STAGE NOTES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1553, 29 January 1920, Page 46

STAGE NOTES.

An incident in the J. C. Williamson production of “Theodore and C 0.,” at Melbourne Theatre Royal that never fails to arouse applause is the feat performed by Theodore Leonard in putting Florence Youngover his shoulder and carrying her off the stage. As Mr. Leonard is of small' stature and Miss Young is not too light a burden the achievement is considered a notable one by an appreciative audience. Mr. Leonard’s part in “Theodore and Co.” is one of the longest ever written for a comedian. While in London on her recent holiday, Miss Maud Fane, who has made such a success in “Theodore and Co.” at the Theatre Royal, Melbourne, received several offers of engagements from prominent managers. Miss Fane, however, was keen on making the most of her holiday, and did not accept, preferring to enjoy a well-earned rest in the Isle of Wight prior to returning to Australia under the J. C. Williamson management. “I don’t think I could ever be contented in England again,” said Miss Fane. “Australia suits me, and I will stay here as long as they will have me.”

Pantomime lovers at Her Majesty’s, Melbourne, are curious as to the composition of the “paste” which is so lavishly made use of by the Brothers Egbert in their uproariously funny comedy scene, “Papering the Room,”

in “The Sleeping Beauty.” JBucketsful and tubsful of this are used, and it is splashed upon everything and everybody, so that it forms a big pool upon the stage and is used by the dame and the Brothers Egbert for “ice skating” purposes. What the “paste” consists of is a wellguarded managerial secret, but it would not be divulging a confidence to mention that it is rather costly to use, and involved the management in an expenditure every night running into £5 at least. The latest convert to the Fuller vaudeville is the Rev. Frank W. Gorman, of the Atkinson Memorial -Church, Portland, Oregon, who arrived in Sydney early this month to tour the circuit of the well-known firm. Mr. Gorman is known as “the singing parson,” and he was forced into this queer adventure by the miserable inadequacy of the salaries paid to ministers. He hopes to save enough in eighteen months to enable him to return, for a season at least, to his church work. Mr. Gorman graduated at Cliff College, Sheffield, England,

and was associate pastor at Stepley Temple,’a Wesleyan Methodist Church in London. He went to America in 1910, and joined the Methodist Episcopal Church. More recently he became a Congregationalism “I went into vaudeville from the pulpit,” he says, “to show up the fact that the clergy in America are so poorly paid that even a good Christian finds it well-nigh impossible to pay his way. The average pay for a clergyman there is £llO a year. When it became obvious that my income was far too low, like Billy Sunday I looked around for a further avenue of employment. A theatrical manager offered me an engagement at more than five times what the Church pays. I thought this a good opportunity to

reach a class of people whom the! Church rarely comes in contact with. The theatre people always seem to miss the Church. There has not yet been any objection to my appearing

in clerical dress when doing my song and speech turn on the stage.” Miss Daisy Kennedy interrupted

her Australian tour to come to New Zealand for a brief visit, her last appearance being made in Sydney, where she created a remarkable furore. The Sydney “Sunday Times,” describing her first appearance in Sydney, says: “The announcement that Miss Daisy Kennedy, the world-renowned Australian violinist, was to play, filled the Town Hall to overflowing. Expectations were not disappointed. Miss Kennedy is probably of her sex the finest player of the violin to-day. Her interpretation of Tschaikowsky’s almost impossibly difficult concerto for violin and orchestra (first movement) was delivered with the fire and inspiration of the great virtuoso, and one marvelled that so essentially feminine and beautiful a girl could produce such perfect mellow tone and cope so unfalteringly with the incredible technical difficulties of the concerto chosen.”