“BELLE OF NEW YORK”

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 454, 8 September 1928, Page 24

“BELLE OF NEW YORK”

A POPULAR REVIVAL The Auckland Amateur Operatic Society’s choice for its 192 S season is “The Belle of New York,” and they could hardly have found a comedy more likely to please the crowds who follow this society along Its path of successes. “The Belle” is something lighter than musical comedy, hut not to be classed as revue. It is exceedingly bright in costuming, music and movement, and is characteristic of the Americans in that there is always “something doing.” As a matter of fact “The Belle” was written as a parody on well-known personages of the day. We find the beautiful Lilian Russell, De Wolf Hopper (the father of comic opera), J. D. Rockefeller and his son, Kid McKoy, once a pugilist idol of America, the daughter of General Booth, who Is “The Belle,” and many other diverse characters very cleverly characterised in a maze of spontaneous humour and tuneful melodies, but Withal a well-connected story. The chorus is particularly to the fore and there can be no doubts but that it is one of the main attractions in all the Operatic Society’s work. The society is confident of success In a new type of performance (from its point of view) and looks forward to a most successful season.

The Vanbrugh-Boucicault Company is playing “Belinda,” by A. A. Milne, in Melbourne, with the following cast: Irene Vanbrugh, as Belinda Tremayne, Dion Boucicault, as Harold Baxter, Gwynne Whitby as Della, Ronald Ward as Claude Devenish, J. B. Rowe as John Tremayne, Annie Salter as Betty. “Belinda” is preceded by a play in one act, “Seven Women,” by Barrie.

Marie Tempest lias returned to the London Criterion, the theatre in which many of her recent successes have been made, in a new play by Jevan Brandon - Thomas, entitled “Passing Brompton Road." The author takes the part of a young lawyer, and Miss Tempest has what she herself describes as the best Marie Tempest part for years. “Passing Brompton Road” was written by Mr. BrandonThomas more than two years ago as a retort to his friend, Noel Coward, who said that he had no sense of humour. It was hawked from manager to manager until the play fell into Miss Tempest’s hands, who tried it out with success at Brighton. * * * Bettv Ross-Clarke, who toured New Zealand in “The Ghost Train,” passed through Wellington last week on the Makura, after spending a long holiday at Hollywood. Miss Ross-Clarke re-

turns under engagement to Sir Benjamin Fuller to produce plays in Australia and New Zealand. She said that she would not know definitely what plays she would stage until she had seen the Fullers in Sydney, b ut “The Storm,” which includes an

unusually speceacular forest fire scene, Somerset Maugham’s “Rain,” and possibly “The Baby Cyclone,” a charming comedy, would most likely be brought to New Zealand. * * * Old-time melodrama has been successfully revived in Australia by William Anderson, and to the King’s Theatre recently he brought back a play which had its Australian premiere in Melbourne about 30 years ago. “When London Sleeps” is of historic interest. It has been staged five times in Melbourne —the Royal, where it was originally produced; the Princess, the King’s, the Palace, and the Bijou—and six in Sydney.

Ivor Novello, the English actor, ap. pears to have a modesty about writing plays in his own name. When he and Constance Collier wrote “The Rat” they called themselves “DarM L’Estrange.” Now as the author of “Taken By Storm,” in which he. Mien Collier and Lily Elsie are to appear in the autumn, Mr. Novello calls himself “H. E. S. Davidson.” This will not be Miss Elsie’s first straight part; she played in Louis N. Parker! “Mavoureen” at His Majesty's The*, tre, London, in 1915.