DRAMATIC AND MUSICAL

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 4531, 6 December 1884, Page 4

DRAMATIC AND MUSICAL

Thekp. is but little to notice, in either of

these departments of public amusement. Since the issue of our last. Summary

the Opera House has been kept ppen to moderate business by a kind of scratch dramatic combination under the name and leadership of Miss Louise Crawford, and a succession of melodramas has been presented with varying success. "London by Night" was on the boards when the mail left, and it was not withdrawn until a week afterwards. The subsequent productions havebeen " Arrah Na Pogue," "Miriam, the Woman of-' Mystery," "Our Boys," "Life, or the Castaway," "The Corsican Brothers," " The Shipon Fire," and " Bast Lynne," while "Green-Bushes" is to. be'

played to-night. Tho feature of the season was Miss Crawford's assumption of the title rCle in ■ " The Coraican Brothers." She disguised her sex very effectively, and achieved a decided success, securing a nightly recall tor her performance in the duel scene. She is a fair average actress, but the rank and file of the Company are rather weak in point of ability. The most notable musical event of tho month, was the performance of Handel's " Israel in Egypt" by the Choral Society, Mr James Knox conducting, in the absence of flerr Carl Schmitt, who has been stretched upon a sick-bed for some time past. Some sensatisn was caused on tho eve of the performance by an imbroglio between the Executivo Committeo and the orchestra, which threatened to lead to tho withdrawal of the instrumental members. The orchestra, considering that the Society was not ready for the performance, objected to the date fixed by the Committee, and as the latter proved inflexible, they determined to hold aloof from the performance. At the last moment the mediation of a fewfriends, coupled with the resignation of two members of Committee, proved effectual in healing the breach ; the orchestra gave their assistance, and tho concert was a great success. It was hold on the loth alt., and the performing forces consisted of 46 Bopranos, 34 contraltos, 40 basses and baritones, 30 tenors, 30 instrumentalists, and 5 soloists, viz., Miss Stephenson (soprano), Miss Corbett (contralto), Dr. Cobbott (tenor), and Messrs Taylor and Osborne (basses). "The Messiah" is now in rohearsal, and a benefit to Herr Schmitt by tho Orchestral Society ia also pending.