THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1954, 10 January 1914, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

stiiekEartin,fa' John C3..T12C.1, -j ' n a"ri'vio'.v-of <) !c musical'liappenings oi .'.ti'.ii year m AieU.ourno,;. ihe. ;'Age"' following. -to .say. about'-.i.-Joliii " ■55.;":." ■?."'■ .:.''.'..v.'^'jij of a ' verv differe'nt''elas3' was,...lr.' -.101 111 .Ml'ii.'iiiiicl:.- The Irish •i.'uo:' achieved a' sm ress' ilim. was .well i;;- 1 - 4 ? 1 , 1 :'/laddering.'::.Night alter night tlio ; .w{is- packed' l'rom : .liooi". to ,P S ung.by.audiences that' iinnw not-'how >?.Jf>;«sKi»n'.their 'emhusi.i.siii. Fino is, it is diffitilii, ii; no; impossible,-:-t<i. account.• for ail ii:e •uement that' wndered. everv :coneeri. he gavo remarkable. ■■ His 'voice is .:'i'i'i.a!i!iy beausifiil' in tlio "extreme"; ..icg smgsivweilj -and- his platform ■man-' ;»f.V»s t fa»B= .v''»«ttra«ive.to many; but, i'" ,v'! '"ay ho claimwl for 'him ov-ins '.vannest admirers, thero ; remains :somet ling . unexplained.' wiicuJiis' un- : P.i <1 success Ms:- taken im<r. con- ' ,e, '°.w no. beiitUcHieiit of an - artist who h very • nearly' av'Wal .Miiger, Hitondcd in'theso remarks', John '* giron ' pleasure - and bre\|giit. happiness to !m,us:mds. v pro-lessional-and amateur aliko, and. if he bus;well mu-d (us pockets wit!, Australian gold m tho process, as !io most'.ceir iaiiily-./ias. i:o has deserved his; success it.-.■' . ~v . ' V V Schilling Seeks Scenario, , ,*• . .Tho spider'.i web,dance of Mr. Fred : Leslie aiid;3hss : lvy Schilling has stirred one'. ;u the patrons ei' "Come Over •Werovto an sniagmativo effort (savs trio byiinoyv'Sun"). , . tle-Jias written a scenario for a now .presented it to'.Miss SchiU ,hng. ' jAgain. tho idea is provided by hie. ••• iliss Schilling's corresnoiilip'has be-eii observiug .tiiO'.iiying-auts and'tlieir death agonies .■■tiirough,the agency of an incandescent vHo suggests a hugo light in tho.centre of the stage, and children' :.in" gauze costumcs to eirclo round it on 'wires;-.-gradually, heating out their life and ■ dropping to the stago. The light, oi' course, would bo no actual injury, •.iliss' Schilling should be tho centrai and dance round tho light, and '.symboliso''all-tho vanities bf woman■;.h°;)ci with*a kaleidoscopic suggestion. .'; ! ."'--n'orainatoly," c ny:i tho popular i.oan'rer; ,r tho idea seeins an adapiaiion '.oh-the spider's web dance, without-its .ctagc.practicability. I would, however, ' scenario 'for a dance that .wouid cpmo. , ivithin my, range of "ox- | pression;'. 1 would bo prepared to pay i i»r anything, that I could carry I;, 1 ,! 1 ? 0 p ifcct..;;So as to guide anyone who ;.imght.' think* of '.giving , tho.- matter thought,si■.find myself most at oaso when cr-tpressing joy or horror.' Mr. Leslie . has recognised this in the arrangenjent of yav part in tli-o dances lie lias Do you remember; tli-e un c due. Vaurien' in 'Our Miss j Oibbs' that ho arranged? First of ail ;.ibero was ■ tho thrill of 'fright as ho I approached and removed my jewellery, j.Uhoii -•the-"reassurance followed by 'a | dance ofjjoyous abandonment. Next in . the jui jifcsu dance Mr. Leslie utilised I his own acrobatic skill and what I also I-possessed in a'series of rhythmio'moveI' incut and falls..

W "1 may say that so far all mv dances jhayo. been fraught with physical suffering. • Tlie training has .been hard in each case- to get the required freedom /and sup-olenoss for spontaneous movement.- .-.ln the present.dance the knots ill the web havo"bruised mo terribly, •■hut,'in a 'week' or' moro ihesfs will have and I shall be. immune to Kueir consequences." 1 . . The .Panto,-.efi. Long .Ago. - "Oriel." of* t!lb Jlelbourno <l ArgH5," has'iho following: .verso in' one of his ; .morc recent cohiiiuis.:—-.' . ' Tho lights aro loiv and" tho " curtains . furled, .. childreii;;. wait fer- tho opening .: ' cliord ■. ■. ■■ r '. ~ . ■ :;Yi inch-; will-: herald their glimpse of anj.olher; world, ..; touch of a fairy >prince's "'stvord— " . 4s'eli r.u\ was it not always so, ' ■ ■ IU-the dear old Panto, of long ago?.' ' ■Do-you remcmher; oyos' of mine, "-','Tlie' happy days that were gone so ' soon, -. When' Ha itequinj-frolicked with Colurabine • s'-VAud iauglied'at thei troubles of Paßta- • icon:-' : Oil',- the folk were real and alive, you >.. . know, .. ~■ In" the. dear old Panto, of long ago. , fih;- woro red and her eves' wer« : ■ bright, - 5 Like _ the. rippling stream was he: • .. • liglilsome ):ui,k!i. -^' -Jioiv- liiadiy I loved r that stage-born ':. : cpriter-"'r" .' A\ i'h _ti so teiider iovo of an infant .(All .this I may add is apropos ,of;tho dear bid Panto, of long ago!) ■. But the days are gone and tho dreams . ' . have tiown ■ ;.s.(As days, will go and as dreams will ;. . lb'). . j . .'Aini; thp smile that I-thought of as qll '}; lliy own ■. , .. i: ; Now rests on one in a stall near by}:. Siuely, oil •••ivdy, it v.-as not so, '•/ lu.'-tho dear old Panto.,of-long ago! '/' 1 can k'oc- ilie paint round her eyes so blue,■ ■'■ y.lv;Caii see'' the 'rouge on'li<ir cheeks so" rod, J-"-;.- 1 ■* Aild "my .vision of. Columbine,' tender true,^.-:i.,'.|'i.".. .ftlWithany other illusions for ever hnvo SoS; ; ".;.llcd." ;;\\'hafrVa' hollow* : sham, >.whnt. a tawdry ,i\\a's the dear,old Panto: of long ago! Yesj'-the lights arc -low'anil tile cur- :' tain's iV.'.'ltd, .. I e.iii hear the music begin its'strain, .' But. 1- Jons: for that I :glimpse' 'of. another KwAnd tho : ;my'. trust-ing youth :por.the.;iokc3 sccm stale and tho songs ,se'em slow' "" - 'Compared-to'.the.Panto, of long ago! • Plain "Smith," fKPhil Smiththe -comedian in ."The Coiinti.of Luxembourg," says that lie ...didn't take- to- himself a "stage-naine" whenho entered tho profession. ' I-Io ■thought the. nanio of Smith. sufficiently .Striking—as.» matter of fact, uuiquo. ■ "TJiere aro 'all sorts of fancy names on t-hq bills," says Mr. Smith, .''presonta woiidoiiul variety and imagination :in . their-selection. So I just '* stayed i plain Smith.;-. Lots of people have said 'that they wonclcrcsl how I could be an •t'ei-or. when "niy name is ■! plain ■ Smith.' ;,Stili,.a.s Shakespearo says, .'Wiiat's in a ' name?'. 3 ;.: Moreover, I. suppose .. that ...'.Smith. I ,:'attracts moro attention, on tho jbills'.-ithan.-.if I appeared under ■ sonm-:-high-f:il-;iting fancy name, such as Per\ciyaljilontinorensy." -W; Jhe .Ne".' Co/.tfcs. gp;Tlie:Mevi" Comic Opera Company," com-' ;Viig'":.wit!i the "Count of Luxeliilmurg," ,h.;\s tho.rejjiitntioii of being a very much stronger .body musically than the- Royal ..ConiicsSftThe latter company are 'given :'ali-. thq, : Jighter pieces, With littlo melo.•ilics'that require csperiencc rather than .ybicos ; : i : ..They.. talk the words, and the. 'iiiielo:lies' : -'ebn;b from the c-rchesiration. Xot so,.'however, is it with the Coutiu.piital';.oj)eretl:!s; of.wliicii the "Count of I.:;.sc!i!!ioi!!V; u is an example. These "rbiiuirefsKilfui .Vocalisation aaid musical Vogue of tho Yiennnse i'musieaU p'nys (ia;-;: probably jilaeed Miss as a comie opera ?a^.ist? l >i]:-LiH.she has . ranked at ■ any SwjioJ,s«! '<■ lie'r • career. Singers on the "Jyriossta,ie''a:e scarce who can do the i-ong-i-vrt' Lehr.r justice. Miss Youfi| f:happDis'-.to,bc one, who can. si':..-'.;