THE THEATRE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 259, 20 July 1918, Page 11

THE THEATRE

(By "Sylwus.") "Peg o' My Heart." That gladsome comedy, "i'eg o' My Heart," which appeals uioro to the heart than Uie headj and which lias proved such a phenomenal success all over the JSuglisli-spealyng , world, is to be .played again in A'civ Zealand this month. "IVg" was written by the Amedcau journalist, Mr. Hartley Mauuers, fur his wife, Jlis-s .Uuvotte Taylor, and was first produced in Los Angeles by (he Oliver .Muroscu management, and such was its success (hat Sir. MoroscM), seeing its universal appeal, bound down Miss Luurellc Taylor ifur u long engagement, ami secured the rights of "i'eg" . for the United .States. He took it to New York where it ran lor three seasons. to unwilling business. Then. Miss Taylor wont -to liondon with her husband's comedy, and there it ran for Homo GUfl nights, whilst touring companies also raked in big profits, 'in South Africa (he comedy earned big money, jind in Australasia "'.l'o(,v" wiih' Miss Sara Allgood in -'.lie name I part, bus ni'viii , cca<ed to succeed. Tlio New Zealand lour is to commence in Duucdin on .Inly 2li, and the company will arrive here from Syduey on Monday next en route for the snowy I south.

The complete cast fov Xew Zealand will hi:: I'eg, .Miss Allgood; Jerry, Mr. Gerald H.emon; Alarie Chiehester, Mr. I'olix Bland; Mrs. Cliichoster. Miss Nan Taylor; Elhel Cliiehester, Miss .Mabel (lower; Uient, Mr.' Eioiiel Walsh; Ifawkes, Mr. Wilton Power; Jarvin, .Mr. Geo. Chalmers; Heniielr, -M'iss Madge Surtees.

Of. the above players. Mi?s Nan Taylor was the character'lead in "Bunty l'nlls tbe Strines," and Miss Surtees was lust seon in AVcllinstoii in die name-part in "Siimlny." with the Koynl Dramatic Company.

An Old Savoyard. . Jlr. Wallace Brownlow, at present in Wellington, claims attention as being one of the few genuine Savoyards si ill Iwrore Hie public First lor it bo known Unit a Savoyard-all lioiiouri'il in Hie profession—are those pi avers whohave taken part in original productions of the Ci'.l-Uej-l-SuUivan operas at the Savoy Then Ire in London under Hie lVOyley Curie management. Mr. Brownlow was Iho original T.uiz in "The Gondoliers." the original Sir Kit-hard Choliuomlelcy in ".ine Vconien of Hie Guard," and oilier parts. Wo remember him best in operas other than those treated l>y the noted t-ollabor-atenrs. : He dwells sweetly in the memory as the gallant Kins H«if.V of -Navarre in Ivan Caryll's opera "Ma Jlio Uosette," played here 11. score of years ago, with a notable east, which included Miss Nellie Stewart, as Kosette (what a songbird she was!), Mis? Florence Young as Corisande. Mr. Joseph-Taplcy- as the tenor, and Mr. George Lanri in the comedy rolc-probably thts-best-of light opera easts known in Wellington. The same company made notable success* , ?, too, in "M'nise'lle Nitoiifthe" (into which Mr. Brownlow -inirodneed 'the song -".AVhen Bright Eyes Glance , '),'"La Civile," ami "Tho Mikado" (in which Mr; Brownlow figured (is tho Mikado, Miss Stewart as Yum Yum, and Miss Young, as Katwlia), ■ Since those days-Mr. Brownlow's career has been curiously varied. He returiifi to New. Zealand after a ten years' spell in America, ami is singing almost as well as ever he did.

London Shows. A letter from Harry I: Cohen, written on May 'Jli, show's that current entertainments'in London were all suffering from the jading effects of a very hoi ispe.ll, while alsu the .May raid nad exerted maleficent inituenci: upun attendances at night sJhws, .Kven tho sensational Buccess of "The Lilac Domino," the iirst venture' of the new : producer, J. L.. Sachs, .for.whom Ifr, .Cohen is representative, has abated a little its first four weeks' record of J:13,0l)0 gross. Uut, on tho other hand, the new manager appears to have scored .another bull's-eye with, tho American aviation musical comedy, "Liouig. Up," enclosed notices, abqut wliich proclaim it the.iiionlli, aiid particularly extol .the work .of I Joseph Coyne, principal comedian.'■■ Both "The Lilac Domino" at the.Empire and "Going Up" ut tho Gaiety appear to be installed for long' runs, according to the writer's confident opinion. It is indeed remarkable how business .has kept up (luring the year itt all', the London houses, even through the'fateful month of March, When tho Huns' spriDg drive on'tho "West'front commenced. A theatrical journal provides the following: box office particulars, which give a rough idea of what the March takings in the London theatres were:— "The Ding Boys on Broadway" (George Kobey and Violet Loraine).— .CKIDO a week, at tho Alhainbra. "Box o' Tricks" (Harry Tate, Tom MacNaughton, Shirley Kellogg, and Daplino Pollard). —1C3500 a week at the Hippodrome. "Lilac Domino" (Frank Lalor, Jamicson Dodde, and Clara Butterworth).—About JS32SU a week, at the Empire. "The Boy" (a musical version of "The Magistrate").—About .U2OOO a "Nothing But.the Truth," the biggest laughing show in London, but housed in a'emnjt theatre (the Savoy), drawing tho "capacity of .£2OOO a week. . . .- . "Pamela" (featuring the three, big London favourites, Lily Eleie, Owen Nuros, ami G. P. lluntley).—About 4*200.0 weekly, at the Palace.