Greenroom gossip

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1576, 8 July 1920, Page 30

Greenroom gossip

Let the public themselves select their “stars,” a writer in a London musical journal remarks. Do not allow directors to create them, and force the sound instinct of the audience in that direction, which — perhaps for a single night, but certainly not in the long run — re-gilds their box offices, handicapping, perhaps, greater talents in the cast, who, owing to bad luck, timidity, or lack of advertising funds, have to remain in the shade, and die there. “Stars” are “perfect artists.” What is a Melba, a Caruso, a Chaliapin,, a Titto Ruffo, a Battistini, a Renard, a Perrier, a Salignac, other than “perfect artists”? What was a Patti, a Jean de Reszke, a Victor Maurel? The same! But they studied continuously, and were never satisfied alone with what nature had endowed them, and every one of them has and had the greatest respect for the ensemble. They realised that the whole is greater than the part—a thing which is a hard precept for a singer who happens to be blessed with personal-

ity. It is so very tempting to dominate, but he or she who will act on the greater ensemble principle is sure of their reward. Consequently, the ideal is to create a perfect ensemble of the best and most intelligent English singing artists, in order to give performances of a superior quality, with the necessary and proper rehearsals as they are done on all grand opera stages the world over — first the instrumental groups separately, then the vocalists together, then single acts, after that the whole drama repeated until a satisfactory dress rehearsal has been reached — only then is the mission honourably accomplished, and only in this way is it possible to create a repertoire worth while.

“A man’s a man for a’ that” might be taken as the theme of the English production “Nature’s Gentleman,” in which James Knight and Madge Stuart are featured. It is a truly democratic story, in which an aristocrat marries her father’s servant.

Ella Airlie, at Sydney Fuller’s Theatre, has returned to vaudeville after a fairly long absence, during which her pen has been busy. She made one of her most popular song successes some years ago when she wrote “Any Rags?” but her best success was achieved with the writing of “The Bunyip,” the Australian pantomime.

Mr. Sydney Francis Hoben, formerly well known in New Zealand as a pianist and composer, is on a visit to the Dominion. Ten years ago, Mr. Hoben went to America, and met with so much success there as an artist that he remained in the States. His programmes consist of a dramatic interpretation of the new grand operas, as he sits at the piano, and he plays the finest of the music as it occurs in the story. The recitals are given in the homes of distinguished ladies of society, and are by subscription only, and not open to the public. Among his recent operas have been Puccini’s “Il Tabarro,” Hadley’s “Cleopatra’s Noght,” Mascagni’s “Todoletta,” and Giofdani’s “Madame Sans Gene.” Mr. Hoben has just finished an extensive tour, which took him through Montreal, Ottawa, Boston, New York, Washington, Philadelphia, the Southern States and New Orleans, and finishing at El Paso, in Texas. He will return to America in September, to begin his winter season.

News came by last mail of the great Anzac concert held in the Royal Albert Hall, London, on April 27, at which the vocalists were Miss Rosina Buckman, Mr. Maurice D’Oisly, Mr. Ernest Drake, Mr. Shayle Gardner, Miss Margaret Balfour, Mr. Peter Dawson, Mr. Fred Kioole, and Mr. A. V. Westhead. Mr. Drake scored a great success, and obtained a fine introduction to the English musical world. The concert was in aid of the memorial military chapel at Wellington, for which the Rev. Mr. Askew has been conducting a campaign in England, his purpose being to raise £15,000. The military chapel is to be the gift of the Mother Country to New Zealand —a symbol of and witness to the unity of the Empire. In the chapel will hang the flags of the Allies. Marshal Foch and General Berthelot have sent the fanions which were carried before them during the war to victory. Lord French, Lord Haig, Generals Rawlinson, Plumber, Birdwood, and many other commanders have sent their flags as trophies for the chapel in honour of the New Zealanders. Stones of old English cathedrals will be built into the walls, so ’ that they will be bound up with the spirit of English and Scottish history.

Miss Winifred Roma, the new principal boy of the J. C. Williamson pantomime, “The Sleeping Beauty,” is the daughter of a well-known Yorkshire contralto singer, Madame Annie Grew, who, in her day, appeared at oratorio festivals and classic concerts, and now has a vocal studio in New Bond Street. Madame Grew has a link with Australia inasmuch as she studied interpretation under Madame Amy Sherwin. Brought up in musical circles in Bradford, little Winifred Roma Grew was brought out as a juvenile soprano soloist at St. George’s Hall, Bradford, when only nine years of age, and began her stage career at the age of fifteen as the Fairy Queen in “Cinderella,” at the Kennington Theatre, London. When she sang as principal boy under Howard and Wyndham in the north, she was the youngest girl in that capacity they had ever engaged, and she signed on again three Christmas seasons running. Mr. Robert Courtneidge then found her a place in “Princess Caprice,” at the Shaftesbury, to under-study Claire Evelyn in the name part, and that artist falling ill she replaced her for several weeks, with George Graves as principal comedian, and then played that charming character on tour at the big centres. Miss Roma, owing to her facility in the Yorkshire dialect, gave a strong individuality to the part of “Our Miss Gibbs” on tour, and she played the leading part in “Samples,” at the London Comedy Theatre. During the last year of the war the young actress was in “Arlette,” at the Dublin Gaiety Theatre, and her last engagement in England was touring in a skit on “Joy Bells," which topped the bill at Moss’ Empire Theatre. Miss Roma has also played one of the strong parts in that laughable, clever piece. “Oh, Oh. Delphine.”

Carter, the mysterious, now showing at Melbourne Princess, under the management of J. C. Williamson, Limited, discounts the thrilling reports travellers have given of the skill of the Hindu fakirs in performing the seemingly impossible in front of people’s eyes, without any apparatus to help them. “I made a thorough investigation of the subjetfl when in India,” said Carter, and could learn nothing from the Indians of their celebrated illusionists one hears so much about. They are verv clever at many tricks, but we

of the Occident can do them all. and have improved on most of them. I offered as high as 15,000 rupees to any magician who would perform the celebrated rope trick for me — throwing a rope into the air, and sending a boy climbing it —but no one came forward.”

Another English classic to be released as a screen production that is a. credit to the British producers is “Quinneys,” by Horace Annesley Vachell. The stars are Henry Ainley and the beautiful Isobel Elsom. “Quinneys” is a real super-feature.