GREENROOM GOSSIP.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1245, 26 February 1914, Page 36

GREENROOM GOSSIP.

Sir Herbert Tree’s Manager. The London “Times,” in describing the farewell to Mr. Cecil King, on his departure from London for Australia to produce “Joseph and His Brethren” for J. C. Williamson, Ltd., published the following:—“There was a genuine note of sincerity in the farewell offered on the stage of His Majesty’s Theatre yesterday to Mr. Cecil King, who, after ten years as chief stage manager to Sir Herbert Tree, has relinquished the post to produce ‘Joseph and His Brethren’ and other plays in Australia. No one has more intimate knowledge of the hard work of a theatre than Mr. King, and for many a week he has had to live, eat, and sleep without even going outside the

theatre. Sir Herbert Tree never made a better speech than he did yesterday when making the presentation to Mr. King, and amongst those who stood about him to endorse what he said were W. J. Locke, Israel Zangwill, Louis N. Parker (who wrote ‘Joseph and His Brethren’), Arthur Bourchier, Winifred Emery, Maxine Elliott, Marie Lohr, Weedon Grossmith, and Lady Tree. The presentation to Mr. King consisted of a dressing-case, a cigarette-case, a cheque for £2OO, and a handsome silver casket containing a scroll With the names of all the players and authors concerned in the productions at the theatre during the past ten years." & * * * “Come Over Here.” The up-to-date revue, of which “Come Over Here” is a type, is con-

structed to suit the requirements of the large body of playgoers who do not want to be made to think. They desire to have everything unfolded to them, clear, plain and concise, so that they needn’t worry as to what it is all about. It was these requirements that brought the revue into existence. It is a succession of scenes, ballets, spectacles, songs, dances, specialties and other features, sumptuously staged and mounted and given an appropriate musical setting. The success of “Come Over Here"’ has justified J. C. Williamson, Ltd., in presenting it. « * s * Ragtime Championship. The only regret Don Mathews had at leaving America to take up the position of musical director for Mr. Anderson with his “Land of Nod” Company at the King’s Theatre, was

that it would prevent him from entering in a competition for the ragtime championship of the Eastern States of America. For three consecutive years Mr. Mathews carried off premier honours in this competition, and he looked forward to repeating his successes again in 1914. . , On each occasion that he came first he played the “Floradora” selection “Tell Me, Pretty Maiden,” in double actave ragtime. * * * * “Whoops!” The spectacle of staid and sober citizens joining in the chorus of a song is nightly witnessed at Her Majesty’s, Melbourne, when “Whoops, Let’s Do It Again” is introduced in “The Forty Thieves” pantomime by Barry Lupino and Edwin Brett. The comedians exercise a good deal of

good-humoured rivalry in inducing the greater number of the people to sing for them when each is doing his verse, and when the final chorus is reached, and Barry Lupino calls for vocal volunteers, a rousing response is never wanting. The comedians appear to be on the best of terms with their audience, and the singing of the “Whoops, Let’s Do It Again,” chorus is quite one of the features of the show. * * * * The “Spider’s Web” Specialty. Ivy Schilling and Fred Leslie have a big feature in the J. C. Williamson, Ltd., revue, “Come Over Here.” This is the famous “Spider’s Web” specialty, presented by arrangement with the directors of the Theatre Marigny, Paris. On a huge web, which spreads across the entire proscenium, Fred Leslie as the Spider and Ivy Schilling

as the Butterfly, disport themselves with vivid realism. The turn is described as the best Mr. Leslie and Miss Schilling have yet given. * * * * No Weak Spots Allowed. Rehearsal of “Joseph and His Brethren” was in full swing at the Theatre Royal (writes our Melbourne correspondent). In the front stalls the producer, Cecil King, was keenly watching the crowd of “extra” people that flocked before Pharoah as he sat on his gilded chair. “Stop,” shouted Mr. King. The rehearsal stopped. “I want to remark to the young lady who keeps on scratching her nose that she must wait till she gets off the stage,” said the producer. “Look, ladies and gentlemen. I must point out that there will be thousands of eyes watching you from the front,

eyes that are keenly searching for faults, and if there is a weak spot in the production you can bet that the audience will find it. Now, a girl that scratches her nose as she stands before Pharoah will he picked out in a flash, and less things than that have made a laugh. Once that happens, you can put that scene down as stone dead.” The producer’s exhortations had the desired effect. It is by such methods as these that Mr. King gets the desired effects, and as an old professional in the cast of “Joseph and His Brethren” remarked, admiringly, “That’s a producer who knows his business. You see, he looks at the production not only with the eyes of the nroducer, hut just as the audience will look at it. And they are. after all, the only peonle that count.” # ifc * Maud Allan. Nothing testified more to the greatness of Maud Allan, the famous classical dancer, thlan the fact that she has had more imitators than anv other dancer extant. When Miss Allan first produced her Salome dance in London, the tragical story which she so finely portraved was a theme of interest to numerous young dancers in the Knglish metronoh's. Miss Allan has hardly been in England more than a couple of months before j Salome dangers were springing nn all over the Kingdom, and the manne r in which manv expressed the storv eliminating in the macabre before the head of John the Bant’st, was sufficient to get the whole dance disliked. There is no Alhn s"ffered for the mistakes of her imitators, and for a time at least was not as popular as she ought to have been.