"TINY TOWN'S" MANAGER.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1853, 12 September 1913, Page 11

"TINY TOWN'S" MANAGER.

LATE TOUR & COMING NOTIONS. Mr. Beaumont Smith was one of tlio passengers by tho Tahitij which arrived from San Francisco yesterday. Ho toured tho Dominion last year with "Tiny Town." In tho course of conversation ho stated: —"After our tour of Australasia wo went to South Africa and toured as far north as Rhodesia. It was not always possiblo to get halls and theatres largo enough. I was forced to havo tents mado and wo showed right through under canvas. Altogether vfo travelled about 4000 miles in Africa and played in about fifty towns. We wont oil to Europe where wo remained for somo little time and then went on to Canada. Wo opened at Montreal early in tho sumnior and afterwards visited Ottawa, Toronto, and all tho chief towns in tho provinces of Quebcc and Ontario. I motored right through these provinces. It was summer time and harvesting was in progress. Tho country looked wonderfully fertile, but of course it might look very different in winter. Iu two weeks I motored about 1500 miles. From Toronto we jumped 1200 miles to Winnipeg. We wero thero during the stampede week (a sort of amateur Wild West sports meeting— cowboys, lasso-throwors, broncho-bus-ters coming in from all over tho country).

'"Tiny Town' (added Mr. Smith) has a larger population than when last here. Diedrich Ulpts, tho famous little man with tho normal-sized wife, and two beautiful normal-sized ohildren, is with us now. Ho is a marvellous miniature man—a scholar, a writer, a critic, and a keon reader of international politics. Then wo have two moro littlo Dutchmen—the Francos, both 32 inches higli.

"I havo sovoral now amusement enterprises," added Mr. Smith, "for the present season and also next year. The first to be presented will bo Professor Max Roinhardt's religious, wordless, mystery play, 'Tho Miracle.' One of my missions in England was to secure tho rights and produco it in Australia and New Zealand, but liko the managers from other countries, 1 found it too bm a thing to do. However, the idea o{ photographing it in its entirety, with improvements such as real outdoor scenery, was mooted and eventually carried out. Special'vocal and instrumental music for it has been written by Humperdinck (composer of 'Hansel and Gretel,' and it will bo rendered by a large invisible choir and operatic orchestra. The first representation of 'The Miracle' will take place in a few weeks' timo. Early next year, in partnership with Mr. Louis Meyer, of tho Strand Theatre, Garrick Theatre, etc., in London, I am bringing out a special English Comedy Company to produco 'Tho Glad Eye.' Other plays aro included in the repertoire, namely, 'Tlio President,' 'The Chaperon,' etc. In tlio company will be several Australians who have made successcs in Europe, and tho leading role of 'Kiki' will bo undertaken by one of England's popular and comedy artistes." Mr. Smith proceeds to Sydney bv the Tahiti, but returns to New Zealand iu a fortnight's timo. ■ Mr. R. B. Young, a Now Zealander, returned from America with Mr. Smith. He has all arrangements in hand for tho New Zealand tours of "Tiny Town," "The Miracle," and "lie Glad Eye."