A £2200 MATINEE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3186, 10 September 1917, Page 6

A £2200 MATINEE

At Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, on July 24, the matinee arranged by Madame Melba. and Mr. Cyril Maude in aid of the Victoria War Council's Amelioration Fund was very successful. The "Age" states that "The Governor-Gen-eral, the Governor and th,e Primo Minister, entered their boxes at the same time, and were heralded by pipers. Madame Melba and Mr. Cyril Maude gave one of Cainmaerts' haunting Belgian poems, "A Voice in tho Desert," set to music by Elgar, as the better-known "Carillon" was. Mr. St. Leger at tho pia.no, and Mr., Steele at tho organ, accompanied "both the recitation by Mr. Maude and T.ie plaintive song by Madame Melba. Then Melba, as Desdemona, with Miss Anne Williams as her maid, gavo the attentive hoii6e only enough to nako them clamorous for more. After repeated calls she came forward and auctioned an American flag for 200 guineas {Mr. E. Solomon); sho bought a jewel piesmted by Mr. Maude for SO guineas; a, portrait (autographed) of Charlie Chaplin brought 25 guineas; the original design for the programme cover (by Norman Lindsay) went for 35 guineas, a kowpio for 10 guineas, 'and some violets for 5 guineas. Then Melba invited general contributions, and a great Many coins and notes were flung on the stage, among them being a 20-dol!ar gold piece. "Mr. Cyril Maude and the Lady Susan Fitzclarence then appeared in the quarrel scene from 'The School for Scandal,' and gave the audience a delightful portrayal of tho troubles of the house of Teazle. Tho part of Charles Surface was taken by Mr.* Herbert Hanson, Joseph Surface by Mr. Frank Elliott, and the servant by Mr. F. Gatenb.v 8011, who also 6tage-managed the scenes. Earlier in tho afternoon Mr. Maude appeared with Miss Betty Murray in a quaint one word play, in which' the dialogue was conducted in single words; in ono time, at one place, by one couple. Madame Melba also sang several songs, and refused insistent calls for more. Mt. John Lemmono was encored for his iluto solo, 'Wind Amongst tlio Trees,' and Miss Dorothv Cumming brought the house very close to (ears with a tooical recitation, 'Follow My I.cad,' a mother's net name for 'one who lives in woman's liberties,' through his death in France. An orchestra of 35 performers,_ tinder Mr. Fritz Hart, gave their services; indeed offered them through courtesy of the Musicians' Union, and the pupils of Albert Street Conservatovium sang the National Anthem. , "Tho business managers of the matinee, Messrs. Phil Finklestein and llarry Musgrove. stated that the receipts totalled over JC2200."