WELLINGTON NOTES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1576, 8 July 1920, Page 35

WELLINGTON NOTES.

(By

“Lorgnette.”)

WELLINGTON, July 5.

It is almost certain that the next J C. Williamson attraction for New Zealand will be the Musical Comedy Company with “Kissing Time” and revivals of the old favourites. What a big part the ballet plays on the stage to-day. And of the thousands who are charmed with it is there one who ever pauses to wonder how it is all done. The Sleeping Beauty” pantomime, which closes its Wellington season on Wednesday evening, is remarkable for its wealth of ballets, and that is where Miss Minnie Everett, one of the J. C. Williamson dancing mistresses, comes in. Miss Everett starts off with an air or a sheet of music given her by the producer or the musical director, and asked to form a dance with the general scheme of things. Then Miss Everett goes away and burns the midnight oil over a piano. The ah suggests a theme, Miss Everett creates a few steps to fit in with her moods, and soon there is the whole dance before her. The rest is mainly a matter of training the girls. The J.C.W. pantomime, “Sleeping Beauty” is a great show, and fully deserves the big patronage that is accorded it.

The Allan Wilkie No. 2 Company is doing fine business on the West Coast of the South Island. There is something piquant in the combination of modern dancing and classical music (states a writer in “The Queen”). M. Maurice, now taking dancing London by storm, has declared that the jazz bands and ragtimes for music we have taken to our hearts are “all wrong.” So the change to Tschaikowsky and Kreisler, Dvorak and Chopin may be just what is needed. Anyhow, it has the piquancy of contrast.

Mr. E. Boland succeeds Mr. Bay Fuller as house manager at His Majesty’s, Wellington.

Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford have decided to make an aerial tour of Europe.

The Allan Wilkie Company left last week for Sydney, en route to Me»bourne, where they open in “The Rotters.” ■ w • , Madame Calve is to retire from the concert platform and grand opera next year and establish an “academy >• of song” in Paris. * * * * John D. O’Hara, Sydney Stirling and Frederick Esmelton constitute the “Three Wise Fools” now being staged in Sydney by J. C. Williamson, Ltd.

A cable message from London the other day stated that the widelyknown actor-manager Mr. Seymour Hicks, who revived the old musical comedy “The Shop Girl” at its original home, the Gaiety, affirms that production and current expenses are respectively four and five times greater now than in the days of the first presentation of the piece.

Among the special “industries” which were being affected in Melbourne by the strike when the last mail left were the theatres, as the city was practically in darkness after 5 p.m., but still they had all managed to keep open, and business had not been interfered with nearly as much as was expected.

Dame Melba received an ovation at her concert in the Queen’s Hall on June 28. She herself received the King and Queen and Princess Mary, and escorted them to the Royal box. Melba was in wonderful form, her voice retaining all its freshness and purity. She responded to many encores. The most popular item was “Addio,” from “La Boheme,” the King’s favourite song, which was sung at his special request.

Cartel’ the Magician, who is appearing at the Princess Theatre, Melbourne. under the management of J. C. Williamson. Ltd., is now making his last tour of the world. He has travelled over 180.000. miles in five years, and has presented his entertainment in many lands. Carter’s career has been varied. At one time he edited a newspaper, and was also a barrister in Chicago. His love of travel took him to the East, where he made a study of magic, with the result that he embraced the career of a magician. He has presented his performance in French. Spanish, Dutch, Malay, and the Hindu tongues.

„A new American company has left New York for Sydney, under the Tait management, and will appear in a musical comedy, “Irene.” The firm’s new producer, Mr .Wilmer Bentley, is already in Australia, and says, that a number of good artists have been engaged. Among them are Miss Dorothy South, who will star as Irene;

Miss Maggie Weston, formerly a member of Andrew Mack’s company; Mr. Chester Chute, who made a name for himself in “Polly With a Past”; and Mr. Robert Jervett, the leading man, who has been appearing in “Katinka.” “Irene” is by the author of “Going Up,” Mr. J. Montgomery, and the music is by H, Tierney.