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THE THEATRE.

[BY SYLVIUS.]

The World's a theatre; the Earth a stage.—Heywood. Tho Royal Banzai Family. "Such wonderful equilibrists as tho Royal Banzai Family, Sydney has never soen before," says the "Sydney Morning Herald." "Tho grotesque characters and rich embroidoiy of the Oriental silk and velvet hangings marked tho boundaries of a world of fantastic mystery. Two Japanese gods, two Japanese godesses and a diminutive little showman, wlioso little bow-legged antics charmed all —these constituto tho family. With remarkable alacrity the turn began, a movement here, there, and the audienco saw a male Japanese in form more liko a salamander, 'his head revolving on a pivot, his body posed while his tentaclo toes played with hammer sticks, a sweet-sounding dulcimo. 11l bass accompaniment, male tho second climbed _brass and bamboo poles .with bis toes, and danced about tho stage front. Then came the thrill. Oh a short platform projecting over tho orchestra well, one of the Japanese females lay. A jointed ladder unequal in parts, and reaching out above the transverse limit of the stago curtain, was' poised on tho soles of her feet. That was extraordinary in itself, but when one of her malo compeers mounted tho ladder and climbcd,' stage by stage, until ho ultimately . stood, Balanced perilously cn his hands, near the theatro ceiling, there was a general impression that the limit of daring had been reached."'' The Banzais aro due to appear at His Majesty's on Monday evening. King's College Boys. Tho liing's College Boys, London, who inaugurate a i\ew Zealand tour at the Opora House on Wednesday, have had the honour of appearing beioro their Majesties the King and Queen at tho Colisoum, London. Their specialities aro solos, duets, quartets, humorous sketches, ragtime, harmony, and medleys. Included in tho companysupporting them aro "The Vienna Trio," musicians of ability, who feature one of their members as a solo harpist. Miss Marceleno Boulais is a dramatic soprano, who has played the leading l'olo in Alfred Hill's opera "Tho Moorish Maid," in Sydney, for three seasons. Tho Sydney press give unstinted praise to Miss Boulais for her singing and charm. Miss Dora Augusto is a society entertainer and child impersonator. Mr. Phillip Lewis, operatic baritone; Jack Shields, comedian, and Miss Ruby M'Donald, musical directress, also assist tho College Boys. Tho company numbers twelve pcoplo, who leavo Sydney to-day by tho Manuka. Tho Next Pantomims. Already preparations are in hand for the J. (J. Williamson pantomime "Tho Forty Thieves," at Melbourne Her Majesty's at Christmas. The pantomime will bo produced by Charles A. Wenmau, and this will be the lirst Christmas production under the auspices oi J. C. Williamson, Ltd. will be remembered that Mr. Wcnman staged for Ciarko and Meynoll, Ltd., ■the "Cinderella" pantomime, which ran for seventeen consecutive weeks in Melbourne. It is rather interesting in this connection that Edwin Brott, who was the Dame in the pantomime referred to, will enact that role in "Tho Forty Trieves." That prominent comedian, Barry Lupino, will bo seen as Ali Baba, with Dolly Harinor in a character role, Minnie Lovo as Morgiana, and Regan and Ryan, knock-about comedians, as Hasserack and Casserack. |' Other artists from abroad will includo tho specialty turn, "The .Three Rubes.' Miss Jessie Lonnen will bo principal boy. "The Golden Shanty." "Tho Goldo.i Shanty," an Australian comedy-drama, by Mr. Edward Dyson, has been produced in Sydney by the Bailey Company. Tho "Herald" says: "The Golden Siianty" was capitally presented by the company, but tho part that stood out above all others was that of Chiller Green. It was played b) Mr. Bert Bailey, who gave an admirablo sketch of an Australian undesirable by-product. In walk, gesture, vocabulary, and alertness he was easily identified as a "bush" leader, and certainly furnished tho audienco, which was a largo one, with abundant amusement. The other leading roles wero capably filled by tho Misses Ada Oakley (lluth Jack), Laura Roberts (Minnie, a comic housemaid), Storm-Keats (Frances Radclilfo), Lilias Adeson (Airs E<lna Jack), and Messrs. Guy Hastings (Tom Gordon), Richard Bollairs (John Oliver), Edmund Duggan (Joe Beador), and Alfred Harford (Sin Fat), "A Marriage of Convenience." Owing to tho puzzling failure of "Henry V" to draw, the Sydney playgoing public aro being given sonio treats in drama and comedy by tho sterling company headed by Mr. Lewis Waller and Miss Madgo Titheradgo. Following "A Butterfly on tho WlieeF came Dumas' "A Marringo of Convenience" (arranged by Sydney Grundy) "it is (says tho "Herald") a brilliantly witty play from the French of Alexandre Dumas the elder, originally known

as 'Un Mariago Sous Louis XV,' and founded upon a forgotten romance by Alphonso Brot. This foreign masterpiece lias been translated into English many times, notably by Planche. It was celebrated in London as 'Love in a Maze' as long. ago as 1851, when it was amongst the many French pieces naively attributed to the late Dion Boucicault. Tho present English version has been prepared by Sydney Grundy, who for long years has been credited with tho authorship of such French successes as 'A Village Priost' and 'A Pair of Spectacles,' but seems to have frankly admitted that the worldly wisdom, the cynicism, the wit, and the cxtraordin-

ary neatness of stagecraft exhibited 111 'A Marriage of Convenience' are the property of Dumas. These qualities kept Saturday's audience constantly amused, and delightfully surprised. It was all very sliglit, and romantic, and pretty; and the play won acceptanco all the more cordially by reason of tho fine acting of Lewis Waller. In order that our playgoers should properly estimate tho range of this English actor's art, they must see him in costume comedy, in which it probably reaches its height. His easy lightness of touch and reposc-

ful aplomb as tho Comte de Candalo will brilliantly perpetuato his inomory on our stage. Moreover, Miss Madge Titheradgo headed an admirable support." On Saturday last the company appeared in Win. Dcvereaux's eighteenth century romance, "A Fair Highwayman." It will be intensely disappointing to many if this combination does not find time to visit New Zealand. "Did Sho Slap Him 7" A Melbourne interviewer approached Felice Lyne, the twenty-two-yoars-old prima donna of tho Quinlan Opora Company, in Melbourne, with a query that appeared to cause the questioner a good (leal of embarrassment. And, naturally, he garbed tho question in a rather apologetic manner. And this is what tho question was: "Is it a fact that

you slapped Mr. Hammorstoin' r when you had finished your engage uai t with him at tho London Opora Houser' Miss Lyno's piquant face rippled with merriment. "Now just fancy thatl" she exclaimed. "Did that get all" the way out hero?" However, Miss Lyne was rather non-committal on tho point. 'I don't want to say anything about this at present," she explained. -"You Bee,l am up to my eyes in litigation with Mr. Hammerstein. Aa a matter of fact, he tried to prevent mo_ coming out here by getting out an injunction against me. However, I took action against him, and got damages. Now, there is another case still going on, in

which £20,000 is claimed, so under tho circumstances 1 won't say anything about this little matter." Notes. Miss Lizette Parkes, tho clover Australian ingenue actress, appeared with tho Lewis Waller Company in '.'A Fair Highwayman" in Sydney on Saturday last. Bach's widow died in tho poorhouse, and in tho last years of his life Bach had been obliged to sell, the copperplates of some of his compositions, for

which there was no domand. A few weeks ago the MS. of his "Well-Tem-pered Clavichord" was sold at auction ■in Berlin for 5000 dollars. At tho same .sale tho sum of 800 dollars was paid for tho MS. of Gluck's "J 'ai perdu mon Euridice." The fragment of Wagner's juvenile opera, "Tho Wedding," brought ;1000 dollars, while 600 dollars was paid for his pianoforte sketeb for a second symphony. •

It is reported that Paderewski is going to compose a violin concerto for Frizt Kroisler. In the meantime Kreisler made a success with tho Elgar concerto in St. Petersburg, but nevertheless there is still room for another concerto to take rank with the Mendelssohn, Beethoven, Tschaikowsky, *nd Bruch concertos,

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19130913.2.93.6

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1854, 13 September 1913, Page 11

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,365

THE THEATRE. Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1854, 13 September 1913, Page 11

THE THEATRE. Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1854, 13 September 1913, Page 11

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