THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 586, 14 August 1909, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

* "The world's a theatre, tho earth a stcgo."— Ileywood.

(By Sylvids.)

"Swaot Kitty Bellalrs." Tliis evoniiig- will see Miss Nellie Stewart, tho most talented and popular actrc-ss Australia can claim as its very own, -at 'hoOpera House once more. I say once more because .wo have seen Miss Stewart many times, in a wide variety of , plays, and ill none: has she failed to do more than please. Her chief ; role on this occasion will be )n "Sweet Kitty Bellairs," a costume play of vivid colouring from tlio prolific pen of David Belasco, the energetic New York manager, producer, and author, who appears to bo able to cram as much into his day as three or four ordiiiary men. Wo in Welling'ton have, only seen three of his plays—"The Darling of the . Gods" (produced by Julius Knight and Co.), "The Girl I Left Behind Me" (played hero by Daniel Framleyls Company), and "Tho Girl of the Golden West" (performed here recently by a company headed by Miss Tittell'Bruae). These plays all have merit of a particular kind, but where Belasco has scored-as a rule is, iu the brains lie puts into-the work after it is 'written—into the production as apart from the play. It is the same we ar.e told in "Sweet Kitty'Bellairs," which' is a very gorgeous production in more ways than one. During - tho season Miss Stewart is to be seeii in a revival of "Sweet.-Nell,", and as Rosalind in "As You Like It."

Bcngaugh. . , Of 'Bengough,;tiie Canadian cartoonist and entertainer,' shortly to happen .here, -tho ." Sydney ..Morning Herald ", said" Bengough, cartoonist, jioet,; reciter, singet, and comedian,; proved. himself- on Saturday eminent in ■ the first-named . capacity 'amongst the -newspaper artists of the English-speak-ing world. This is saying much, but his work was not only rapid,-but instinct with animation and character Behgough. can hold his, Own amongst the best of the/entertainers who have from-..time, to time/ visited this country. One of. the events of Saturday night was his.'very spirited delivery of his own lines upon/'The'Visit, of the Yankee Squadron,' as spoken by an enthusiastic tar back .again in ". America after being feted in Australia. " At the close of this recital, the hall rang with applause, and Bengough was recalled again and again. 'Ho 'really ought to include his heart-inspired, Yankee Squadron!- verses in'every programme. .One eartoon was of Mr. G. 11. Beid, in which tho artist -rubbed, in .the red chalk with extra caro.'s'!Because,', said he, 'I understand it is difficult to,'catch thi3 gentleman's exact political complexion.' - A peculiarity about ■the Bengough cartoons is . that each represents- a crescendo of happy endeavour. . >The subject develops humorously Daughter), moro humorouslv (more laughter), becomes a man bearing a "map of Australia (amused amaze-1 mont),. and :is seemingly completed. Then the magician adds a little motto atop, 'what we have we'll hold I' and the house blossoms into renewed applause. And the Bengough 'tag' ,was always-ready.with its fresh little note of 'surprise." 1 ' ■ Shows to CpriiO. ' The. latest'.comedy-drain a acquired by Mr. ! J./G. 'Williamson,/''The Climas," is reported - by; h'is ■ representative in New, York t-o have omphaticallv "made- good" there." -Two music ' pieces likely to- reach' Australia .through this .- finpVare. " The.Count of Luxembourg," com- : posed by. Fran z Lehar, and " Snowdrops," campos'c(l;by Gustr-v Kerker, tho former idon- . tificil with'The'Merry .Widow," and the lat- ■ ter inth-!'Therßelle of New York:". 'In both ' fca'ses/'the,; book/is; from the German'.of-• Dr.' " Wpn'er, author:of-the libretto, of "The Waltz' >• Drdkte'/'-'-'jinother light piece that has hit' the : mdrk all-over -Europe;- Now that- if-has teen' decided to reopen Her Majesty's Theatre a fortnight hence, with "The King of Cadonia," ' it may be of interest to note that the new piece. first brought' into prominence a new - Lonsdale; who has now ;• beeri commissioned to write a musical comedy 1 foi- the Gaietv Theatre, to replace..-" Our Miss Gibes',"' ¥or which' Mr. L?slio Stuart; of i ," Florodora." fame,'. will'compose the music. The new author has also just written " Sup- ! - per for Two," a new; play for Cyril Maude.

" Scothovsn," • : ■ : ' Ilene Fanchois, tho 'Parisian dramatic poet, has ; written a- three-act\drama entitled, "Beethoven," which .deals interestingly with the. life, of tlip great master musician.' The scene-of "Beethoven" is laid in Vienna.' .We see the composer at the. height of his fame with' - ,a music-loving arch-duke and princess of the blood taking him under , their protection/and -requesting the pleasure of. his company; to' an informal dinner.' But already a-shadow is cast' r over Beethoven's -mind -by the' premonitory;, symptoms of deafness which at tunes he feels. At the end of tho'first act Beethoven; : aware of itlio'faithlessness of tho/woman ho' loves, Giulietta. Guicciardi, js left alone, seated on a bench in a public park, and as night falls>he appears to be,so wretched'that even, a beggar ..takes'pity on him and tries td comfort,him..

The. "sceoiid act, the scene of which is laid in' own room, is - the one in which the tragedy of the composer's life reaches a.climax, • He has already had fits of-deafness; but-now, while one of his quartets is being rehearsed, he realises the.fact thatrhe .is quite deal", and the curtain falls on the agony of his. mortification and despauv In the earlier part of this act, while seated at his desk in the throes of composition i he receives tho visit of . his fervent admired, the. beautiful Bettina Brentano, a friend of Goethe, but, whose admiration for Beethoven's music does 'not prevent her from marrying Count von Arnim. Bettina Brentano ' brings to. Beethoven. a message of admiration from tho author ;oP "Faust."

In the- third and last act, fifteen years later, Beethoven is seen in tho modest abode which serves as his-home. Ho is broken down in health, deserted or forgotten by his friends and .influential protectors, misunderstood by the'members of his family. His cherished nephew, for whom he had made great sacrifices, .robs him before his very eyes. However, as heartbroken he feels the hour, of,'death approach, he bitterly regrets being alone.. His unlimited capacity for love has never. been satisfied. He deplores the absence of a wife, aison,.or a daughter.' Then, suddenly, there •- appear to him nine beautiful white-robed . maidens, representing his nine symphonies, who, in prophetic utterances, give tho dying musician all the comfort and consolation in their power. Finally, Beethoven dies while under, the hallucination that he is conducting some invisible orchestra. ' . ••' ... . "The Fires of Fate/' "The Fires of Fate" is the latest contribution. to tho drama, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and the .latest vehicle for displaying ,the heroic talent of M-r. Lewis Waller at the Lyric- Theatre, London. Primarily the play deals with that old, old argument as to whether suicide is justifiable when physical life is a torture, and no hope is held out of 'recovory. This is. the- state of Colonel Egerton, and the. argument for and against is carried on by. his physician (affirmative) arid his spiritual friend and adviser (negative). But really this interesting state' of things is only a prolndc to a drama of adventure. All concerned go for a trip up tho Nile, whorethe pain-racked, Colonel falls in love with a pretty American, who also falls in love .with him, but tho mau of pain is restrained byl his ailment from declaring his passion. : Then comes the romance. . The jarty ,is. captured; by Dervishes, and dragged away out into the desert, after aifiorco fight'. The men . aTe about to be put to death unless-they embrace the "truo faith,'' and the women; are: to become slaves, when, at the last extremity, Colonel Figerton notes a heliograph in play, on a distant sand-hill. It says—"Keep your pecker up!", And they do, until a dotachment of tho Camel Corps como to tho rescue. Somehow or other, tlio shock of the. incident cures the Colonel, who at once embraces '■ tho lady ;of his heart. The play looks like, scoring a- success. . The Mothsr-ln-L'aw jclffi. ; Tho astounding-news comes from New York that the Keith one of the biggest- variety 'circuits in. America, has .issued" an to- the effect that for ■the.'future; .the "mother-in-law"-, joke is to bo barred from oil the stages : of their t,he> atres. Tho announcement, doubtless, has.

fallen upon tbo ears of sketch-writers in. the United States with the force of a . sledgehammer. To bo deprived,, by a single : stroke of the' pen, of one of their most ancient privileges cannot 'Init be 'considered a measure as unjust as it it is injurious.. If jokes upon, mothers-in-law are to be forbidden, wno, in tho name of all thai is humorous, may be ;made tlio subject of mirthful'reference? , NOtGS. / ~ The coming Australian tour of Mr. George Willoughby, who has secured "Mr. Breedy and the Countess," and "The Night of the Party," will be under the Clarke-Meynell-Gunn management. Mr. Willoughby is now organising his company in London.

On Juno 2*2. last, Schiller's "Joan of :A'rc" was magnificently presented in. tho Stadium of-the Harvard University, America (which .seats 10,000 people). of 1300 people took' ; part in the pageant, which was headed and .largely directed by Miss Maude Adams, who played , tho title role. ' Miss Lalla Miranda , was the Zerlina in the performance of "Don Giovanni" at Covent Garden recently. ■ The Australiansoprano was associated with Madame Destinn and Miss Anita Rio as the other sopranos, -and gave a very fine performance, lier singing of "Batti, Batti" being marked by great grace and easo. It is a pity that Miss Miranda's services aro not more frequently utilised by tho Covent Garden syndicate, but it is very hard for. mere outsiders to understand tho influences which guido tho destinies of stars at "the Garden." ' v. ■ '"/ The following aro the North Island dates for the Hugh Ward Comedy. .Company.:— Wellington, Octobcr 2 ; Napier,-. October 19; Hastings, October l 2s; Dannevirke, October 27;. Masterton, October 29; Palmerston North, November 1; ■ Wangajiui, November

6; Hawera, November 10; Now Plymouth, November' 11; and Auckland,' November 13. When the last'mail left Melbourne the company was playing "The..Fencing Master." Mrs. Robert Brougli is now a member of tlio company., . .

As everyone knows, one of Harry Lauder's most, popular songs is "I Love a Lassie," and the story of . lio'w it camo-to be written is an interesting one. One. day_, as he was leaving tho stage-door of a certain provincial theatre, someone handed him, a -letter that had just arrived from his wife', remarking at ,the,. same time: '-."A , lady's - handwriting, Harry. I suppose you love the lassies? '

"I'm fond of them a'," answered Lauder, with a smile, "but I love, only one," This sentenco stuck in his mind, and on the way home the famous comedian found / himself humming the words, "I lovo a lassie." Later on this simple phrase blossomed forth into what has' proved to be one of the most popular: songs in tho history'of the music-hall stage. ' . . ' ', ' . ..