THE STAGE

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1429, 13 September 1917, Page 30

THE STAGE

HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE.

MISS ADA REEVE.

SCORES A POPULAR TRIUMPH.

Speculation as to whether Miss Ada Reeve would be able to undertake a trip to New Zealand has been set at rest, and the celebrated comedienne is now exercising her magnetism on Auckland audiences, His Majesty’s Theatre being packed on Tuesday night with playgoers anxious to accord her a welcome and sample that del ghtful art which has made her world-famous. Her unquenchable ardour in working for the boys in khaki has made her the friend of every soldier and of every soldier’s relative, so that double interest was kindled in the event, and the scenes of enthusiasm while Miss Reeve was on the stage have rarely been surpassed. She exerted a sway over them from the offset, capturing them with her wonderful personality and her power of arousing the deepest emotions. In her hands the veriest ditty becomes a symphony; the simplest ballad a complete little play. As someone aptly remarked, “She can make putty of anyone’s feelings.” Sad or glad, sentimental or dramatic, whether suggesting resoluteness or tenderness, Miss Reeve makes each number stand out as a cameo study, and her intensely womanly charm dominates all. From the storehouse of her inexhaustible repertoire she takes songs of every variety, for her versatility is not the least part of her genius. One minute she has you shrieking with laughter, and the next wiping the tears from your eyes, so subtly and tellingly does she indicate the different stages of emot on. Songs

w.th a lilt that fastens on one’s memory—for, be it known, Miss Reeve is a charming songstress as well as a comedienne —sketches that strike a dramatic note; crooning songs and coster songs, not to forget the soldiers’ favourite, “The Long, Long Trail,” are all invested with new mean.ng under the spell of her artistry.

Miss Reeve brings with her a complete and compact vaudeville company. Each act is distinctive and different. In the : foremost rank is Louis Nikola, who creates lively interest with h's shadograph impressions of the King, the Hon. Lloyd George, Lord Kitchener, Sir Douglas Haigh, Churchill, the Kaiser, etc. His illusions are cleverly handled, and include his latest tricks acquired in the East. Mr. Harry Jacobs, the s nging conductor, controls a capital orchestra and uses a tuneful /voice to pleasing effect. Miss Lueie Linda is a beautiful little dancer, who pirouettes alluringly and gives national dances in appropriate cos-

tume. Mr. Kennedy Allen is a burlesque comedian who would top any bill, and he immediately gets the audience. Mr. Frank Markley makes the banjo talk under his expert manipulation. Alvin and Williams, in “Bits from Songland,” dip into their reperto're with happy results. A snappy sketch, “In the Future,” by the English Comedy Company—Ashton Jarry, G'eorgie de Larna, Zoe Angus and Arthur Jenner —is as amusing as it is smart. It is a skit on the world turned upside down, and depicts the home life of 1999, when man rocks the cradle and the woman earns the cash. The season closes on Wednesday next.

OPERA HOUSE.

Straight-out vaudeville prevails again at the Opera House, an invasion of fresh talent marking Monday’s bill. Patrons of this popular house are true to the old order of things, and measured out appreciation to each turn with a lavish hand. Topliners were the two Belldays, who pre sented a riotous act. combining acrobatic stunts with comedy. The lady member, after evoking screams of laughter with her eccentric dancing, proceeded to demonstrate whj r she earned the sobriquet of the “lady of the falls.” She has certainly brought falling to a fine art, her manipulation of a very lengthy train adding to the mirth of the situation. After repeated applause, Mr. Bellday thanked the audience for their hearty reception on their first appearance in New Zealand. Mr. Malcolm McEachern, who has a deep basso voice and a winning personality, made a most favourable impression with his num-

bers, which included “The Bandalero” and “My Old Shako,” and he was twice encored. Another newcomer to make a conspicuous success was Mr. Tom Rees, an experienced artist, who entertained his hearers with admir-ably-told Irish stories, and disclosed his gifts for the cornet, trombone and other instruments. James and Selma caught the attent.on of all with the.r vaudeville tit-bits, the former in Hebrew jokes and the latter in song and dance. Ernest Pitcher re-appeared after a lengthy absence, and had a great hearing from his numerous supporters. The Coleman Sisters gave a character song and dance that went with a good swing. Jolly John Larkin made his initial bow, and was a source of laughter with his breezy stories and startling make-up. Tilton and West re-ap-peared and kept up a merry interlude with song and patter. The finishing touch to the programme was provided by the Staigs in their daredevil cycling act within the Globe of Death.

KING’S THEATRE.

An extra big crowd surged its way to King’s Theatre on Saturday evening, when the Brandon-Cremer players departed from their usual custom of melodrama to side-step into comedy with that well-known laughing success “In the Soup/” Judging by the uproarious merriment, the audience fully appreciated the change from the ordinary ruling conflict between vice and virtue. The situations arise from ;the fact that Hector Gillibrand, a briefless barrister, marries—unknown to his uncle, from whom he has expectations if he remains single—sets up a flat and then lets it. His wife, not knowing of his transaction, likewise lets it. And as two separate parties take possession, and one happens to be Gillibrand’s uncle, who mistakes his nephew for the butler, complications set in! Mr. A. Bran-don-Cremer, who has proved his skill in handling comedy on previous occasions, was naturally the pivot of the piece as Hectoi’ Gillibrand, and h’.s efforts to extricate himself from the network of deceit he had woven were hilariously funny. Miss Kathleen Arnold, as Judy Gillibrand, ably abetted her husband, and carried out her share of the deception with nice judgment. Mr. W. J. Coulter as Abernethy Ruppershaw, Gillibrand’s unknown uncle, was amusingly irascible and dictatorial. Miss Mabel Hardinge, Miss Biddie Hawthorne and Mr. Kenneth Carlisle, as the Mopperts, the French tenants, helped to build up the complications in happy style. Mr Maurice Tuohy only had to look immaculate, and did it to perfect 1 on, and Mr. Edgar Kenna had a new role as a humble clerk. Mr. Frank Neil and Miss Alice Rede, as

the butler and maid, scored a good round of laughs. The next piece, to be presented ac Saturday’s matinee, w 11 be “Bertha, the Sewing Machine Girl,” an original drama which relates a poignant and pitiful story of the ceaseless strife of a big city, and deals strikingly With the sorrows and temptat ons that accumulate upon women’s heads. A 'fire scene will be a special feature of the stage craft.

“The Lady of the Falls” is exciting much attention at the Opera House with her novel disregard of the ordinary rules of gravitation.

A concert given on an overseas vessel which, recently arrived in Auckland realised nearly £7O. This is to be divided between Miss Ada Reeve’s Soldiers’ Buffet Fund and the Wounded Soldiers’ Fund. Madame Melba presided, and the performers included Miss Ada Reeve, the Cherniavskys, St. Leger and M. Selinsky.

Madame Melba was in Auckland this week on a short visit, accompanied by Lady Susan Fitzclarence. The great prima donna, who has been in Australia for the past few months, commences a grand opera season in America shortly. She has abandoned her project of bringing out the Boston Opera Company to Australia till after the war. “It is a disappointment,” she said, “but for the present it is impossible to carry out the plan.”

Mr. John Farrell, by arrangement with J. C. Williamson, Ltd., heralded in the Ada Reeve season for Hugh D. Mclntosh.

The interior of His Majesty’s Theatre, Auckland, has been entirely renovated, its improved appearance being admiringly remarked on by patrons. The colour scheme :S French grey and vieux rose, while floral designs are artistically interwoven, the treatment throughout from, dome to panel being delicate and effect ve. The transformation is a credit to the decorators and colour experts engaged.

Mr. Percy Crawford, business manager for Hugh D. Mclntosh, has come over from Australia with the Ada Reeve Company.

The Walter Johnson Revue Company, who are breaking all vaudeville records in the south for Messrs. Fuller, are due in Auckland shortly.

The Soldiers’ Club was en fete on Tuesday afternoon, when Miss Ada Reeve was entertained by the Ladies’ Committee of the Soldiers’ Club (representing the Patriotic Committee), the Civic League, and other women’s

organisations. The room, which was decorated with flags, was crowded mostly w th returned soldiers, who gave the artist rousing cheers. Welcoming speeches were made by Mr. Lunn (chairman), Mrs. Buckleton and Mr. Andrews, who referred in glowing terms to the work Miss Reeve had done for the soldiers. On behalf of the Returned Soldiers’ Association the famous visitor was presenced with a silver travelling clock as a souvenir •of their appreciation of her splendid efforts on behalf of the boys at the front. Miss Reeve made a speech that will long remain in the minds of those privileged to hear it. With all her other gifts she has the supreme one of oratory, and, as the chairman happily suggested, she would make an invaluable recruiting officer! Later on the artist delighted everyone with a song, putting a finishing touch to a notable gathering.

Madame Melba’s nephew, Lieutenant Gerald Patterson, has recently been awarded the Military Cross.

“THE SOLDIERS' GODMOTHER.”

ADA REEVE AND THE ANZACS. KEEP THE BUFFET BOILING! The art of Miss Ada Reeve is incomparable. But she would have you get quite away from that aspect of her personality. Chat with her a few moments—or, rather, listen to her, for she is a very live wire—and you will find it is the war that permeates her very being. She is a woman and a patriot then; art is subsidiary. How to alleviate the condition of cur boys at the front has become a creed with her. And her pet hobby is the Anzac Buffet in London. Here colonial soldiers on leave are provided with home comforts. “They all know and love the Buffet,” enthused M.ss Reeve. “It is a wonderful place! And I know what the men think of it. In the trenches they talk about it and make arrangements to meet there when on leave, for it is right in Victoria Street, close to Victoria Station. It has a billiardroom, music-room and restaurant, and is staffed by 150 voluntary workers. It is free to Anzacs. Men on leave without money can avail themselves of all home comforts. So you can see wha.t it must mean to them. It is a home away from home. In fact, it is a taste of paradise to poor, lonely fellows. Just to show you how the boys acknowledge the boon, last year the collection|-box, filled with coins in token of their appreciation, added £l6OO to the funds. Colonials in London kept the Buffet go.ng for some time, but it was feared tha£ it would nave to close through a shortage of funds. “If New Zealanders only realised what that Buffet means to their soldiers, they would do anything rather than see it close down. While in Australia I was given a cable which read: ‘Up shutters Anzac Buffet, no funds.’ That decided me. It should not shut up if I could help it. I resolved to start a campaign at once to keep it going, and I haven’t stopped since! ”

Miss Reeve raised £ll,OOO in . Australia for the fund—sing.ng for the soldiers, collecting, using her energies in every direction to magnetise the public into giv.ng to a great work. To sing a couple of dozen songs a day from hospital to hospital, and then follow up with a night’s performance and make a speech every time, is nothing to this whole-souled enthusiast.

“Tired? What of it? I never allow myself to be tired till I go to bed. 1 shall never tire of working and giving til the war is over!” Only the other day she extracted £350 from the members of Tattersail’s Club, Sydney, at one fell swoop. She is now an honorary member, by the way.

“The Soldiers’ Godmother,” this fascinating actress is known as in Eng.and. Wherever she goes she has an inspir.ting effect. Last year she invaded Egypt with a company of artists, and v.sited all the military hospitals, mak.ng cheer for the men. “Talking about Egypt,” said Miss Reeve, “I had a pleasant reminder of that visit this morning, on meeting Lieutenant-Colonel Samuels, who is at present in Auckland. That gallant soldier was in Egypt at the same time, and recalled the delight of the boys when we farewelled them from the train by throwing out tins of cigarettes.” Miss Reeve, by the way, has a brother-in-law in Auckland, SergeantMajor Cotton, a member of the Military Board, which g.ves her an additional interest in her visit to New Zealand. Besides giving up her lovely home in the Isle of Wight for the use of wounded and convalescent soldiers, she wr.tes to sixty of them at the front and arranges to have parcels sent to them from London. But wherever she is, she keeps up the correspondence. And her face lights with enthusiasm as she talks about them. “You should just see lay letters from them,” she said. “Money could not buy them. I should love every man, woman and child to read them. Some of them humorous, others with delightful touches of sentiment, some original, some just plain, ordinary missives, but each one brimful of appreciation and thanks.” Miss Reeve is very anxious that employees of the different firms in the city should get up a subscription list for the London Anzac Buffet. It would mean such a lot to their soldier folk. All expenses of cabling and the thousand and one incidentals are paid by Mss Reeve herself. “I make

myself personally responsible,” she emphasised, “and every farthing goes directly to the fund. There’s an Ada Reeve Anzac Buffet Fund in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, and I hope there’ll be one in New Zealand now.”

Sentiment as well as a welcome was delicately expressed in one floral tribute handed over the footlights to Miss Ada Reeve at His Majesty’s Theatre on Tuesday night. Twenty years ago in Sydney the celebrated English comedienne (who had just arrived from London) presented Mrs. E. W. Sharman, of Auckland, who was at that time the bright particular star in the theatrical firmament, with a beautiful basket of flowers on her retirement from the stage. The two have not met since, and Mrs. Sharman bridged over the lapse of time by presenting Miss Reeve with the identical basket the latter had given her two decades ago massed in a pro-

fusion of daffodils. Needless to say, Miss Reeve greatly appreciated the gift and the memories it called up.

Playgoers will be interested to learn that Miss Kathlene MacDonell, who has won enormous popularity in Melbourne by her performance as Judy in “Daddy Long Legs,” will have the opportunity of displaying her powers as an emotional actress at their full measure in a production of Rostand’s play, “L’Aiglon.” This is to be staged during the present season at the Theatre Royal, Melbourne. As Napoleon’s ill-fated son. Miss MacDonell should have a role eminently suited to her. The actress is looking forward keenly to “L’Aiglon,” which will be produced on a lavish spectacular scale by J. C. Williamson, Ltd.

The Paul Stanhope Revue Company, after a seven week’s season at the Opera House, have left for Wellington.

“Mr. Manhattan” is now being busily rehearsed at Her Majesty’s, Melbourne, for production on September 15. This will be the first musical comedy production of the reorganised J. C. Williamson Pantomime Company, which has completed a triumphant Australasian tour with “The House That Jack Built.” The t tle role will be played by Mr. Louis Kimball

Miss Helen Gard’ner, of Dunedin, will sing the soprano role in “A Tale of Old Japan,” to be performed by the Wellington Choral Union on October 2.

Among a host of condolences received by Lady Tree were messages from the King and Queen, Queen Alexandra, and the Princess Royal. Their Majesties said they had known Sir Herbert for many years, and “sympathise with you and with the artistic world in the loss sustained by the death of your distinguished husband.”

Another young actress to go into management in England is Marie Lohr, who in the autumn will be at the head of her own company in a theatre under her own control —so far, at least, as the choice and the producing of plays are concerned.

Valeska Suratt, the film star, whose vampire work is well known to picture goers, has been holding forth on the different kinds of temptation that affect men and women: —Ask any one —lawyer, physician, merchant or minister — what is the greatest temptation in New York — or the world, so far as that is concerned — for men, and each probably will answer, “women.” Ask the same jury what the chief temptation is for women, and the big majority will reply, with equal celerity, “clothes.” It is the traditional answer. It strikes men, however, that this is only a half-truth. It does not go to the heart of the problem. Why do women have such a passion for clothes? Few desire expensive raiment for its own intrinsic beauty. Frankly, I believe that most women want sartorial perfection merely as a means to an end. They want to attract men. So it is not correct to say that clothes are women’s greatest temptation. Men are, just as much as women are for men. Eve’s fall from grace was due in part to the fact that the poor girl was wearing the latest fall style of fig leaf. Therefore, I agree with Jacob Schiff when he stated: “Being of the age of nearly three score -and ten, I am not very competent, to say what is the most susceptible temptation to

young men in New York City, but I believe I shall not be far from correct when I say ‘women.’ ” As for clothes, I have trunkful after trunkful, and yet I can never obtain enough. I crave clothes. And if I, who have scores of gorgeous creations, wish for still more, just think of the ordinary housewife with only two or three gowns hanging in her wardrobe!

How the soldiers on leave in London appreciate a visit to the theatre' is told by “Phyllis” in the “British Australasian”:—l took a soldier lad (she wrote), who comes from an English village, and who had never been in London, nor to a big theatre, to Drury Lane. It was the first time I had seen “Young England” myself, and, greatly as I enjoyed it, this enjoyment was trebled by h’s pleasure. He had spent two years at the front, and his mind was still full of the blood and horror of the Somme. He had seen all but a few of his comrades killed or wounded. He had been blown up with his gun at Ypres, and when he came out of hospital he took a few days’ furlough in London to see the sights. The immensity of Drury Lane impressed him greatly. We were there some time before the curtain went up, and he calculated how many people were needed to fill the place, and what they all paid for seats, and what it cost to run the place. “Gosh!” he said several times, “it is a size.” Then the curtain went up, and before the play was finished he was lost to everything but the charm of the thing. “The people who say there ought to be no theatre now are mad,” he said. “That’s the first time I’ve forgotten there was a war on since I went to France. I’ve never heard such singing as that black chap’s, or as Betty’s, never; and they’re- real comics, those other two. It was great, my word it was!”

“The Merry Widow” is being revived in Melbourne by the Royal .Comic Opera Company. Leslie Holland is the Danilo, and Miss Minnie Love the Sonia of the production.

“The Red Widow,” “The Pink Lady,” and “The Cinema Star” are due in New Zealand shortly.

The brilliant young English violinist, Isolde Menges, who is playing a series of engagements in Canada, under Howard Edie’s direction, has remarkable qualifications as a violinist, and she has been placed by Professor Leopold Auer amongst the world’s greatest artists. At three and a-half years of age she gave her first recital at Brighton, England, and so much attention did she attract at the time that it was feared she might be brought out as a protege, but her parents were guided by the best expert advice and they refused to let their daughter come out until she was nineteen years of age. Immediately she made her appearance in London she was engaged for all the best orchestral concerts in the British Isles. Her success on the Continent was instantaneous, and both Savonoff and Mengelberg, the two most famous conductors in Europe, accentuated her success by the active interest they took in her, which resulted in a large number of engagements at the very best Symphony Orchestra concerts in Europe.