SONG, STAGE, AND STORY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 253, 22 October 1892, Page 3 (Supplement)

SONG, STAGE, AND STORY.

Signor Foli, the greab basßO singer, closed his Auckland season in Abbobt's Opera Houso this week. His concerts, in which Miss Rossow and Madame Cole have taken prominent parts, have been most enjoyable and Bplendid musical treats. Unfortunately poor houses have been the rule with Foli in Auckland, and he cannot -look back upon Auckland with particularly grateful feelings. Tbero is one thing that mueb strike visitors in tho ' show ' line when they happen to hit Auckland, and that is that Aucklunders dearly love a 'free show.' This wasespecially noticeable in connection with eotne ot Mr W. H. Jude'a organ recitals and musicalo-oum-r'angelical lectures in this c-'v. Qi'rltft the weak Mr Jude's excellent cones*;.« and organ recitals were but sparsely attended, but when tho Sunday tree shows were opened tho City Hall was packed in every part, and standing room was at a premium. People will walk miles whore a free show or a more collection is concerned, whoro they would grudge a solitary shilling for a good performance where a chargo is made. Truly, outsiders most think us a community of ' dead heads !'

Air Judo's organ recitals and leotures have been highly appreciated by Aucklandors. The celebrated composer is doing a little ' Home missionary,' or rather, musical evangelical work, during his tour through the colony. Ho returns to Australia shortly.

Air Suazello opens again in Auckland shortly with a new aud entirely rovised show. On dit that his recent visb to Fiji has supplied Snnzelle with quite a number of ideas in the way of reproducing sketches of ' nigger' lifo in tho land of the big banana, aud that he intends to find Now Zealand audiences sn opportunity of shortly viewing- lanelighb representations, and native manners and customs. He is now ' doing' tho country districts. The Wills' Surprise Company open in the Opera House on Monday evening, having completed a most successful though short season in Wellington. Tho Company is spoken of as a most capable and clever variety troupe. A specialty of tho performances will be ballets and skirt dances. An old friend of Auckland visitors to minstrel entertainments is with the Company, in the shape of Miss Priscilla Verne. One of the lady members of tho troupe is Miss Alice Taylor, an Australian soprano singer. Thero are now two phonographs 'on tour' in the colony. Professor Archibald is in Wellington with one, while Mr Kelly has arrived in Auckland from the South with another—one of Edison's latest loudspeaking phonographs, with a voluminous record. He opens an Auckland season shortly. Walter Bentley is in the South with 'The Silver King," and will be in Auokland in a couple of months or less. The play is a very long one, the revival of the famous drama lastiug one night at Dnnedin until cloee on twelve o'clock. Anont matters theatrical, our London correspondent writes us by last mail: — During August, three only out of 21 West End Theatres have remained open, but rehearsals are now in full swing, and unless tho cholera visits us or the great heat continues, tho autumn season should be in full swing by the end of September. Music halls never cloae. They are, in fact, crowded with country cousins in August as with town folk in June or November. Tho latest (sensation at these shows is the so-called ' sorpenb dance' (invented by Lois Fuller, the American soubrette), which has cow an exponent at all the principal halls. The eftccb is produced by long streamers of silk hanging from the shoulders of the dancers, which can bo made to swirl very quaintly as the lady circles round and round. The movement caunot be compared with skirt dancing for elegance or art, but being novel ha 3 ' caughc on/ jusb as anything new does.

Mr Charles Wyndham's rule ab the Criterion has for many yoars past been, •When in doubb play—" Betsy."' This piece can always be Telied upon to fill the popular house in Piccadilly Circus for ft few weeks during the summer. So Mr Gilbert's " Haste to the Wedding," having proved, to that great man's disgust, an unmitigated * frost,' Mr Giddons (in Mr W.'s absence abroad), fell back on the old and useful programme. ' Betsy' was originally produced there in 1879 with poor W. J. Hill, Lytbon Sotbern, and Alfred Maltby, as old and young Birkoll aud Dawson, the tutor. All three havo since joined the majority, in fact, Georgo Giddens, Herbert Standing, and Lottie Venne are, I fancy, the sole survivors of the original cast. In all revivals up to the present Miss Vonne, who is just the same today as she was bwelve years ago, has played Betsy, but, unfortunately, the clever little lady happens to be touring in the Provinces with Chas. Hawtrey, so Mr Giddens fell back on Miss Jenny Rogers, a soubrette fresh to London. Mr Welton Dale nucceeda Lytton Sothern, or more recently Aubrey Boucicault, as Adolpbua Birketfc. David James, junior, is Dawson and Blakoley old Birkott. Far the best Dawson I c or saw was the lateFrod Marshall, at the Theatre Royal, Auckland, in the autumn of 1881. Audran's ' Mias Holyetb' (the original of ' Miss Deciroa'), is having a success in Paris similar to that achioved by the " Cloches de Corneville,' or, to go further back, 'Madame- Angot.' Sunday lasb saw its 700 th repetition ob tho BoulTes, the comediotta having run uninterruptedly sinco November 12th, 1890.

Mv Clements' ' reminiscing' concerning the great contralto Trebelli-Bettini, who has just died so suddenly, recalls v pretty story creditable to Adelina Patti. Many yeans ago. when the Bottini jurore was at its height, and Trebellt was a greater star than la Patti, the former was underlined to appear ab the opera as Rosina In 'II Barbiere,' with Signor Mario as Alraaviva, and a powerful cast. Evory box and stall in the great house at Covont Garden was taken, and the management anticipated making a large profit. Suddenly the painful news arrived that Trebelli had been taken ill and could nob possibly play. The management were at their wits end. It wsb half-past five in the afternoon, and to substitute another opera seemed impossible. In their dilemma they sent to Patti imploring her to come to the rescue, though they had littlo expectation that she would do so. The fact was, the impresario had not underlined the prima donna for the parb of Rosina in the operatic prospectus, and she had been much aggrieved thereby. The messenger found Mdlle. (as sl^e was then) entertaining a party of friends and just about to go to dinner. Hesitating nob a moment the littlo lady appointed a Biibstituto hostess and sending for a hansom drove off with her maid to Covent Garden, where they artived a quarter of an hour before thecurtnin rose. Never was the great singer in more glorious voic9, and ' Una Voce' and the interpolated ' Home Sweec Home ' were yiven with thrilling effect. A few yonrs later the idea of casting Trobelli for the parb of Rosina when Patti was available would have bonn RCoßed ah, but at this period the fair Adelina was only a rising ' star' in a firmament of prima donnas. Titiens.llma di Murska, Trebelli, Viardot, and Garcia were all her rivals in popularity.