Mimes and Music

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 16, 19 January 1924, Page 21

Mimes and Music

BY"ORPHEUS"

THE SHOWS.

o Pe^> en House—Lawrence Grossmith, season llis Majesty's—Vaudeville. .Artcrufc Tlieatre-^l'icturcß Our Tlieatre—Pictures Kmpr'ess Theatre—Pictures Shortfa Theatre— I'ioturca. Strand Theatre—Pictures JJritannia Theatre-Pictures. Pnncesa Theatre—Pictures. - ■ Everybody's Theatre— Pictures Queen's Theatre—Picture!

The Bey. Frank Gorman, for some years one of the Fulisr trump cards in vaudeville and drama, wilf probably leave for the States in a few weeks according to "Everyone's." According to a Well-known Australian ■producer, chorus girls playing i n panto . nume this year will receive practically 510 per week for working two shows daily. ■ Lou James, who.was out here with his wiie (Rema Se]ma) on the Fuller circuit some time ago, is now in Perth. According to advice received in Auckland, bignor • Easponi, who will be remembered as the outstanding baritone of the Sistine Choir soloists died recently in Italy. The revival of "The Merry Widow " at Daly's Theatre,,, .London, recentlyreached its 2Qoth performance, and was still playing to crowded houses Tiki Carpenter, female impersonator (lute of the Aussie "Diggers"), who was recently dancing in London, secured the attention of. a prominent manager who immediately booked this clever artist for a tour- of India, China, and Japan. The contract calls, for two consecutive years.—"Everyone's." ; Ella Shield's admirers will regret to hear (says the 'Sydney "Referee") that their favourite has _de-;ided to leave"the stage. She is deserting the footlights in favor of the domestic hearth, and has recently-announced her intention to remarry. " IJer future husband is a very wealthy shipping merchant. Two young Melbourne singers have been engaged by Mr. Henry Russell on behalf of the J. C. Williamson—Dame Nellie Melba Grand Opera, the season of which is to open in Melbourne in March. These are Mr. Victor Baxter, a tenor, and Miss Muriel Bentpn, a soprano, both of whom Mr. Russell thinks should have brilliant careers when they have mastered the intricacies 61 grand opera. Signor Schiavoni, the musical director, and Signor Roberto Zucchi, tlio chorus master, were equally enthusiastic. A paragraph in a Sydney magazine to the effect that Miss Dorothy Brunton is the first actress to go in for the Sport °f Kings is. now contradicted. George Watson,-, manager for .George Marlow, reminds the. "Referee"; that Miss Ethel Buckley owned, raced and' won with her horse, Don Q, on Melbourne courses ■11 1912. 1n..1916 she won a race >in New South Wales with Cowboy. ' ...A:' Some very amusing stories of .the late j Horace Bent, a favourite cornerman many years ago, are told; and whilst many were,_ no-doubt, exaggerated (says a writer 'in :an Australian paper), a majority of-them "were true. Although' Horace had been a "back number" for some time prior to his death, he was always a.rfarnily figure;" around "Mcl- ' bourne, where 'he associated with variety performers and others, until just before, he., died. When Horace was due _ for his .final' call in-/.Melbourne Hospital he asked the doctor what chance there was of recovering. ''Well, if I must tell you," said the" medico' "\ don't think you will live the night." . "Bay, doc," tho dying comedian repliod, "that's no good to me : I want a week's notice; it's in my contract!" i J. C. Williamson Ltd. would havo liked to present Emeiio Polini in Somerset Maugham's wonderfully successful play, "East of Suez," before her departure from Australia. Tho popular ■ actress, however, regretfully decided against the plan, being averse to playing a.part againsHlie sympathy of the audience. The rolo is that of a halfchinese girl wha is married to an EngHsliman, to their mutual regret. The engagement, is announced of Miss ' Gracie Layers, of tho "Sally" Company, ,Theatro Royal, Melbourne, to the son of one of Melbourne's most prominent business men. The wedding will take place early this year. Miss Layers will not.be coming to New Zealand with "Sally,"but in her place will come another of .: Mr. George Highland's "discoveries,'," a Miss Thelma Burness, of Melbourne, who Mr Highland, is convinced will do big things°in the future if encouraged arid handled properly. Wellington lias been selected for the opening of "Sally" in Naw Zealand, as the Opera House there has the largest stage. George . Highland, who produced "Sally," "The Maid of the Mountains," and other .musical plays for J. C. Williamson Ltd. has left for America, England, and the Continent on behalf of the Firm. Several J. 0." Williamson people have of late returned from visits abroad in pursuance of the Firm's policy of having everything fight up-to-date in their organisation and watching the latest developments 'in the theatrical world. These include Mr. Victor Champion, Musical Director, W. T. Goodridge, electrician, aud W. R. Coleman, ] scenic artist. 1 The Theatrical Alliance- (Sydney), at I a meeting held on the 3rd January, gave non-unionists eovcii day's notice "to^bocome members of such uf the unions to ..covered their callings ur to" sec iheir- jobs filled by union . mesmbcrs." Mr. Walter Baker, pre&idont of the alliance, said that it had been decided by resolution to take any steps necessary to impress upon, the theatrical show managements the desirability of their cooperating with' tho in establishing pre-,: ference to unionists, . , all other, things being equal. Mr. C. Westmacolt, mana-. ger for J. C. Williamson, Ltd., was asked to meet the alliance delegates upon tho; preference question. He replied over the telephone that he did not see what'"The Firm"1 had to discuss, as it .employed only union-labour. He was requested by Mr. BakeVto grant the. interview, nevertheless.. Interviews with the other prominent theatrical managements arc also asked. "_lfJ,hc" managements do not fall in witlr our viewi," said Mr. Baker-, '-we will have to consider lite position in tho V light of whetheiv the extreme step should not be tuken.- He added that the meeting at which these determinations were readied was the outcome o£ growing resentment on tho part of the members of tho unions covered by the alliance, which are the -Actor's Federation, Theatrical Employees' Association, Musicians' Union, Biogrnph Operators' Union, and tlie Society of Scenic Artists. It is ex- I pected (says tho "Daily Telegraph") ; that picture show managers may become affiliated shortly. * Lawrence Grossmith, the famous English Comedy' star, belongs to a di'sUnguished theatrical family. His brother, George, who was v member of the London Gaiety Company, is' one of the important-figures in theatrical'manage-' men! in London, being a paitnev ot j Captain J. A.- K. Malono. who" represents J. C. 'Willianiso.-i Ltd.,. in Tiotidui;, in'-'.lie firm of Grossiuith and Ma-

lone, which controls the Shaftesbury, the Winter Garden, and His Majesty's Theatres, London. His father was George, Grossmith, a famous author and Gilbert, and Sullivan artist. His uncle, Weedou, was one of the greatest, light comedians of early days. His grandfather was alniost equally eminent as an entainer in his day; whilst his granduncle, William Benjamin Grossmith, was known as "the Infant Roscius," and played Hamlet, King John and Macbeth at Drviry Lane when only nine years old. Mr. Grossmith's wife who accompanies him to New Zealand, is also well known on the London stage. The inordinate expense of touring theatrical companies.'in comparison with the gross returns, recently emphasised by Mr. John Farrell, one of Messrs. J. C. Williamson's touring managers, has again manifested itself in the tour of the company at present playing in Auckland. The returns to date have just about balanced expenses, and when the.boat fares, to and from Sydney are settled, it. is anticipated that there will be a loss on the tour. New Zealand audiences are just as crticial as any other and they demand, good choruses. There are- very few "locals" in the present production, and, whereas a saving vi several hundreds could be made by employing local girls, it is stated'that the work of training them is not alto.gether appreciated. It surely cannot be 'a question of lack of ability or appearance on the part of the Dominion blondes and brunettes. Incidentally it may be mentioned that a young Aucklander who played leading roles with considerabls distinction in amateur circles in Auckland and recently joined Williamson's is appearing in the choruses of the present^company (states the "Auckland Star ). Opportunity is the high road to success on the stage, and rio doubt hers will come. 6oon. With the passing of Horace Whcatley who died at Balhani recently, at the age of 73, there disappears from variety circles (says tho Sydney "Daily Telpiuaph ) an artist who wjis held hWj in. the esteem and affection of the profession. At the age of.nine he made niß first appearance as a dancer. Later he secured the clog-danfcins; championship .' of England by defeating' Jack Carroll at the old Cambridge Music Hall, Liverpool, and he subsequently won -the world's championship for clog-dantin"-from Williams at the London Theatre"Bcwery,. New York. H e joined Sam Hague s Minstrels at tho St. James's Hall, Liverpool, where ho met Ted Traynor. They formed "a duo, with 'songs, dances, and Irish cross-talk, and were two_ of the pioneers of Irish comedy business in the music halls. Then cama the well-known "Muldoon's Picnic," with which Mi;. Wheatlcy's name js bo generally associated, and which was originally produced as a forty-minute sketch. It was elaborted into a" fouract' comedy, which successfully toured England and America for over eight years. After a partnership extending over fifteen years, Mr. "' Traynor died, and Mr'. Wheatley then worked in a single act,' and was a special favourite in pantomime: Mr. Wtieatley \yas4he first variety artist 'to sing in this''country "The' Bogey Man" iuicl "After the I Ball." Shortly after Mr. Harry Rickards established 'tho Tivoli Circuit, at the time when vaudeville commenced its ultimately successful fight; against, melodrama. Whcatley was one of the highlypaid artists who came to Australia to .'help in building the reputation of the Castlereagh street house.. Somewhere . about, tho same period tho names of | Charles Godfrey, Hackeuschmidth, Johnny Coleman, and Alice le Marr might have been seen on the bills.-Their.! work still lives in the memory of their many admirers. : Mr. Arthur Mason, formerly London correspondent of the "Sydney Morning Herald," who as a musician and organist, writes delightfully of the art, has through the London "Telegraph"- uttered :a, plea for an Empiro Orchestra. He ! says : "Ono such dream-orchestra, there ! is, which especially deserves its change ■of translation into Jiving activity. It is an Empire Orchestra, a British orchestra formed for tho purpose of- touring the British Empire countries, where orchestras are scarce and orchestral music is rarely heard—an orchestra whose scope, that is to say, would be world-wide, and . whose iiifluencey^thero can be little doubt, would be of incalculable value to ; the progress of British music, the development of British musical taste, and the growth of British musical knowledge. , A first-class British orchestra, directed —Ibis -would be essential—by. a British conductor, not. of local fame merely, but of world-fame, would in all probability play a series of concerts in every city of the Empire to crowded audiences. In everyone of the Empire countries, Mr. Mason continues, an art-interest exists,' | the extent and vigour of which arb surprisingly in excess of the apparent population capacity of the Dominions concerned. Each of them possesses an abounding musical life. Love of music and practice of ■music are so. widespread within-thcrii as almost to be universal. Tho enterprise involved in tho project here suggested is obviously a big enterprise. But music in England- before now has had big enterprise in its service— and for that matter Empiro tours of opera companies, a far larger undertak-ing-—alid of bands. In this regard of an Empire orchestra, at all events,' the muniliconcc and the organising genius oE patrons of music have to their hand an enterprise, of great moment. Robert Atkins's "Titus Andronicus," at tho Old Vie. (London) considerably astonished bis audience, says an exchange.. "Titus" had to be done, in , order that tho full Shakespearian cycle .; should be completed. "Titus" was ; known to be a notoriously bad play full ,1 of tho foulest cruelty, bombast, and stale rhetoric. And yet "Titus," played at tne Old Vie, turned out "worth seeing Many Shakespeare, lovers have passed it by without reading it. Its plot, "rizly. in print, is no less horrible on the stage, it begins with a murder, goes on with more murder, swings off into a tale* of the ru.vis.ring of Laviuia, and finisher with lamora, Queen of the Goths, unsuspeclmgiy. eating her two sons in a pio that lituss, Lavinia's father, has pV ■ pared for her. In between there are other such delights; and Mr. Atkins producing Llio play Elizabethan fashion' took few pains to spare hii audience their effect. There was, however, =omctmmr else than this. ShnkesJpc-ire "did not writs all this play. He wrote bits ol it. And into those scattered bits he ,poured something of his extraordinary genius. The impetuous opening of the story; ,-the sudden passion of tenderness ;of the negro villain, Aaron, for his son; , the_lnl|m ? of tho fl>- at. the dinner table which, amid all the rest of the slaughter, is the most powerful incident ol tho play—these'are .'not only real bhakeapeare, but Shakespeare triumohant. Mr. Atkin 3 gave the pla? a' magnificent show, and tho company" particu lnrly George-Hayes as the* villain were m great form. The play has not been dona in r,ondoii fov 70 years, and it niav no u bo done again ior another ,70. Seymour Hicks-, tl/c latest of'tho lead. ii>S London players eiijjngccl for Auslra-

lia, began stage work in early youth by "walking on" as one of the crowd of "In the Ranks." This was one of the wellproduced melodramas of the Drury Lane type. It .was given in Australia by Ilignold. In a later year Mr. Hicks was part author of . another military melodrama, "One of the Best," which took the chief circumstances of the Dreyfus case, then causing much excitement, ami adapted them to British characters. Tho "Dreyfus" of the plot was an officer in an Highland regiment. As actor, Mr. Hicks went from melodrama to comedy, and tho more' artistic type of drama as given by the Kendals. Then he turned to musical comedy. Ho has i made a great many appearances a's comedian, has written or collaborated in a number of plays, and has been in management. Ono of his ventures was to build' the Aldwych Theatre. Mrs. Hicks (Ellaline Terriss) had leading parts in a-nuraber of the "Girl" musical comedies at-.the Gaiety, such as "The Shop-Girl,"-"My Girl," "The Circus Girl," and "A Runaway Girl." "Bluebell in Fairyland,'" often revived, provided one of her most popular parts, and other light pieces in: •which she has appeared, with or without music, make a long list. She was trained for the stage by her father, Wjlliaai Terriss, and Ebon after beginning to act she was given a three years' engagement .by Charles Wyndham. Miss Terriss was born at. Stanley, in the Falkland Islands.