THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 4031, 16 June 1931, Page 66

THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL.

By

Pasquin.

Mr E. J. Gravestock, who brought Wilhelm Backhaus to New Zealand, it also responsible for the coming' of Mischa Levitski.

Elsie Prince, the versatile musical comedy actress, is saying good-bye to Sydney audiences prior to her return to England.

To a Christchurch Sun interviewer Joseph Hislop said it was intended that he should tour South Africa afterAustralia, but because of the curtailment of steamer services he will be unable to get there in time to fulfil his engagements. “ However,” he commented. “ I shall probably arrange a Continental tour, unless I start on another talkie. There’s the gramophone record work, too —in the last six months my sales totalled 60,000 discs. It’s not all pleasure being a singer, especially on tour.” Madame Anna Pavlova, the famous ballet dancer, of Ivy House, North End road. Golders Green, London, who died at The Hague, Holland, on January 23 last, aged 45, wife of Mr Victor Dandre, left estate in England of the gross value of £14.147 18s 7d. with net personalty £261 6s lid. She died intestate, and domiciled in Russia. Letters of administration (as regards her English property) have been granted to her husband. Marie Burke, well-remembered here in “Wildflower,” “Katja,” “ Frasquita,” and other musical comedies, had the honour of singing the National Anthem at the Royal variety performance given at the London Palladium in aid of the Variety Artistes’ Benevolent Fund and Institution. The King and Queen were present. Olive Sloane, the fair-haired English actress, who was here in “ Cradle Snatchers.” is j n South Africa, leading her own conipany in “ Her Cardboard Lover.”

Since he arrived in Melbourne Ivan Menzies, the comedian of the J. C. Williamson Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company. Las won something of a reputation as a witty speaker and raconteur, and his services have been greatly in demand at luncheons of clubs, public bodies, and similar organisations. Mr Menzies has a fund of good stories, knows how to “ put them over.” Those who have heard him say that he is as humorous off the stage as he is on —a somewhat rare qualityin a comedian. Recently Mr Menzies received a letter from the chairman of a church debating society complimenting him upon the excellence of his enunciation and delivery in the Gilbert and Sullivan performances, and added : “ I have never heard such perfect English spoken on the stage as yours. It is a treat to listen to it.” “ Dearest Enemy,” the new J. C. Williamson musical production, is in two acts, and includes 15 delightful musical numbers. Miss Brunton has associated with her such popular principals as Cecil Kelleway, Romola Hansen, Herbert Browne, Leslie Holland, Mayne Lynton. Maidie Hope, Sidney Burchall, and others. “ Dearest Enemy ” will follow the Gilbert and Sullivan operas at the Melbourne Theatre Royal. Dorothy Gill, the contralto of the J C. Williamson Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company at the Theatre Royal, Melbourne. has played in practically everv opera of the repertoire, some of her most notable London successes having been achieved as the Duchess of Plaza-Toro in “The Gondoliers,” Katisha in “The Mikado,” Dame Carruthers in “ The Yeomen of the Guard.” Ruth in “ The Pirates of Penzance,” Lady Jane in “ Patience,” and others. A: ked whether she had a preference for any particular role, Miss Gill said that while she found it hard to d fferentiate. she had a leaning towards Katisha in “ The Mikado ” as her favourite. Miss Gill has appeared in other musical productions. One of her outstanding successes was her performance during two seasons of Thackeray’s fairy story, “The Rose and the Ring,” at the Apollo and the Playhouse, London. One of her most interesting experiences was her appearance in the role of Lucy Lockitt in Sir Nigel Playfair's production of “ The Beggar’s Opera ” in Paris, after its transfer to that city following its tremendously successful London run. The whole performance was given in English ond was cordially received by the French audience, who regarded it, however, more as a curiosity than a theatrical attraction. The season was financed by Coty, the millionaire performer. Miss Gill, by the way, was born in Central India, at Mhow. Her father was-* a British Army officer. Before going on the stage she had a successful concert career.

It is reported from Melbourne that not even in the brightest days of prosperity has a Gilbert and Sullivan company scored such sueoe s as the company now playing in Melbourne has achieved. Arrangements are at present being considered to tour the company throughout the length and breadth of Australia and New Zealand.

In the course of a luncheon address in’ Melbourne during the week, Mr Ivan Menzies, the English comedian of, the J. C. Williamson Gilbert and Sullivan Company, now appearing in " The Mikado,” said that it had become the fashion to criticise not only the artists, but also the productions generally, as departing from the traditional spirit of Gilbert and Sullivan opera. This, he said, had been applied in the form of a charge that extraneous matter, including. “ gags ” and “ business,” had been introduced which had no right to be there, and which would have met with the strongest disapproval of both Gilbert and Sullivan. Mr Menzies pointed cut that it had never been disallowed by W. S. Gilbert to nraki changes as regards the namas of places and peeple in t&piral

allusions in the Gilbert and Sullivan operas, and there were certain alterations in the “ business ” in various operas which were permissible in order to make them applicable, as had been originally intended, to the particular place where the performance was being given. Yet, added, Mr Menzies, newspaper critics and others . invariably raised a scream, according to the custom they had initiated years ago, whenever there was the slightest variation which they considered should not be introduced. “ Whatever I have done,” said Mr Menzies, “in “Hie Mikado,’ ‘ lolanthe,’ or any other opera has been just as I have done it in my performances in the D’Oyly Carte productions in England; and there is no one more particular, or more severe as regards any unauthorised changes in the dialogue or ‘ business ’ in these operas than Mr Rupert D’Oyly Carte himself.” Iris Derbyshire, an English actress, is arriving from London under engagement to J. C. Williamson, Ltd., and will join up with the Frank Harvey Company as leading lady. She will make her ’first Australian' appearance in Sydney.

“ HAPPY-GO-LUCKY O’FLYNN.” On Saturday night the Ronald Riley season of “ Happy-Go-Lucky O’Flynn commenced at His Majesty’s Theatre Barry Connors, author of the play, did not start out with the object of discussing vital issues, but bent his efforts towards the fabrication of a good, interesting story, with the leading motive of the young. lady in the ease, used her Larry O’Flynn, enamoured of a sweet girl, is opposed on four sides by an obdurate father and mother, a stubborn uncle, who wants him to take up politics, and a well-to-do rival suitor. What can he do? Diplomacy is his strong point, and he exercises it upon the opposing forces with amusing re. nits. Mr Riley has a quiet, unforced method, and a keen sense of comedy values which helps him to sink himself into the character of this lovable seapegrace. Doreen Scott, as the young lady in the case. used her feminine charm to great effect. Marie D’Alton. Joseph Lanphier. and J. Vincent White filled the roles of the parents and the uncle, Bernard Beeby was Charles Daly, the cautious lover who counted future contingencies and lost. Stanley Brodgen and Charles McCallum completed the cast. Mu. ical interludes, in which Zara, possessor of a melodious soprano voice, was heard in popular numbers, was a feature of the performance.

OAMARU OPERATIC SOCIETY. The adjourned annual meeting of the Oamaru Operatic Society was held on Thursday night, Mr J. W. Petrie in the chaii. A sub-committee consisting of Messrs C. Brown, H. W. Parker, J. W. Petrie, C. Ashton, and G. Dickel, set up expressly for the purpose, reported that the General Committee had met on three occasions, lu view of the economic position it had decided that the society should not produce an opera for the season ended March last. The past year had been a non-productive one. The balance sheet showed a credit balance of £154, compared with £2OO in the preceding year. The affairs of the society had reached a “stalemate.” and it was to be sincerely hoped that at the next general meeting a happy solution of the present unfortunate tangle would have been arrived at. The report and balance sheet brought down were adopted. The election of officers resulted as follows:—President, Mr F. Jones; vicepresidents—Messrs Weir, Preston, Milner, M'Diarmid. Petrie. Hedges, Dr Fitzgerald, and Miss J. B. Wilson; hon. solicitor, Mr A. Hamilton; auditor, Mr A. Syberston; committee —Messrs C. Brown, H. W. Parker, G. Dickel, J. M’Lean, A. M'Douall, C. Ashton, and R. Clark. The appointment of a secretary was deferred.

A TRUE COSMOPOLITAN. A Sydney paper says : “ Ethel Morrison [who arrived in New Zealand this week at the head of the Williamson Comedy Company, playing “The First Mrs Fraser” and “Let Us Be Gay”] is the true cosmopolitan. She was born in New Zealand. She studied her stage work in England, where no less a producer than the late Sir William Gilbert coached her. in the Gilbert and Sullivan plays and in his own ironic comedies. The n she came out to Australia to play the character parts, and made good in all of them. After a varied career in Australia she sought a wider field, and NewYork found her playing such a diversity of parts that the New Yorkers took notice of her. It takes a strong personality to make them do, that. She was with the Coburns first in a musical version of “ The Merry Wives of Windsor,” playing Mistress Quickly. In a play by Do n Marquis which she would like to be seen in here only, it being all about bootlegging, the management fears it would not have a wide appeal, she was an English countess. Folks tell me that she ‘ ran away with the play,’ as we say on the stage.”

WILLIAM HEUGHAN MET IN TORONTO.

“I got a real thrill the other day,” writes a young New Zealander from Toronto to the Wellington Dominion, when in passing Massey Hall I saw bills all over it announcing a concert by William Heughan. I was standing gazing at them when someone seized me from Behind by the arms and lifted me off my feet, and there was the huge Scotsman himself. It was some meeting 1 “Maud Bell is still with them, but Andrew Broome is managing a kinema in London. They are staying with the owner of Massey Hall, so after work I went out and called. I tumbled into the

middle of a stupendous bun-fight whereat William was making his usual success with the ladies. Both he and Gladys (Mrs Heughan) look better than I’ve ever seen them, due, she says, to the luxury and rest of their long stay in : Los Angeles. “ The concert went with a bang. I loved it all, and I never heard William I sing better. He sang ‘Wgiata Poi ’ for t' ,e New Zealander in the audience,’ and I gave the good old war-cry back, Ake ! Ake ! Touu atu !’ ”

“ CRAZY ” TRICKS. An agitation overseas to eliminate the more dangerous circus and vaudeville stunts from the programmes recalls the story told of Con Colleano, the Australian wire-walker, when he made his American c., ln T , ork, says a writer in the bydney Referee. “Colleano was troubled by the lighting system of the theatre, and the footlights glared into his face. His act began with simple feats, which he might have been able to do blindfolded. But there was serious business ahead of him, and he noted to his dismay that his eyes were starting to burn and water. He was faced with the necessity of making a good showing on his initial,appearallce ’ so he went ahead with his act. The climax was to be a forward somersault. He was to leave his perch, dip his body forward in the air, and land again on his feet on the wire If he had complained about the lights, nothing amiss, would have occurred, in all probability. But the confidence which had driven him. to the top of the vaudeville world in Europe convinced him that he could succeed anyway here. The audience was silent as he walked out on the rope for the finale. Somehow or other the tension which he felt, the concentration which had begun to hamper his best efforts, was apparent to the crowd. He leaped into the air. He turned the somersault. As he started to come down, he has since related, it suddenly dawned on him that he was lost. His eyes were dim and the wire was not visible, and his sense of equilibrium was gone! He landed on the wire on his chest, felt a burning pain, and a moment later made a perfect rolling fall to the floor. He was hurt. Blood was dripping from a long wound above his breastbone, and his costume was rapidly becoming damp, heavy, and red. But he tried again—three times—and failed. By this time he was nearly unconscious, and in his desperation he yelled to the stage manager to turn off the footlights. Then, weak and painfully injured, he climbed to the wire, somersaulted, and landed perfectly. It was a great feat, but it meant for Colleano a long stay in a hospital.”