THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1728, 19 April 1913, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

[By Sylvh;s.]

The 'World's a 'theatre; (ha Earth a stage.—Hcywood. "The Blue Bird." t'uchanlinjf dream plaj, llic Bluo Lird/' of which thu public has read un.fl heard so much, is to bo seen at tho Opera House this evening, when it t r> I>} ' il company organised by .1. L. W illiamson, Ltd., for a tour of "New Zealand. IJnforhinak'lv tlio London eompanv iinponcd. by that firm last year did not'como tins way. JMip non-suewss from, a financial viewpoint in Australia made the issuo ot a Dominion tour altogether too doubtful an undertaking. Still, the present ?°7 ,s said to strike a good average, and Y\ • , . we will have the'?amc delightful little Tyltyl who charmed Australian audiences last year. This little girl is a daughter of Mr. Brandon Cremer, ail actor who was for some years resident .111 Dunedin. Miss Vera tipaull is cast as J&iJ? K ss Marshall (Mrs. Leonard Willey) as Mummy Tyl; and Air. A. 1?. Blanford as Daddy Tyl; Miss Nellie Colvin should mako a charming Light; Mr. Harry Halley is made for'Brefld; and in Mr. Maurice Dudley-.the compauv lias a noble-hearted Tylo.(the dog). Old Prank Harcourt will figure in tho Land of Memory as Gaffer Tyl, and Ivy Kcogh will be his Gammer. AVater will bs impersonated by Miss Madge Elliott; Susar by Mr. Brandeston Rcvelt; Fire by Mr. C. Mettam; and Milk by pretty Stella Cazalla. When one pavises_ to consider that Maeterlinck, with his weird genius, has endowed all these strango characters with intensely human souls, and that thev all assist or resist the two somnambulistic babes in their pursuit of the elusive Blue Bird, through the rainbow mists of purest ])]\antasy, the play-going public will begin to realise that liere is probably tho_ most-discussed play of-the last decado —right here at the Opera House to-uiglit. .A Busy Year. Nineteen hundred and thirteen will be a big year for the J. C. Williamson management, and for playgoers in Australia, for the firm's attractions will include three of importance and magnitude. These will be the complete Lewis Waller Company which opens in Sydney in July, j tho Quinlan Opera Company, which will J appear in Melbourne in August, and | Adeline Genee arid tho Imperial Russian' Ballet, who commence a brief Australian season in Melbourne oil June 21. In regard to the Quinlan. Company, Jlme. Ccnly's statement as to tho engagement of Miss '• Percival Allen, a soprano of fine reputation, for the German dramatic repertoire, is now officially confirmed. In addition to the youthful star soprano, Felica Lyne, there will be another lyric soprano new to this country, I Evelyn'Parnell. Favourites who will re- j turn a second time will b; Jeanne'Brola j (dramatic soprano), W. Samucll (bari- i tone), Robert Parker (baritone), Charles Mcgrat.li (basso), and Edna Thornton, the popular contralto. One of the.new tenors Vitl be' Maurice d'Oisly,- who is highly spoken of'.for-lyric roles. An Exquisite Phantasy. The production of "The Blue Bird" is characterised by some wonderful and beautiful stage pictures. One of .the loveliest, and one coucaived in tho most tender and element poet spirit, is that of the "Kingdom of the Past" the graveyard scene. In this the children ore shown in tho graveyard; at midnight, and Tyltyl, turning the diamond, thinking, mayhap, that tho dead will have the Blue Bird, finds tho tomb open, and a host of lilies appear. He searches for the dead in vain, and when Mytyl asks him where they are ho replies: "There are no dead." The entrance of Water is a novel one in Maeterlinck's play "The Blue Bird"; it is made by way of the sink. The pumphandle begins to work furiously, and then appears tho element personified in a streaming, costume. "What is your, cue?" Hiss Madgo Elliott was asked. "The working of the pump-handler" "No," | slio replied, "nothing to simple. It is a ! note in the orchestra that I never hear. ] I begin singing on this note. What I | generally do is to striko it on tho piano I before 1 go, and then take a chanco about i coming in al: the moment. So far luck I has been-with mo, which is just as well, as everybody would otherwise be thrown out. • • . Notes.. Miss Irby. Marshall, who will take tlio rolo of Night in "The Blue Bird," first became popular in "Brewster's Millions." Later, Miss Marshall took the' rolo of Nellie Denver in "The Silver King," when it was last staged in Australia'by the J. C. Ayilliamson, Ltd. Miss Marshall is regarded as one of the most promising actresses the Australasian stago has produced. The Hamill;on-P ( limmer ' Dramatic Company, said to be one of tho. strongest companies organised in Australia during recent years, produced'. Victor Widnoll's fine play, "A Woman, of Impulse," in Sydney on Saturday evening last. It is a play of strong character parts which arc entrusted to such sterling, artists as Miss Beatrice Day, Mrs. Eobt. Brough, Miss Lizotto ParKes,' Mr. Arthur Styan, Mr. Harry Roberts, Mr. Harry Plimmer, and Mr. 6. S. Titheradge. Mr. Maurice Dudley, who takes the character of Tylo, the dog, in "The Bluo Bird," achieved one ot , his greatest triumphs as Lively in Tittell Brune's production of "Sunday." Mr. Dudley is said to present Tylo lo the very life. "Scotti created some comment at a recent performanco of "Pagliacci" in New York by singing the prologue in- evening dress instead of in tho costume of tho j clown, whoso part he takes when, tho curtain goes up. He believes that lio was justified in this by the fact that Victor Maurel, at whoso suggestion the prologue was added, recommends it, and also by the fact that the words of the prologue are philosophical, in character, and not at all in keeping with the role of the poor ignorant clown of the opera. He has decided, however, not to repeat the experiment in future performances of "I Pagliacci."