ENTERTAINMENTS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 81, 22 August 1912, Page 7

ENTERTAINMENTS

MISS MARGARET COOPER. ''What Miss Margaret Cooper can do takes a good deal of telling; the difficult thing is to say exactly what she cannot do." was the comment of one London critic of standing prior to her departure from the metropolis only three or four months ago. This tribute to the lady's extraordinary versatility is well merited, for in the whole range of music there is little that Miss Cooper cannot give intelligent expression to. At school as a girl with a plait down her back she was singled out as the star pianist, though otherwise a very naughty girl. And when she began to pipe it was with a very small but sweet voice. It was as a pianist that she wanted to shine, but her friends were so taken with the '•'pipe" that she was in due course trained as a vocalist, and as the voice grew in power and tone possibilities opened out, and later she was trained for grand opera and oratorio. But reason and character kept company with her training, and having a very good grasp of "the working of the wheels" she resolved to strike out for herself in a line that she felt she was capable of succeeding in; so we have "Miss Margaret Cooper and her piano." So here we have an entertainer and comedienne with the training and finish of a grand opera star, a most accomplished pianist, and (this in a whisper) a violinist. Miss Cooper has as one of her most cherished possessions a very valuable Amati instrument. Then, to add to her graces, Miss Cooper is a prolific composer. Look in any music shop and you will find her songs all over the place and selling like "hot cakes." Miss Cooper's art is so rare that no one precisely like her has ever been seen in New Zealand. Some of lier songs have been "murdered" by passing singers, but none of them have been able to reproduce Miss Cooper's polish, naivette. character and winsomeness, and certainly no one has been able 1.0 grace a song with an accompaniment as does this artist. Miss Cooper, who is to appear at the Theatre Royal tomorrow evening, is accompanied liy a complete company of brilliant artists. Box plans are at Collier's. GEORGE MARLOW'S ENTERPRISES. A MORE SYSTEMATISED CIRCUIT. A new departure is announced by the George Marlow linn. The intention is to have three companies going the whole year round, each putting in four months of the twelve in Sydney, and four monlhs in Melbourne, the remaining four months being given to Brisbane. Adelaide, West Australia and New Zealand. New artists will be imported from time to time. Australian talent, however, is not to be overlooked. It will be encouraged in every reasonable way. The companies will be so formed as to be as far as possible of uniform merit. The management do not believe in depleting one combination to strengthen another, and thus having one company distinctly in advance of the others.

By this alternating system in the movements of the companies the irlca is to give the Marlow patrons throughout Australia and New Zealand the extreme limit in freshness and change of plays and players. Since leaving for' England Mr. Marlow has secured a large number of English dramatic successes. The list includes the following Frederick and Walter Melville productions: "The Monk and the Woman," ''The Soldier's Wedding," "ller Forbidden Marriage." "The Beggar Girl's Wedding," "The Girl who took the Wrong Turning," and "Her Road to lluiii." The Melvilles have the only two melodramatic houses in the West End of London—the Lvceuni (Sir Henry Irving s ohl place) and the new Princess. A feature about the Lyceum and I'rinccss productions is that they are all written by the Melvilles themselves. All the plays named have had very successful London runs.

This is oin■ of the conditions that, is guiding Mr. 'Marlow in all his London ]uircliases for Australia. The result is that the firm's patrons here can feel that they are having put before them not. only proved melodramatic snrprsr- l>:i* woi'ks that have emerged triumpltAßtfj' from the test, in London's best <p tr' rs. A start will shortly he made in Sydney with the list of plays given. The initiation of the three-companies scheme, with the alternating periods to be plaved in Sydney. Mcll lonrnc and elsewhere, will not, so far as New Zealand is concerned, take place till March 22 (Easter Pat urday 1, l!)l.'{. On that date the company to hi; specially organised for New Zealand will open ill Christchureh. The more systematic branching oul of the Marlow firm in the Dominion w : ll mean the appointment of a permanent managerial stalT in New Zealand, with SSanlcy Grant at the head of it. Mr. Grant has been chosen because of his long a ociation with Mr. Marlow. his popukiiiv in the profession, and his wide experience

in theatrical matters in New Zealand. ) hi the meantime Mr. Grant will be in j charge of the Princess Theatre, Mel- i bourne. He leaves Sydney for Mel- J bourne on August 17, and will remain ( at the Princess until the time arrives for him to take up his duties in New Zealand. As at present, the firm's headquarters will still be in Sydney.