Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Saturday 5 September 1942, page 6


Music and Drama

Concert Performance of "Faust"

A concert presentation of "Faust," which many still rank as the most popular opera ever written, will be given at the Town Hall next Thursday even-ing by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the Hurlstone Choral Society, in association with the A.B.C. Wireless Chorus.

Prominent artists with consider?ble oversea experience in operatic work will sing the leading i-oles in this choral-orchestial concert, to be con

Sumner Locke-Elliott, whose ''Goodbye to the Music" com-mences a season at the Indepen-Dent Theatre next Friday night.

dinted b\ Piofesboi Bciniuri Hein/e foi the Austiahan Bioadoasting Com-mission They aie Hai old Williams (Mephistopheles) Thpa "Philips (Mai gueiltej Arnold Matteis (Valentine)

IJonel Cecil (FausO 7,ena Mollpr CSiPbeli Henlhet Kinnanri fMaitln)

and Norman Hestelow (Wagner) Three hundred performers will take part in the concert.

Harold Williams sang the role of Mephistopheles during the last Eng-lish season at Covent Garden in 1938 while Lionel Cecil has sung Faust over 120 times in Italy. Switzerland, and South America. Thea Philips was launched in her operatic career when Sir Thomas Beecham cast her as Elisabeth in "Tannhauser." She set-tled in Australia after her appear-ance, with the Puller Grand Opera Company. In his role of Valentine, Arnold Matters received exceptionally high praise from London critics.

The Theatre

It if a long time since Sydney has seen an Australian premiere of a new New York musical comedy, but it will hp,ve. this pleasure at the Theatre Royal next Saturday night, when J C. Williamson's present "Let's Face It." This is an up-to-date version of that popular comedy, "The Cradle Snatchers," seen here some years ago and will have music by Cole Porter. Yvonne Banvard, T_lly Moore, and Marie Ia Varre will be the three "cradle .snatchers." The young men invited by them for a week-end will be played by comedians Don 'Nicol Fred Murray, and Ron Reck. Marie R.yan and .foy Youlden will also fea-ture in the production.

Shaw's "Arms and the Man" will commence a season at Bryants' New Playhouse this evening.

The final performance of "Children in Uniform" will be given at the In-dependent Theatre this afternoon and Evening. Next Friday, at the same theatre. Doris Fitton will present Sumner Locke-Elliott's new comedy, "Goodbye to the Music." This will be the fourth full-length play by this young Australian actor-playwright which Miss Fitton has introduced to Sydney audiences. All of them have revealed a talent worth encouraging.