THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2372, 30 January 1915, Page 9

THE THEATRE.

[BY SYLVIUS.] the World's a theatre; tlie' Ea-rtb a 6tage.—Heywood. The Cllbert-Sullivan Season. It was with no small amount of interest that the public of Wellington welcomed the present season of Gilbert-Sullivan opera. It is eight years sinco wo had a taste of fins class of opera, and on that occasionthe repertoire did not includo so many of the established favourites as it does on the present occasion. ' The revival of these operas which have withstood the acid test of- time bravely, will be appreciated not only by those who have a pretty general knowledge of the works, bom of witnessing them ma,ny times, but, to the younger generation of playgoers, who have grown up to the theatre-going stage since the operas bad their big vogue. What stores of pure delight there are in the brilliant and refined wit of W. S. Gilbert and the glorious melodies of the late Arthur Sullivan, both of whom earned knighthood before they departed to enrich the halls of the great majority. Older playgoers will find equal pleasure in comparing the present performers with such stars of not so long ago as Howard Vernon, Alice Barnett, Nellie Stewart, George Laurie, Clara Merivale, Florence Young (the best of Katisbas), Tapley, Wallaco Brownlow, and, with duo deference to the profession, the late Mr. W. D. Lyon, the distinguished Wellington amateur, who was a very able exponent of Gilbertian humour. Every !■ opera is brilliantly humorous, but throughout the entire repertoire no touch of anything bordering on vulgarity can bo traced. Refinement _ here is wedded to true wit, and charming earhaunting music. The season in Wellington commenced with._ "The Gondoliers," a satire on Socialism, most wittily conceived, and clothed in melody that lingers sweetly in the memory indefinitely. It is interesting here note the original cast of this work, in Wellington, which was, as far as my memory serves me, as follows: —Marco, Mr. Henry Bracy; Guiseppe, Mr. Chas. Riley; Tessa, Miss Violet Varley: Gianetta. Miss Flora Graupner; the Duchess of Plaza Toro, Miss Elsie Cameron; Casilda, Miss Florence Young; Luiz, Mr. Sydney Deane; Don Alhambra, Mr. 'Howard Vernon; the Duke of Plaza Toro, Mr. Wm. Elton.

Pantomime as Physical Exercise, The girls in the "Cinderella" pantomime at Melbourne Her Majesty's express the opinion that for making a girl perfectly fit and getting, rid of any superfluous flesh there is nothing on earth to beat an up-to-date pantomime. It is not very long after she has joined the pantomime that the big, buxom, well-built-up type of show girl has gone down to tho slim, sylph-like figure that is quite the fashion now. This is why most of the girls in "Cinderella" at Her Majesty's, Melbourne, are slim and wiry, and perfectly proportioned, for the amount of exercise they get not only reduces their weight but develops and moulds their figure. Said one of the "Cinderella" girls who takes part in most of the big stage pictures and features: "This is my third week in the pantomime, and I have already lost eight pounds. 1 have seven changes. With me it is a case of rush off the stage /to the dressing-room, Which is down a flight of steps, get into another costume, and race back again to the stage to take part in something else. You see, we haven't time to get fat. Tie Sloping Paths effect itself is good enough to keep one's .weight, down, and to develop the figure, for it contains as many beneficial movements for this purpose as tho best possible form of gymnastic exercise."

£1000 From Harry Lauder. Hundreds of stories are in circulation about Harry Lander being a "tightwad," some amusing, but most very silly. Lauder never 3eems to pay any attention to theise yarns, but has certainly proved his generosity by donating £1000 to the Prince of Wales, Patriotic IVnd on bis _ return to London the othpr day. This is not the only way that Harry Lauder has shown his generosity, for during his tour of Australia and New Zealand he frequently gave up hoars of his time to entertain old people and invalids, who could not come to his performances. During his tour, of Australasia, Harry Lauder gave two Hundred performances and never missed a single date, but it looked a« if he would not appear at one of the "flying matinees" arranged during his tour. Lauder and his company were appearing in Wellington, New Zealand, and a flying matinee was arranged at Masterton, a town - sixty miles away. Thei' left at 8 a.m., arrived at the town, at 1 o'clock, the matinee commencing at 1.30. Lauder was due on the stage at 2.15, and when ten minutes past two arrived and no 6igns of Harry Lauder, the feelings of _ Mr. Tait, his manager, can be easily imagined, for the house was -packed to the doors, and the audience impatient to hear Lauder, who had to leave the town at'3.2o. to get back to Wellington for the night performance. However, at 2.15 Harry Lauder turned up in his implacid style, smiling and smoking his famous pipe, and by no means in a tarry, but wonderfully pleased with himself. It afterwards transpired that he had received word, that some old lady 15 miles out was bedridden, and bemoaning her fate at not being able to hear the famous Scotchman, when without telling anyone—not even his manager—he ' hired a motor-car and gave the old woman half an hour's entertainment all to herself. Mr. Tait. who accompanied Mr. Lauder right through his tour, says this Was quite a frequent occurrence. Hardly a day passed that Mr. Lauder did not perform some kindness of this nature, and what conld be more generous than to give the old and infirm a little pleasure ?

"The Clad Eye." "The Glad IS.yo" comes to New Zealaad nest month. Ethel Dane, who plays ..Kjk'i in "The Glad Eye," has appeared in that part 700 times. _ She played it in the original production in London where the piece rail fifteen months continuously. Tom Shelford, Honry J. Ford, Frank Bradley, Edward Landor, Reginald Kenneth, Siiwa St. Clair, Claud Vernon,. Harry Sweeney, Alice Hamilton, and Ethel Dane, are among the. leading people, all imported excopt Harry Sweeney. However, both Ethel Dane and Frank Bradley are Australian born, although they never acted there until they returned the other day. Of the laughter provoking qualities of ' the comedy the Melbourne "Age" said '•The audience was in a state of hilarity throughout—a few wore even hysterical —and to many the intervals were a physical necessity for breathing space and rest to aching sides. The fun was never flagged and, indeed, was continued at such a paco that many were heard gasping for breath." Notes. A huge success has been scored in Sydney by "Seven Little Australians," a children's play dramatised from Ethel Turner's stories by Beaumont Smith and produced by that manager. Among the children in the cast is little Cecil Haines, of Wellington, who plays the irreprcssiblo Suds. Miss Haines mil be in the New Zealand company which arrives to play the piece at the beginning of Fobruary. Had it not been for tho war, Leslie Gaze, who is playing Dandini in "Cinderella" in Melbourne, would at the present moment have been a planter in Samoa. Mr. Gaze, who mano such a success on his first appearance in A u . s " tralia some years ago as Bumerli in "The Chocolate Soldier," had decided to retire from the stage, and lead a, .irubt xuraJ. lifAo>*. Jw tajnorouely terms.

it, in. some pleasant spot of the world most congenial to him. He visited America, Canada, England,. and then went to the Islands in the South Seas, where Samoa enchained his fancy. Then he came on to Australia.* Meanwhile, the war broke out, and Mr. Gaze, gave up all ideas of a plantation in Samoa, so ho has settled down in a sylvan spot a few miles from Melbourne. Mr. Richard Weathersby, who had charge of all the recent Gilbert and Sullivan productions at the Savoy, London, states that their popularity is as great in England to-day as ever. Mr. Weathersby is the stage director of the present New Zealand tour. The first Gilbert and Sullivan company to visit South Africa 17 years ago was under his direction. - An American actress of note, Mi6s Dorothy Davies, made her first appearance in Australia,' in Melbourne, on Monday week last. Miss Davies, who took Miss Muriel StarrV place in the title role in "The Chorus Lady," found a congenial character in the iaunty and good-hearted chorus girl, playing' the part' with-' a degree Of naturalness and conviction that made a strong impression on the audience. The, scene in the dressing-room at the theatre was acted with an amount of detail that made up a finished performance, and throughout the remainder of the play the applause that rewarded her indicated that th(s new actress is admirably equipped for such parts—"Age."