Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-11-09

cidental music of THE Blue Bird will
appreciate the musical features of
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."
al OF which were written . especially
the direction of Winthrop Ames, who
produced The Blue Bird"
The career of Mr.. Rickett is interest
Ing. While employed in an English
Of 81 week he began his special
studies, first privately in Birmingham.
and then at the Royal College of
Music, under Ernst Pauer. for the
pianoforte. and Sir George Martin, aft
erward organist at st. PauIs Cathedral,
for the organ. AT nineteen he received
the organist's appointment at Moseley
Baptist Church at Birmingham. and re-
| manned there ten years.
He was organist of the famous
Church of the Messiah in Birmingha
and made excursions into the realm of
| musical criticism, which. he confesses,
oid not increase his popularity to an
appreciable extent in Birmingham In
1908 he left Birmingham for London
and deserted the church for the stage.
taking a position at the Theater Met
ropole. the first of Londons suburban
fheaters Three years later Arthur
director at the Garrick Theater. where
he remained ten years. until Mr. Bour-
CHER gave up his lease of this theater.
In 1911 Mr.. Rickett took advantage
cherished desire to visit the United
States. After inquiring into the posi-
ton of music in American theaters he
decided there was no possibility of do
Ing creditable work in that direction.
as the entracte and incidental music
, here Is, In comparison with England,
| at very low ebb. and in consequence
| its prestige very slight. The chief
cause for this. Mr. Rickett thinks, is
the prevailing disinclination upon the
part OF the American public to regard
this class of work as of any impor-
! lance. The situation was similar in
London twenty years ago, and the
present level of attainment In stage
| music was reached only by the efforts
of half dozen musical directors who
set themselves deliberately to effect
an Improvement. in the teeth of much
opposition from press, public and often
from their own arrangements
But the musical art of this coun-
try Is a growing force" Mr.. Rickett
says. land gives signs of being one
of the greatest movements the world
has yet known. On the strength of this
prophecy / have already taken out my
first naturalization papers. and look
forward to wide and satisfactory
sphere of work" The music for Snow
White and the Seven Dwarfs' is the
first Mr. Rickett has written for a
theater in America. At present he is
director Of the musical faculty at the
Bennett School. Miibrook' n. y. He
Nursery Rhymes" and has also pub
lished in London q number of musical
compositions
AN ILLUSTRATED Manuscript
An odd circumstance led to the engage
ment of Allan Pollock for the leading role
of julius Witherspoon IN The Honey
Bee"
Rudolph Bunner. one of the co-authors
of the comedy. is an illustrator in black
and white When the manuscript of the
play was submitted to Harrison Grey
Fiske 1t was accompanied by a portfolio
OF sketches-the authors conception of
the stage settings. the characters, the
costumes and even the principal comedy
scenes In all Mr. Fiskes years Of play
producing this was the first time an Illus
trated comedy had been submitted for his
consideration.
The novelty took him by surprise, par
ticulariy the detailed sketch of the in
ventive professor. which was q carica-
ture. uninteutional. Of course, OF Allan