THE THEATRE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 74, 21 December 1918, Page 11

THE THEATRE

By "Sylvius." "The Messiah." "'i'ho Messiah" is to bo sung onco moro in. Wellington at the Town Ball this evening, and surely, in the light of recent national events,- Handel's mighty song of Ire sung with moro splendid spirit than ever before. "The Lord God Omnipotent JU'igncth" is a keynote which finds t\ response in every devout heart in Christendom to-day, and its triumphant sound in "The Messiah" has its analogy tu-day in'the ridding of tho world oi ii force, every action of which has been a brnto defiance of everything the Messiah flood foi:. Tho Choral Union line assembled a. capable quartet of- principal*. in .Madame Bella KusselL (Auckland), Miss Mimi. Caldow (contralto), ■Mr. John J'rou.se (baritone), ami Mr. Si<lnoy'liiitler (ti'iior). Providing chorus and orchestra achieve a standard equnl to that likely to boset.liy the soloists, tho performance 'should be a sound'one. In one other respect the performance will be n notable-one,' as it lias been amiounecd that Mr. Robert Parker really'will make 'his. farewell appearance as it conductor of oratorio on this occasion, it is understood'that the society may'give <i second performance of ''The Messiah" on, ChrietninS night. ' • , " ■■• Sydney's Symphony Orchestra. .. Befuvo taking, up his. : baton.at tho orchestral,. concert at the Conservntorium ill .Sydney on December 7, Mr. Verbrngglicn. made the. announcement that tho .symphony, H'athetique, about to'..be .played, would, perhaps, bo the swan soiig of tlrp Coiiservatoriuiii Synipnony Orchestra,. a,s it would jeiiuiie a guarantee of XlHi'.) to keep tlif-so players.as n :perinaiiont orchestra. With, the possibility of peace so near at h.aiid, continued -the conductor, private enterprise, .mis increasiiiK, and many of. Iho iiislnuiientaliste hild already .been offered nermanent positions in orchestras... VTith: the • little money, at his.disposal lie could not exppet them. to ■ refuse these positions for what hi! could offer tl.eiu. A eum of .1:7500 must be guaranteed by either tho Uovernment or private musical enthusiasts- to - carry on these concerts''next .year,-and iii,-ike the orchestra a permniient one. This yoiir, he was very pleased to sta to, H lrctiirc' coiicfvts with the qimrrofNw "iven, and' i;!s62i orcliestral concerts, and they did not Cost the country a peiniy, for they paid for themselves. He , , had'drawn up a stiiieih'cnt of fig-ares to place before the Oovernment, showing •Uow ho could Vctain f-inie SOprofessionp.l instrumeiitiilists for this amount.'lf the (iuvernineut found it necessary through (he iiresi'lit financial'strew to refuse the needed funds, then lie must rely upon the musical <m<l onterpri.siiifr public Co guar-antee''-the money. Further, tho director said if the Symphony. Orchestra were allowed to lapse for want of-'financial Riiarantee, he would iiever ro-establish it iiitain. Mr. Verliriigßlien spoke : of the fine co-operation with him of orchestra and choir, andthanked the crowded audiences for Hie apprpcialioiv they had always sliown for-.tlieiruflorts'. ' : ..' ■■

"Nothing But the Truth. , ' \ Mr. M. B. Eigman anil ..Miss. I.olita litwrtson will .play I heir original parts .111 ".Nothing But. tlii! Truth'.' at Melbourne Theatre Koyul on Boxing Nifiiit. .llntir :tli.u.,slars iVel particularly forttmflln in having ivilli them Jl'ut Barnes and I'irie Hush 'in • (lit! parts tlipy enneted .with JIV I'ijjiiuiir 'iiiitl Miss'Koblii'tson.'in AlfiPi'icn.' linriics is ■ a ''fat mail ('oiiicdian,'' and' Hush is tlio iiro'misiHg.,voiitig Auslraliitn nctor who diiklb r\ hit' iis n moinbov of Vrcil. NiWo's cninpiuiy. In "Nothing But the Truth" lip will )>s soon in a typical "boob" 'part, fiir richer in comedy and character than even the "IjooIj" in "Ciet-Jficli-CJuii'k Wiilliii»ford" Iliat Pin's Hush made such nii'oul'ilandilis suiicess of when he ap-peaivd'tt-illi Fred. Niblo.

Notes. ' ' • - ■ "Nobody's Widow" lias been revived ii\ Sydney l>y tlio Williainson Conipiuiy, htuided by iliss Muriel Starr. Tlie pluy v.-iis tlie third revival ul' the "season, tlio otlier two being "Within the Law" ami •"Jioitglit and r'uid For." 'i'lifi Starr Coinprtny was due. .to.open here on Tliuredny ifosf, but so far. tlie ))ianngciiient"has iiot felt jiistilied in. billing, the town .owing to thu ilislociitinn.-.oi -thb steamer service at tlie Sydney eiid, "." ''• '■ '■; ■'■"■ «.:.

Miss Loltie Sargent (lire. ' Fr.iuk Greene), -wlio had (u abandon" the stago six years nyo owing to ill-licultli, is again before the loollighls. " Sjhc- was fippeai ing in the revue, "Everybody's IJoiii* It," at Hie .Sydney Tivoli wiicii tiio last -inail ML :'ilis.s■ J''Jorciic(! J)'u.\, mi American soiibretteyand Mirfs J Vise Jiaptiste, a violiniste, are the newest artists in revuu in Sydney. ■ ' • . ■ . Tiio. quarantining of the Makuva at Syiliwv am! Auckland lias been giving tiio big theatrical managements in Anstralio. the jumps. Both .1. and N. 'J'ait ami J. C. Williamson, Ltd., hue! several ai'tisls on board consigned to tho pantomimes, and even if tJiey were released in time- there would be little time for adequate rehearsal. Hiss Fayetle I'eiTy, the pretty little soiibrclte from America, who was hero with .1. mid N. Tail's "Very Good F.ddic" Company, and has recently been appuaring in Tivoli Theatre r.ovues,has married Mr. .funics Allison, mid will retire into private lifo at the conclusion of her present engagement. ... Paul Cinquevnlli (Emilo Otto . Paul Braun), tho noted, juggler, of" 5 Mostyn Road, Brixton, London, S.W., who died on .Inly 14, has left JC!!6,217 17s. 9d., • of which 1E23,!Ul 13s. 10d. is net personalty. Cinquevalli, who made several tonre in Australia,'gives.by his will ,£IOO to his housekeeper, Mario lloraek; ,£SO to his servant,- Kate Durrant; and;-in the event of his wife predeceasing him, he gives ono-sixtii of the residue' in trust for his housekeeper, Marie Horack, for life, with remainder to' his. daughter, Margot.