THE THEATRE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 140, 2 March 1918, Page 11

THE THEATRE

(By Sylvius.).

Williamson Shows. ; Tho announcement lust week that the Royal Comic Opera Company will iill tiio Easter dates in Wellington is sure to havo given pleasure to lovers of musical comedy. That pleasure will bo accentuated when it is known that the company is likely to revive "The Fink Lady," easily tho best musical show of last year. Mr. Phil Smith, ai latest playing in tho rovue "Samples," will return to New Zealand with tho lloyal Comics, . Tho i'reo interchange of artists between j. C. "Williamson, Ltd., and the Tivoli Theatres, Ltd., wojdd lead one to assume that the rotations between ino two organisations aro closer than is generally supposed. . . Tho tour through New Zealand ol tho Williamson Musical Comedy Co. with "Canary Cottage" and "You're m Love," is said to have been a re-cord-breaker. Tho business in Christ- , church and Dunediu was uniformly big. Kathleen MacDonell and Charles YV.ddron will bo in Jkisbane for Easter. Whilst there they, will rehearse that charming American comedy of sentiment, "The-Cinderella Man." Miss Muriel Stan .will open in Sydney at Easter in "Tho Bird .. of. Paradise." Miss Marie Tempest reopens in Sydney .within a day or two, and will most probably be in Melbourne for Easter.

Cecrgo Warde Dead. . . Long-meraoricd playgoers will, be sorry to hear of the death of. Mr. George Warde, who appeared in Australia with the- London Comedy Company in 1880. Having reached the age of 80, Mr. Warde died recently' at Hastings; England.- This grand old man of tlio • theatrical profession was on the stage 50 years. He played with Samuel Phclps, -Charles Kcari, Barry Sullivan, Forbes Robertson, Lewis Waller, Helen Fa licit, Kate Terry,' Miss Fortoscue, Mary Anderson, arid Mrs. Patrick Campbell. His last appearancein London was as 'the- Archbishop iii the lute Lewis Waller's production of "Heiiry V.". Mr.''Warde was the'doc-: lor in "Friends"—tho e'pening piece; of the London .Comedy Company in' Sydney. Of the members-of tli'sit company only two Santon (Mrs. 6. "S. Titheradrfe); arid Mr.'Frederick de Belleville.. Sydney audiences saw ' nothing .of. Do' Belleville; ' who left,' the .' coiri•pany after the Mel Bourne, season,, /with' which the Australian, tour .commenced.. 'The pltiee' p.f. the'nian. who. afterwards worker! liis.'way.'.to- tliq front in. the United States, and who - was still acting there a few years back; was filled by the engagement of the .late George, S,. Tithoradgo,. who had just, finished Ijis.'.pwn Sydney, season at the Theatre .Royal. . Before ho. died in January, IO.IR. Mr.. Titheradgo saw. the. passing of Fred. .Marshall.'.Edward Marshall, Frank C.ntos, Arthur Garner, G. Shepherd, William. Farren, Henry Lemon, Arthur Roberts, Djanche Stammers, iUnrinn Stammers, Annie Taylor, Nellie Playfair, and other members of the London Cometlv Company. George Gordon, tlio excellent. scenic artist, who remained in Australia, .pre-decoasod his artist son, John Gordon. . ... Opposito Poles. . ~.. . . . . Writing in the New York "Evening .Post,."-.-Mr. H.-T. Finck-points- '-'out that two of the; most-popular-hills, at tlio MutiopolitanOpcra House are real-ly-staged- oratorios, viz., "Samson and Delilah" and "Boris Goudonoff," and euggests that the, idea might he followed up by a stage presentation of "Tlio Legend of St: Elizabeth," by Liszt.-In New-Zealand .wo -rare - at tlio" opposite pole.' . Wo make a •habit'of singing operas.jn oratorio -form-.- An the past few years we hdve'ha'd-ol'atoribiißly sung, to iis, moro or""'"less suceosßfully, such operns as "Cavalloria Rusticana'" (threo times), "Maritaria" (twice), "Carmen" and "William Toll" (bury the memory). During the approaching season the Choral Union have already announced that they are to. sing "The Bohemian--Girl." I. recommend: to tlieiu consideration "The Daughter of the Regiment," sung at the Academy of Music, New York, on Christmas night last, and tlio opora in which Jenny Lind made- n world's hit. "The Willow Tree." _ One of the most charming legends ever adapted for the stage was produced at the Criterion Theatre on Saturday night (says the Sydney "Referee" of January 30). This is the story of "The Willow Tree," in which Miss Kathleen MacDonell plays the exacting parts of. tlio Willow Princess,' a lady of Old Japan, whose image becomes alive after many, many years, ■ and Mary Teriiple, a clever girl-of to-day. It was most unfortunate for Miss MacDonell that just at the end of : her excellent . performance , , and in. the ■ sa'd: dest part of-all the-play,- someone :'in the gallery should have laughed': Miss Mac Donald,' who has worked enormously hard during tho whole"of the',-'pre-sent'season, sustaining • one heavy, rblts after another," becariio so upset that she at once left the stage. Just after : wards if was apparent that the vct'iig actress had heen seized with illness, as tho audience-was asked if a drctor was present. Two! medical men came forward, and; after a timoj Miss MacDonell recovered sufficiently to .leave tho theatre. ' .' • ' ' : ' ' ■ "The Willow Tree" differs from anything of tho kind we have yeb seen here. Unlike similar productions/ it is, in spite of all its sadness, marked with a lightness that is essentially Japanese. The work of production has been wonderfullv well carried oilt; 'and although there is but one scene ell through, this is so full of detail and interest that one never wearies ■of it. Tho colouring is exceptionally fine, and the reproduction of a Japaneso sumnicrhouse is faithful in every detail. Notes. Patrons of His Majesty's Theatre will remomber the Randall Jackson Company with pleasure. At latest advices Mr. Jackson was. doubling',.with Miss Elsie Spain (who came out to J. C. Williamson, Ltd., for "Gipsy Love") in "Gems from Musical Comedy" at the London Coliseum. : "Yes, Uncle," and "Sleeping Partners" are the titles of two French comedies which wore produced, in London towards the end of December. Walter Howard's play, "Seven Days Leave," passed its 400 th performance at. the London Lyceum on December 19. So great is- the success, of this play: that it ousted pantomime from the historic theatre for one year at . least. •'.■. ■ .. :-'. . .

"Cheating Cheaters," . tho comic American melodrama, was announced to follow tho Christmas bill at Mr. Albert de Courvillo's theatre in London, and that will be followed in due course by "Tho Butterfly Kiss," in which Miss Shirley Kellogg will be featured. James Montgomery's farce, "Nothing but the Truth," is also announced among tho post-Christmas bills in London. " In the Drury Lane pantomime; at Christmas a musical novelty was introduced in a whistling soio (the human note) not expressed from the stage, but from tho orchestra. The soloist was Mr. Borneo Gardiner, formerly of Wellington, who has boon whistling on tho vaudovillo stage in England for ■ fivo years past. Mr. Walter Bontley, of Sydnoy, the px-actor, has beon ordered to take a long rest after his recent rcvero illness. The Highland Society of Sydney held a meeting lasfweok to inaugurate a. movement for .presenting, Mr. Bentley with a testimonial. ■ ■