Greenroom Gossip.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVII, Issue 1004, 3 June 1909, Page 17

Greenroom Gossip.

By “ Footlights.” “STAGE LIFE AND MORALS.” An interview with Miss Ruth Lincoln on “ Stage Life and Morals ” appears on page 9 of this week’s “ Review.” * * * * PERSONALIA. Mr. J. C. Williamson left Melbourne by the German liner “ Seydlitz ” on a trip that will last for several months. Mr. Williamson contemplates visiting London, Berlin, Paris, Vienna, and other Continental centres, in search of dramatic and lyrical attractions for the Australian stage.—Mr. G. S. Titheradge is (writes my Melbourne correspondent) recovering from his severe illness, and is, in fact, so far restored to his old health and vigour that he was able to attend the last performance of “ An Englishman’s Home ” in Sydney.—The Latonas (Frank and Jen) left Sydney for America last week. After a holiday in New York they open in London in October. —Mr. Edmund Sherras, late of the J. C. Williamson Company, and Mr. Roland Bottomley, late of Meynell and Gunn’s Comic Opera, have sailed for London. * * * * “HELLO, LITTLE BOY!” One of the biggest hits of the “ Cinderella ” pantomime now being played to packed houses by Messrs. Meynell and Gunn’s English Comic Opera Co., is Miss Meredith Meredro’s song,

“Hello! Little Boy.” This song is sung in the dark, and the limelight is thrown on a mirror in the singer’s hands, the strip of light being used as a searchlight for the supposed admirer in the audience, and to whom the song is addressed. The flashing of the light on the various well-known people in the house on the opening night caused quite a furore, and the singer was recalled no less than eight times.

“MISS HOOK OF HOLLAND” COMPANY.

In response to hundreds of letters since the arrival of Messrs. Meynell and Gunn’s English Comic Opera Co. in New Zealand, the management have decided to produce “ Miss Hook of Holland ” during the run of their pantomime season in Auckland and other towns, despite the enormous expense entailed in freight, etc. The dates for the production of “ Miss Hook ” will be announced next week. » * * * A PLAY WITHOUT A SCRIPT. William Collier, who paid a flying visit to Australia under the J. C. Williamson management two years ago, has gone to London to play “ The Patriot,” a New York success, under engagement to Charles Frohman. That manager cabled him recently to send the ’script of the play on ahead, to which Collier cabled back, “ Never was a ’script.” This is said to be largely a fact, as most of the lines were talked over, and the actors wrote them down as they were decided upon, so that the original of the play practically ceased to exist.

REALISM ON THE STAGE. There is a very realistic effect in “ An Englishman’s Home,” which probably (writes my Melbourne correspondent) reminds members of the audience who have seen active service of the days and nights spent among the missiles of death which fly about during the period of campaign, and which makes the uninitiated in the horrors of war instinctively shrink back in dread. It is the sound which denotes the passage of a shell through the air, bound on its deadly mission of destruction. At first the dull boom of the cannon, and then the shriek and lastly the flash of fire and the mass of debris and smoking ruin. * * * « FRED. LESLIE IN PANTOMIME. Those who have argued for years that pantomime is Mr. Fred Leslie’s metier will be pleased to learn (writes my Sydney correspondent) that their opinion will be put to the test from Saturday next onward, when the clever young comedian will replace Mr. Bert Gilbert as Baron Bounce In “ Jack and Jill.” Another change in the cast will be caused by Miss Alma Barber giving place to Miss Betty Ohls, who will be the third Jill of the pantomime. Miss Fanny Dango was the original in Melbourne, and very charming she was in the part. Sydney, however, was deprived of the pleasure of seeing her on account of a managerial decree that she should go to New Zealand with the Royal Comic Opera Company. The present is Miss Dango’s first tour of the Dominion. * ♦ # * “HANDCUFF KING” DROWNED. A so-called “ Handcuff King,” named Ricardo, who had been appearing at a

music hall in Bavaria recently, sprang, heavily manacled, from the Luitpold Bridge, purposing to take off his handcuffs under water. He failed in the attempt, and was drowned. « * * ♦ “JACK AND JILL.” “ Jack and Jill,” on the figures of the J. C. Williamson management, appears to have a substantial claim to a world’s record. When the mail left Sydney it had registered its 171st performance—--60 in that city and 111 in Melbourne. In that time there was a break of only a few nights, occasioned in the transference of the pantomime between the two State capitals. The final week in Melbourne, it is stated, eclipsed the business of the first, and throughout the season the theatre was consistently crowded. In Sydney the popularity of the pantomime is best attested by the fact that at no performance has the accommodation of Her Majesty’s Theatre been equal to the demand placed upon it. The pantomime is undoubtedly the biggest success that the J. C. Williamson firm has handled. In the two cities over 350,000 persons have paid admission to see it, aggregating nearly one-third of their total population. In Easter week at Sydney, it is an open secret that “ Jack and Jill ” took more money than any entertainment has ever made for the same time at. the same prices in Australasia. During that week, which counted four matinees, not one late door ticket was sold. Taking that fact, with the capacity of the theatre, and the statement as to the record can be positively made. “ Jack and Jill ” has already exceeded the run of an English pantomime success, which is only a matter

of three months at the outside. With five months to its credit, the end of the Sydney season not yet in sight, and the usual touring territory to cover, this year’s extravaganza may be said to be making theatrical history. ♦ * * « A PANTOMIME SONG. Anyone would be justified in assuming on appearances that the introduction of a new song into a pantomime was an easy matter, but with an exacting stage manager it proved just the reverse in “ Jack and Jill ” (writes my Sydney correspondent). Miss Betty Ohls required a line or two to lead up to a new number, “ Au Revoir Little Hyacinth,” and the suggestions offered were as numerous as they were unacceptable. Mr. Gilbert was the first to be approached. “ Oh, that’s very easy,” he cried, airily; “ just put in a line to give the orchestra the cue, and at the same time let it be something to make the song appropriate. Now, let me see —hyacinth, er —hyacinth. I’ll think it over.” That was about all from the popular comedian. Miss Stella Gastelle thought a flower in a vase might be apostrophised by way of leading up to the song, and somebody else suggested that a hyacinth ballet would be just the thing. The minor poet of the pantomime then diffidently offered: Oh, Love is like a garden, There the purple amyrinth Recalls my childhood’s fancy For the starlit hyacinth! This was received with jeers. It would be all right for “ Patience,” but in “ Jack and Jill ” anything starting with “Oh!” was tabooed. Eventually the stage manager determined to wrestle with the problem himself, and in the

interim those whose offers he spurned are preparing cutting comments on what he will bring forth.

- * ♦ O AN AUSTRALIAN ACTRESS IN NEW YORK.

The J. C. Williamson management has received advice of the success of an Australian actress, named Katherine Kaelred, in the New York production of “ A Fool There Was.” The New York “ Evening Mail ” critic writes of her performance that it was “ the surprise, the triumph of the evening, and I can think of no other actress —and that includes Nazimova, Marlowe, Nethersole, and Anglin—who could play the Woman as well. She makes her impersonation as insidious as absinthe, as thrilling as electricity. Tall, lithe, with a voice that cajoles even while the manner menaces, Miss Kaelred made a vivid impression, and we see no reason why she should not enter the lists of our permanent stars.” The actress is none other than Miss

Elbert Orton, recently with the Julius Knight Company. ♦ ♦ ♦ * “THE CLIMAX.” The Australasian rights of “ The Climax,” a new play which has been successfully produced in New York, have been secured for Australasia by J. C. Williamson. ♦ ♦ * • INEXPENSIVE MELODRAMA. An interesting story of the old theatrical days is furnished by Mr. Frank Harcourt. A number of unemployed players happened to be in Sydney on one occasion, with very little hope of being “ placed.” They accordingly hired an inexpensive and not very popular theatre, and essayed a series of melodramatic performances with

quick changes. They managed fairly w'ell so far as costumes were concerned, and the talent at their disposal was of no mean order, but they had no money to buy scenery and properties, and were naturally hard pushed to give their productions anything like adequate mounting. But all things considered, they managed wonderfully well, and to this day Mr. Harcourt (who was stage manager) reflects with pride on the fact that he once upon a time staged a melodrama for the total expenditure of 15s. In one of the plays a mill wheel was required, and after much rummaging about down in the cellar they happened upon an old flywheel, which they “faked up ” to serve the purpose. When they filled their schedule a little later on, the proprietors had the extreme felicity of buying back some of their own machinery at the sale by auction!

♦ * * “HENRI OF NAVARRE.’

The Australasian rights of “ Henry

of Navarre,” which has recently scored a success at the New Theatre, London, have been acquired by J. C. Williamson. The play treats of the fortunes of Henry of Navarre and Marguerite de Valois, which bear out the old adage concerning the path of true love. The marriage is sanctioned by King Charles IX., who at the instigation of the Due de Guise and Catherine de Medicis, wishes to lure Navarre to Paris in order to have him slain with the Huguenots. However, after many exciting situations and misunderstanding between Henry and Marguerite, the play ends in a complete reconciliation, and Henry is saved from being massacred by his wife, who devises a clever little ruse to that end. In the London production Fred Terry and

Julia Neilson play the leading roles, and included in the cast are Mr. Carter Edwardes, Mr. Horace Hodges, and Mr A. R. Anson, all well known in Australia. * * * * “SWEET NELL” IN ADELAIDE. When first Melbourne playgoers heard that Miss Nellie Stewart was expected back in her own country they began to look forward to the pleasure of seeing her once more in “ Sweet Nell,” the piece with which she has identified herself so completely, and

the crowded houses which greeted her nightly in this most popular revival gave abundant evidence of the fact that the desire to see their favourite in her favourite impersonation was universal. The Melbourne season finished on Thursday, when the company left for Adelaide, where they opened on Saturday.

* * * “THE KING OF CADONIA.”

By the R.M.S. China, which arrived in Melbourne on Monday, Miss Dorothy Court, Miss Lottie Sargent, and Mr. Frank Greene, arrived under engagement to J. C. Williamson for the leading roles in “ The King of Cadonia.” Miss Court nas been cast for prima donna, Miss Sargent for the comedienne, and Mr. Greene will fill

the role of Lashki, at present being played by Mr. Reginald Kenneth in the London production of the musical comedy. A new musical director will also arrive in the person of Mr. Fitzhart. ♦ » » » “WHITE AUSTRALIA.” The Northern Territory—the settlement of which is the latest political cry of all three Federal parties—is for the first time used as the debating ground of a drama. The scenes of the first three acts of Randolph Bedford’s play, “White Australia; or, The Empty North,” are laid in the Territory, at Maradane Station, at the telegraph office on the Ant Hill Plain, and in the streets of Chinatown, Port Darwin. The scenes of the invasion of Australia by coloured races are placed in the Territory, and when Australia is invaded most probably the Territory will be the point of attack. The author’s knowledge of North Australia should provide a convincing local colour, and William Anderson’s management is sparing no expense to realise the author’s conception. The play has been especially strongly cast, and a strong army will make the scene of the fight in the streets of Port Darwin, and the partial destruction of Sydney by the alien fleet, resemble as closely as possible the sensationalism of real war and the glory of a real victory. The play is being staged by Mr. William Anderson at the King’s Theatre, Melbourne. IB » • B A NEW COMPANY. A cable stated that Mr. George Willoughby, the well-known comedian, had completed arrangements with Rupert Clarke, Meynell and Gunn, for a visit to Australia with a farce-comedy company in February next, the tour opening in Melbourne. One of the pieces will be “The Night of the Party,” George Grossmith’s famous farce, which ran for hundreds of nights in London, and has been described as another “ Charley’s Aunt.” The other piece, “ Mr. Preedy and the Countess,” was produced on April 14 at the London Criterion with success, but a London journal described it as “ a new specimen of an old and famous form, a genuine Criterion farce —irresponsible, cynical, and immensely amusing.”