STAGE AND SONG.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 247, 17 October 1891, Page 3 (Supplement)

STAGE AND SONG.

I am rabher sorry that the Juveniles. have not drawn better houses, for, though their singing is somewhat more than weak, their clever acting deserved the warmest supporb. Thedress circle hasthroughoutthe week been bub poorly tenanted, and the house, downstairs might havo been larger without inconvenience. It would appear thab bhere is only a cerbain amounb of money bo be spenb on opera, and that this was in the main scooped by the amateurs. Of course Williamson, Garner, and Co. are not besb pleased, and, fully understanding the state of affairs, have resolved on a step which has been premeditated for some time. They will not allow any opera of which they hold the rights to be played by New Zealand amateurs, and they will furthermore use their powerful influence .0' prevent other firms granting permission for other operas. Speaking candidly, I cannot pretend to be sorry for the amateurs. They have killed the goose with the golden eggs very deliberately, and must take the consequences. The public will, boo, nob be besb pleased wibh the Club, for—by sheer greediness— offending Williamson and Garner, who have done more than any impresarios in bringing good shows to New Zealand "on spec." The efforts of amateurs are doubtless amusing, bub bhey musb nob be allowed bo interfere with real acting. Children are allowed bo play " grown ups" till they become a nuisance. They are then senb back to their nursery. Ib is worse than useless to make excuses aboub musb pay expenses. The amateurs would have drawn houses any time, for there is a strange pleasure in watching the valiant efforts of our friends, to applaud them when they succeed, and to laugh at them when they fail, specially the latter, for thero is something hot altogether displeasing in the misfortune of our dearest friends. Most people will remember little Olive Berkeley, who played " Faunbleroy " here wibh such marked success in April of '90. The clever libtlo actress has had bub a short life of it,'her death taking place in America a short bime ago. She was only 12 years old. The juveniles have played "La Mascotte," " Mikado," and the " Pirates.' All have been well done, so far a3 the acting and staging are concerned, but the singing has, it musb be confessed, been somewhat weak. Miss Julia Knight, formerly of Auckland, has, I hear, jusb secured an imporbanb engagement wibh Simonsen's Ibalian Opera Company, now in Ausbralia. The Simonsens are ab presenb in Melbourne, whence they go to Adelaide, thence to Queensland and Sydney. Miss Knight's friends will be glad to hear of her success in the vocal and histi'ionicarfa. Talking of the Simonsens, I hear they can't get an opening in Sydney with the new opera company for some months to come, evon if the company manage to escape the influenza and hold together. They are due ,in Adelaide and Brisbane ab earlier dates, and will probably come on here immediately after a short Sydney season. They will tour the colony and go back for a return season in Sydney, when bhe summer has begun to abate. Haddon Chambers, the clever Australasian playwright, made £7,000 out of "The Idler," which is now going the rounds of tho English provinces. The play is a strong one, and will be shortly brought to New Zealand by a competent company. Mr Lawrence Irving, second son of Henry of that ilk, has resolved to join " the profession," and will tour this autumn with _.. R. Benson's Company. He is a strikingly handsome youth, and less affected bhan his elder brother, who foolishly imitates his sire's strut and mannerisms. Mr Henry Arthur Jones hae, during bhe lasb few months, written a play which he considers far superior bo "The Dancing Girl." Beerbohm Tree wished bo buy ib, bub Mr Jones means to produce the pieco himself ab the Shaftesbury Theatre, for the lease of which he is now negotiating. The young gentleman who, three months ago, undertook to finance Mr Horberte Basing ab bhe Shaftesbury, has, as I venture to predict, found the process somewhat expensive and unsatisfactory. His experiment, 'in poinb of fact, cosb him tivelve thousand pounds. Mr Basing took care of the authors, of the actors, of everybody indeed save, his unhappy financier. This , foolish person signed the most astounding contracts without flinching or turning a hair. He undertook, for instance, to run "Handfasb" eighb weeks' whether it was a failure or a success. As a consequence the authors can now advertise their precious drama as having made " a big hit in bown," bhough really afber bhe initial! performance it never drew a decent audience, or even approximately paid expenses. "Handfasb " was taken off one nighb' before the close of the period contracted for. Will, ib be believed that the authors are suing the luckless financier for thoir share of the missing night's takings? Some wag suggested the financier should send them a sackful of orders. The following funny story is told of Teddy Royce. He was taken ill with rheumatism ab Dunedin. His landlady was a Good Samaritan, who shed tears over bis sufferings, and resolved to cure him, and, in pursuance of this kindly resolution, she rose early one morning and filled the babh wibh hob water. Then she burst into Royce's room, and nexb moment she emerged with a small and three-parts-naked comedian howling under one arm, and a huge sponge in her hand. After that, there were wild shrieks and execrations from the babh-room, and sounds like a very small actor being violently bobbed up and down in very hob water, and kicking frantically in the process. Apparently, jhe was hanging on with all four legs to the side of the bath, and the Good Samaritan was shoving him in by sheer violence. Anyhow, the tumult died away in course of time, aud there was a greab calm. And by-and-by the landlady made a fresh bolt for the bedroom, wibh a brighb red but convalescent comedian under her arm, and a towel in bhe obher hand, and as Royce reappeared ab bhe theabre that nighb the treatment was evidently a success. I may as well say it is devoid of truth at once, for if I don'b, somebody else will be almost sure to, bub I always like to be first.

Sheridan's agent, Vincent West, is in Hobart Hospital with typhoid. West oughb to be careful where nurses are concerned. Nob long ago a constable was placed in thab hospital to watch a suspected man. He entered the establishment a gay, unfettered bachelor, bub, falling a victim to the charms of the nurse who attended the suspect, he lefb ib "engaged," in consequence of which much tribulation ha 3 fallen on bhat nurse's relations, and she was packed off to Sydney straight away. Says our London correspondent: " Arrah na-Pogne," which is almost as safe a card to play in London as the "Streets of London," will be revived ab the Princesses' early next month. Ib was originally produced ab this house 25 years ago, wibh Mr and Mrs Bbucicaulb, Geo. Wining Dominick Murray, Miss M. Oliver, and Jno. Brougham in the leading parts. Mrs Boucicaulb alone survives.

Roberb Cocks's new shilling album of dance music conbains ab least two good (bub nob new) waltzes, viz., Bncallossi's "La Gitana," and May Osblere's " Garden of Memories." The "Tres I.role" polka is also tolerable. Francis and Day's 1892 Dance Album I don't care for. There is boo much of thab classic ditty, " Hi, Tiddley, Hi, Ti," amongst the contents. Not satisfied with dominating a seb of quadrilles, ib absorbs a'polka. The" Hi 1 Ti, Hi 1" polka, however, might be liked. Ib has plenty of swing, and is good to dance to.