THE THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2480, 5 June 1915, Page 14

THE THEATRE.

IBr SmtidsJ His World's ft theatre; the Hajtb a stage.—Heyivood, A New Musical Comedy. "The Marriage Market," which was produced in Melbourne on Saturday iveolc by a new Williamson Musical Company, is an elaborate joke, perpetrated 1 by tho Sheriff of Medicine Bluff on a mixed lot of pcoplo. Tho game is mock marriage, but tho Sheriff imports a real priest, and everybody finds they aro somebody's wife or husband without having contemplated anything so serious. Mr. Leslio Holland appears as an English peer of the musical comedy typo, raid scores well, and little Phil Smith is his comic valet. Miss Ethel Cadman, tho latest English importation, is said to bo sincere and genial in her style, and n-ithout the aloofness and frigidity of tho "frozen lily" type that England supplied for "Gipsy Love." Mr. Derek Hudson appears as a cowboy and sailor, and does a lot of realistic business to prove it. Victor Jacobi is responsible for most of tho music, and Adrian Ross for tho lyrics. On the personalities employed, "The Marriage Market" may succeed. "Cinderella." The ca6t of tho J. C. Williamson "Cinderella" pantomime, to be produced hero on Wednesday next, is a particularly strong one, and includes a number of brilliant artists. Barry Lupino, Minnio Love, Jack M'Ardle, Dolly Castlesj Dolly Harmer, Arthur Stigant, Colia Ghiloni, Gertie Latchford, Rupert Darrell, Leslie Gaze, make a splendid array of new importations and old favourites. Dolly Castles last appeared hero some five years ago in Gilbort and Sullivan operas, and much interest will bo evinced in her reappearance. Leslie Gazo' was immensely, popular in "The Chocolate Soldier," and his engagement is a big one for pantomime. Arthur Stigant is a Drury Lano artist, as also is Jack M'Ardle. Minnie Love is recognised as one of tho best of English pantomime boys, while Barry Lupino is a whole entertainment in himself. _ The spectacnlar part of the show is said to surpass in magnificance any previous Williamson production. "Advertisement." This is the title of a new play which has been produced at the Kingsway Theatre, London, a play which, makes a play on the quack who lives by advertisement, and whose central figure lias 110 compunction in changing his Staminal Syrup to a Scalp Cream, and makes a fortune with each. Tho leading character is Luko Sulfan, a Jew, and originally a pedlar of "brumrny" jewellery. He also plays a violin, arid by this means "manages to wed a very charming Christian girl, but Luke grows coarse and brutal, and after he has beaten her she runs away to the house of a man who was her former admirer. Later, finding that she is likely to ruin his career, she returns to Luke enceinte, and the Jew believes himself to be tho father of the child. At twentyone the aforesaid child, college-bred,_ finds himself strangely averse to his reputed father, and sickoned by his fraudulent means of exploiting the public. He enlists, and is killed in the war. In the meantime, Mrs. Sulfan, sickened by the wealth her husband is makingmaking by means she believes to be criminal, is about to leave him agaiu, when Luke ferrets out tho story of her infidelity and drives her out. 1116 final act sees them both aged and reconciled, Luke having returned to his violin, quite tired of tho Dead Sea fruit his his wealth buys him. The play is ingenious and probable, and is, moreover, a powerful means of exposing the ways of advertising quacks. Mr. Sydney Valentine is Luke, and Miss Braithwaite Mrs. Sulfan. No Hafa to Raise. M. Phillipe Meny, conductol of the Belgian Band which is about to commence an Australasian tour, speaks eloquently on the present plight of Belgium. His country, li© says, is showin" astonishing courage and dignity in the face of the Teuton occupation. By its very position the nation is prevent ed from overt reprisals against, the tyrannical and brutal acts of the conquerors, but all tho same the people are getting back on tho Germans in many sweet and subtle ways. The great silont weapon of the Belgian people nowadays is a quiet and contemptuous irony that in most cases has the advantage of being lost in tho Kaiser's legions. Recently, an order was promulgated that all Belgians had to raise their hats to the soldiery whom they encountered whereupon the heroic people appeared in publie without head covering. When the Germans tried to evade this dodge by commanding the people to salute the soldiers in pain of severe punishment, the Belgians stayed indoors as much as possible. "Some of the men," said M. Meiiy commenting on this, "paid a humorous obedience to the order, however. When confronted "by German soldiers they would bring their heels sharply together in fhe German manner and lift their hands in salute in such a manner that you would think they were about to put their ; fingers to their nose. The Germans entirely missed tho point of this joke and returned tho salute with tremendous military dignity." "I have heard artists say," said Marcella Craft in a recent interview, "that singing is the chief thing in opera. But I have heard only thoso say it who were so impressed with their vocal gifts that they could not submerge themselves into a character. How conceited of a singer to hold that opera is all voice! The practice of those who havo been most successful gives little support to such a view. Opera _ artists must pay just as much attention to stace technic as to voice technic. I try hard to combat tho notion that opera is all singing, just as I try to combat that other, oven weaker, notion that artists can act only what they have experienced." Those who can recall tho palmy days of the R-oyal Comic Opera Company, when tho "Firm" were wont to give [ the public something like adequate casts, will be pleased to learn that tho much-esteemed conductor, M. Leon Caron, who plyed tho baton up to the time of his death, left behind liim_ a daughter, who is said to bo extraordinarily talented. Mdlle. Irma Caron burst upon Melboxirno last month at the time a big appeal was being made for tho Belgians. Not only did she sing, and dance in the streets, but she produced her late father's violin, and showed that she was 110 mean exponent of tho instrument. Since then Mdlle Caron has given concerts in Melbourne with the greatest success.