Sally- the Musical 1923

 Sally- The musical

The early 1920s were the time of the big theatre musical. Hoping to compete with the encroaching movie craze, J C Williamson Ltd (JCW) spent a great deal of time and money creating sumptuous shows. Amongst these were Maid of the Mountains and Sally.

Sally, an American musical, first appeared on Broadway in 1920. Produced by Florenz Zeigfeld it was designed to promote his mistress, Marilyn Miller. Marilyn was primarily a dancer so the production focussed on show casing her ballet skills.

Guy Bolton wrote Sally and Jerome Kern penned the music. It had a very simple plot but catchy tunes. The story revolved around Sally, a waif, who was a dishwasher at the Alley Inn. Sally rose to fame and found love through joining the Zeigfeld follies and becoming a star. The play ran for 570 performances on Broadway and was an enormous success

Williamsons decided to open their 1923 Australian season with Sally. They were hoping to reproduce the popularity of the Broadway run. The firm  gathered its most experienced local producers, scenery designers and choreographers to recreate the spectacle on the Australian stage.

George Highland was the producer. George had produced several musicals for JCW. These included the spectacular Maid of the Mountains in 1922. Maid of the Mountains created a star in Gladys Moncrieff, and public and critics acclaimed both her and the musical. Highland was a capable and steady producer who could handle large casts and actor egos.

Minnie Everett, long time ballet mistress of JCW, was the choreographer. Minnie had almost two decades of experience and was the best ballet arranger in Australia. She had trained stars such as Maggie Dickenson and Madge Elliott. Minnie was inventive and could create unique ballets that amazed audiences.

Scenery designer Leslie Board, and stage manager, George Kensington, joined Minnie and George. The group were the best in their field and had worked together on many musicals for the company.

An equally experienced and impressive cast was gathered. George Gee who had arrived in Australia four years before, played Otis Hooper, a theatrical agent. It was a comedy part. George was a specialist at musical comedy roles and was well liked by the Australian public. He was ‘A virile athletic man, and the possessor of a radically happy disposition.’ A man with big eyes above a short moustache, George’s expressive features could reduce an audience to merry laughter. He was a character actor who could be trusted with major parts.

Hugh Steyne was another comedian..  Steyne had started his career in vaudeville. He had been a regular with the Tivoli Famous Players and had crossed to the legitimate theatre. This transition was a common phenomenon of the early 1920s. Steyne played Admiral Travers in Sally.

The cast also included Gracie Lavers. Gracie was a regular performer for JCW. She had appeared as a supporting player in many musicals and was popular with the public. Her most important roles had been in the memorable 1920-21 season that launched Cyril Ritchard and Madge Elliott. She had joined them in several shows including the popular "Theodore and Co" Gracie played the second female lead in Sally, the role of Rosalind Rafferty.

To play Sally, the foundling turned lead dancer, a relative unknown was cast. Her name was Josie Melville and she was a protege of Minnie Everett. Josie had begun as a child in JCW pantomimes including a role in the ballet of Goody Two Shoes in 1919. She became a principal dancer. and was perfect for a role designed for a ballerina. Josie was 19 years old with a sweet face surrounded by reddish brown curls. She had a naive charm which made her perfect for Sally.

Sally opened on Saturday January 6^th 1923 at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Sydney. It consisted of three acts of five scenes. The scenes were, the Alley Inn, the garden, the Zeigfeld Follies, Sally’s dressing room and the church around the corner. Sally had everything , a rag to riches story, an exquisite ballet as a centrepiece and a wedding as a happy finale.

The first scene at the Alley Inn was designed to introduce the main characters. It included a duet by George Gee and Gracie Lavers, a dance lead by Josie Melville and the songs, "You can’t keep a good girl down,’ "Looking for the Silver Lining ‘ and ‘Sally’. In this act Josie had to sing two songs and perform three dances.

The second act opened with a transparent gauze curtain dimly veiling the actors and sets on stage. When lifted, it revealed a wondrous garden, This act included a song and dance number, "The Wild Rose’ a song "The Schnitza Komisski’ a schtza dance, a trio, a duet and finally Josie Melville in a Slavic dance.

Act three was the Land of the Butterflies at the Ziegfeld Follies. In this act, Josie danced on a lavish set with almost thirty other dancers. Twelve ballerinas performed as butterflies, twelve as moths and Pixie Herbert danced as the bat. It was a magnificent scene. The ballerinas, choreographed by Minnie Everett, danced beautifully and Josie had the opportunity to show her skills as a principal dancer.

The final scene was the wedding scene. Sally and her hero were wed in a romantic setting which completed the fairytale of Sally of the Alley.

Sally was a huge hit in Sydney audiences loved it. The Referee simply said

‘Everybody is unanimous about Sally. It is a great success.’

The combination of lyrical songs, toe tapping tunes, and eye catching girls was a formula that appealed to the public. The most popular scene was the butterfly ballet at the Zeigfeld follies. This scene represented another triumph for ballet mistress Minnie Everett.

Josie Melville was a popular part of the show. Audience and critics acclaimed her as Sally. At the end of the first show,

‘Applause was deafening and at the conclusion of the show, the little Australian girl smiled and bowed a thousand times and clung in gratitude to Minnie Everett, her teacher."

Josie’s performance as Sally was a surprise to critics and audiences. Few realised that the young Australian could act ,although her dancing skill was well known.. In fact Josie’s overnight success echoed the theme of the play making it even more satisfying for the demanding Sydney audiences.

Many critics noticed that Josie’s singing ability was slight. The Sydney Mail stated that,

‘There is nothing at all remarkable about the quality of Miss Melville’s voice, which though sweet , is rather thin’

However, her youth and charm made up for deficiencies in this area. The Mail added that

‘ Her youthfulness has in itself an appeal, and her innate charm and refinement find expression in natural acting, while her exquisite dancing is indeed the very ‘poetry in motion’.

 

Sally ran in Sydney for over 19 weeks. A longer run than the Gladys Moncrieff vehicle, Maid of the Mountains. The Referee suggested that its popularity was due to Josie Melville and George Gee, plus "plenty of bright catchy music and a bevy of beautiful girls sumptuously gowned.’ The paper added that "Sally is an exacting part needing versatility and Josie Melville fills every requirement."

Josie was the belle of Sydney. Her movements were reported, including a visit to a sick Minnie Everett, and she had songs dedicated to her. One of these was ‘Have you seen Sally (the talk of the town)’ published by Chapell and Co . The music had a picture of a smiling Josie on the cover..

Josie’s fame meant that she had to be diplomatic. During the annual boat regatta, she had to wear the colours of all teams on her ‘pinny’ during the show. The performance on boatrace night was interrupted repeatedly by excitable schoolboys.

The boys from Shore, Grammar and the other schools who had been shouting all the afternoon

were in excellent mood and longing to do some more. Hence every lull in the performance was

an excuse for fresh pandemonium…Members of the company were assailed with streamers and throw downs and had

to get through the show the best way they could.

It was clear through all this noise that Josie Melville was the schoolboy’s favourite.

Sally moved to Melbourne in September and continued playing until June the following year. It was a huge success and was generally thought to be the beginning of a stellar career for Josie Melville. It was not to be. Josie pursued her career for a short time, but never repeated the success of Sally. She married a South Australian businessman in 1934 and devoted herself to family life.

In Sally, JCW combined all the features of a typical 1920s musical. It had extravagant sets,  huge ballets, and a stereotypical plot line. The addition of a relatively unknown girl to play Sally ensured the success of the production in Australia. The onset of the depression made the repeat of such sumptuous productions impossible. Sally was one of the last gasps of the spectacular era of theatre musicals

R G Knowles

 

In the early part of the nineteenth century the variety stage was considered a poor cousin to the legitimate theatre. By the late 1890s, variety was encroaching upon the dominance of traditional theatre. The arrival of Harry Rickards in Australia and the establishment of the Tivoli circuit increased the accessibility of variety theatre. Supporters of the legitimate theatre began to feel concern about the appeal of this form of entertainment.

In 1896, the threat became more apparent when a group of English music hall artists, billed as the ‘Stars of All Nations’, appeared in the pride of Melbourne’s theatrical establishment, The Princess Theatre.

 

The Age newspaper railed against the intrusion,

The serious drama would seem to be in a parlous state when we find the leading

Theatres in Australia invaded by music hall artists. The battle between the dramatic

and variety stage has, temporarily at all events, resulted in the rout of the former.

Melbourne’s other major daily, The Argus, agreed,

"Now that the Stars of All Nations Company have taken possession of the Princess Theatre and unfurled their standard- in which there is a suspicion of strips as well as stars-the invasion may be considered complete. To pretend that this development is a matter of anything but regret to lovers of the stage would be to pay a poor compliment to their taste"

One of the leaders of this invasion was the famous music hall performer, RG (Richard George) Knowles. Knowles was born in Canada in 1858. He began his career in variety in Colorado around 1875. From 1891 he appeared regularly in London. He was amazingly successful there, spending 68 weeks at the Trocadero and 47 weeks at the Empire. During his Empire run he appeared with Cinquevalli. In 1896 when he came to Australia, he was at the top of his profession. He was a neat man with a high forehead, slicked back hair and wide eyes. He also had a natural exuberance that appealed to an Australian audience.

The Sydney press noted his arrival in Melbourne with a short sentence on November 4^th 1896,

R.G. Knowles, the music hall comedian artist has arrived in Melbourne

Knowles made his first appearance in Melbourne on Saturday, November 21^st 1896. He was one of the headliners of ‘The Stars of all Nations’ company, sharing that responsibility with Henry Lee. The show was unapologetically vaudeville. It consisted of a series of turns by a group of artists with varying abilities. Joining Knowles and Lee were artists such as Al Bellman and Lottie Moore in a comedy sketch called ‘Mistaken Identity’, the sisters Winterton, mandolin players, and Clotilde Antonio, a contortionist and hand dancer.

RG Knowles was billed as ‘The very peculiar comedian’. On stage he invariably wore the same costume. ‘A battered hat, a pair of big flapping boots, duck trousers of the Indiana hoosier farmer, and a black frock coat worn by Americans a century ago.’

Although much of Knowles’ routine had been seen in Australia before, his presentation was unique. Speaking in a ‘stentorian voice’, his style was described as a ‘whirlwind’ of words, ‘a gush of dialogue’ at ‘hurricane speed.’

He doesn’t give the audience time to catch up with him. It has no sooner

seen the point of one joke and begun to laugh boisterously than another

is hurled at it, with the result that when the curtain comes down, the comedian

leaves both himself and his auditors breathless.

R G Knowles was evidently a man of great humour and charisma, a man who could carry an audience for a breathless ride on a roller coaster of words.

 

‘The Stars of All Nations’ appeared at the Princess Theatre for almost four weeks. RG Knowles’ wife, Winifred Johnson, a banjoist, was a popular member of the company. The rest of the cast were also applauded by big crowds. Henry Lee gained much attention for his impersonations of famous men such as Dickens, Tennyson and Kipling. One sour note however, was The Argus description of Clotilde Antonio’s turn.

Her performance was disfigured by one act in such execrably bad taste that it must

have been unwelcome to a large section of the audience.

On December 16 1896, The Referee newspaper announced that The Stars of All Nations company had arrived in Sydney. They were scheduled to open the new Palace Theatre in the city. In another affront to the traditionalists, the Palace was designed specifically for variety theatre.

The Palace was a sumptuous building inside and out. It was located on the current site of the Hilton Hotel in Sydney. The Referee described it as,

‘A gorgeous place..gold and silk plush everywhere and plenty of room in the luxuriously appointed chairs, either for the man of flesh or the attenuated person. Everywhere the eye is dazzled with the beauty of the place, and absolutely nothing Has been omitted to secure the comfort of the patrons of the house.

On Thursday, December 17, at 1.30pm, an auction was held outside this sumptuous edifice. The auction was for opening night seats at the theatre. It was not a great success Stall seats sold from four shillings to eight shillings, whilst dress circle seats fetched up to twelve.

The theatre opened on Saturday, 19^th December. The Referee thought that Henry Lee was the outstanding performer of the night. However the audience voted for R G Knowles. The newspaper rationalised this lack of taste by stating that ‘an audience seems to prefer effervescent humor to intellectual nourishment.’

That night Knowles entertained the large crowd with ‘quick and lively’ patter that delighted the audience. His act was almost the same as it had been in Melbourne. It included the ‘alphabetical speech’ and several songs. Knowles was not considered a great singer but the Referee said that

The quaintness with which he sings..together with a peculiarity in the songs themselves account for the success.

RG Knowles soon became the major draw to the Stars of All Nations show at the Palace.

Large audiences visited the new theatre to see the patter comedian.

His eccentricities and quick patter suit the public exactly and it seems as if

RG Knowles would have to stay here a long time before he will become tiresome

Knowles appealed to all sections of the theatre going public.

The array of carriages and cabs nightly lined up outside the Palace Theatre indicates that Potts Point is beginning to appreciate the fact that the decorations of this handsome house suit its complexities and that the entertainment is one which is eminently an agreeable one.

There was no mention of the vulgarity of vaudeville in the Referee’s reports. Soon the paper was referring to Knowles familiarly as ‘RGK’.

Despite Knowles’ popularity some members of the theatre going public did not recognise him. The Referee cited the following exchange;

Lady to another coming out of the Palace; "what a pity Knowles didn’t appear;

I’m so disappointed’. And Knowles had done fully half an hours turn.’

However, this lady was a minority. Most spectators were well aware of Knowles. Others had also taken notice of his high standing with the public. JC Williamson was quick to seize on his popularity and hired him for the annual pantomime, Matsa. By January 27 1897, Knowles had left the Palace and travelled to Melbourne. He returned to the Princess Theatre to appear in the pantomime. In February he appeared in Matsa in Sydney. He supported such luminaries of the Australian stage as George Lauri and Florence Young.

RG Knowles returned to London in mid 1897 and continued his stellar career as a patter comedian. According to the London Times, ‘His quaint electrical gait; his individual makeup; his quick fire of patter, interspersed with occasional songs; his ready repartee made his turn an unusually attractive one.’ His act remained popular with audiences until his death in January 1919.

In the late nineteenth century The Stars of All Nations company proved that vaudeville was a growing threat to the legitimate theatre tradition. For many years thereafter the two traditions lived side by side, although vaudeville and variety were always regarded as less authentic and acceptable than legitimate enterprises. The fact that vaudeville was eventually replaced by moving pictures and television would have surprised the critics of 1896. Even more surprising was the fact that despite their fears, the legitimate theatrical tradition continues to thrive in Australia long after the demise of its former riva

Oscar Wilde's plays in Australia

  Oscar Wilde’s Plays in Australia

In the late 19^th century, Australians were proud of their connections to England and the United States. The Australian theatre was greatly influenced by these two cultures.. However, in many ways the Australian theatrical tradition was unique. One example of its independence of spirit was in the treatment of Oscar Wilde’s plays.

In April 1895, English and Australian newspapers avidly reported the scandal of Oscar Wilde. Wilde had accused the Marquis of Queensbury of libel. The Marquis had left a note at Wilde’s club suggesting the author was immoral. The note read, "Oscar Wilde posing sodomite", and Oscar decided to sue.

The libel trial began on April 3 1895. Queensbury’s defence was justification and his counsel argued that he had acted in the public interest. Oscar was summoned to the stand to testify with that testimony he effectively destroyed his case. Wilde admitted that he had spent some time and money on several young men, including paying blackmail of 21 pounds to retrieve his love letters to Alfred Douglas, (the Marquis’ son) Oscar called these letters prose poems and defended them on artistic grounds. Finally and it seemed most shockingly to The Sydney Mail, Oscar had ‘admitted to having been on terms of intimacy with two lads not his social equals" and in addition he had ignored " the social inferiority of his guests if they were amusing.".

By April 5^th, Wilde’s case had collapsed. The jury returned a verdict of not guilty, on the same day Oscar was arrested for gross indecency.

In the London theatres, where both An Ideal Husband and The Importance of Being Earnest were playing, Wilde’s name was removed from advertising and playbills. By April 9^th, libraries in the United States were destroying his published works.

On April 13^th, The Sydney Mail breathlessly summarised these events for its readers. That same night, the Brough and Boucicault ( B and B) Theatre Company was presenting the Australian debut of Wilde’s play, An Ideal Husband.

The prestigious Brough and Boucicault company was well known for its superb acting and presentation of modern plays. The company was regarded as one of the most skilled, professional and respectable theatre companies in the country. The choice of An Ideal Husband at such a time was either an opportunistic act or a great risk. However, the association of the premier acting company in Australia with the play, lent it an air of respectability that may have dimmed the scandalous aspects.

The company followed the London example and the name Oscar Wilde was omitted from all advertising. The April 13^th advertisements called An Ideal Husband ‘ A new and original play of modern life’.

That night a large crowd gathered at Sydney’s Lyceum theatre. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, ‘the house was crowded’ and there was ‘ready laughter’throughout the performance.’ The Referee newspaper agreed that the audience was ‘immense and cordial’.

The original review of the play in the London Times had been warm, but it suggested that the plot of the play was conventional. However, the Times added that the ‘primitive story’ was not the prime interest of the play. It was the ability of the author ’to adorn the commonplace by force of epigram’ and his verbal ingenuity which carried the play. The Times review implied that the verbal witticisms compensated for a trite plot.

The Times review was written two months before Wilde’s disgrace. The Sydney Morning Herald had its first view of the play after Wilde’s arrest. The tone of The Herald’s review seemed influenced by the scandal.

The paper refused to name the playwright. The reviewer pointed out that the plot of An Ideal Husband was weak and that ‘more than once a situation was sacrificed for the sake of a witticism’. The Herald reviewer was not impressed with the dialogue either.

"the use of paradox has been pushed to the edge of tedium….the fact is that if perpetrated too often, the paradox reveals itself as a cheap thing only too easily made."

Nonetheless the reviewer admitted that " An Ideal Husband abounds in brilliant epigram which really hits the mark" It is highly probable that the Herald’s critical analysis of Wilde’s dialogue was influenced by the authors situation.

The review in general concentrated on the presentation of the play and cast’s acting ability. Mr Titheradge was praised for his portrayal of Sir Robert Chiltern, although it was described as a ‘not very convincing role.’

The other cast members were also commended. However the Herald reserved its highest accolades for Dion Boucicault.

Mr Boucicault as the Earl of Caversham KG furnished one of the finished sketches of extreme old age, in which refinement and distinction of manner are combined with fretful ill humour to which he has happily accustomed us.

The costumes were one of the main selling points of the play.. They were advertised as being made by ‘Madame Clarice and Madame Brown of London’. Perhaps the London sanctioned clothes compensated for the scandalous author

The Referee’s review was different to the Herald’s. The Referee specialised in sport and theatre and this was reflected in a more liberal approach to the Wilde situation. The difference between the two papers was evident immediately.

The Referee’s review began with appropriate crediting of the author by name. An Ideal Husband was clearly labelled ‘Oscar Wilde’s play" It was a brave break with the conventions established by the Herald and the London newspapers. The Referee praised the dialogue whilst admitting that the plot was weak. The paper stated that they play was

"Not absorbingly interesting as far as plot is concerned"

But

"compels attention throughout whilst its dialogue sparkles with witticisms."

In general this review echoed the sentiments of the original London Times review.

Much of The Referee’s review concentrated on the fine presentation of the play by the famous B and B Company.

" the mounting and dressing are alike superb. Mr Phil Goatcher’s interiors are admirable illustrations of this clever scenic artist’s best handiwork and the acting is, taking it all round, very fine.

It also commended the fine acting by the cast, in particular, the famous actor/manager Dion Boucicault who ‘gave a really capital sketch of the old Earl’.

It was as if by concentrating on the acting, scenic design and costumes that the stigma of Wilde’s association with the work could be forgotten. Both reviews, in short, trod delicately around the issue of Wilde’s disgrace. An Ideal Husband played only for a week in Sydney that year. Oscar’s increasingly desperate situation probably convinced the B and B company to avoid a long run.

By May 1895, Oscar had suffered through two trials for indecency. On May 25^TH he was sentenced to two years hard labour for sodomy.

A year later the Brough and Boucicault company returned to Sydney with another Wilde play. This time it was his masterpiece "The Importance of Being Earnest.’ Attitudes towards Wilde in Sydney had liberalised. The author was still imprisoned but his name was no longer taboo in Australian theatrical circles.

Earnest had debuted in London on February 14^th 1895. It had taken over a year for the play to be performed in Sydney. An Ideal Husband on the other hand was produced within three months of its London stage debut. The delay with Earnest was no doubt due to the author’s infamous reputation.

On 4^th April 1896, The Sydney Morning Herald carried advertisements for The Importance of Being Earnest"- A comedy in Three Acts by Oscar Wilde". Oscar’s name had been restored to its rightful place. Unlike the previous year when An Ideal Husband had been uncredited.

On April 11^th, almost exactly a year to the day that An Ideal Husband had been introduced to Sydney, Earnest had its debut.

"The Criterion was crowded to the doors by an amused and interested audience."

The Referee said that

"Everyone from those in the stalls up to those in the gallery appeared to greatly enjoy the skit."

The Sydney Morning Herald critic refused to name Wilde in the review, stating that the play was written by ‘the same author who wrote Lady Windemere’s Fan." Yet the review’s tone was far warmer than its review of An Ideal Husband.

The paper enjoyed the dialogue saying that

‘The spectators are pelted with witticisms as with comfits at a Roman Carnival"

It added that

"the brilliancy of the display of verbal pyrotechnics is amazing.’

The reviewer had an unusually kind word for the imprisoned author stating that

The whole play may be viewed as the tour de force of an author who has done brilliant things.’

Despite this, the reviewer refused to name the brilliant author.

The Referee’s review called the author ‘Mr Wilde’, an open statement of respect. It called the play ‘an exceptionally brilliant production.’ Most of the review concerned the actors. Cecil Ward played Earnest and was described as being ‘entertaining and in every way admirable’. Yet it was Dion Bocicault who stole the show as Algernon.

"Mr Boucicault carried off the chief honours of the evening"

Boucicault was very highly regarded in Sydney and his association with the Wilde plays helped make them acceptable to Sydney audiences

By this time it seemed that the Sydney theatrical establishment was recognising Oscar’s brilliance as an artist despite his disgrace.

In January 1897, with Wilde still in gaol, the B and B company presented A Woman of No Importance.at the Criterion. The Referee bluntly referred to Oscar in its review saying that in this play

Oscar Wilde seems to have collected together all the brilliant things that he had to crowd out of his other pieces.’

Meanwhile, in England, Oscar continued to be a pariah. After being released from prison in May 1897 he spent the last years of his life in France. Oscar was a broken spirit, his most notable work in his final years being The Ballad of Reading Gaol.

The first London production of Earnest after its original run in 1895 was in 1902. Two years after his death, the billboards refused to carry Oscar’s name. This was not remedied until 1909. It was a stark contrast to the Australian productions of his works which were well received and beautifully produced by B and B. In addition Oscar was credited with the authorship of these plays and prominently mentioned in Australian reviews of the productions. In the matter of Oscar Wilde, the Australian press, public and theatrical establishment showed a unique identity independent of the great cultural powers of the US and England

Oh Lady Lady- Sydney 1921

 Oh, Lady! Lady! in Sydney 1921 .

1921 was a year of reconstruction and re-evaluation. The war was over but change was continuing. Ireland was in turmoil and Russia was recovering from seven years of strife. In Australia the population was concerned with the Chinese, the Catholics and the plight of returned soldiers.

Archbishop Mannix was in hot water over his refusal to take the oath of allegiance to the crown. The Protestant federation condemned the attitude of the Federal government in allowing Mannix an exemption from the oath. It stated  that the government was;

‘Repudiating the strong convictions of the majority of the people of the Commonwealth’

The majority of the population generally accepted this pro British attitude, although division between Protestants and Catholics, particularly in light of events in Ireland, was growing.

The Chinese gardeners were being reprimanded by anglo competitors for their long working hours. The secretary of the Sydney Market Gardeners association, Mr Tasker, wrote a long letter to the Herald chastising the Chinese for their destructive work habits. Mr Tasker’s views represented a body of opinion that mixed racism and labour politics in a skein not to be unravelled until the Whitlam government of the 1970s.

In post war Australia, the plight of returned soldiers garnered much attention. Most had been repatriated by 1919, yet they were not yet deified by the annual ANZAC day memorial services. The process was in it’s early stages however. War memorials were being built, soldiers benefit concerts being held and money for soldier’s farms was being solicited. The concern for the employment of returned soldiers was evident in the formation of the Returned Soldiers League ( RSL). The RSL had been established in 1921 and was beginning to make itself heard as a lobby group.

The effects of the war were social and economic. Women had taken jobs during the war and many were loath to resign them. The euphoria of peace infected all walks of life. Hemlines were up,  and hair was short. It was the roaring 20s and a general atmosphere of licentiousness was coursing through the land.

Moving pictures, still not completely acceptable, and still silent, were beginning to become popular. Vaudeville and live theatre, however were still prominent. Nellie Melba’s concerts were selling heavily in advance, Gladys Moncrieff was wowing them in The Maid of The Mountains, Fullers and the Tiv were showing the best of overseas performers.

It was the time of the Criterion, The Palace, The Tivoli, The Royal, the Grand Opera House and St James Hall. The era of grand theatres and grand melodramas.

One of the grandest theatres was Her Majesty’s. It was one of JC Williamson’s flagship theatres in Sydney. Located on the corner of Pitt and Market streets, it’s three level auditorium and large capacity, made it one of the most spectacular theatres in Sydney. It hosted opera, drama, divas and legends. It was at this venue that a series of musical comedies caused a sensation in the 1920s. One of these was called ‘Oh Lady! Lady!’ and starred popular Australian comedienne, Dorothy Brunton.

‘Oh Lady! Lady!’ reflected some of the values of the day. The heroine, played by Brunton was Fainting Fanny. A pickpocket who plied her trade by fainting into men’s arms and then robbing them as they looked for medical help. The fact that the heroine was ‘crook’, was considered rather daring at the time. In fact this was a reflection of the changing values of female independence and rebelliousness, which were sweeping the world. Other characters in the comedy included Spike Hodgins, a valet, played by Alfred Frith,  Finch, his employer, (Cyril Ritchard) and Underwood (William Greene) as a man about town.

The plot was a convoluted one. Hodgins was in love with Fanny . His boss, Finch, was scheduled to marry, but the wedding was threatened by the appearance of a predatory woman called Marjorie Barber, played by Madge Elliott. In order to prevent disaster, Hodgins asked Fanny to impersonate one of Finch’s ex girlfriends in order to chase the evil Marjorie away. Fortunately, Marjorie and Underwood fell in love and everybody finished happily ever after

The play thus involved those common elements of farce, a wedding, an impersonation, a mix up, and several love affairs. The comedy was followed by a series of specialty acts, which filled the remainder of the evening.

Dorothy Brunton was a hit in the role of Fanny. She made her first appearance on stage popping up from a trunk. Her costume consisted of a ‘dead leaf green sports coat, short check skirt, and German students black velvet cap.’ Her soprano voice and nimble pas de deux were greatly admired. The latter was encored twice. The Sydney Mail described her performance as the finest of her career.

Albert Firth was also complimented in his role as the valet. His humour, especially the way he touched wood after lisping in a cockney accent that ‘he hasn’t taken anything yet’ was well received by audience and critics. Albert and Dorothy brought down the house when they sang the duet, "Our little Nest’, a song about domestic bliss.

Frith was a veteran comedian and knew how to engage an audience. When he joined with Cyril Ritchard and William Greene for the trio, ‘Do it now’ their comic timing and wonderful dancing were warmly applauded.

The ballet, which was performed in the wedding scene, was equally well received and ballet mistress Minnie Hooper was warmly called on stage at the conclusion of the evening.

Cyril Ritchard and Madge Elliott had prominent roles in the farce. Ritchard played Finch, and Madge played Marjorie Barber. The acting of these two was described as showing promise, but it was their dancing that almost stole the show. Their specialty turn, La Veeda was particularly admired.

La Veeda contained the simple lyrics, ‘La Veeda, life of Spain, eyes that shine, like stars in the sky.’ Yet it was the dancing to this simple song that electrified the spectators. Madge dressed in very short skirt, low cut dress and broad brimmed hat was the very essence of a 1920s woman when she and Cyril danced the fox trot to the melody.

‘Oh Lady! Lady!’ was one of many musicals presented by JC Williamson and Company in the early 1920s. It’s bright and breezy numbers, daring costumes and vibrant ethos embodied the spirit of the Jazz age. It played at Her Majestys for a short period before being transferred to the newly refurbished Royal. The season lasted for several months and continually played to large audiences. It was followed by another musical, 'Theodore and Co' performed by most of the same company. Dorothy Brunton however was not in 'Theodore and Co'. She left Australia to pursue a career in films. For Madge Elliott and Cyril Ritchard, ‘Oh Lady! Lady!’ was the beginning of a highly successful dance partnership which would take them overseas and last for almost 20 years

New Opera House later the Tivoli Melbourne

 

The Opera House, which became the Tivoli Theatre in 1914, was a place with a great deal of history and a great history of trouble. Both began almost at the same time. The site began it's long history by hosting a timber yard and stables in the mid 19th Century. In the 1860s this building was replaced by the Australian and New York Letting and Livery stables which were topped by a hall or assembly room. M De La Chapelle was reportedly the manager. A little later in 1866, the hall was known as The Varieties and later as the Opera Comique. As The Varieties the hall hosted the first performance in Australia of the Can Can.

In 1870, a fire destroyed part of the building and in 1871 it was described as having a capacity of 2200 people with poor ventilation suspected of being polluted by the stables and kitchen yards.

In 1872 it was taken over as The Prince of Wales Opera House, with William Saurin Lyster as manager. Lyster had in the 1860s toured Australia with the Durand Opera Company and was credited with introducing opera to Australia. A syndicate, calling themselves the Opera House Company, which included W Dean, H Hoyt, A Crawford and Dr Motherwell paid rent of 1000 pounds a year for the building. Under the management of these gentlemen The Opera House presented a wide variety of popular entertainment. The Australian written pantomime, Australia Felix was performed in 1873. In 1874, an English singer and comedian named, Harry Rickards graced the stage. Whilst in 1883 "The Colonel" a play which satirised the aesthetic craze was produced. It also hosted such performances as the first Melbourne production of HMS Pinafore and The Pirates of Penzance. This wide variety of performances was necessary to cater to the diverse audience which attended the theatre.

In 1886, the Board of Health noted that there was no closet or urinal accommodation for the stalls or pit. The building was still being used for theatrical purposes at that stage, hosting luminaries such as Nellie Stewart and The Brough- Boucicault Company.

In 1890, the Board of Health was complaining about the building and the city council said that it was operating without consent. The owners insisted that the Opera House Company had a lease until 1893 and that nothing could be done.

In 1894, the walls of the building were leaning and The Opera House was being described as more dangerous and risky than any other theatre in Melbourne. At his stage the building had a capacity of 2127 people. When they were all crammed into the space together , it was a fire and health hazard.

A year later Harry Rickards took a 3 year lease on this rattle trap building which was obviously in need of serious renovation. Later that year a fire broke out in a dressing room during a performance. Rickards who four years later would suffer a worse fate by fire, was uninsured.

By 1897, the city council was objecting to the place being used for entertainment purposes. Harry wrote to them asking for a delay in closure as he still had 3 years left to run on his lease. Finally in 1899, a month after his lease expired, the city council closed the theatre. It was essentially condemned as unhealthy and dangerous.

The owners advertised for new leasees, but conditions were attached to the lease.The old building was to be demolished and a new one built. Harry Rickards who never seemed to give up despite the odds against him, negotiated a new lease with the owners. The lease extended for fifty years and included the large sum of thirty five thousand pounds for rebuilding. That same year Rickards lost a large amount when the Tivoli in Sydney was destroyed by fire. The family empire must have been very close to tottering.

Nonetheless, Harry went ahead with his building plans the old theatre was demolished. The New Opera House, standing at 249 Bourke Street, was built and completed in 1900. It was designed by William Pitt who also designed the Princess Theatre in Melbourne. It was made of red brick with marble columns and terra cotta ornamentation. It had a three level auditorium, with red and gold colours dominating the decor. Columns which supported the three tiers hampered the view from many areas of the theatre. It was apparently well known for the intimacy it created between performer and audience. It had a capacity of approximately 1400 people.

The building was apparently surmounted with an illuminated beacon with the words "Opera House" upon it. It was known throughout the Rickards management era, as The New Opera House. In 1914 it was renamed the Tivoli.

The New Opera House had a strong tradition of importing international acts. Such famous performers as Cinquevalli, the juggler who could catch a cannon ball on his neck, Sandow the strongman, and W C Fields, amongst others appeared on it's stage. Together with the Tivoli in Sydney, it represented Harry Rickards' flagship operation

Nellie Melba- Sydney 1902

 

When Mrs Armstrong had sung for small audiences in 1886,very few people believed that she could make a career as a prima donna. Sixteen years later, these same people were encoring her every performance. She had changed her name and changed her repertoire. She was Nellie Melba and she was the pre-eminent diva of the day.

Melba’s first tour of Australia in 1902 was a celebration of a national hero. The country was a mere two years old, when Melba, at the height of her powers, toured. The tour was arranged by theatre impresario George Musgrove. Musgrove became a household name when he became associated with Melba

Melba received a rapturous reception when she arrived in her home town of Melbourne in September 1902. Sydney was determined to give a similar welcome. Unfortunately, Melba informed the Lord Mayor that she could not attend the planned civic ceremony.

She was engaged to perform four concerts in Sydney. By October 7^th, four days before the first, 4658 pounds had been taken at the box office. This was an enormous sum for the time. Although Melba’s civic reception may have been cancelled, it was clear that her popular reception was going to be tremendous.

She arrived in Sydney via the Melbourne Express train on October 10^th 1902. She was quickly ushered from the station to a lavish suite at the Hotel Australia. She was to make her first appearance in sixteen years at the Sydney Town Hall the next evening.

A series of major thunderstorms hit Sydney that Saturday evening. The streets flooded and gale force winds blew corrugated iron sheeting off roofs. Iron hoardings rolled down the city streets, bashing and crashing through the howling winds and rains.

The foul weather did not discourage those who were anxious to see Melba. The first night audience was an elite one. They each paid either one pound one shilling or ten shillings, six pence for a ticket. The crowd included the Governor Lord Rawson and his wife, who entered the auditorium to the sounds of the national anthem being played on piano. The Sydney Morning Herald became poetic when describing the scene.

Nearly four thousand people were present, and the innumerable tints of silk and satin that made the floor resemble a gigantic parterre of flowers surged in undulating lines throughout the balconies, overflowed into the choir spaces like a dazzling bouquet at the base of the majestic organ, and gave warmth to walls whose tones of chilly white are only corrected by such fortuitous decoration on great occasions.

At 8.15pm most of the vast crowd had settled. The performance opened with Mrs Llewela Davies and Mr Frederick Griffith playing an excerpt from Handel’s sonata in F for piano and flute. The audience waited patiently for the prima donna, and shortly before 9pm she appeared on stage.

Nellie was tall and dark and charismatic. She was wearing deep ivory tinted lace over pale pink chiffon. The dress was decorated with gold sequins and garlands of embroidered pink roses. She wore a long rope of pearls and a magnificent diamond necklace which contained a further three large pearls. Her hair was dressed low at the back and fastened with a diamond comb. She was a glittering, sparkling lady of light whose dress echoed the beauty of her voice.

That night Melba enthralled the audience with a performance that lingered long in memory. She began with Handel’s "sweet Bird". A song in which the singer imitates the sounds of a nightingale. Melba sang a series of leaping phrases, runs and trills with an ease and mastery that astonished the Sydney critics. One and all described in wonder the ‘lightness’ of her voice.

Nellie was called for five encores after this song and responded to each one. She sang Strauss, and then with an air of mischief followed with ‘Coming through the rye.’ For many the highlight of her performance was her rendition of the mad scene from ‘Hamlet.’ After this superb and emotional performance, she thrilled the people in the chair seats by sitting at the piano and accompanying herself to a Tosti air. The Herald described the audience’s faces growing ‘radiant’ as they experienced all the charm of a drawing room performance.

Nellie Melba had conquered the elite of Sydney. The critics were universally positive in their reviews. One described her singing as ‘a thing not to be criticised.’ He repeatedly described the ‘limpid charm’ and ‘silvery’ tones of her voice. Nellie Melba dazzled and charmed a whole city that Saturday night.

Her second concert on Tuesday October 14^th was equally successful. For this concert, the organisers sold five shilling tickets. This ensured a more mixed audience. The Herald described it as an educated audience which could ‘bestow homage worthy of acceptance by artists such as Melba.’ Such was the diva’s power that she reversed the roles of performer and audience. Perhaps recognising that power, Melba wore a large and magnificent diamond tiara that night. She sang the mad scene from ‘Lucia’, Mozart and Verdi. She was enthusiastically encored, but did not respond as generously as she had the night before. This did not discourage the spectators who greeted her performance with loud cheers and the waving of thousands of handkerchiefs. The Governor, his wife and the Lord Mayor and his wife, Mr and Mrs Thomas Hughes, were also present for this gala occasion.

It was unusual for Melba to refuse encores. The reason for her refusal was soon revealed. On October 16^th 1902 the Sydney Morning Herald published a letter from the prima donna that contained shocking news. Dated from ‘The Australia’ on October 15^th, Melba had written to the paper, postponing her concerts.

‘I have for the last two days been suffering from a slightly relaxed throat.  I am obliged to ask the public, who have been so kind to me, to forgive me for a short but absolutely unavoidable postponement of my two remaining concerts.’

Fortunately, the postponement was a short one. Melba committed to performing on Monday 20^th October and Thursday the 23^rd. George Musgrove advised all ticket holders that their tickets were transferable. Thus Sydney’s music loving public was satisfied.

Melba was a woman who knew the value of good press. The fact that she personally advised the newspaper of the postponement indicated this. Another indication was a small item in the newspaper two days later.

‘ Madame Melba wishes it stated that the paragraph from our Sutherland correspondent was the result of a misapprehension, as on Wednesday, so far from visiting the National Park, she did not leave the Hotel Australia.’

This also showed Melba’s power at the time. She was a woman determined to preserve her reputation and image. It is amazing that any woman of that time could wield such immense influence.

Another announcement on that day reinforced the point. It showed the benevolent side of Melba. She invited a small group of blind men to her next concert. This fact was reported in the newspaper with approbation.

On Monday, 20th October, Nellie Melba once again entranced a standing room only crowd. The delay had enhanced the quality of the perfect voice and over four thousand people had squeezed into the Town Hall to hear it. Melba was dressed like a queen. She was wearing a dress of shimmering silver gauze embroidered with pale pink sequins and roses. The front of the bodice was festooned with a vast array of shining diamonds which caused the diva to look like the embodiment of light as she moved across the stage.

The highlight of the evening was her rendition of ‘Home Sweet Home.’ The glittering prima donna accompanied herself on the piano as she sang this lovely tune. Many in the audience were moved to tears. The song quickly became one of Melba’s most popular requests in Australia.

Nellie Melba had one more concert to complete. Her rest had ensured that her voice was in perfect condition. It had also allowed her to indulge in other activities. The day of her final concert, she arranged to meet a young Australian contralto, Eva Mylott. Eva was journeying to Europe to further her career and was thrilled to meet Australia’s greatest soprano. Melba furnished her with an introduction to Madame Marchesi, Melba’s Parisian teacher. Miss Mylott gratefully accepted the introduction and Melba arranged to meet her in Europe the next year.

Melba’s fourth concert in Sydney took place on October 23^rd 1902. The Town Hall was once again host to a regal crowd. The Herald described the scene in another poetic piece,

‘As viewed from the balconies or choir seats, the coup d’oeil of the Town Hall , with it’s myriad waves of colour to which snowy silks and laces gave the glint of foam, was eminently striking and picturesque.’

The audience and performers had a moment of concern, when at 8.30pm a group of 800 people, paying five shillings, rushed the entrances. They made their way to every corner of the hall, standing in every doorway and corridor and in the aisles. A feeling of panic began to spread and a babble of voices broke out. Louis Arens who was on stage was perturbed and distracted. The evening was for a moment, threatened by the mob. Yet everybody settled quickly and there was no disorder.

Melba, took the stage towards the end of the first part of the programme. She was dressed beautifully in pink and silver. These colours had been a theme throughout the tour. She wore a diamond coronet and a flashing diamond necklace. Her arrival on stage was the cue for thunderous applause.

She began with the mad scene from Hamlet. The spectators rose to their feet at it’s conclusion, begging the diva for more. She responded with Tosti’s ‘ La Serenata’. She sang this piece from a manuscript copy in the composer's hand. Melba also sang Puccini and concluded the evening with Tosti’s ‘Goodbye."

"Madame Melba again held a vast audience in thrall last night to the charm of her voice and the potent spell of a style of indescribable delicacy and finish.’

Began the Herald’s review. The critics repeatedly commented on the lightness and human qualities of Melba’s instrument. Perhaps it was this that gave her voice such broad popular appeal.

In 1902 Melba was at the peak of her power and her fame. She was the world’s greatest prima donna and an Australian. Two factors which ensured the tremendous reception she received from people all over the country. She returned many times, but never would she be able to repeat the perfection of those concerts of 1902

Minnie Everett - Ballet Mistress

 

 Minnie Everett- JCW Ballet Mistress

In the early 20^th Century it was difficult for a woman to play a major role in theatre production. One woman who succeeded was Minnie Everett. Minnie began as a JC Williamson chorus dancer. She worked her way to ballet mistress and producer. By the time of her death in 1956 she had become a legend of the Australian stage.

Minnie Rebecca Everett was born on in Beaufort Victoria in 1874. Her father George was a builder. Her mother was the former Eliza Hardy or Harding. Minnie had several siblings including a younger sister called Lillian who later worked for Pollards Opera Company and JC Williamson. (JCW).

Minnie began her stage career as a chorus dancer at a very early age. She was one of twelve permanently engaged girls for JC Williamson’s theatrical company. One of her early dancing teachers was Emilia Pasta, who came to Australia with an Italian Opera Company in 1876. Minnie later remembered being thirteen years old and rushing from one production to another in two different theatres on the same night. It was a busy schedule for a young girl.

By the age of eighteen, Minnie was working with the Royal Comic Opera Company. She was one of eight dancers dubbed, ‘the Royal ballerinas’. In 1892 they were trained and choreographed by Marie Reddall. They performed in both Sydney and Melbourne. In January of that year they played in The Merry Monarch at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne. Spring found them in The Gondoliers at her Majesty’s in Sydney. At that time, Marie Reddall was returning to England. Her ballerinas presented her with a dressing case backstage to thank her for her hard work. In another change, one of the eight, Laura Healy, was leaving the stage to get married. The career of dancer was seen as a prelude to a longer career of marriage.

Minnie eventually became a solo dancer. She was working as such when she met William Rice, the son of Watty Rice, who was a conductor of the JCW orchestra. William was a viola player in the orchestra. Minnie and William married in 1895 and Minnie left the stage.

Her retirement lasted a year. During that year she gave birth to a daughter, Florence Gladys Beatrice Rice. Minnie returned to JC Williamson and became ballet mistress. She was in her early 20s and her responsibilities included choreography of large choruses for the annual pantomimes. The position of ballet mistress was one that she would hold for the rest of her life.

In a later interview she discussed her work;

How do I get my ballets? Of course all the steps, all the movements, in every new

ballet have to be thought out-have to be originated by me. And every new production

requires new ballets. I must confess that sometimes I feel stuck. I nibble at my pencil

until I think I am never going to get anything new. Suddenly, I get a flow of ideas

-enough in fact for all the steps and movements of a complete ballet!

Amongst Minnie’s work in the early years included the corn and poppy ballet for Aladdin. This involved thirty-six dancers. She also organised the ballet champetre for Little Red Riding Hood. This also involved thirty-six dancers. Minnie often incorporated different cultural aspects into her work. For example for Alfred Hill’s opera ‘Tapu’, Minnie consulted with a Maori dancer about the ‘Poi’ dance.

What I did in Tapu was to take the salient features of the Poi dance and

build up around there a dance of my own.

When it came to dance, Minnie was prepared to seek influences from various sources and adapt it to her own purposes.

Although Minnie was kept busy as ballet mistress, she still appeared on stage. In 1899 she appeared with sister Lilly in a production of The Geisha at Her Majesty’s in Sydney. Minnie played ‘O Hana San’ and Lilly played ‘o Kiku San’, geisha girls.

In 1906, Minnie became a producer for the first time. It was an unusual role for a woman and illustrated her standing in the company. Minnie was listed as co producer for the first season of Utopia Ltd in Australia. The Gilbert and Sullivan Opera was staged at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne and starred Howard Vernon, Charles Kenningham and Dolly Castles. It was to be the first of many Gilbert and Sullivan productions for Minnie.

Between 1910 and 1920, Minnie worked as ballet mistress for several productions, including the yearly pantomimes. Each year Williamson’s produced a pantomime in Melbourne for Christmas. The show would then be taken to Sydney for Easter. The JCW pantomimes were lavish productions, with large casts and elaborate sets and costumes. As ballet mistress, Minnie was responsible for inventing and arranging all the dances for the pantomimes. She organised hundreds of dancers, choreographed soloists and liaised with musical conductors. In addition Minnie trained several private students at the same time.

In 1914, she choreographed the dancers for ‘Cinderella’. Amongst these were, ‘The ‘Wildflower’, ‘Hunting’ ‘Boudoir’ ‘Kitchen’ and ‘Fairy Transformation’ ballets. The Argus said that they ‘all delight the eye for movement and lovely colouring’. In 1918, Minnie arranged the ballets for the annual pantomime Dick Whittington. In 1919, she was doing the same for Goody Two Shoes. The latter included hundreds of chorus dancers, and had Maggie Dickinson in several solos. The pantomime featured the extravagant ‘March of the Suits’ in toyland. Minnie was responsible for inventing and arranging the dances of the entire show.

Her work was not restricted to pantomime. She was also responsible for the ballets in JCW’s  musicals. In 1919, she invented and arranged the ballets in ‘Going Up" The musical included Cyril Ritchard and Madge Elliott in "Memories’. Minnie choreographed the dance. The two dancers were her protegees and later became household names in Australia and overseas.

In 1920, Minnie added more production credits to her resume. She produced a season of Gilbert and Sullivan at His Majesty’s in Melbourne. The season included productions of ‘Yeoman of the Guard’, ‘The Mikado’, and ‘Iolanthe’. All involved huge casts and lavish spectacle. It was highly unusual at that time for a woman to be a producer. Minnie’s loyalty to Williamson’s and her obvious talent for management were being recognised by the company.

She continued her non stop working schedule until 1923. That year the Referee newspaper reported that "Minnie Everett is suffering from severe nervous strain.’ Given her constant employment, this was not a surprise. Minnie slept only five hours a night and spent every waking moment in a theatre. In 1923 she had just launched another protege, Josie Melville in a production of ‘Sally’ in Sydney. Both Josie and ‘Sally’ were a hit and ran over nineteen weeks at Her Majesty’s Theatre.

Nervous strain did not stop Minnie and she was soon back at work. In the 1920s she produced grand opera and in 1926 she was again producing Gilbert and Sullivan. That season included performances of The Mikado, Iolanthe, Princess Ida and The Pirates of Penzance. By the end of the decade, Minnie could claim to be the only woman to have produced both grand opera and Gilbert and Sullivan in Australia.

Although theatre production in Australia stalled during the 1930s, Minnie’s work schedule did not. She was heavily involved in producing musicals and operas for JCW during the decade. This included producing two seasons of Gilbert and Sullivan in 1931 and 1935.

By the end of the 1930s, the list of performers Minnie had worked with read like a who’s who of Australian Theatre. They included Maggie Dickinson, Howard Vernon, Carrie Moore, Gladys Moncrieff, Cyril Ritchard, Nellie Stewart, Madge Elliott, Ivan Menzies and Bernard Manning. She had produced Grand Opera and light opera, had invented hundreds of ballets for musicals and pantomimes and had become an institution at JCW.

In 1940, Minnie was sixty six and still producing. That year she was listed as producer for The Gondoliers. It starred Ivan Menzies, Max Oldaker, Evelyn Gardiner and Viola Wilson. Minnie Everett was coaching a whole new generation of Australian musical theatre performers. In a short article in the programme it was stated that Minnie had produced for JCW in South Africa, London and Australia. She listed her greatest achievement as producing Grand Opera in the mid 1920s

In June 1956 Minnie was admitted to the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne suffering from burns. She died in hospital on June 7^th She was 81 years old. Even at that age she maintained the title she had attained in the 1890s. Her death certificate lists her occupation simply as ‘ballet mistress.