SOUTHERN STAGE NOTES

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1256, 14 May 1914, Page 38

SOUTHERN STAGE NOTES

(.By

“Lorgnette."

WELLINGTON, May 11

The George Willoughby Dramatic Company will inaugurate a sixteen nights’ season at the Grand Opera House on Wednesday evening with Seva Elyart’s dramatisation of Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which will be staged lor five nights. The Orange Dandies, one of Eranscombe Limited’s many combinations, opened a seven week’s season in the Town Hall Concert Chamber on Saturday evening and met with a most nattering reception that augurs well lor a successful season. The "Oranges,” with one exception (Mr. Brahams, the pianist), are an entirely new combination to New Zealand, and comprise Miss Linda Bradford, contralto; Miss Ethel Walker soprano; Miss Naomi M. Quoin, comedienne; Mr. David Lyle, tenor; Mr. Andrew Pace, tenor comedian; Mr. Harry Webster, baritone comedian; Mr. George Taylor, light comedian; Mr. Roland Henry, monologist and comedian; and Mr. Arthur Keighley, producer. The combination is a versatile one, and bring with them a repertoire that even the seven weeks’ season will not exhaust. They make a specialty of concerted work, both grave and humorous, and sketches. The art of Maud Allan, the celebrated dancer, is an art that cannot be appreciated by seeing her once. To thoroughly appreciate her dancing one has to see her several times. During Miss Allan’s Wellington season I saw her performance three times and on each. successive occasion came away with the conviction more deeply impressed on my mind that her work is simply marvellous. She is grace and dignity personified in all her dances, and it is safe to say that her like has never been seen (in this part of the world before. During her stay in Wellington I had the pleasure of meeting Miss Allan. During a conversation she informed me that she had been negotiating for two years with a leading theatrical firm to tour the Commonwealth and New Zealand under its management, but there was always a “something” came in the way of completing the contract so negotiations were broken off. Being imbued with a

considerable amount of determination she made up her mind that she was not going to wait until she was greyhaired before she visited Australasia, so decided to come out under her own management. Owing to the inability of getting suitable theatres in Australia she had perforce to open her tour in New Zealand. Suitable dates have now ben secured in the principal cities in the Commonwealth, and the celebrated dancer will open her Australian tour in the King’s Theatre, Melbourne. That her dancing will appeal to the Australian playgoers is a foregone conclusion. In connection with Miss Allan’s tour, I would recommend the management to have inserted in the programme a short explanatory note of every one of Miss Allan’s dances. It would considerably help the audience to follow the dances closely and thoroughly appreciate the many beauties of Miss Allan’s brilliant interpretations. “Variety is the spice of life, we are told, and there is no doubt that the Brennan-Fuller management appreciates the fact, as it presents such a variety of good acts at His Majesty’s Theatre week after week. Mr. Arthur Keighley, the stage manager and producer of the Orange Dandies, came out to Australia with the J. C. Williamson “Red Mill” Company, and later was a member of the Julius Knight Dramatic Company. Mr. John Fuller, jun., left Sydney for San Francisco by the Ventura last Saturday week, in continuation of his extended holiday. Mdlle. Antonia Dolores’ four song recitals in the Grand Opera House last week were genuine artistic treats. The brilliant French vocalist was in excellent voice, and at each recital gave some eighteen numbers, all of which were received with most enthusiastic outbursts of applause. Mr. Frank St. Leger, the accompanist of the Maud Allan-Cherniavsky Company, was a passenger by the Willochra, which sailed for Sydney from Wellington last Friday. Mr. St. Leger is en route to Melbourne, his mission being to organise and rehearse an orchestra of thirty-eight instrumentalists for Miss Allan’s production of “The Vision of Salome,” which she intends to present on an elaborate scale in Melbourne, Sydney and probably Adelaide. Miss Linda Bradford, the contralto of the Orange Dandies, was a member of the Melba Grand Opera Company. She is the possessor of a beautiful voice and a charming personality. Miss Bradford ought to become a great favourite with New Zealand playgoers. Mr. A. Syeni and his pupils gave a very successful concert in the Town Hall last Thursday evening.