PLAYS AND PLAYERS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8349, 8 February 1913, Page 11

PLAYS AND PLAYERS.

OPERA HOUSE. February 10-15— Hugard, illusionist. February 27-March 6—Rickards VaudeFebruary 28-March 10—J. C. Williamson. May 5-17—Marlow Dramatic Company. theatre royal. Fnller-Erennan Vaudeville (permanent). PICTURE SHOWS. New Theatre, Manners street. His Majesty's, Courtenay place. Empress Theatre, Willis street. People's Picture Palace, Manners street. "THE NEW SIN.” Some explanation of the failure of "The New Sin” in New York is given in an interview - by Mr O. P. Heggie, who. playing' in the piece, has just returneU from America. “The New Sin/' he states, met with gratifying success in Chicago, and with general praise from the press. When the play was to be produced in New York, says Mr Heggie, Mr George C. Tyler decided not to rely alone on the verdict of the newspaper critics, but to be fortified by non-pro-fessional opinions, which he believed would secure a perfect avalanche of triumph. He accordingly sent out hundreds of typewritten letters, all addressed to prominent people such as university proicssors, society leaders, well-known authors, editors of weekly and monthly magazines, famous actors and actresses, and leading representatives of the Churches, the legal and medical professions, and the arts and crafts in general. To quote his letter: “Ho purposed assembling on tho Tuesday evening opening an aristocracy of understanding for a verdict on 'The New Sin.'" And the newspaper critics, adds Mr Heggie, were equal to Mr Tyler. They at once announced that the play was to be judged by Mr Tyler’s hand-picked, high-browed audience; and the morning following the first night described that audience, and gave hardly a paragraph to the play. They gave pen-pictures of how the various eminent men arrived and took their seats, how they were dressed, and whether they wore chin-whiskers or had bald heads. The breadth and depth, and especially the height of brow revealed by this or that professor,, scientist, fiction writer, or other well-known man were gravely emphasised; and the audience “of highbrow's” considering the merits or demerits of “The Now Sin" was the humorous topic alike of boudoir and club. The play itself was dismissed in several cases with the mere mention that it had been given. The first-nighters were enthusiastic, and there were twenty curtains, but “The New Sin," so far as the general playgoing public is concerned in New York, was killed by ridicule. RETIREMENT OF FOHBES-ROBERT-SON. Mr Forbes-Robertson is to retire from the stage. After' a farewell tour of the provinces, the first part of which he recently concluded at the Theatre Royal, Newcastle-ontTyne, he will appear at Easter under his- own management at Drury Lane for a short season, probably starring in “Hamlet," and after saying farewell to London will go to America in the autumn for a final tour of the States. His repertoire in the first part of his farewell tour of the provinces included “Hamlet," “Mice and Men." “The Passing of the Third Floor Back," and “The Light that Failed.” At Newcastle he was obliged to give four extra performances of these plays. This month, he is continuing .the .provincial-tour, accompanied by Mrs Forbes-Robertson (Miss Gertrude Elliott). It was in March, 1871, that Mr Forbes-Robertson. began his stage in “Mary, Queen of Scots,” at the London Princess’s. with Mrs Eousby. It was in the autumn of 1876, at the Haymarket, that he made his first notable success, as Geoffrey Wynyard, in W- S. Gilbert’s serious play, "DanT Druce.” The striking personality of the actor, his impressive manner, his beautiful voice, at once created a deep impression, an impression further accentuated by his later impersonation of Julian Beauclerc, in “Diplomacy." • BRITISH PEER IN COMEDY. It is announced by cable that New York will soon have an opportunity of seeing the son and heir of a British peer in musical comedy (says a New York paper). .Viscount Dangan, eldest son of Lord Cowley, who worked for a short time as a scene painter and is now in the chorus at the Gaiety Theatre, in “The Sunshine Girl,” has extracted a promise from Mr George E’dwardes ot a small part in the new English company to visit America. Lord Dangan is known as the “Waltzing Viscount," just as the Earl of Yarmouth is nicknamed tho “Dancing Earl." Lord Dangan is, however, by far the better dancer of the two. He is in great, demand among the Gaiety girls as a partner at the theatrical charity balls, which the chorus always attends in large numbers. The young man takes his profession very seriously) and has talent enough for a musical comedy part, although his singing powers are not great. On the programme he is Arthur Wellesley. GOSSIP “Bella. Donna," tho dramatisation of Robert Hichens's novel, is in advanced rehearsal at tho Criterion Theatre, Sydney, and will be staged in the near future, with Mr Julius Knight in the role of Dr Isaacson. In London the play ran for a year, and it has been the biggest draw in New York during the past theatrical season. The presentation of this drama will mean the withdrawal of “Milestones" at an early dateThe musical comedies the Williamson management has now op. the stocks are: “The Dancing Mistress,” “The Count of Luxembourg," “Princess Caprice," “Gipsy Love," and “The Girl in the Taxi.” The firm has bought the Australian rights of the American drama, “Within the Law." A special company has been engaged to apoear in it. Mr Andrew MacCunn, musical director of “The Sunshine Girl," has received information that his distinguished brother, Mr Hnmish MaoCnnn, has written the choral and orchestral music for an allworld pageant, to be produced at the Albert Hall, and simultaneously in February in England, Germany, America, and Canada. The pageant is being staged by the combined missionary societies. The King wiU be present at the London performance.

Mr Julius Knight is urging the J. C. Williamson management to arrange that he appears in Shaw’s play, "Man and Superman," during his present Australian engagement. The Russian Dramatic Society is probably the only organisation of the kind which awards annual prizes for the encouragement of the writing of plays. This year the first prize has been awarded to a Jew, Solomon Poliakoff. On Monday and Tuesday night, the Wellington Celtic Comady 'dub will stage the fonr-act Irish drama "The Emerald Isle." The story is homely, and deals with the Irish peasant’s everyday life, his faults and virtues, the author _ having succeeded in faithfully portraying Irish character. The comedy abounds with genuine Irish humour and stirring situations that keep the audience keenly interested while a very intricate plot is being .unravelled. Mr Edwin Qeach, the well-known entrepeneur, who has handled numerous magicians, from Carl Hertz on, says of Hugard, who opens at the Opera House next Monday: ‘'Comparatively speaking a young man, it is nevertheless twentythree years since he delighted his first audience as a conjurer. After all these years of unremitting patience and practice, now that he has mastered every /sleight of hand trick, and invented many

wonderful methods of his own. he still regards himself as a student, and spares no effort to obtain that ultimate goal of supreme perfection upon which he has set his heart. To the average conjuring performer Hugard’s handwork is a revelation. Commencing with a few simple-looking yet unexplainable sleights he actively proceeds from feat to feat until he practically' fascinates the audience with his brilliance. He has been well termed “the man with the wonderful hands,” as he says there are feats which his facile hands perform that he cannot see the movement himself. His great rifle act is spoken of by the press as being one of the finest and most astounding teats yet performed in the magical world.”