THE THEATRE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3106, 9 June 1917, Page 11

THE THEATRE

(By Sylvius.) "MscitaHa." This evening nl, the Town flail we ore once moro to bear the nweet old melodies of "MariUna" that used t.o eurapturo our mothers and fathers in the, days when the world, was a deal wider than it in to-day and ontertainmontfi woro not served up quite so regularly as meals. Vincent Wallace in "Maritana," proved" himself a master of melody, and a very notable exponent of tho early Victorian form of opera. The story is quite romantic enough lo> captivate the modern mind, bint to our ears the style of tho opera is reminiscent of peg-top trousers and crinoline. To modernise "Maritana" would be.an interesting experiment, were, say, Puccini or Strauss to undertake the work, joining up the numbers with, radiant orchestral bridges and giving:. each gem of melody an entirely now sotting. Why ft whole lot of the very admirable operas of half a century ago are not brought up to date has always mystified me, for the material IP so rich in quality, and yot. in their present slato thoy are permitted to moulder on tho shelf. Jf comediessuch as "Pink Dominoes," "My Neighbour's Wife," ("So Look, Lelty"), "Tom, Dick, and Harry" ("Three Twins"), can be converted into musical comedies, it should be competent for modern composers to rescuo a few of the great works (hat are mouldering in tho dust of many decades. The cast, of tho Choral Union's performance (in concert form) of "Maritana" is as follows:—Maritana, Miss Helen G'ard'nor; Lasirillo, Miss Minn, Caldow; Don Caesar do ftazan, Mr. Ernest Drake; Don ,Toso and the King of Spain, Mr. Hamilton Hodges; Captain, Mr. Charles Moore. Tho booking for tonight is good. Stock Drama. After tho present week tho BrandonCromer Company has only another week to run in- Wellington. Then it ie proposed that the company will commence a season at Fullers Opera Ilouso in Christchurch. on a date yet to bo fixed.' Mr. Gremor hopes, however, later on to establish permanent stock drama in Wellington, and if there i 6 any encouragement, in Christchurch and Dunedin as well. New Revuc< Company. Tho Walter Johnson Revne Company, which has been playing in Dunedin ever since Basfer and thereby has broken all standing records for a one-town run on the Fuller circuit (in Dunedin, too), will | commence a season at His Majesty's Theatre this ovoning. The company is i said to be the best of its class seen .in vaudeville, and is well stocked with pretty girls and amusing comedians, which elements are .practically all that is demanded in a modern revue. "The White Chrysanthemum." In Molbourno J", and N. Tail's musical \ comedy company, which has been playing "Very Good, Eddie," since Easter, are now playing an exceedingly attractive musical play, called "The White Chrysanthemum'," which, is said to have a delightful musical score and a dainty Japanese setting. "Tho White Chrysanthemum" will be heard in Now Zealand when "Very Good, Eddie," comes over. The Late Alfred Stephens. The nows of tho death in action of Alfred Stephens, who, as a juvenile and adult, was principal comedian in the Pollard Opera Company, will cause- a pang amongst tho moro elderly lovers of the theatre. As a boy he was a vory comical low comedian, with 1 a stiff staccato action and a quizzical smile that was irresistible—and now the quaint and humourous face and crackling tongue that was wont to sot tho house in a'roar lie stilled in death on the battlefield— the best end a man can make. Mr. Stephons's best comedy roles woro lung Laurent in "La Mascotte" and Ko Ko in tho "Mikado" (which latter rolo ho played on broad low comedy lines), but ho was vastly entertaining as Hip in "Rip | Van Winkle/' Bouillabaiso in "Paul Jones," Buntliomd in "Patience," Sir Joseph Porter in "Pinafore," General [ Stanley in "Pirates," tho old salt in i "Olivette," and other parts. Notes. Tho Cyril Maude lour of Australia will commence in Melbourne- on "Saturday next (Juno 16) with "Grumpy," the play which'this actor has boon starring in for the past throe years with great sik<:css. Ho playod "Grumpy" for ten months in tho United States without a .break. Miss Dora Oberman, tho sweet singer, has established a record for an individual performer on tho Puller circuit ly singing for forty weeks consecutively in New Zealand. Miss Oberman is such a good singer that she could stay in New Zealand for ever without straining hor popularity. In Melbourne "Loudon Prido" has been succeeded bv that flippant comedy "A Little Hit of Flutf-'f

As "Joyous Jones," Mr. Georgo Willougbby is presenting Georgo Broad hurst's farco "What Happened to .Tones" as a musical comedy to Mclbourno audionccs.