THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Volume 11, Issue 2280, 11 November 1897, Page 47

THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

By Pasciuin.

Tuesdat, November 9, • . • At the City Hall on Saturday night the well and favourably-known drama "Loat in London" was reTived.- The parb of John • Job Axmroytl was taken by Mr Lucas, the remainder of the ca»t bfing filled by Misses liilian Chester, Erfith Lecdj, France?, And 'Me»«rs Wilton, Power, and W. Phillips.

Aq additional attraction was afforded by

Mr Luoaß'B reciUl of G. R. Sims'u " Tale of Two' 'Woman," in which he found ample opportunities to display his marked marked elocutionary abilities. • . • Hudson's Surprise Company opens ab laverc&rgill on Tuesday next. * . ' The Inmau Dramatic Company have just finished a successful season at the Opera House, Wellington, and are now touring the "West Coast. They started 'at Blenheim on the list imt., then proceeding to Qreymouth, Hokitika, Kumaxa, Reefton, W» stport ; attend-

: ing at .Neleon during the show wepk. Theyplay, a- few nigh' 6 at Wanganui, Paluwrston, ■ &c, prior to opening at Christchurch on' Box' ing Night. Business has been -good. The 1 company are booked for Charters Tower*, '. Queensland, for Easter week. Mr Cecil 11. Sorrell is the business manager, and the company's repeftoire includes "Dr Bill," "Held by the Buemy,"""CoDfusion," &c. ■• . ' George Danrll did so well in Perth thafc , be has left -West Australia for England again. '♦ I am off. to London via South Africa," be • wrote to one of the Peirtb' papers. "If I find a company available I shall stay and pay a season at Capetown. All being well, I shall

open in London next season." • > * Madame Melba saDg 13 times at private - bouses during the past season at a fee of £300

on each occasion.

• . ' Twenty years ago a minor actress enjoyed a peculiar fame in England aud America. She had no talent ; very few people ever saw her on the stage ; but no ajbnm or whatnot was complete without her photograph. Her face .bad a pensive sweetness, and she was often photographed as a nun with upturned eyes, and -* suggestion of fervent prayer. Her day, is over, • and her subsequiSt lot, whatever it may be, has no interest for the public. — Speaker.

" „ • Many people thiuk that Miss Ada Rehan, . the actress, is an American, but this is not so. ■ She was born in Limerick, Ireland, of which ■ place her parents were natives ; bub her father, at one time a prosperous shipbuilder, meeting with reverses, the family sailed for New York, taking with them the little Ada., tben a mite of six Her real name is Crth.Ro, but on one ■ occasion it got by nrs'.alce printed Ueban, and ,*he at ouce adopted the Jatter for stage pur•posep. " . " Verdi, the great composer, has jusb given in person a denial of the false reports that have

concerning' the sta'e of his health. After .lie had arrived in Milan, for the waters of .JWontecatini, be accepted an invitation to visit -the home of the veil-known music publisher,

'S<gnor Ricotdi. One evening, at a small musicale, he aeked one of the guests, the prima donna Stolz, if, " in order to give a proof of the excellent state of his health," f-ha would not jnng with him the love duet in " Obhello." Aod, . to the a&triiumoaent and pleasure of those present, the old maestro jang the duet to the very end, an amazing feat at 85 years of age. Verdi ■was 85 on October 13, and preparations were being made in most continental cities to produce on that dty, in honour of the maestro, his first opera, " II Conte di Bonifacio." * , ' A woman earned Hannah Webber, for some years a. music-hall artiste and male impersonator "in the United Statts, landed recently at Liveipool, having worked her passage to England disguised as a cattleman on the Teaspleraore. Her disguise was "not discovered until the vessel was ne&riug Liverpool, when the woman, who had worked as well as any others of the crew, injured herself by liftiDg a 2cwt .bale of bay.