THE THEATRE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 235, 22 June 1918, Page 11

THE THEATRE

(By "Sylvius.")

_ A "Girly" Pantomime. ' i I ' IL V " res ™ l <l«y; in nearly every 3 n f. r ' ! fhortage of men is j net ceabi(>. Jiiico.s and other nuusoments 1 s Hi gut her a lingo quota of slackers, but the stage manager, lifo, lh o bank man--1 agoi, has to roinlorco liia depleted rnnka with women. I„ the J. C, Willinmsjn . Dick Vviuttington''- pantomime. ilie regu--1 lor masculine part of (ho clioriis is ! mixed. -iiiio upstanding, broad-shuulder- , cd gn Is Avitli contralto voices, liavo been j picked up and garbed in conventional masculine evening .suits, and make quite i' fl! i . , 0 ' men' us the genuine articles , y. Inch nre alternated The flamo .system is followed in tlio soldiers' chorus, and > in the Morocco scene the substitute men - havo developed quite a manly swagger D too, and strut as lo llio manner horn, s "Dick Whittington" lommences it tlio , Grand Opera 11 on si: on Saturday eveu- , ing next. *, . f . f Elsa Langloy, Compos-ir. s It is not'known generallv ihat Miss . Eisn Lnngley, the bright particular star i, or the English Pierrots, ;,dds lo her I many other virtues that of being a composer 'if considerable ability. Though s .Miss Langlev claims no great ability as s a musician, she has the capacity lo think s out beautiful melodies, harmonise them, and play them, too, on the pianoforte. , ller method is to study the words over f and over, and at. length a melodic , thought comes to lit them, and having i. the golden thread in her agile mind she t is a.blo to go to the piano and work her i thoughts into a musical fabric of :riui,li - charm. When in Perth some verses \>ere sent her, by "Dryblower" Murphy, en--0 titled "Somqwliero,"'which Miss T,ai»'- " ley set lo music, and sung with all the ' delicatc artistry of wliich she is .lius- • tress, making quite a hit with the Inimbur. The little lady also composed the • opening' chorus, "Pierrntlnml," fitli II which the Pierrots' open their pro--3 gramme,, besides numerous other songs. Later on an Elsa Langley album may appear in print.. It sho'uud .he worth buying. 1 ' r Wellington Choral Union. At this stage it is . not worth while restating the deficiencies that wore so ob- ' vious to evaiyone in the Choral Union's 3 performance of "The. Bohemian : Girl," Poor Balfel How he must, have squirmed in. his gravel It is evident that the union, if it desires again to reach the standard of the old Choral Society of ten years ago, will have to prepare tho performance with greater care, and mu6t at least see that the, orchestral parts are perfect before the 'last rehearsal. That • in fairness to tlio subscribers to' the union and the public. i The union has two other performances r ahead that should keep it busy for the next fe«r mouths. "Elijah" is to bo sung J as a complimentary ooncert to Mr. Robert r Parker, who is again retiring from the I arena of music as a conductor of public . performances. As a tribute to Mr. Pars ker's long anil honourable association r with music in "Wellington, the net • pro-" ceeds will be handed him. Mr. John I'rouao (an old comrade in music) will once, more sing bis masterpiece, and Miss Mina Caldow will sing tho contralto music free of fee. "Elijah" will be performed on August 14. r The succeeding performance will be Gounod's opera, "Faust," already sung hero on two previous occasions, but a, work that never palls or grow 9 stale. Tho principals for "Faust" (wliicli ivil] l>a performed on October 30) have not yet been selected. j Stella Power Returns. Mis 9 Stella Power,. w:ho recently returned to Melbourne after a concert tour of' the United States and .Canada., in association with Madam-} Melba, lias; arranged, to givoa concert inlhe Melbourne Auditorium on Thursday, .Tune 27, under tho direction of J and N. Tail. While in America ;.MelbaV protege also made several appearances apart from the con-certs-'ffiveu by Madame . Melba.- . The most- notable of- these were ;yheu the sang 'in conjunction With the Boston-., Syiu-php.iiy.'.Orchestra-:;and• in, -the• ■ <Carnegie ITali, 'Now- York. -'Madame Mellxrinlroduted.her to American audiences- as-"a Melbourne girl with one.of''tlui'-finest voices 1 have; ever lieai d." Notes. To' whalj lengths unionism will go in the musical world is- shown in' llie Sydney Press: reports of a case in which Mr. Alfred O'Brien (secretary of. the Musicians' Union) was sued bv '-Sydney Watson, pianist, for ' .£303 'luiiiages for inducing Sydney James (of the Royal Strollers).to break the.contract he had with plaintiff on the grounds (plaintiff alleged) that ho had accepted an engagement with the Fullers to play an orchestrelle (for ,C 5 per week). AViitson said that O' Brien had slated that plaintiff . should be getting i!!!A a woek for playing an instrument which kept other musicians out of work. O'Brien's <le•lentse was that Watson' was dealt with owing to his. being unfinancial--with tho union.!.. Tho .case was still before'the Court, when the mail: left. Leonard Nelson, who has been louring the Orient, is back again on the. Fuller circuit,. He is at present in Sydney. Peter Dawson, llio popular. baritone (now in khaki) gavo his farewell concert .at -the Sydney. Town Hall on Thursday of last wee!;. ' . ' • Gerard's historical book, "Four. Years in. Germany," has been iii'cturised. It was . being shown in Sydney, .-\vhen. the last -mail left.. • -. "Do Luxe Annie," withEmelie Polini in the lead, concluded a 1 long run in - Sydney on Saturday last. The "LooTc Who's Hero" Company is commencing its new toiir of Now Zealand'at Waimate (South Island) .instead of in Auckland. It is not. generally known that Miss Elsie Kosslyn, the cultured soprano of the English Pierrots, is a daughter of Mr. T. Jones, city organist at Adelaide. Mr. Joku-Lonimoiie (the eminent flautist, nnd'for years associated with 'Madame Melba- as manager) is Miss llosslyn's uncle.- ' r