THE STAGE

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1497, 2 January 1919, Page 33

THE STAGE

OPERA HOUSE.

Signor Cappelli, the brilliant Italian tenor, is the star attraction at the Opera House again this week. Visitors to town should not miss this great treat offered them by the Fuller firm, as Cappelli’s voice places him in the front rank of world famous singers, and his art is of such supremity that he receives homage from all parts of the house. The Gilfain Trio, whose musical pot pourri signalled them out for special favour on a previous visit, are sure head-liners, their costume songs and dances and manipulation of Scotch and Irish bagpipes constituting a performance of unusual talent and enjoyment. Brull and Hemsley with a penchant for character studies hold up the audience with their amusing work and haye to pay the penalty for popularity. Murfayne in xylophone selections reaches the summit in this particular line of work, and is encored several times. This rare feast of vaudeville is supplemented by the Walter George Sunshine Players in a musical comedy entitled “In Sunny Japan,” the spirit of the piece being aptly expressed in a series of haunting melodies and bewitching dances. Mr. George Storey bears the burden of the comedy in his irresistible fashion and the other members have parts to give scope to their musical proclivities.

It was bad luck that dislocation of shipping should have barred the J. C. Williamson attractions from arriving in time to open up the holiday season in Auckland and Wellington. Theatre goers, not to mention the anxious 'managers who had everything in readiness for a tip-top opening, hoped against hope that a boat would arrive from Sydney in due time, but the fates willed otherwise. Up to the time of going to press, Mr. Robt. Williamson had received no definite word as regards the departure of the Muriel Starr Company from Sydney, but it is confidently expected they will be here in the course of a few days.

Mr. John Farreli is in the south busily booming “Hearts of the World” for J. C. Williamson, Ltd. He wires from Christchurch that the picture created a great sensation, and the production is more stupendous than “Intolerance,” Griffith’s other masterpiece.

General Pau, the leader of the French Mission, and his associates were the guests of the Hon. A. M. Myers, Acting Minister for Finance, at the Opera House on Saturday evening. The party included M. le Commandant d’Andre, A.D.C. to General Pau, M. Andre Siegfried, M. Bader, M. Corbiere, M. Leclercq-Motte, M. Mathieu, Captain Bryan, Mr. Meadows Smith, Mr. J. H. Barr, the Hon. A. M. and Mrs. Myers, M. Hippeau (French Consul) and Madame Hippeau. They were received by the manager, Mr. Brodie Mack, seats in the dress circle being reserved for them. On their entry they received a tumultuous welcome from the large audience, the band playing the “Marseillaise.” There was another scene of enthusiasm at the close of the performance, the distinguished visitor being accorded an ovation which he graciously acknowledged.

The Fisk Jubilee Singers are giving concerts in Christchurch this week.

The death is reported in South Africa of Mr. Carlton Chase, the immaculately dressed artist who was a member of Bert Le Blanc’s Revue Company. Mr. Chase first came out to Australia with the original Grafters Company.

“De Luxe Annie” was revived by J. and N. Tait at the Palace Theatre, Sydney, on Boxing Night. Miss Emelie Polini, of course, was again in the leading role.

Mr. and Mrs. Brandon-Cremer send greetings from Sydney to all their New Zealand friends.

A feature of the representation of “Hearts of the World,” now showingin Christchurch, is the speciallywritten music performed by a full operatic orchestra.

Hearing of the sudden death at His Majesty’s Theatre, London, of Mr. Joseph D. Langton, solicitor, who, through Sir Herbert Tree’s will, became trustee and executor at the theatre, Mr. Oscar Asche stopped the performance of “Chu Chin Chow” and refunded the audience its money.

Ben. and John Fuller have installed a new sliding roof at the Melbourne Princess Theatre. The house reopened with a new version of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.”

Mr. Duncan Neven, who is managing an Australasian tour for Mdlle. Dolores, sends a line to say the New Zealand season will open early in February.

Latest news of the Cherniavskys is to the effect that they are leaving South Africa for a tour of India and the Far East.

Mr. W. Barrington Miller, of Sydney, managing director of the Union Theatres, a director of Australasian Films, Limited, and a controlling hand in many other motion picture ventures, is retiring from active control of picture enterprises on account of ill-health. Mr. Miller proposes to spend some months in the Dominion prior to leaving on a lengthy trip to America, England and the Continent.

According to Miss Emelie Polini, President Wilson was a regular visitor to the theatre when she was in the United States. The actress mentions that the President’s attendances at theatrical entertainments became more frequent in proportion to the increasing gravity of' the national situation. “He confessed that the hours he spent in the theatre had to him just that value found there by Abraham Lincoln,” says Miss Polini.

Sydney is having its full quota of theatrical court cases, says an Australian paper. Lillian Tucker, formerly of the Taits, has been suing for libel, Daisy Yates is suing J. C. Williamson’s firm for £lOOO, Eva Kelland is suing the Tivoli Circuit, and Ben and John Fuller are defendants in an action brought by Sir Hall Caine regarding “The Woman Thou Gavest Me.”

Mr. Andrew MacCunn, musical director for J. C. Williamson, Ltd., who recently returned from a trip to America, says the best orchestral music he heard in New York was at the picture theatres. Some of the orchestras comprised between forty and fifty musicians, and they played admirably music of a higher standard than one heard in the legitimate houses where the orchestras never exceeded eighteen instrumentalists. In the drama and comedy theatres there were no orchestras at all.

Dame Nellie Melba, who leaves for England soon after her farewell concert in Melbourne, after a patriotic concert tour through Britain, will go to France, returning to London in time for the season at Covent Garden in June. Since the war Dame Nellie Melba has collected £70,000 for Red Cross purposes through concert enterprises. About £40,000 was raised in Australia.

The services of Mrs. Johnston-Top-liss, the accomplished soprano, were requisitioned by Dr. Bradshaw for the Christchurch Male Voice Choir Christmas concerts. Mrs. Topliss was in fine voice, and her programmed numbers on both occasions had to be supplemented threefold, so insistent was the applause. She achieved her biggest successes in the aria “O Pieto si per quell amor,” from “Gioconda,” and in Santuzza’s song “Mother, You Know the Story,” from “Cavelleria Rusticana.”

Harry Lauder, the great Scotch comedian, who is returning to Australia under the J. and N. Tait

management this year, has not lost his gift of genial repartee. Recently when he was appearing at an American theatre, and was thanking the audience for its appreciation in a little speech at the close, a man in the pit shouted, “Speak louder, Harry, I can’t hear you.” “You would if ye’d paid a wee bit more for your seat and come closer,” answered the cemedian readily, and the retort of the interrupter was drowned in the general laughter.

“While on the subject of musical comedy, in my opinion we more than favourably compare with this form of entertainment in America in presentation and in voices,” writes Mr. Andrew MacCunn, in an article in Sydney “Theatre.” “Our productions are better dressed. They are ahead of us in artistic lighting, in which they secure some genuinely beautiful effects.”