THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1294, 24 November 1911, Page 4

THE THEATRE.

(fir Hrnviiiil.)

7V> World's fc theatro; tho Earth a - Hey wood. Donth ot Kyrlo Iltllcw, In the dciith '«l Kyrlo iiclkw the fitara II |iic.tin-(«|ii<: liKi're. lie could have fvel. Up "0 a lioauly a/:lor, so kind «ns Nature l/i liitu, but lie was not. koiilent v.it.ii lh" piell.v which ho so admirably adorned. . /\.s a matter of lact, lie.llew wished to piny pal U that were a.t lin away from tho natural ma.ii as poic-ilile. 110 loved t/o peu' il in III" cruel lines round fjcarpio s mouth ("I.a T(/,ea"), and to wade in dirt(ilained ({ore as "Jiiitilier .Marat in "Clnulotto Oirday," ratln'r than figure as Ji'/imeir or Charles Surface, Unn l/cno nlv/ays wante'l t/i [day ' Ilarulel, bat Jie'lew was not a crank. He really was Astonishingly versatile, arid was ai iioluihHl and d".lif;htlul in comedy a.s lie wa.s m/btlo and i/niirc-sive in traficly. Sirx Zealand—perhaiw the world—never caw a more etiarmiiiK 110 comprehended tho passionate nature of the henutotis Italian; lih splendid elocution was fisstsU*! by ft gwnl voice; and Ik. made love adorably. There was a vein of femininity in his physical makeup, but it was never apparent in his acting, arid, moreover, there was ft toueh of reserve (hauteur, if you like), which commanded a ccrtain respect and liking. This was an attribute which helped him immenMdy in the Sardou repertoire, and lent strorißth, sincority, and purpose to his work. The t'ott/T-BeHcw reason 13 a memory which wo would not lose.

Charasterisationj in "Alias Jimmy Valentine." There is a fine group_ of character studies in "Alias Jimmy Valentine" which has been staged with marked success at tho Sydney Theatre Royal. Ono of the.se falls to Mr. .T. 11. Atholwood for treatment—the part of Blickendolfenbach, who has spent a lifetime inventing a patent lock. He is a scientific crank; but sad disillusionment awaits him when ono of the eaol "crooks" opens it with a hairpin. Tho lock-picker is played by ilr. George Chalmers, and he gives tho part a fine criminality. Another excellent picco of character-drawing is given by Mr. Ambrose Manning in the part of Bill Avery, a criminal associate of Valentine's, while George Bryant is also at home in a study of brutality as the director of the gaol. The cast is one of largo interest, and includes many well-known players. The central names arc- Jimmy Valentino (Cyril MacKay), Detective Doyle (William Desmond—at his best), and Kose Lane (Hiss Dorothy Dix). The play never lets go its hold of the audience, and is ea-sily the most ingeniously constructed of all the series of recent crimo dramas.

"The Spring Maid." After its' long run in New York and elsewhere, "The Spring Maid" has at last readied London (Septembor 30), at the Whitney Theatre. .There has been a run Upon Germany during the past lew years, and the new book is by Julius Wilhelui and A. M. Willncr, to music very trueful and takinj, but rather pimply orchestrated, by Heinrick Reinhardt. Tlio melodies which have "caught tile town" everywhere else, and will, therefore, do fo in London, are "The fountain Pay," "Two Little ' J/ove Bees." and "I)ay Dreams." In the story Princess Bozena (played by Marise Fairy, a sprightly Continental singer, with a strong ioreig-n rcoent), whilst visiting Carlsbad Spa with her father, the Hungarian Prince Nepomuk (Mr. Courticc Pounds), observes the flirtation of her lover, Prince Aladar (Mr. Walter Hyde) with Annamirl, the favourito fountain-maid of tho district (Mies Julia James), and thereupon disguises herself, and tak&s the spring maid's place. As in ."Charley's Aunt," much of'the fun ■ arises-from Nepomufs. assumption of tho | dress and appearance of a duenna (in attendance at the springs), and there is a big part as 'a-comic-tragedian for Mr. Cuas. MacNaughton, "whoso eceentrio dancing was one of the hits of the piece." -So .alsojt .Ufwj, to b?>>v,l>en .!(<•» MacNaughton was second- comedian'- to' Edward Lauri, with May Boatty as leading soprano, an the clever company which visited New Zealand seven years ago, J. 0. Williamson, Ltd., will probably stage "Tho Spring- Maid" here nextyear.

"A Single Man." "A Single Man" is the title, of the latest play from the pen of Hubert Davics, writer of "Lady Gorringo's Necklace" and "The Mollusc." Of the new play a Now Tort paper says: No nerves will bo unstrung nor morals unbalanced by the little love story of Kobiii': AVorthirigton, bachelor, agea 43, who suddenly awakens at 'this mature-period-of life to the rejuvenating and generally beneficial effects of a marriage for love. "A man is middleaged only once," he reflects, and the surest way to grasp the opportunity of happiness appears to be to marry Maggie Cottrell. a pretty little romp of a girl not half his ago. He may be too old for her, but she is not too young for him —so he persuades himself. A few games of tennis and a luncheon fight with the yonngsters set him to thinking—yet tlie match still appears fixed a»d fated and the wiles of a certain Louise Parker, who makes a dead Pet at the • eligible bachelor, never touch him. Something is in the air that is going to save him from what he instinctively feels will bo the awful error of marrying 'Maggie, but lie cannot imagine what it is, neither can anybody clso ill the play. To every soul in'the'audience his finish is in plain sight, and lias l>ecn from the start. The "o'no best bet" for him is Miss Heseltine, the pretty stenographer to whom he has been "dictating" for years without ever noticing that it is a genuine case of perfect mutual* affinity. This is as it should be; and in the cosy little champagne Mipper scene which clinches matters, .Vary Boland achieves such an exquisite denotement of warm', womanly impulse breaking through demnre modesty and proper pride, that one wonders how it could "ever have been said that tins leading lady's role in relation. to the star was one of self-efface-ment. She fairly shares honours, in this third net, at least, with Mr. Brew. Incidental]}*, it might be enlightening to readers to know the John Drew is to New York playgoers what George Tithcradge was to us—say, twenty years ago. The Price of Puccini. There has .been n, good doal of friction between Andifas Dippel, manager of tho Chicago Philadelphia opera companies, and Eicordis, tho famous publishers of Milan, with regard to the rights for the production of Puccini's operas in this country. Dippel declares that Rioordi6 demand too high a royalty for (he composer in view of the declining popularity of Puccini's works in this country, while lwcordis claim that a composer of grand opera should receive at least as high a royalty as the composer of a musical comedy. Negotiations have now Ijoon completely broken off, and it is said that tho Italian publishers contemplate a rival opera in Chicago _for the purpose of exploiting the Puccini works.

Ambroise Thomas's Centenary, So much attention is being paid to the fact that the present year marks the hundredth anniversary of' tho birth of Frauz Liszt that ono is apt to forget that another (*roat composer was born in 1811. Ambroise Thomas, the French opera writer, possessod a groat talent for refined and delicato orchestration, aud knew well how to write for tho voice. The most popular of his operas is undoubtedly 'Mignon," and few coloratura sopranos liavo not attempted to 6ing tho Polacca from this tuneful work. Tho polaoca attracts singers of this type as much as the "jewel sonp" from "Faust," and is no loss widely known. While "Mignon" is tho most popular of his works, many pooplo consider it inferior to "Hajnlet, 5 ' which was originally written for a tenor, and then altered for Faure, tho baritone. Scmuncu snug in this opera in Anicvica in ISB-1. Tlie aria from Ophelia's mad Fccno offers remarkable opportunities for tho vocalist. Thomas was dirootor of (he Paris Conservatory from 1871 until his death in 189 G. Preparations are now being mado in Franco to celobrato his centenary. Notes. Miss Marie Tempest, entering into management at the London Koyalty, begins her enterprise with a new play written by Arnold Bennett,' and called "Tho Honeymoon." Jerome' K. Jerome is also'writing a plav for her, tho sceno of which is laid in America;-and he has already completed ttc first act