STAGE PRODUCTIONS

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20492, 7 May 1938, Page 17 (Supplement)

STAGE PRODUCTIONS

ftevue Returning to Hamilton The Connors and Paul "Holty Toity” revue, headed by syd. Beck, is having a very successful season in the South jAland. The company will give a farewell performance at Hamilton this month, prior to returning to Australia. Regina” In America Helen Hayes swept through town like A cyclone last week, swirling the biggest crowds in years into the Davidson to see her age 60 years in three acts as the queen in ‘Victoria Regina,' says A Milwaukee (United States; paper. The house was mobbed for every performance and the llnal count registered over £SOOO. Ran Only a Fortnight The revival of "Welcome Stranger” in London ran only 24 weeks. It had cost £SOOO to produce. When originally produced some years Ago the comedy ran for a year. Play Rune Over Two Years y **Whlteoake" has passed the 800th . performance at the Playhouse, London, and enters >ts third year this month. Nancy Price remains the matriarchal “Gran" of ninety. ▼lny Tote Apply Lipstick Gone are the babes of yesterday who danced the minuet to the sweet strains of a harplschord. After applying powder and lipstick, to-day's tiny tote go into a tap-dance to the accompaniment of fast jazz music. Of the 20 entrants in the under six years section at the City of Sydney Eisteddfod, more than half demonstrated fast tap-dancing, says-the Sydney Sun. Only a few chose the oldfashioned folk-dances or semi-classi-cal steps that were so popular before fjhlrley Temple became a screen star. The youngsters had all the aplomb of experienced troupers. With mothers •tanding by to see that the paint and powder were not applied too liberally, many touched up their lips before they awent on to the stage' Stage-fright, like the older dances, belonged to a vanished past. Not one displayed the least sign of nervousness. Even when a mistake was made It was quickly glossed over. Only one boy was entered in the competition.

Th# Best London Plays James |Agate, the well-known critic, places the London plays, leaving out Shakespeare and the musicals, the following order:— 1 “Three Sisters.” 2 “Mourning Becomes Electra.” 8 “Time and the Conways.” 4 “I Have Been Here Before.” 5 “Land’s End.” 6 “Victoria Regina.” 7 “Room Service.” 8 “Autumn.” 9 “Robert’s Wife.” 10 “The Island.” 11 “Whlteoaks.” 12 “George and Margaret.” 18 “Dodsworth.” 14 “I Killed the Count.” 15 “Black Limelight.” 16 “Welcome Stranger.” 17 “Housemaster.” 18 “Mary Goes to See.” 19 “Thank You. Mr Pepys.” X 20 “Black Swans.” 21 “The Kmoeeilt Party.” 22 ‘ This Money Business.” 28 “French Without Tears.” Duke Appeals for £30.000 “Lilian Baylis—how much that name means to all of us who love music, ballet, and the theatre. Can we not make that name famous in years to come?” This was the tribute by the Puke of Kent at the Lilian Baylis memorial dinner at the Mansion House. London. He was appealing with Mr A. P. Herbert for the £30.000 needed to establish a Lilian Baylis Memorial Fund for the benefit of the Old Vic And Sadler's Wells. Chevalier to Play In “ Merry Widow ” Maurice Chevalier has been signed to play Count Danilo in “ The Merry Widow” this summer at The Central Theatre, Oslo, and afterwards in Stockholm and Copenhagen. The French star’s pictures have never been popular in Copenhagen, but numerous efforts have been made to get him for personal appearance dates, unsuccessfully until now. The bitch has always been the restrictions Against paying a foreign player so much money, Chevalier appeared in the film version of “The Merry Widow," opposite Jeanette MacDonald. -