AN AWAKENING.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1754, 20 May 1913, Page 4

AN AWAKENING.

THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL

ENTERPRISE.

THE AMERICAN INVASION

! r 'By "Sylvius.") Thick and fast come announcements of ■ no engagement for Australasian tours of theatrical iind musical artists, many of ; them of Mich standing anil in .suck de- ; "land that few people ] liul j =o it C ,| f ur their coining to this side of the world. . Mill, as the world advance, it K ro,v.s ' in"" , C !l "„ S CDl , n . mi jniUes grow larger, and ul^„?° Wh ,10 of art nie'ins 111 if' V' i 0 f oad ™ w tlle mums 'that at length Auslrilii—let m« concede Aiislr-tl-ui-i—l«.»c { Ui v. iU ln ~ us nil/, /f Ti iu,ui,l 7 lias <h?covcml hehU nl ~,,V s " K ' st all(l ,I,ost lucrative ' IT, 1 " 1111 K "" liro tor its population, hi# artists imvo vi-itcd >thp--> countries years ago—3o and 40 vears a"o— as !nvti?„," ? int , Gl imich as anjtliiny el.vo, lor there were 110 forI'vnf t } lleiltrical io| k ill 41, asi , diivs. tho vov'ice ae ° Ullle iost 011 « *V i' • lroni Australia—during 5 ,Ji Planes were not paiiMho break in tho connection with the centres it Jlome, together with tho risk of failure in Australia, were bars which kept many a gieat artist in the lioine paddocks, but big money, a restful voyage with batter bjuts ami quicker transit, lias made an Australian engagement an attraction rather than the reverse, and tho result is 'tho announcements which have- Ir-en made one after the other at short notice by different managements. J. C. WilliamS » U V'i• 'ri nnlKmllcc d the engagement of Adeline Geneo only a month ago, and she is due in Australia next month. She, the greatest dancer of them all, who revived the classic glories of the old Italian school, and enhanced and elevated them with a dignity and grace of her own, is coming to demonstrate to new eves \yhat a great dancer is. Australia has"not seen J really great prcmicro danseusc since Mdlle. Bartho, the ltussian dancer, appeared ia "Turquoisette" (the Bluo Uallet) some fifteen years ago. This year, too, Lewis Waller and Madge Titheradgo are to arrive after making a big success iu America. Tho Quinlan Opera Company is duo back again in about three months, and will, it is. said, visit Now/Zealand at the end of tho year. If the personnel of the company is anything like what it wus last year, is ; ew Zealand may expect tho biggest musical treat it has ever experienced. At the same time we must not count our theatrical chickens before 'they are hatched. What is significant and may lead to a fresh line of enterprise, is tho discovery of Australia, by America. For a couplo of decades the American managers looked askance at this corner of the world, owing to the absolute failure of two of their most brilliant actors. Nat Goodwin and Wm. Collier, who aro never , done saving what they think of Australia and Australians. The awakening touch came with Daniel Frawley (who also failed), but the lew who saw "Arizona," still cherish memories of one of the most perfect of really "indigenous" American plays. "The Squaw Man" came a lot later, and did better. Then came Katherine Grey, and a string of those sordid, but clever dramas, "The Third Degree," "Paid in Full," and "The Lion and the Mouse," which also found considerable favour. It was Mr. Hugh Ward who discovered that Australians were partial to American comedy of tho farcical order, and in a few years he made a small fortune with sucli comedies as "A Bachelor's Honeymoon," "The Girl from Hector's," and "Seven Days." This probably induced him to engage Fred. Niblo and H. Corson Clark, and so promoted the "Get-Hich-Quick Wallingford" boom, of which "The Fortune Hunter" is a continuation. Mr. Clark thinks the country is good enough to exploit "011 his own," and 110 1 will do so as soon as his engagement with the liickards' management has tcrmin.ated. "The Grafters/' an.'American burlesque show, has made a big hit in Melbourne, and will tour under Mr. Wm. Anderson's management, aud now tho J. Williamson firm announce a new American dramatic company to play a j drama entitled "Within the Law."

On the musical side of things the awakening is just as striking. Australia has grown to demand its grand opera, and "the firm" aro doing their best to supply it. Quinlan's Company c.nno last year, and will come again this, with the addition of the,"Nibeluuger liing," "The Khinegold," "The Valkyrie," "Siegfried," and "Gotterdainmering," and Charpsntier's "Louise" added to its repertoire. The Butt-Rumfords are to commence tlieir second tour of Australia in Melbourne this evening, under the Tait management, and later in the year, John M'Cormack. tho Irish-American tenor, returns to pick up the gold he was forced to refuse when last in the country. Now in quick succession is announced the coming of David Bisplmm, one of the finest operatic baritones of assured position in England and America; Nordica, tho famous American operatic soprano, whoso Marguerite was personally praised by llie composer of "Faust." Nordica is now 54 years of age, having made her lirst appearance in London in 1887, so that one will hardly hear tho famous singer at her best. That remark, however, does not apply to Misclia Elman, a brilliant young violinist of the first flight, who took England and America by storm only iive or six years ago. Mr. Frederick Skipman, under whose management theso people aro to como to Australia, also announces the engagement of Madame Sclnimann-Hcink, who has appeared at all the leading grand opera houses of Europo and America during the past quarter of a century. Though now well-advanced in years, sho is still doing splendid work ■chiefly in Wagnerian roles. Her namo has been steadily in the bill at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York, for many seasons past.

. Next year the Tait, flianagcnient has the Scotch comiquo Harry Lauder coming, and -it is whispered that J. C. Williamson, Ltd., has secured the Moffatt family to appear in "Bunty Pulls the Strings," a Scotch domestic play, with an astounding record everywhere. It will be curious to note what America will yield next year, but from that quarter may bo expected a development ■ which will have a distinct influence on tlie character of our future theatrical entertainment,

The coming of steamers of tho Niagara type in lite trans-l'acific service, in combination with the approaching completion of the Panama Canal, must have a bearing on the theatrical movement. With the voyage from 'Frisco to Wellington cut down to fifteen or sixteen days, thero will be an inducement for co-operation between American and Australian managements to continue the lours of their companies on to Australia and New Zealand between New York seasons. The tour through the States, Australia, and (perhaps) New Zealand and back again would just alxiut cut. out tho remainder of the vear pleasantly, and' (the chances are) lucratively. Such an arrangement would relieve til? congestion on the. American "road," and would ensure a continuity of good attractions for Australia. The time may hardly be ripe for such a scheme, but that we will—with the improvement of our Pacific services—enmo to depend more and more upon Unclc Jonathan I ban John Bull for our theatrical fame,

T am very certain. And seeing (hat. Uncle Jonathan is a wonderful supporter of all that is best in the Knglisli drama, ami lias n tine regard for English players, what does it matter?