaps, we will see “The Wreckers” produced on the operatic stage; but that day, alas! is not yet. Miss Irene Ainsley, who is to make her first Australasian appearance in Auckland, says, in a letter to a friend, that she is prompted in this by a desire to sing first to the people who assisted her in getting to Europe and obtaining the necessary training. Mr. John Lemmone, who heard the New Zealander sing in Sydney the other day, describes her voice as magnificent; A new hymn tune, “Rest,” composed by Mr. E. S. Craston, organist of St. David’s Church, has just been published. It is well suited lor choirs or congregational singing, and will form an acceptable addition to the ordinary hymn book collection.