Music and Drama.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLIII, Issue 20, 17 November 1909, Page 15

Music and Drama.

By

BAYREUTH.

BOOKINGS. (Dates Subject to Alteration.) AUCKLAND—HIS MAJESTY'S. Nov. 13 to 27 — Mr Hush Ward.: Nov. 29 to Dec. 18 — Wm. Anderson. Nov. 20 to Dee. 25 — Henry Hayward. Dec. 26 to Jan. 16—J. C. Williamsons “King of Cadonia” Co. THE OPERA HOUSE. In Season—Fuller’s Pictures. WELLINGTON OPERA HOUSE. Nov. 3 to 20. —William Anderson. Nov. 22 to Dec. 9.—Julius Knight. Dec. 10 to 18.—E. Branscombe. Dec. 20 to 25.—Pictures. Dec. 26 to Jan. 15. —J. C. Williamson. Jan. 17 to 26.—Carter the Magician. Jan. 29 to Feb. 19.—J. C. Williamson. Feb. 26 to March 25. —Allan Hamilton. March 26 to April 18.—J. C. Williamson. April 19 to 27. —Meyneil and Gunn. April 28 to May 18.—J. C. Williamson. May 19 to June 3. —Fred. H. Graham. June 4 to 25.—J. C. Williamson. THEATRE ROYAL. In Season.—Fullers’ Pictuies. PALMERSTON NORTH MUNICIPAL OPERA HOUSE. Nov. 1 to 6 — Hugh Ward Musical Comedy, Nov. 29 to Dec. 1 — Pollard Opera Co. Dec. 9 — Local Conceit. Dec. 27 to 29 — Carter, the Magician.

“ A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” THE Auckland Orchestral Society maintains its recently-acquired reputation for being ambitious. The performance of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” in commemoration of the Mendelssohn centenary, with the assistance of such local talent as was forthcoming from the Shakespeare Societies, may rightly be regarded as one of the events of the year. It sets the recording seal upon the undaunted enthusiasm of Herr VVielaert. It was an unusual venture for a local society to aspire to the boards of His Majesty’s. There appears to be a . tradition in Auckland that the Choral Hall is the limit of enterprise. That, I might frankly say, is a bad tradition, with all respect to the time-honoured edifice, whose 1 architectural splendours were euphemistically commented upon by such a world roamer as Foster Fraser. For big choral or instrumental productions small halls are bad, as much as they are apt to exert a baneful influence on apiateur readers. Tne enterprise of the Orchestral Society on this occasion is a thing that must commend itself. There was no very great vacancy of seating accommodation either night. For the first time this year the orchestra itself has been heard under conditions possible to judge the relative strength of its performers, without being inconvenienced by a wall space too limited for the volume of sound. For the orchestra the change was decidedly one for the better. I have not the slightest doubt that the Tschaikowsky 1812 Overture, with its overpowering accompaniment of voices and rifle fusilade, would have been heard to much better effect earlier in the season, had His Majesty’s been available for the purpose. But if the experiment was to the advantage of the orchestra, it demonstrated something else that is in the interest of amateur readers worth recording. I spoke just new about the baneful influence of small halls. It was evident on both nights that many of the readers, who provided the material to Herr VVielaert to build up his performance, had little or no conception ho— to pitch their voices so as to make themselves heard clearly in all parts of the theatre. There is no call for individualisation, but it was impossible to escape the observation that the effect and beauty of not a few notable passages were lost to the audience. A defect that has been mentioned in these pages before is that some of the performers read too fast. The laek of sutllcient pauses is fata] to clear enunciation, or to the ready comprehension of the subject.

The Cast. The east of characters is much too h ngthy for one to traverse individually and possibly there is virtue still in the old maxim that silence is golden. On such an occasion, as this, allowances must be freely made for its experimental nature.- The standards of His Majesty’s, London, must in fairness not apply to the efforts of His Majesty’s,

Auckland. At the same time one cannot forget that “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is one of the rarest things in the language. If Shakespeare created it, Mendelssohn hallowed it. When you have heard and seen it produced amid the high water mark of good acting, sctnic presentation and instrumental skill, the realisation of its artistic supremacy is a thing never to be forgotten. If I do not pour out praises in the manner of things, full and approved, it may be because one is jealous of having great memories clouded as much as allowing the recollection of a masterpiece of painting to be blurred by indifferent copies. The Puck of Miss Bertha Jackson, who by reason of her 'discarding the book, showed to advantage, was the most notable thing in the She acted up to the part with spirit, and though young and with occasional uncertainty in the pitch of her voice, her presentation of the ineffable Robin was full of quality and freshness. Mr. J. A. Dyson showed both originality and promise as Bottom, and deserved well of the applause that was showered upon him. Mrs. Frank Turner, who is a decided acquisition to the ranks of the Ponsonby readers, rose to the part of Helena with undoubted talent. Her impersonations usually have much to recommend them and on this occasion she did not disappoint her auditors. With a charming quartet of children, Mrs. Lee Myers gave many of the refined 1 touches requisite to the beautiful Titania, whilst of the remainder of the male cast, the Theseus of Mr. H. J. D. Mahon was very well spoken, if he was unbending.

The Orchestra. The orchestra, on the whole, faithfully responded to their conductor. On a, crowded stage it was no doubt difficult to arrange the instrumentalists so as to give the best effect. One eould not help feeling the need of additional strength in the woodwind and the horns. Time and again they were overpowered by the strings, but these things probably nobody more than a conductor realises are often inseparable from the difficulties of the amateur orchestra. The performance on the whole had many points of merit. Much of the incidental music was excellent. A great deal was to be said for the capital rendering of the Wedding March, whilst the overture—probably the most cherished thing Mendelssohn ever penned— was intelligibly handled. Maybe the effect of listening to a fairly large body of players in a large theatre has something to do with the impression, none the less I am inclined to say the playing of the members is improving. Technical proflci may and readiness to respond to the baton are two things sueh improvement has need. to count for. It can be readily raid that with almost every concert the future of the orchestra grows biig'r<r and if the road is long and the task heavy, the glory of achievement is worth it.

A Delicious Honeymoon. We live again and laugh. The multitude bellows with delight. Voices float up from the stalls and mingle with the cackle of the circle and wrangle with the uproar of the gallery for supremacy in the roof. His Majesty’s literally bulges with merriment. Maybe it was the memory of the night before, perhaps the inevitable depression associated with a protracted interlude of prize fighting, inflammable pictures or frothy decadence —never mind. The fact of the matter is, Hugh Ward has arrived on “ A Bachelor’s Honeymoon.” It is a bright piece that has but recently left a wake of laughter through the Far East and Australia, and is at the present moment bottling Auckland up with convulsions. It is neither comedy nor farce, but both. There is the usual shred of a story. Around the. two leading characters circles the inevit. able and insufferable aunt, the eternal house maid reading novelettes, the ridiculous man servant who invariably does the wrong thing, a monoeled dandy, and a shriekijig caricature of a German doctor. Benjamin Bachelor, whilst on a holiday, has married Juno Joyce; a variety actress, and, <Ji§,tracted by", the delights of the honeymoon, he omits to send word to the servants or to acquaint his sister Minerva (who is also his self-constituted moral

guardian), as to what he has done. Reaching home at a time when the family is away, the newly-wedded pair make merry over their adventure, and are tn the height of their fun when the servants appear, and Benjamin, having no time to a proper explanation, gaily tills the maid and the man that they are to take their orders henceforward from “ Miss Arbuckle, the housekeeper.” This tale does not seem to convince Mary Ann, who notes with suspicion that “Miss Arbuckle ” is allotted the best room in the house, and the situation becomes further involved when Dr. Schwartz calls to see Benjamin. Tire doctor has on the quiet made love to the lady, and upon some previous occasion promised to marry her. When he discovered her as the lady whom he has known as Juno Joyee he conceives that a plot is afoot to compel him to redeem his promise. Benjamin resorts to all sorts of . subterfuge to maintain his original story, and flatters himself that he is likely to come out right, when Minerva returns, sweep his lies into the wings, demanding from him a full confession upon pain of exercising the right she has under the father’s will to withold from Benjamin his share of the patrimony. Faced with this awful possibility—for the bride and bridegroom have no prospects of sustenance apart from the legacy— Benjamin fabricates the tale that the lady is the new governess for the girls, and “Miss Arbuckle” is forced to act up to the story. So the story proceeds. It is much too thin to live of itself. To treat it seriously for a moment would give one a headache. But it is the combination of bright spirits Mr. Ward has drawn around him that keeps the night alive with the ridiculous. Both the actormanager and Miss Grace Palotta arc accomplished in more arts than the comedy stage usually demands. Both are cultured and intellectual type's. .Miss Palotta carries with her many of the graces and charms that distinguish the Viennese women amid the glittering assemblage of the Continent. Mr. Ward as a comedian has long passed from the artificial to the natural. He has qualities no doubt that fit him for a higher stage than that which he graces at present; nevertheless, a refining element in modern comedy is very welcome on these shores. The leaders are actively supported by Miss Celia Ghiloni as Minerva, Miss Rose Musgrove as Marianne, Mr. Reginald Wykeham as Stephen Houston, am. Mr. 11. 11. Wallace as Joe, the man-servant. Both the latter and Miss Musgrove are strong in comedy characters. "Marianne” is, in its way, a creation, and when you have heard her sing top C double flat when the orchestra sounds the common chord of A.majbr it will never be forgotten. The company conclude their visit to New Zealand with the Auckland season, which extends to the 27th inst.

The Late Lionel Brough. The death of Lionel Brough was cabled from Home last week. With him the English stage loses one of its most capable actors, and though it cannot be said that he was famous in the sense of being a familiar name in the mouths of the multitude, he had that which is better—the unhesitating approval and appreciation of his fellow-professionals. lie was one of the most thorough actors in London, fox - his performances were principally confined to London theatres, and, besides being a favourite with the ordinary playgoers of the Metropolis, was high in the esteem of the late Queen Victoria and the King. Lionel Brough, w..0 was the son of Barnabas Brough (a dramatic author of note in his day), and an uncle of the late Robert Brough, who had such well deserved honour in Australia and Now Zealand, was bom in 1836, and was educated first at the Manchester Grammar School and then at a private school in London. His working career commenced on the commercial staff of the “London Daily Telegraph,” but, rt the age of 18, he got an engagement at the Lyceum rneatre, and continued as an actor for four years, at the end of which he joined the literary staff of the “Morning Star.” where he remained for five years. But his “cal!” could not be gainsaid, so once again he donned the buskin and toured the provinces with a little company of his own. From that day he remained true to the profession. His first big success was made in 1808, when he played.in London with the late John Toole in “Dearer Than Life.” His subseq'uent career wits a succession and he ju oyejd himself to be an all-round man of first quality, as capable in farcical comedy as in drama. According to London critics,

however, he was at his highest excellence when playing in Goldsmith's and Sheridan's comedies. One of his last part* was that of the oid retainer to Ulysses in Stephen Phillips’ drama, “Ulysses,” when it was produced by Sir IT. Beerbohm Tree. In lamdon Lionel Brough was looked upon by actors, c .pcrlenced and inexperienced, as an exceptionally well-qualified dcmonstralcr of the art •* acting, and it is certain that his will be greatly regretted by all student* and proficients of the profession. He was certainly the finest Sir Toby Belch ("Twelfth Night”) of his day. Lionel Brough is a name that is legion in London, but now “the sundown, splendid anJ serene,” has closed on his sixty-third year. London has lost one of her imperishable favourites.

Somerset Maughan's Latest. •According to Homo advices, a crude "truth lurks hidden beneath the sparkling glitter of wit and laughter in Mr. fcvoiner-et Maugham’s new play, “Smith/* 'which was produced at the Comedy Theatre recently. “Now and again,’* says a critic, “we are permitted to see ithis truth—*a« much of it as is good enough for us without spoiling our enjoyment—and then we realise that this new comedy is, indeed, Something more than the mere froth of •wit and epigram. “Mr. Somer et Maugham has gilded 4hc pill so well and made it so appetising that we swallow (he bitter (ruth •without a murmur, without Knowing that we are being taught a lesson. “Yet the lesson is there. True, it is wot a new one, but it has become more ansistent every year. It is the les-on of nn England that is growing effete and i>ackbon(d(‘ss; of an England where •wives shirk their responsibilities, and •brainless young men are parasites; it d* the lesson of “The Walls of Jer : cho” over again, even to the healthy-minded, colonial returning to the Mother-country and finding something rotten in the State of England. “Nevertheless, whore Mr. Sutro flaw Wack vice. Mr. Maugham only sees frivolity, laziness, and selfishness. ‘You’re not men and women, but strange, sex--2(83 creatures.” tsa.xs Thomas Freeman, Ithc man from Rhodesia. ‘England is full of people as vain as you . . . the enemy’ is at your gates.’ It i's the artificial pretence of it all that has irked SWr. Maugham, the spirit of things which 5s expressed wittily by one of his best characters. Algernon Peppercorn. ‘I prefer now acquaintances to old friends.’ ” The Parlourmaid. So. reversing Mr. Maugham's method, let the pill be given find, and now for •the jam. The merriment and diintv charm of ‘’Smith'' lies in Smith herself, for Smith is a parlourmaid—one of those miracles of domestic servants that, alas! are never found in real life. Smith is a demure maiden, the picture ©5 healthy English beauty, with a near, cap set over- a wealth of fair hair, a pink-and-white face, and a slender ’neek. !Smith, in short, is Mi’s Marie Lohr, Mho Australian actress, loveable, girlish. and sweet. She is the only real woman in the #»ousehold of Rose Dallas-Baker, herself « selfish, pleasure-loving woman in th 3 harmle-s wav. whos<» husband is a com-piac-ent, bald-headed barrister, allowing tier to do as she wishes. “Children would bore me,” is one of her sayings. a remark which disgusts Tom, her brother, who has returned after seven year-’ absence in Rhodesia to find that hi-** fine, manly, and healthy outlook on lift is regarded as nonsensical sentiment. A contract to Tom is Algernon Peppercorn. a type of youth to lie met with Ito day. Hr describes himself: “I am a poodle dug or a tame cat. 1 shop with iPtose. ami play golf with Herbert just Well enough to let him win” Then there is Emily Chapman, who is the feminine equivalent to Algernon, also a parasite, and Mrs. Otto RosenW*rg, who i> placing bridge when her Ln by dies. Tom does his best. He tries to kick •Algernon out of the place, tries to reform the household, but it is like tilting Bi windmills. Then, in a '-cene.of pure comedv, he is alone at lunch in the fiat with Smith •waiting on him. She has darned his Boeks, mended his clothes. “When 1 see a thing wants doing I it” she says. “That’s not the way to get on in service,” he remarks grimly. In Lave Wiili Smith. Always the humble servant —like the female Admirable Crichton she is—she lets him talk about his farm; tells him ©i her sister who married a cab proprietor in Sydney ami can now ride in forty-three cabs. It is plain that he is in love with her. “I’ve half a mind to marry Smith,” he i-ays later. He proposes. Rut Smith

doesn't hold with people marrying out of their station. She wants to marry a working man. Tom defends himself. He was a porter once, he explains, in J ohannesburg. This is not all the story, but it is the main theme, for before Tom proposes to Smith he had been proposed to by the scheming Emily Chapman, whom he accepted, but who afterwards repented, confessed her true nature and set. him free. The play is studded with gems of wit. Every other line there is a laugh. Here are some of the sayings that amused the audience the first night:— “I never mind what a man says to me when I know I can knock him down if I want to.” “A parlourmaid isn't a ‘handsome woman.’ ‘She ‘has a good appearance.’ ” “It’s a convention of novelists that you cannot leave two people of opposite sexes alone together with asterisks.” The 'play was splendidly acted by Miss Kate Cutler as the selfish Rose, Mr. Robert Loraine as the breezy Tom, and Mr. A. E. Matthews—-the drawling, aimless Algernon. A fashionable and crowded house gave “Smith” the heartiest welcome that a play has had for some time. The “ Merry Widow's ” Successor. After “ine Merry Widow,” “The Dollar Princess”! Both ladies saw the light in Vienna, and the new arrival, presented by Mr. George Edwardes to an immense audience at Daly’s Theatre. London, recently, seems sure to attain a large measure of the English popularity enjoyed by her predecessor. The Dollar Princess is the sister of Harry Q. Conder, humorist and oil king. She lives in a magnificent house in New York, and is waited upon (such is tne whim of Harry Q.) by impecunious members of the British aristocracy. The butler is a duke, the groom an earl, the footman a Scotch baronet of ancient lineage. This farcical idea, by the way, is not used with much effect, though the Scotch footman, in the person of Mr. Willie Ward, occasionally breaks into welcome clever dances. Alice Conder is a termagant. Her brother is quite an easy-going fellow for an oil king, but Alice is very, very haughty, so when Freddy Fairfax arrives from England to apply for a situation she treats him with scorn. Really, of course, they fall in love with each other at first sight, but they are both too proud to admit it, and Act I. concludes with a waltz duet (soon to be whistled by every errand boy and played on every suburban piano), in which Alice and Freddy vocally, express their mutual scorn. Tennis and Quarrels. In Act 11. they play tennis, they quarrel, they even flirt. He has become her typewriter. He must be kept in his place. Then she contemptuously offers to marry him—and he declines, and this brings us to a magnificent finale, dramatic, original, quite moving. So to Act 111., where all comes right, Freddy has gone to California and become another oil king, Alice follows him, and they once more sing the duet of the evening, this time happily in each other’s arms. This is the main intrigue of the new production. If in its anglicisation “The Dollar Princess” has lost something of its character of light opera and acquired some of the qualities of British musical comedy, the main theme has been retained —'the power of love, the misfortune of being an unloved rich woman—and Mr. Edwardes has east for the leading parts two artists entirely capable of understanding the characters and singing the music. Miss Lily Elsie, the Alice, is always beautiful to look at, and on Saturday she sang with splendid power and finish, and acted with surprising 'sincerity and intelligence. The end of the second act was a great triumph for Miss Elsie. Mr. Robert Michaelis plays Freddy equally satisfactorily. He possesses an excellent voice, and sings like a musician. But there is far more in “The Dollar

Princess” than the love story of Freddy Fairfax and Alice Conder. There are wonderful stage pictures, and crowd's of lovely women and equally lovely clothes. There is Miss Gabrielle Ray with several characteristically graceful dances. There is the always amusing Mr. W. H. Berry to supply restrained and genuine comedy, and Mi' s Emmy Wehlen to sing with charm and skill. And, above all, there is Mr. Joseph Coyne. Mr. Coyne’s Whimsicality. Mr. Coyne is the oil king. His part is not a great one. But all he does he does most admirably well. Mr. Coyne has a delightful whimsical personality, you watch him, and you think at once what a good fellow he is. Then you begin to laugh, pleasantly, continuously. Mr. Coyne smoking a bad cigar. Mr. Coyne escaping from a female Nihilist, Mr. Coyne playing lawn tennis, Mr. Coyne singing and dancing with Miss Lily Elsie—these are among the happiest moments of “The Dollar Princess.” Then for a few minutes Mr. Coyne has to be serious when Fairfax refuses to marry his sister, and absolutely the right note is struck without exaggeration or insincerity. “The Dollar Princess” wants curtailing. Mr. Basil Hood's version of the libretto by Herren Willner and Grunbarnn is too diffuse. One or two of the smaller parts should be given to players with stronger voices. But all the inevitable small defects of the production will soon be put right by Mr. Edwardes’ master hand. It is quite certain that Herr Leo Fall’s dainty music, the splendour of the setting, and the excellence of the performance will ensure for “The Dollar Princess*’ at least a year’s prosperity. Amateur Dramatic Performance. Auckland is fortunate in possessing several dramatic clubs which rank well in the forefront of amateur organisations. The Welcome Club, which gave a highly successful.presentation of Pinero’s “The .Magistrate” last week, may be well conceded to have sustained their reputation. The play, which, it may be remarked, shows human nature in its hard aspect under the glare of electric light, is a farce having for its hero the fast College youth of English University life, also military foppishness. The “Magistrate” is the one character who, though

held up to ridicule, adds a touch of lovableness to’the scene, exclaiming, as the curtain falls, “Well, I did my duty, in spite of all,” Mr. Archdale Tayler may be highly complimented on his impersonation of the*character, also on nis management of the whole entertainment, which proceeded without a hitch. Mr. Arehie Denniston, as the dissolute youth, also did a capable piece of work, and Mrs. George Bloomfield, as mother of the youth, gave a creditable rendition of the character “Agatha Posket.” The otner parts were well sustained by Messrs. Wallace Bruce. Charles Stevens. Alan Hobbs, Pierce, Hay, Henderson, Reid, Seaward, and Kettle, and the Misses Gorrie, Nathan, and Reid. The audience, which was kept in a simmer of laughter, accorded the performers generous applause, and on the fall of the curtain many floral tributes were handed up. Mr. P. H. Meredith’s orchestra added in no small measure to the evening’s enjoyment.