Dramatic And Musical

Free Lance, Volume VIII, Issue 398, 15 February 1908, Page 16

Dramatic And Musical

By Footlight.

PACKED audiences marked the right throughout at the Opeia ' 'Brewster's Millions" season House, and the Wellington run of this delightful comedy closes with a veritable triumph of appreciative applause. Mr. Thomas Kingston's skilful handling of the role of Montgomery Brewster was evident in every phase of the play, and he has greatly added to his laurels during the recent season. Mrs. Robert Brough ably filled the part of one of the spendthrift's wel-meaning but deluded friends. The fine spectacular effect oc-noeived in the yacht scene was such as to make the realisation that the whole effect is the creation of the stage mechanics difficult. "Brewster 's Millions" was very thoroughly enjoyed in Wellington. • • • The re-appearance in Wellington of Madame Clara Butt and Mr. Kennerley Rumford for two return concerts at the Town Hall on March 3rd and sth, will be a musical event _of great importance, in view of their recent brilliant season. Their success everywhere in the Dominion, has been remarkable, and the final concerts to be given here will doubtless pTove as successful as the former ones. Entirely new programmes are to be arranged. • • • Mr. J. C. Williamson, while in New York, secured the Australasian) rights of "Mre. Wiggsof the Cabbage Patoh," the dramatic adaption of Kate Douglas Wiggens' delightfully quaint and humorous novel which everybody must have read. It has been, a gireat success in America for the past two years, and when it was dome in London was "received with the^ utmost &mthtisiasm, one of the morning journals

characteiising the peafornaaJice as "an evening of t>heei delight." It will be presented in this Dominion, about the middle of the year. A. veiy good piogiamme is 1 mining at present at Fullers' Theatie Royal. Mi. A. L. Cropp, the populai basso, is mooting with much favour in his two songs, "Down in the Deep" and "Meet Me, Jennie," the latter being quite the fancy of the crowd. Miss Malvena Moore, the little Australian soubiette and dancer is in, great demand, and weli merits her applause The two Fianklms, Ruby a/nd Will, are very entertaining and novel in their turn, and set the house fairly going on the encore business And then comes Tod Galloway, the versatile. Tod can be any moirtal cieation inside- five minutes, fiom a mild cuiateto a YoTksFino county yokel, and back agaan via Mr Landloid of the way-back inn Salmon and Chesfcei aie about again, and tins time it is their little sketch, "The. Blacksmith's Boy," which seem ps their popularity It is clever and good. Bonetta and Williams are a very good item in their 00-medv patter and dialogue, and their singing is no£ half bad. And as for Madame Blanche Carelli, she is singing the valso song, "Romeo and Juliet " and she simply sets the whole auditorium ringing with applause. The Banrards are making their first appearance here with their acrobatic knockabout acts, and they live tip to the title of their piece. It is a great show, and full of exciting comedy Will James, the English banjo player. is first-class in his department, and the three Raccoons are also well on the mark Altogether a fine proprogramme • « • Little Tich, now in South Africa, is di awing a huge salary. For nine weeks, five m Johannesburg and four m Capetown, he is drawing £500 per week. « • • At Christmas there was a very large decrease in the nmmber of pantomimes in England. This form of entertainment has fallen off greatly in popularity. One rea-son is that star performers are holding aloof from it. The fees in vaudeville get 'larger every year, and pay much better. This season the favourite subjects for the "books" would appear to have been "Aladdin" and "The Forty Thieves."

A numboi of clippings, etc., fiorn Home papers go to prove that oui Peicy Giaingei is now very high up on the- list at contemporary leading pianists in the Old Woild. Power, bieadth dignity, masteiful lepose, deep insight, etc., vie some of the teims applied to his methods JL'heie is just a bieath of tumour that he may be captuied for the Ada Crossley tour, which will take place' this season Ada will bung a fine concert company with her, and, as she is now at the zenith of hei fame as a oonti alto vocalist, her ton) sl)')uld be a timmph. » • • Miss Maigaret Parkei, who will be long ltmembeied by hei fine pexforma,nco of Smudgee in the late Wilson Banett's play, "The Nevei -Never Land," sailed with a stai company, mcludmg Miss Louie Whitby, Aithur Bautiee, and Allen Thomas, foi Austiaha pei the Orontes on 27th December, 1907, undei stairmg engagement to Hanv Rickards Pnor to hei depal lure she ga\ c a farewell performance at the Surrey Maso.nic Hall, Cambeiwell, New Road London, S.E., on the 18th Decembei, when she piesented lier two latest successes, "Under the Seal," bv William Felton, and "Sunshine," bv ihei^elf, in collabojation with William Felto.n Her Australasian appeal ance will be eagerly looked forward to. * • • Mr Edward Shenas, who is about te- make his first appearance before an Austiahan audience with the Royal Comic Opera Company, as Dorlis, m "The Lady Dandies," at Sydney, began his career some twelve oi thirteen years ago, w hen he appeared at Daly's Theatre in "An Artist's Model." The first engagement was subsequently renewed, and for three yeais altogether he was connected with the same threatre, playing "Th Geisha," "The Greek Slave." and other pieces. A proti acted tour as Harry Bronson, in "The Belle of New York," followed, and thereafter "San Toy" claimed him — as it appears to have claimed every rpresentative of the English lyric stage who has visited Australia within the past five years. He was also a member of the same company as Miss Maude Thorne hi "My Lady Molly," and was again associated with the present Princess Aurora, and also with Miss Daiiie Wallace and Messrs. Couriet and Clifton in the London Gaiety Company which visited South Africa in, 1906.

The Hutt Valley Horticultural Society will hold their annual summer show at the Drill Hall on Wednesday and Thursday of next week. This event is invariably looked forward to with great interest, and never fails to attract a very large number of visitors. If the fine weather lasts the Society may expect to add another successful exhibition to their credit. There are n*o fewer than eighty-two sections, including a class for decorated tables, and a record number of entries is anticipated

Speaking of ciuelty to animals, what about the kingfisher cur laughing jackass out at Newtowm Park? It's a long time since this specimen, worked at his trade, laughing ; and .he looks as if "death's bright angel" (if he includes kingfishers in his encle of society calls) will be his most welcome visitant now. But whoever it was that fixed up this bird's habitat had never been anyw here nearei Australia than Newtown Park, and the cage in which the laughing jackass lives and is at home to visitors is worth an inspection, oven from the point of its ridiculousness • • • There is no perch m the cage, which is about three feet long by two feet wide — not so much as a stick or forked branch of a tree for the bird to got up on out of the grit, gravel, and muck of liis prison-house. The person who put the bind there might have seen, if he had looked carefully, that a kingfisher is not webb-footed. At the time when the Lancer called, there was no water in the cage for the bird to clean himself in, and, altogether, Mr. L. Jackass looked a picture of misery standing cooped and desolate on a sandpatch in the .recess of his cage. There is evidently a lot im knowing how not to. set wo a zoo. • • • Very few people pass down Custom house Quay now-a-davs who do not stop and look in the show window of Moncrieff and Young, the general and furnishing ironmongers And theirs are show windows if yon like. The display is always very fine — an exhibition really of what is latest and up-io-datest in their particular business. The fine art copperware, etc , now on view is a special feature and the firm is rapidly pushing ahead < • • The most important auction of valuable and central city freeholds ever catalogued is notified in this issue for sale. William H. Turnbull and Co. are the auctioneers, and the date and time of the auction have been fixed for Wednesday, March 18th, at 2.30 p.m., at the firm's auction rooms, 5, Panamastreet. The extraordinary sale covers among others the following properties : Magnificent city warehouse, manufacturing and business sites in the very heart of the capital city. The most valuable sites in the whole Dominian. The various properties, which are being sold under direction of the Trustees m the estate of the late Hon. W. B. Rhodes, are situate in Lambton Quay, Thorndon Quay. Cuba-street, Victoriastret Featherston-street Grey-street, etc., etc., and the sale is attracting unusual interest. Plans and full particulars may be had of the auctioneers.