GREENROOM GOSSIP.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1289, 7 January 1915, Page 36

GREENROOM GOSSIP.

W. Somerset Maugham, the English playwright, according to latest advices, is serving as a doctoi in the English army now in France.

“The Girl on the Film,” with Dorothy Brunton in the title role, is scoring heavily in Sydney. It is a skit on the “movies.”

A record for pantomime in Melbourne was put up by the J. C. Williamson production of “Cinderella” at Her Majesty’s. During the week including New Year’s Day, ten performances of the pantomime were given, including four matinees. The Harlequinade is introduced into the afternoon performances.

Fred Niblo and Josephine Cohan are said to • have hit Sydney playgoers hard with ‘‘Broadway Jones,” a homely, wholesome, and human comedy. It is the scory of a gilded young man who gives up the lights and the glamour of Broadway and its lobster palaces for the hustling industry of a chewing-gum factory, left by his father.

“The worst thing I have ever known to happen on the stage to kill a play was brought about by a revengeful actor who was given notice c-n

account of his' unfortunate partiality for collecting beer,” relates Barry Lupino of pantomine fame. “He had to p'lay the part of the Judge who 'condemned the hero to transportation. On the “Judge’s” last night he carried out his revenge on the management fcr his dismissal. When the Court scene came on, the Judge refused to hear anything against the accused man, and in spite of prompter, stage manager, or principals, he dismissed the hero without a stain on his character, and with a judicial blessing, thereby rendering the next act, which shows the convict in Virginia, utterly useless and impossible!”

Mr. Owen M. Pritchard, of Auckland, who was with the Bell Crome Bellringers through New Zealand, was recently appearing at Middlesex Theatre, Drury Lane, in a single act under the name of “Hugh Muswin.”

It is a matter of record that Sir William S. Gilbert sold his first play, which was a burlesque called “Dulcamara,’’ for £lO. It proved a huge success when presented in London, where it ran for two years.

Mr. Peter Dawson and his concert party are winning immense popuarity in Wellington. One critic describes Mr. Dawson as a ballad-baritone of an altogether exceptional kind. The party include Miss Annetta George, Miss Grace Newman (violinist), and Miss Carlien Jurs (pianist).

Miss Dorothy Brunton is shining prominently in “The Girl on the Film” at Sydney. Says the “Referee”: “The young Australian fulfils the anticipations of those who have followed with interest her work in less important parts. Her singing voice is small, but sweet. Small, however, is a comparative term only. Compared with those of some imported musical comedy artists we can remember, Miss Brunton’s is a voice cf volume.”

Miss Beatrice Day is playing at the Repertory Theatre, Melbourne in Shaw’s “The Philanderer.”

Mr. Charles R. Walenn, of the Gilbert and Sullivan Company, was the original Bumerli in the No. 1 “Chocolate Soldier” Company at Home, and was in the middle of a long engagement when he got leave to enlist with J. C. Williamson, Ltd., for the Cape and Australasia.

Miss Maggie Jarvis, who came out from England for J. C. Williamson’s “Girl in the Taxi” Company, was married in Melbourne on December 12 to Mr. Thomas S. Reynolds, of the firm of Messrs. W. Reynolds and Sons. Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds left Melbourne on a motor tour of Victoria and New South Wales.

Fred Leslie and Ivy Schilling have made good at the Empire, London, in their ju-jitsu dance, which the pair featured in Australia a while ago. A London critic says: “Schilling and Leslie are fine dancers, but beyond that they’ve a touch of their own which will make the market easy for them in England.”

Mr. Borneo Gardiner, Wellington, is building up a name in London and the provinces as a whistler and bird mimic.

Mr. Walter Kirby, New Zealand’s tenor, organised a most successful entertainment at Melbourne in aid of the Red Cross Society. A number of British and Belgian flags were disposed of by auction, and a sum of over £l2O was realised.

“The Mikado,” “H.M.S. Pinafore,” “Pirates ot Penzance,” and “lolanthe” are to be produced during the Gilbert and Sullivan opera season.

“No, I have no hobbies nowadays, unless you would call acting a hobby,” said NeiLe Stewart to a Sydney pressman the ocher day. “I used to collect rare cameos, but I have given that up. I uon’c even care much about shopping, as most women do, unless it’s for the stage costumes and furnishings. To have everything right on the stage I would go to any trouble.”

A bitter disappo.ntment has befallen Miss Cyllene Moxon, a handsome London actress. Immediately before the war broke out plans had been made to hold a great international beauty show. A number of high authorities, mciuding several distinguished artists, had declared that Miss Moxon was the most beaut.ful woman they had ever seen, and that she was sure to win the great international prize. Sir Philip Burne-Jones, the noted artist, however, advocated the claims of Miss Gladys Cooper. Among the countries which promised lovely entrants were Prance, Germany, Italy, Russia and Spain. Now, of course, the great war makes such a competition out of the question.

Vesta Victoria, the well-known variety actress, has been awarded £3260 damages against Moss Emp.res, Ltd., the iead.ng theatrical circuit in Britain, ior breach of contract. The defendants had terminated their contracts wich the plaintiff because she nad not attended rehearsals. During <ne hearing of the case evidence was given that Harry Lauder, while atvend.ng a rehearsal at the Hackney Empire, complained of being kept wait.ng a tew minutes while a taxicab was registering the fare. Moss Empires, Ltd., is the biggest circuit of theatres m Great Britain. The firm was founded by the late Sir Edward Moss, who was the first man in vaudeville to be knighted. The honour was conferred upon him by the late King Edward.

It is interesting to note that the first War Fund was started by the Cherniavskys in Brisbane, and the first donation received by the Mayor of that city was from them. During their visit to Brisbane they gave one concert in aid of the fund, which is now larger than the war funds of any of the other States. Leo, Jan and Mischel Chern.avsky are at present having an enormously successful tour in Australia, which will terminate in January in Adelaide, from whence they will sail for Auckland. The New Zealand tour will be a quick one, as the Cherniavskys are due shortly to open a U.S.A, tour in New York, where their coming is being eagerly looked forward to.

Horatio Parker, who is Dean of Music at Yale University, U.S.A., has for the second time won a prize of £2OOO for the writing of an opera in compliance with the demands of a musical body. The present occasion deals with his composition of the opera “Fairyland,” “the best opera in English written by an American,” and the award comes from the American National Federation of Music Clubs. Collaborating with Parker, as librettist, was also Brian Hooker, who wrote the book of “Mona,’’ the opera which brought to Parker the same sum, offered in 1912 by the New York Metropolitan Opera. Horatio Parker is a sort of veteran at winning prizes away from other American composers, for he secured in 1901 a prize offered by Paderewski for the best choral work with his cantata “A Star Song.” Previous to this the Cambridge University authorities conferred on him the degree of musical doctor, as the

result of his manner in conducting his own work, “Hora Novissima,” at an English festival. Brian Hooker is also a member of the Yale University faculty.

Mr. Fred Niblo and Miss Josephine Cohan intend returning to America in May.

Graham Moffat, play actor, was charmed with the motor trip from Mount Cook to Queenstown. “My! what a trip it is!” he said. “I am certain that it is going to be one of the greatest touring grounds in future, because the country embraces such an infinite variety of sights. In the South there is scenery among your mountains of grandeur not excelled in the world, and in the North there is a wonderful maze of boiling, burning earth.”