A YOUTHFUL MARGUERITE.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVII, Issue 964, 27 August 1908, Page 18

A YOUTHFUL MARGUERITE.

Miss Marie Lohr, “Daddy” Lohr’s daughter, who is to play the part of

Margaret to Mr Tree’s production of “ Faust,” will be the youngest actress who has ever played the character. At present she is studying under Mr. Herman Vezin, the worldknown actor. Mr. Vezin is a marvel — 80 years of age, yet with his memory unimpaired —in fact, he knows several Shakesperian plays by heart, “ Julius Caesar,” for instance. He can go through this from beginning to end —servants’ lines, entrances, exits, everything. It is doubtful whether any young actor of the present day could equal this as a feat of memory.

Messrs. J. and N. Tait are arranging for a visit of the famous Maori guide Maggie Papakura and her sister Bella to Australia with a typical Maori entertainment. She wou d have been here at Fleet time, but decided to stay on to take Mark Hambourg through the sights of Rotorua, when that famous pianist visits the Dominion.

The extension of the New Zealand tour of " The Merrymakers” has now been definitely arranged, and they will stay some weeks longer in the Dominion than the tour Messrs. J. and N. Tait originally fixed for them.

The Victorian provinces are this week and next having a brief visit from the Julius Knight Company, which opens a three weeks’ season in Adelaide next Saturday (August 29).

Some idea of the enthusiasm Mark Hambourg created in Melbourne may be gauged from the fact that at the conclusion of one of his concerts he came on and bowed fourteen times before he gave his last encore —and the audience had been insisting on them all the evening.

So encouraging was the reception of “ Peter Pan” by the Parisians that Mr. Charles Frohman has set about arranging for its being staged in Berlin. Its hold upon English audiences remains as strong as ever, and even at the beginning of last month in London inquiries by the public and references by the press . were being made regarding; its revival (for the sixth consecutive year) at the Duke of York’s Theatre next Christmas.

Syd. Day has finished a most attractive souvenir of “ Mrs. Wiggs of tne Cabbage Patch,” full of characteristic photographs of the different members of the company. It has just been issued by Mr. J. C. Williamson. Mr. John Harrison, the tenor of the Ada Crossley party, had a most romantic debut into solo work. He was a mill hand at Colne, Lancashire, and a member of the local Philharmonic Society when the defection of a wellknown soloist, specially engaged for the “ Messiah,” gave him his chance. So well did he take advantage of it that he was at once inundated with engagements, though it was not until some time after that he definitely decided to follow a musical career. Mr. Herbert Flemming’s Co., headed by Miss Beatrice Day, opened a season at Broken Hill last week with “The Mummy and the Humming Bird.” There was a large house, and a splendid reception was accorded principals and company. * * * * Australia, at the present moment, boasts the presence of Kubelik and wife, Mark Hambourg and wife, and Tommy Burns and wife. The violinist at best only yields 21s for front row tickets, whilst Hambourg may be heard for 6s or less, but Tommy Burns’ performance raises the price of tickets to £5. * * * * Mr. George Lauri, who was in Sydney up to recently, has left there by the s.s. Manuka for a trip to America. He was accompanied by his wife, and goes in search of better health. A * • * Alf Stephens, formerly of Pollard’s Opera Company, and later with the Firm,” is again in Melbourne (says the “ S. and D. News”), after a tour in India, which proved successful. Stephens is a versatile artist, and has appeared both in New Zealand and Australia, in over twenty different comic operas, and musical comedies. Perhaps two of his best hits were as Bronson in “ The Belle of New York,” and Gaspard in “ Les Cloches” —the latter being an excellent performance. He will play Gobo in the forthcoming operatic revival of “ Les Cloches de Corneville” at Melbourne Royal.