THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1192, 29 July 1911, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

The World's a theatre; tho Earth a stage.—Hey wood.

(By Silyius.) The Scarlet Troubadours. The Scarlet Troubadours, who are favourably known in Wellington, commence ti brief sra.-on at the Opera House this evening. Tho standard of talent in this organisation is conimendably high, and they present a clean, bright little show, which may ha recommended to the public with conlidcnce. Opera Rehearsals on a Liner. Mascagni's new opera, "Ys.obel" (says the Koine correspondent of the "Central News .Agency" on April 13), has now been privately performed at Genoa, in the presence of the composer and about a dozen of his-intimate friends; but all refuse to give any detailed account of tie score, though all express themselves' as delighted with the music. The work is to undergo the novel experience of rehearsal on r. Transatlantic liner. It is to have its first production at the Theatre Collosro, in Buenos Ayres, and the maestro himself will mako the trip, together with the complete orchestra and the operatic company in the steamship I'rincipessa Mafalda, on board which frequent rehearsals of the. now opera will take place under the direction, of the composer, in order that ■it may bo ready. for immediate public production when Buenos Ayres is reached, it is stated by. tho Eomo papers that Mascagni has practically chartered tho vessel for tho purpose, and . that, beyond the operatic company, the only passengers will bo a few wealthy enthusiasts, who have pjiid almost fabulous passage rates ill order that they may enjoy the privilege of hearing "Ysobel" before its public production.

"The Count of Luxembourg." "We liked the music of 'The Count of Luxembourg' better than that of any musical play, English or Austrian; of the lost few years," says the London "Tiß-cs" of the latest production of Lehar, whose "Merry Widow" started the amazing series of works which have once more made Vienna the world's operetta centre, as in tho days of Johann Strauss, Suppo, and Milloecker. Tho plot ■ consists in a grand duke's wanting to marry Angels Didicr, the opera singer. But she must liave a title before the Tsar will consent. Therefore, the bankrupt Bohemian Count of Luxembourg shall ho offered 100,000 'dollars to marry her without seeing her, shall leave her on tho spot, and bo divo.ced from her in "three . months. Ho consents, and then, of course, ho and Angele Bidier meet and fall in love.

The One-and Only. Bernhardt commenced her final brief engagement in New York on Juno 20 in a ono act play of Andre Theuriet, "Jean Marie,"' and Maeterlinck's "Sister Beatrice." Speaking about the performance of this foot-light genius, the "New York -I'ost" said:— Greater interest was naturally manifested in tho production of the Maeterlinck play, comparison with its very successful rendering at the New Theatre the past winter being in everybody's mind. On that point let it be said at once that the earlier presentation suffered but lit Mo when measured by that of last night. In stago management the French was in some respects more theatric, or dramatic, if one pleases, but hardly more impressive. Those who recall Miss Edith Wynne Mattbison's impersonation of Sister Beatrice could scarcely have expected Mine. Bernhardt to equal it in rich ful.liess of voice, and, fraukly, sbo did not. Yet. the. moments :of pnssion .which necessarily botrayed' 1 the impairment which time has wrought iu the once glorious orgau wero but few, and for the most part the actress spoke in low, almost chanting tones, which made her delivery tho old delight. And she had at least two towering moments of genius in which nobody could approach her. Ono was when as the Virgin she descended from her pedestal to take tho place,,of,.ths.vanished nun. Her-attitude at tins' time, and the''expression"''of "her face,. , -framed in. as it was by the veil, had something almost supernal about them.. And at. the end, when she passed away in tho .ineffable content'of being surrounded bj thosa who loved and trusted her, and who thought her anrrative of wandering and sin only delirium, she conveyed tho ecs'tnev of her spirit in a way not only to mark a great histrionic triumph, but to leave with those who saw her an ineffaceable memory. Sho certainly filled the audience, which packed the theatre, with fresh wonder at the inability of age to wither her. or of custom to stale her infinite variety.

Footlight Fame, The fame of interpretative-artists,- particularly, singer?, -is"-generally short-lived. It is hard to. think that the name oi Caruso, which is printed'on papor millions of times each year, may in fifty years become only a memory. Yet Joseph Stnudigl, the greatest bass of his time, died only fifty years ago and today his namo is almost unknown. Ho was so popular that at his funeral procession "half Vienna" followed him to his grave. The reason for the singers' transient fame has been that they left no actual or permanent record of their art productions. The song was sung and then vanished like tho ripples on a pond. Let U5 hope that tho wonderful vocal photographs taken by the sound-reproducing machines will alter this in the future. It seems a' pity that a singer should struggle for years for success and then have it all vanish in less time than it took to build up.

Witty Man of Business. In one of the tributes to the late Sir W. S. Gilbert, it was said that he ''save the English people more, amusement than any dramatic author of our own times." Throughout his career the brilliant wit and satirist showed himself to be a keen man of business. Out of "Ruddigore," the least successful, of the Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas, he made J;7CW. When ho tcok "The Mountebanks" and "His Excellency" to the Lyric Theatre, he demanded and received 15 per c;nt. of the gross receipts, 10 per cent, of which he reserved for himself. A further condition of the contract was that whatever the fate of the opera, in no circumstances were royalties to be paid on a smaller sum Ilian .£GfIOO. At the Savoy Theatre, Gilbert, Sullivan,, and D'Oyly Carte stood on equal terms, with the result that each, in 'the eleven years for which that astonishing triumvirate endured, made a fortune of .£90,000. Sir Arthur Sullivan lost nearly all his money in unfortunate investments.

Notes. The Hutt Valley Dramatic Club if to product) Pinoro's farcical comedy "The Magistrate" on August !) and 10. J. C.. v Williamson, Ltd., are to close Tlis Majesty's Theatre for alterations on Saturday next, and lias taken a short, sublease of the Princess Theatre from Mr. George Marlow, where the Williamson attractions will lie housed unfil the Kxhibitioa Street theatre is ready. "Via Wireless" will bo tho opening play at the Princess , .

"Our. Miss Gibbs" has not been the success in Melbourne that it was in Sydney—which is not to say that the liew musical play has not done well in the Victorian capital, it is to be withdrawn from His Majesty's (.Melbourne) on Saturday next, when it will have been performed 315 times in Sydney and Melbourne alone, and has been witnessed by nn average of 15(11) people per performance. The company is to tour New Zealand shortly. Mr. J. C. Williamson hai secured the Australian rights of "Every Woman" by Waller Brown, a powerful modern morality play, and "The Pink Lady," a brilliant musical comedy by Ivan C'aryll. Lengthy notices of both plays have already appeared in this column some three mouths ago.

That capable actor, Mr. Gaston Mervale, returns to the Williamson management for "The Speckled Band." lie will' be remembered in Wellington for his- Black Michael in "The T'risonov of Zeiula, J, and his wonderfully vivid Rvonpal.i in "Trilby," with the Nellie Stewart Company.

The Pliinmer-Dcnnisfon Company have enjoyed (he mo*t popular and successful comedy season known in Melbourne for years." One journal predicts that "Nobody's Daughter." which ran a month at tho. Princess Theatre, will become just as popular as "The Silver King,' , owing to its strong human interest and freedom from any kind of theatrical extravagance.