NEWS OF NEW ZEALANDERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 4028, 26 May 1931, Page 64

NEWS OF NEW ZEALANDERS.

AUSTRIAN TENOR FOR DRURY LANE. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, April 17. The next big production at Drury Lane, timed for. presentation early in May, is Franz Lehar’s operetta, “ The Land of Smiles,” which is already very popular in German-speaking countries. At a salary of more than £lOOO per week, Herr Richard Tauber, the Austrian tenor, will play the principal male part. He has been electrifying European audiences. In “ The Land of Smiles ” he plays a Chinese prince with a Western veneer who marries a white girl, and when he takes her to China is faced by the fact that his country’s laws demand that he should take four other wives. There is a sad ending. The heroine is to be played by Renee Bullard, a beautiful London soprano who went to the Viennese State Opera after singing at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York. She is the wife of Baron Strakosch, an Austrian sugar millionaire. Franz Lehar is coming to conduct the opening performance. This will be his first visit to London since the original productoion of “The Merry Widow” before the war.

MARIE NEY AND ISOBEL WILFORD. <. -A new play by John Van Druten, called ‘ London Wall,” is under rehearsal for presentation at the Duke of York's Theatre on May 1, by Frank Gregory. Mr Gregory describes the play as a modern comedy with a very “ human ” story and a strong love interest. The company will include the ex-New Zealand actress, Miss Marie Ney. Miss Isohel Wilford (daughter of Sir Thomas Wilford) went to Brittany about Easter time intending to have a holiday. Iwo days after arriving in France she received a wire asking her to return to take a leading part in a new play to be produced at St. Martin’s Theatre. This is called “Hie Grand Chain,” and will be produced by Raven Massey, and is now being rehearsed for early presentation. zr le tijne that this engagement was offered Miss Wilford, she had two other offers by other managements under consideration.