THE MIMIC WORLD.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1568, 11 October 1912, Page 6

THE MIMIC WORLD.

SOME COMING ATTRACTIONS. MR. ANDREW M'CUNN IN WELLINGTON. Among tho through passengers from San Francisco to Sydney by the Tahiti is Mr. Andrew' M'Cunn, chief musical director for tho firm of J. C. Williamson, Ltd,, ' and a composer of considerable, note, Mr. M'Cunn has written tho whole of tho music (with tho exception of introduced songs) for tho past threo pantomimes which have been produced by "tho firm," including "Sinbad," which was heard 60 recently in Wellington. He is , on'his way bacK to Australia from an extended tour of America, England, and . tho Continent, and talks most interesting- ; ly of tho latest theatrical attractions, niUi sical ones in particular, which wo are . to'seo hero in the courso of time. . "Of all tho light operas I saw whilst ' I have been travelling round, I liked Franz Lehar's 'Gipsy Love" tho best. It is a beautifully melodious work, with . music of a high quality with a hue catch . in it. It was, and is, an enormous success in London, ami is likely to run-'a very long time. Wo could not get a seat on any of tho nights we could spare', and Mr. Georgo Tallis and mvself had to bo content to stand at tho .back of thct gallery. Another bright musical comedy which is sure to bo a success is 'The Sunshine Girl,' which has been running at tho Gaiety Theatre,- London, for over • six months, and seems good for another year at least. It is ouo of the besd musical comedies of recent years, and sparkles from beginning to end. TheSunshine Girl' will be' put into rehearsal by the Royal Comic Opera Company as " soon as I get back. "Still another musical success, something between light opera and musical comedy, is Ivan Caryll's 'The Pink Lady,' which is a big success both in America and England. It' has a particularly fascinating waltz, and is well packed with melody. 'The Spring .' Maid' and 'Princess Caprice' arc tho other. ; light musical comedies which will be seen , later in Australia. I also saw 'The SiTen,' by Loo. Fall (composer of "The Dollar Princess"). \ "Perhaps tho thing which attracted mo most was tho Russian ballet, tho wonder of which is indescribable. I went across to Paris especially to see it, and it was not only worth tho jaunt, but would have been worth tho whole trip Homo. ' Ifou must understand 'that it is not dancing as wo understand it out here—ib is tho 'mimo'—tho purest form of pantomime—with'a Slav colouring that is ever.' ' so'attractive. Paris went mod over "the.' ballet, and tho enthusiasm for it is just' ns great in London. The leaders are Nijlnsky, a wonderful actor mid dancer,! and Karsovina; whom I thought was even better than the great Pavlova, who is now 1 . appearing with her own support, and is ; away from the Imperial : Russian Ballet..; The music is very fine, and tho scenery' ■ queer, impressionistic stuff by a noted i Russian scene-painter, and is a feature ■' of the ensemble. Tho show lasts tho whole evening, during which they perform threo and sometimes four ballets, lasting from twenty . to thirty minutes each, Each ono tells a story—it may bo dramatic, romantic, and even comic—but all are perfectly performed. Some of the ' most popular aro 'Schezorade,' 'Daphnis,' and 'Chloe,' 'Tho Blue God,' and 'Tho . Bird of Fire,' I don't fancy it is tho stylo of entertainment that would suit Australia. Half-an-hour of it might do, but then they would miss the voices, which, of course, aro not used in tho 'mimes.' " . "I Was also greatly impressed with the great wordless play 'Sumurun,' which was; attracting great attention, and I saw,a very good performance of Strauss's 'Salome' at the Paris Opera House. Tho only novelty at Covcnt Garden this season, was Wolf-Ferrari's 'Jewels of tho donna,' which did not impress mo great, ly.' • ' ' ■ "In tho dramatic world tho great sue-; cess is TVhcn Bunty Pulls tho Strings,*:, a'plav with a wonderful appeal as play.-! cd bv.tho-Moffat*.family. It would be a, difficult play to perform, I should imagine, with any but good Scotch ~ tors. I doubt-'if it would bo o_ success, in Australia but am sure that New Zea-i • land would lovo it. 'Milestones' and,' 'Bella Donna' were also big Julius Knight is coming out to Mr. WiW. . lianison to play in these two plays. Mr. M'Cunn, who is a brother of Mr. Hamish M'Cunn, the noted composer, states that his brother is at present on-./ gaged in- writing a number of Border ballads, for solo, chorus, and orchestra: Aftor rehearsing "The Sunshine Girl' with tho Royal Comic Opera Company ha will superviso the now pantomime Puss in Boots," and will then probably turn, his attention to "The Pink Lady' or "Princess Caprice." Mr. M'Cunn states that tho summer m England has been a very bad one indeed, . and before ho left snow actually fell in ' the Isle of Wight-in August. Ho had an exporienco of three strikes—tho trans-, port workers, which stuck up his motor,! ■ car for some days at Boulogne; a fctrikaj ■■ ■ ■ I of tailors in Loudon, and the big dock/ I strike. Australia was, after all, not'so, bad.