THE THEATRE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17281, 23 September 1916, Page 12

THE THEATRE.

(By ORITICUS.) Writing to friends in Australia, Madame Ada Crossley forwards a list of distinguished artists with whom she was recently associated in London at a charity performance of Andreas Romberg's "Toy Symphony." This is a species of musical joke which has lasted a long time, as Haydn composed one in 1788 j after returning from a country fair with bis arms full of trumpets, drums, whistles, triangles, cuckoos and quails. A little later Romberg added to this nonsensical combination a pianoforte duet, rattle and bell. This piece of fun survives largely owing to the humour of tho " Adagio lamentabilo.' _ Mendelssohn wrote two Toy Symphonies tor Christmas entertainments of 1827 ana 1828; and nearer our own day, Franklin Taylor, a composer and R.C.M. teacher of pianolorte in the nineties, launched a simdar trifle. Romberg's is the only one that alternates with Haydn s in lasting popularity. The joke rests chiefly with tho audience, who enjoy seeing a number of celebrities making themselves more or less ridiculous. The Btor performance mentioned by Madame Crossley was at the Countess of Lytton's house in aid of the Surgical Requisites Association, as supplementary to a great war revival of tho old Chelsea Fair in the grounds of the Royal Chelsea Hospital la.st month. Artists and instruments were allotted as follow:—Mduio Albani, triangle; Ada Crossley, Miss Viola Tree and Lady Yalda Machell, nightingales; Lady Churston, violin; Miss Mathilde Verne and Mr Haydn Coffin, rattles; Miss Adela Verne, trumpet; Miss Irene techarrer quail; Miss May Harrison, whistle"; Mr Ben Davies, dram; Dr Landon Ronald, cuckoo; Mr Campbell M'lnnes, trumpet; and Mr Gervase Elwes, triangle. The Australian contralto adds that tho Ranee of Sarawak conducted, and that the whole formed "a very amusing success, especially as all the toy luotruiueuts insisted on keeping either above or below concert p.wh." Thoso who have toured Australia are Mdme Albani (twice), Adela Verne (a lino pianist with a fiery style), and Ben 'Davies (with tho Australian soprano Esta d'Argo). Lady Churston, u singer and violinist trained at tht R.A.M.. mado a hit as Denise Orme in "The Little Michus" at Daly's, ana was in the secondary role. of > Ladj Elizabeth Thanet in " Our Miss Gibbs " at the Gaiety. Gervase Elwes is tht tenor always chosen by Elgar to eiii. tho music of Geroutius. Hadyn Coffin s career as a baritone dates back a few years before ho created the baritone role in," Dorothy " (188 ii).

H. P. Muller, of the Fuller staff, has arrived in America, and is already busj arranging for specialties for the Christinas pantomime at the Grand Oper.. House, Sydney. The pantomime, which is the work of Miss Ella Airiie, will be on novel lines, and its present title is "Tho Bunyip." It will be distinctly Australian in character.

A. Brandon-Cremer, who has been running stock drama at Adelaiat lor some considerable time, has completed arrangements for the opening of -the King's Theatre, Auckland, witu a stock company. The season will be begun on September 30, probably with "liie Pace that Kills," a. racing drama.

The casting of "While the Billy Boils" is practically complete. Mr lan Maclaren will be Bob Brothers, "The Giraffe," Messrs Arthur Styan and H. H. Wallace (Steelman and Smith), Kay Souper (Tom Wall, a squatter), Walter Cornock (Joe Wilson), Tom Cannam (The Man who Forgot), Tom Tilton (One-eyed Bogan), Miss Esther Mitchell. (Rujih M'Laughlin), Miss Nan Taylor (Mrs Stiffner), Miss Gladys Leigh (Mrs Brighton), and Miss Pearl Hellmrich (Mrs Joe Wilson). Messrs E. J. Carroll and Beaumont Smith have secured the services of Mr George Willoughby to produce tho play. Tho dramatisation was done by Mr Beaumont Smith in tho country. it will be produced at tho Theatre Royal on September 30.

J. and N. Tait's " Peg o' my Heart Company, which has been pleasing Melbourne theatregoers in the Kings Theatre for the past seven weeks' moves to iNewcastie lor a six nights' season in the Victoria Theatre, commencing on Monday, September 25, after whicn "Peg" leaves for New Zealand on October 5, opening in Wellington.

The "Sydney Morning Heralds critic writes on a subject of interest to New Zealand:—All the old-time charm of Donizetti's opera has been revived during the week by the polished vocal art of Signorina Ernestma Gonsalez as Lucia di Lanimermoor. l"e new prima donna was born in Naples, where she was musically educated at the San Pietro e Mayella Conservatorio. She there took various meda sas well as the usual diploma, and eight voars ago joined her father's company for a tour of Russia, visited Rumania with a season at Bucharest, and appeared before the Khedivo of Egypt at Cairo. After touring Austria, Poland, Hungary, and other countries, Signorina Gonsalez sang at all the leading opera houses of Italy, notably at San Carlo (Naples), where she appeared with Carpi, Zanatello, and other star tenors, in many of her lyric roles. Before the outbreak of the war the Gonsalez Company was touring Russia, where they remained for two years, and thon the "state of affairs m Italy led them to India, the East generally, and the Philippine Islands, so that the prima donna describes Australia as a paradise, where, thank heaven, you can breathe, and the soft air reminds us of Italy, and is good for the voice. As regards Petrograd and Moscow, Signorina Gonsalez declared the audiouces te be the most cultivated in the world, so that even shoeless people go without a meal in order to buy a place in the gallery. As they know every phr.iso of the regular Italian repertoire, they delight to hiss any artist who falters or makes a false entry! The Gonsalez Company is headed by the diva's father, Signor Giuseppe Gonsalez, one of the best known impresarios in Italy, whose name is familiar all over Europe Music, and the business management of opera, havo distinguished the Gonsalez family ever since tbey came over from Spain several generations back, and settled in Naples. The diva's father has directed orchestras all his life eaually with her uncles, Giovanni and Ernesto, now in charge at the Grand Opera House. Another uncle (Arturo) plays the double-bass in the Gonsalez orchestra, and her brother. Giovanni Gonsalez, junior, is principal flautist. Yet another brother, Rodolfo. who sings buffo characters, assists in the business maungemenfc. This artist is married to Signorina Viseni, the brilliant little Nedda of the past week. Union is strength, especially when combined with talent, and the Gonsalez family has suoeessfullv consolidated itself in a singularly difficult and risky enterprise. It is their intention to New Zealand under the Ben J. Fuller management about Christmas, and to tour the Dominion if possible until the Australian summer has pas«ed awnv. Their stav at the Antipodes will thus last an entire year.