GREENROOM GOSSIP

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1547, 18 December 1919, Page 32

GREENROOM GOSSIP

The cast of the big J. C. Williamson revue, “The Bing Boys on Broadway,” includes Dan Agar, who will make his first appearance in Australia; Jennie Hartley (her first appearance in Australia), Gus Bluett, Primrose Caryll, Frank Greene, Phil Smith, William Lockhart, Mel. “Ward, Pirie Bush, Herbert Walton, Alfred Deery, Leslie Victor. Harry Paulton, Frank Harcourt, Lucie Carter and others. There are ten big sumptuous scenes in this revue.

J. C. Williamson, Limited, have achieved a unique record for Australia by having two productions which have almost simultaneously reached their century performance. At Melbourne Theatre Royal “Lightnin’ ” reached its one hundrdeth performance at the commencement of its fifteeneth and last week. In Sydney, a similar achievement was put on record by “Going Up. Both these pieces are now in Sydney, the run of “Lightnin’ ” at the Theatre Royal, Melbourne, having concluded.

Theodore Leonard, the comedian who has made his first appearance in Australia under the J. C. Williamson management in “Theodore and Co., with the Royal Comic Opera Company at Melbourne Theatre Royal, regards “Theodore and Co.”' as his theatrical godchild, for Ivor Novello named the play after him. Mr. Leonard obtained his first musical comedy experience in 1894 in “The Shop Girl” with the George Edwardes Company in London, after which he went through every Gaiety production for years.

“The biggest and most elaborate pantomime we have ever had to get ready,” is how the staffs at Melbourne Her Majesty’s refer to “The Sleeping Beauty,” the J. C. Williamson pantomime. There are no fewer than 22 scenes, each of which is most elaborate. Full staffs are working day and night to get the huge production ready in time. Producer . Wenman says he doesn’t know how it will be done, but the feat will be accomplished somehow. Some indication of the big scale upon which the show is being built is contained in the fact that four miles of canvas and timber will be used, whilst the number of costumes to be worn totals just 1100.

Rehearsals are now well in hand for the J. and N. Tait Bailey and Grant pantomime of “Mother Hubbard” at the King’s Theatre, on December 20. Particular attention is always devoted to the training of the ballets and chorus, so that they will play their part with clockwork precision on the opening night. The new principal boy and girl, Marjorie Carlisle and Wensley Russell, have arrived in Melbourne to take part in the preparations with Barry Lupino, Jack Cannot and the other leading artists. Barry Lupino, who will again be inimitable in the part of the dame, is determined to astonish the .ladies with his wardrobe this year. There are at least two frocks prepared for the dame which as freak fashions are positive inspirations.

It happened in a hall in Adelaide a few years ago. A slim girl with rich auburn hair and wonderful eyes was playing the violin to a small and enthusiastic audience. TTiere was & dark, foreign-looking gentleman sitting at the back. He had a heap of untamed hair and fine looking hands. Presently he leant forward and asked a member of the audience the name of the young player. Her name is Daisy Kennedy,” he was answered and was further informer that she was comparatively unknown “She is a wonderful child,” he said in response, and at the conclusion zof the recital left his card with the manager and intimated that hp wo like to hear the young artist privately at an early date. On the card was written “Jan Kubelik.” He was playing in Adelaide himself at the time, but he had a habit of attending concerts in an unobtrusive manner just to see if he could discover a genius. He certainly discovered a genius in Daisy Kennedy, as her London triumphs reveal.

A well-known English comedian. Marriott Edgar, has come out from London under engagement to J. C. Williamson, Limited, to appear as dame in “The Sleeping Beauty” pantomime. This will be Mr. Edgar’s fifteenth appearance in pantomime. He says it would have been the eighteenth had he not spent three years in the “big show” in the service of his country.

After a successful run of a month in Sydney, “Old Lady 31,” with Miss Sara Allgood in the leading part, has been transferred from Sydney to other fields. This quaint play of old people—the scenes are set in an old people’s home —has none of the usual appurtenances of the drama in ordinary. It has no villain, no hero, no heroics, no setting, a quiet corner out of the hurly-burly of life.