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New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1574, 24 June 1920, Page 35

“The Geisha” will be the next production of the Auckland Amateur Operatic Society.

The Walter George Sunshine Players, now in Christchurch, are due at the Auckland Opera House on July 26.

The Cherniavsky Trio, at the conclusion of engagements in South America, are booked for a trip to England. They are due back in the United States in 1922.

The Allan Wilkie Special Comedy (No. 2) Company have just completed a successful tour of the smaller towns of the North Island with the .comedy “The Rotters.’’ They are travelling from place to place by motor cars, and despite the badness of the roads in some districts have managed to keep up to schedule time. Commencing at Picton. the company will proceed via the West. Coast, Canterbury and Otago right down to Bluff and Riverton.

The Magical Carter, who has been showing to capacity business in Sydney at the Criterion Theatre for four weeks, has been transferred to the Theatre Royal to make way for John D. O’Hara in “Three Wise Fools.” At the close of the season in July, Carter and all his paraphernalia move across to Adelaide for the Prince of Wales’ visit.

The revival of “Florodora” is meeting with sensational success at the Century, New York. The box office receipts show around thirty thousand dollars a week.

J. and N. Tait seem to be again giving the concert lovers of Australia what they want, as the brilliant success of Daisy Kennedy and Benno Moisiewitsch seems to be only a forerunner of what will befall John McCormack, as although this artist does not arrive in Sydney until fairly late in July applications are pouring in for preliminary booking of seats. The world-famous tenor should visit New Zealand about the end of August or beginning of September.

Adelaide Van Staveren, who, by the way, is the daughter of the Rev. H. Van Staveren, of Wellington, is to come to New Zealand in August next on a concert tour of Australasia under the J. and N. Tait management. She has made a big name for herself in England and on the Continent, and Mr. Nevin Tait urged her to accept a touring engagement. Her desire to re-visit her people was a great incentive to accept, especially. as she will be in New Zealand during the Jewish New Year. Her Wellington opening will be on August 17, and she is to appear in Auckland on August 24.

Miss Kathleen Arnold is making her first appearance in South Africa as leading lady with the BrandonCremer Dramatic Company.

“The Daughter of Mother Machree,” the Irish-American drama, is a Ben Fuller purchase made during his recent tour of the U.S.A., and named by him as one of the most popular plays he had watched.

Mr. Scott Colville (Cartel’ the Great’s manager), writing from Sydney: “The gala performance at Her Majesty’s in honour of the Prince of Wales will be wonderful. The J. C. Williamson 'firm have a great army of workers preparing the decorations for the interior of the theatre. Hugh J. Ward is organiser for the Sydney reception, and his organisation is simply marvellous. He seems to have every little detail at his finger ends.”

Mr. J. A. MacDonald has received a letter from Miss Nellie Black (of the well-known musical family) containing the sad news of her brother Bert’s somewhat sudden death in Sydpey on June 5. The previous day he was attending to his business as usual, though for some time he had not been in good health, and the next day he passed away peacefully without any suffering. Many who knew the Black family in the days of their tours through New Zealand will recall the late versatile instrumentalist. Mr. MacDonald, who was for nine years touring manager for the company, having started out with them on their initial venture, was like one of the family, and is still in intimate touch with their doings. By the way, he has given up for the nonce his old billet of heralding shows, and is at present putting his energies into the outdoor publicity department of Chandler and Co.

Mr. Donald F. McSweeney, personal manager for John McCormack, who is about to tour Australia under the management of J. and N. Tait, arrived in Sydney last week. He says Mr. McCormack’s tour of America was a great success, and his send-off in New York was the greatest tribute that could have been paid to anyone. The Irish tenor will start the first lap of a two years’ world tour in Sydney on July 20, and will be accompanied by Captain Donald Mcßeath, the Australian violinist. “I suppose you’ll be surprised when I tell you that Mr. McCormack has 10 more children,” said Mr. McSweeney. “But I’ll explain to you. Mr. McCormack’s brother and sister-in-law were both drowned when the Leinster was blown up by a German submarine in the late days of the war, and they left 10 children. - These Mr. McCormack has undertaken to look after and educate. One of them —Kevin Foley McCormack, aged three —he has legally adopted.”

The Cremona Family, who left Auckland on a tour of the Dominion some weeks ago, were given a benefit concert at Balclutha under the patronage of the Mayor, Mr. H. Simson. The programme was contributed by Messrs. J. H. Guest, W. O. Ludlow, Ken McNeil, H. Griffiths, J. Ramsay, F. Anderson, Miss Nance McKee, Mrs. Carroll, Miss G. Cameron, Miss Mason, and the Cremona trio (Mr. Cremona, senr., ’cellist, Miss Louise, pianist, and Master Fred, violinist). The Cremona Family recently passed through a very trying time, no less than seven members of the family of ten being laid aside through sickness.