OPERA HOUSE.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1516, 15 May 1919, Page 35

OPERA HOUSE.

A top-liner at the Opera House this week is Nikola, magician and shadowgraphist, who provides an interlude at once interesting and amazing. He has an abundance of mystifying tricks, but he strikes out in a new line with his silhouette novelty. By the deft manipulation of his hands, shadows thrown on to a screen materialise into wonderful likenesses, a long list of well-known war celebrities being designated in this way to spontaneous outbursts of applause. Miss Elsa Brull and Mr. Arthur Hemsley, two of the cleverest artists that have ever paired up on the Fuller circuit, are back again and meeting with a rousing welcome. To see them imitate a Lancashire lad and his lass at a football match and two cockneys at the movies is a scream all through, while Mr. Hemsley’s character song of the “Johnnie” order” is capitally done. Mr. Louis Alsace is responsible for an enjoyable musical act on violin and ’cello, his numbers including excerpts from “11 Trovatore,” the “Barcarolle” from “Tales of Hoffman,” and “The Rosary.” Selections on the “Alsacephone,” a cleverlyconstructed instrument of pleasing tone, concluded the turn. Mr. Leonard Nelson, who is giving request songs this week, had a great call on Monday for his old classic “Mr. Booze,” as sung by different temperaments. Mr. Nelson has done good work here in popularising Corporal Campbell’s poems featuring the Australian larrikin, and his latest contribution, “Divine Right,” referring to the Kaiser and the Crimes Commission, is treated with high elocutionary merit. The second part of the entertainment is taken up by Mr. Tom Haverly and his Kewpies in a revival of “The Man in Black,” Mr. Haverly and Mr. J. P. O’Neil bearing the main brunt of the comedy in their Irish burlesques.

Her Excellency the Countess of Liverpool and party from Government House were present at the opening performance of “Maytime” at His Majesty’s on-Saturday night.

The English Pierrots according to arrangements made by Mr. Victor Beck were to open in Wellington this week, but owing to the embargo placed on passengers from Sydney, it has been decided to extend the Australian season.

A wire from Mr. Maurice Ralph states that the “German Naval Surrender” film is doing wonderful business in the south, a return season having to be played in Dunedin. Marlborough is being visited now, and Auckland will see the notable picture about the middle of June. In conjunction is Madame Marie Power, an operatic contralto of magnificent voice and personality, who is having great receptions everywhere. Mr. Ralph adds “Will be picking up Sir Harry Lauder later on”.

By the Makura, left for America and London Mr. George A. Highland, despatched by the big J.C.W. firm to see, mark and inwardly digest what first-class attractions may be going begging in London and New York, with the view of securing anything that may be lying around of firstwater calibre for production “down under.”

Miss Nellie Stewart has received a cable telling of her daughter Nancye’s engagement at a Broadway theatre. The young Australienne had only been in America five days when she was signing a contract with a well-known theatrical firm. Miss Nellie Stewart will shortly rejoin her daughter in America.

Madame Antonia Dolores, the worldfamous French soprano, has postponed hex’ Christchurch season until towards the end of this month, so as not to interfere with the local competitions. Madame Dolores is at present giving concerts in the south, and will visit the West Coast before appearing in Christchurch. Her manager, Mr. Duncan Neven, reports that the great singer has had a remarkably successful tour in New Zealand.

In the cast of “Petticoat Fair,” a new musical play staged in London under Robert Courtneidge’s direction, are three performers known in Australia — William Cromwell, Edwin Brett and Emmaline Orford, all in the original Australian cast of "Miss Hook of Holland.”

Miss Dorothy Brunton, who, at latest, had replaced Miss Winifred ■Barnes in “Soldier Boy” at the Apollo Theatre, London, will, at the conclusion of her present engagement, appear in musical plays under the Sack management. The indications are that it will be a long time before the young actress is again seen in Australia.

“I took a gambler’s chance and went to Broadway—the only place where you can make good.” The chance was all in Mr. Jerome Patrick’s favour (says the Sydney “Daily Telegraph”). Aided by natural gifts which soon brought him to the forefront, Mr. Patrick, as leading man with David Belasco for three and a-half years in America, has appeared successfully in many first-class plays

since leaving Australia. He returned to Sydney by the Sonoma, to attend to private affairs, which will shortly take him to New Zealand. Speaking of his experiences, Mr. Patrick smilingly recalled how someone remarked to him before his departure from Sydney: “Let me tell you, my boy, there are 10,000 actors' out of work in Amer.’ca. I suppose you will be cast as leading man on Broadway.” Fortune favoured him; a few years later, and that prediction, offered satirically, was fulfilled. Since then he has appeared undei’ engagement to Morosco, Klaw, and Erlanger, Frohman, and Belasco. He has a great admiration foi’ Belasco’s genius in theatrical production: “A man who seeks for the best in youth, encourages ideas, and with a great staff around him.” Mr. Patrick enlisted with the Canadian Expeditionary Force, but after being in camp for some months rheumatism laid him low, necessitating his discharge. “Theatrical business in New York is booming,” says Mr. Patrick. “You see, too, types of people in New York to-day the city man never saw before. They are coming in from all the places outback to greet their boys home from the war —and a fine type of folk they are.” Mr. Patrick, who before entering the theatrical profession, practised as a dentist in Dunedin, came out from New York in connection with the death of his father, was detained in Australia by illness, and will now be further detained by the quarantine regulations. It is stated that Messrs. J. and N. Ta’t have persuaded him to produce Galsworthy’s “Justice” (in which Lionel Barrymore made an immense hit in New York) and Cosmo Hamilton’s “The Blindness of Virtue” before he returns to his American engagements.

Here is an item from the London “Daily Express” of March 4 that will be of pleasing interest to New Zealanders: —A comedian new to London, Mr. W. S. Percy, made an exceptionally good impression at the Criterion Theatre last night in a musical vers'on of the old farce “Betsy,” called “Oh! Don’t, Dolly!” Mr. Percy, who is an Australian, had a fine reception —the “Coo-ees!” were terrific —and he is evidently destined to become a popular favourite. The clever newcomer is a little man of the Willie Edouin type. His style is nippier than Edouin’s —almost as brisk as that of Arthur Roberts. He sings well and dances brilliantly. His humour is unforced and seemingly spontaneous. Mr. Percy looks like Sunny Jim in the part of an ex-book-maker turned tutor to a pair of young sparks who appear to be permanently attached to a peripatetic Beauty Chorus. The “bookie’s” maltreatment of Latin and French in his attempts to play the pedagogue is richly farcical. It appears, for example, that there is a Latin adage, “Mens conscia recti,” which, being Percily interpreted, means, “All men have a sticky conscience.” Apart from Mr. Percy, the piece possesses little claim to distinction, even though about half a dozen authors and composers were called at the finish. The original “Betsy” had a plot and a flavour all its own; the musical version is just a madcap jingle, formless and incoherent. The acting and concerted singing were so ebullient that the audience was carried by assault.