Song, Stage and Story.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 42, 20 February 1897, Page 2 (Supplement)

Song, Stage and Story.

Things have been very quiet in tho theatrical lino here for the past week or two, but a number of attractions are promiaed for tho near fuburo. After Carl Hertz's season Pollard's Opera Company will open on March 3rd, to be followed on tho 20th by Mr George Rignold. He has jusb completed a good season at the Sydney Theatre Royal, and is now preparing for a shore season ab Newcastle, opening there on the 27th. A noticeable now name in the Rignold bills is that of iMiea Georgia Smitbson, the well-known comedian. Pollard's Opera Company are at preaenb Repeating afc Hokitika. They pay at Grevmouth on the 23rd and 24th, Neleon on the 25th, leaving for Auckland next, day in the 9.8. Mahinapaa. Afcor their Auckland isoaflonthey Will play four nights at) the Tliamea and thence to New Plymouth, working their way through bo Wellington. Ohrietchureh and Dunedin will follow, after which the Company eails for Adelaide on May 3rd. Cail Hertz, having concluded a long season in Sydney under Mr Harry Rickarda management^, will commence a eeason in Auckland this ovening at the Opera House. The clever conjuror has braveliod almost ail over the world in the course of bis career. He has been decorated twice with the Legion of Honour, once by President Carnob, and once by Queen Isabella of Spain, after giving performances before them. Ha nl?o appeared before tho late King Ludwig, the mad monarch of Bavaria, who insisted upon his going through the performance in the empty theatre, with no other audience bub tha King himself. On several occasions, also, he has exhibited hia powers ab Maryborough Houee, before the Prince of Wales and family. Professor Alexander Herrmann, tho famous prestidigitateur, died from heart dipease on December 7th, in his private car, near Salamanca, New York, en route to Bradford, Pa. Mr Alfred Dampier considers thab the craze for plays which relied for success upon women with a past and men with no possibility of a future is dead.' Mr Carlyle Smybhe, who is spending Christmas ab Durdham Park, Bristol, tells roe there is good reason for beliaving that Paderewski will carry out his conbracb and visit the colonies under the ' much trave'led's ' auspices next year.

Miss Ada Croesley epenb Christmas ab 'Brookfieid,' Green Lane, Liverpool, as the guesb of Mrs Hill, sister of Dr. Alex. Wat?on, Ti.N., Inspector-General of Fleets and Hospitals, who travelled through Australia with the Duke of Saxe Coburg. She sane in ' Elijah ' at Liverpool'on 22nd insr., with Ella Russell, Edward Lloyd, and Charles Santloy, and made a huge success with 'Oh, Kesc in the Lord.' Mr Fred Cowen, an old Australian favonrifce, conducted the performance, which was a very fine one.

Tho Brough Company are back in Melbourne, drawing ac well as ever. ' A Woman of No Importance' is the present attraction, this being the first time i!> has been produced in Melbourne. Bland Holt continues bo do well ab the Royal, where ' For England ' has been replaced by 'The Derby Winner.' Harry Rickards, who is already running two shows in Sydney and one in Melbourne, thinks of taking over the Adelaide Bijou Theatre.

The Potterßellew Company are drawing splendid houses in Obriatcburch, and their season in that city promines to equal those of Wellington and Auckland.

A piece of more than ordinary interest was booked for last Saturday night afc the Melbourne Princess, being the dramatised version of Anbhony Hope'a brilliant story, • The Prisoner of Zenda.' Thab the fascinating romaace lends itself to dramatisation is amply proved by tho wonderful success which marked its production in England, and there should be nobbing to prevent its having an equally successful run in the colonies, whore it is now being staged for tho first time. The mounting is Baid to be on a moeb lavish scale, and to fill the principal roles, the ' firm ' have imported a number of prominent ERerlish actors, including Mr Julius Knight, Miss Nellie Mortyne, Mr William Hawtrey (brother of Mr Charles Hawbrey, fche famous English comadian), Miss Ada Ferrar, Miss Blliofcb Pace. Mr Gaston MorTale, aud Mr H. J. Carvill.

Mr George Clutsam, formerly of Auckland, has written the mu&ic for tha piece which is to succeed ' The Gay Parisienne ' at the Duke of York's Theatre, London.

'To succeed on tho stage,' saye Mrs Kendal, 'a woman must have the epidermis of a rhinocerous, the strength of a man, and the feelings. Bay, of a graven image.'

The Alfred Woods Dramatic Company are ab present appearing in Wellington, having commenced a season thera on Monday night.

Curl Hertz, quite recently aba party, had been delighting the company, especially the ladies, with various tricks. AH this time one of the parlour-maids bad been passing in and oub with caps, cakoa, glasses, and bo on. Sha was much interested, and when the hostess gave the Bien that nothing more was needed, the girl still lingered to see the completion of the trick just) begun. • Will someone oblige me wibh a heavy shawl or cloak V says Carl. ' Wow, you observe the tbicknesß of the shawl. They all did, breathlessly, including the maid at the door. 'Now, will one of you be good enough to write a number of three figures on a piece of papor, being careful not to lot me see what in written.' With trembling hands one of the girls did so, while the maid at the door leaned forward and began to breathe hard. 'Now place the. written paper (says the conjurer! with the figures on the upper Fide under the shawl, as 1 hold it.' 1b was done, the thickness of the spread shawl being bewean Carl and febe paper as be looked towards it. There was breathless silence. Then he said, 'Surely the number ia 761.' Ib was. He had seen right through the thick shawl evidently. ■ Everyone was dumbfounded with amaze men!). Then upon the silence broke tho shriek of the maid ab the door. Wish one final gaze at; the shawl and one nb the handsome conjurer, she hid her rosy face ia her hand?, yelling ab the top of her voice, 'What's tho good of me clothes?' and fled. LITERARY MOTES. From Messrs Oliver and Boyd vve have received a copy of their Edinburgh Annual Almanac for 1897. This is the eixtioth j year of publication, and tho number under] notice contains some 1,183 pages and is published ab 6s 6d. The book contains some comprehensive etatistica relating to Scotland, and also a groat) deal of information of a more.cosmopolitan character. Tho information embraced iv such & corupre-

heoßive reference annnai aa the Rdmt Almanac must of necessity be it%Z '!* every parb by the ceaseless n^ 'R^happening daily ab H and ?""« ' Thus while the general L? abro»<i. pironb volume JayZt *» closer examination of the vartu! lar- * will at once show that ca^S^ bhe in reduction of much new Z S7°* brought the details thoroughly * K aV<l The chronicle of events fmm & dtlt «' 17bh, 1895, to December 7 J°T B o?ece^ found exceedingly inter e ,Vin ' t W"1 b * President Cleveland nSSj J ,r6co^, regarding the yen^uelan^ouDdarv 8? pute ; Dr. L^oder Starr JatteS Li raid into the Transvaal ter r iJo rv °^ matters connected therewith • S» rebellion ; the Italian Army h SL -1" 1 Parliamentary a ff airs . th/LuTff' bory's lebter resigning the leaderWp ol £ Liberal party, etc., etc a^l ha ebanding parts of the Almanac of th£t»£! universal interest may be mentioned t °K condensation of important Acts of X menb, a section devoted to the sO9Ar!--and ruler, of the chief states of Z Z ? an extensive account of the d&n**Z* ' officers and members rf S^ftS' Government and Parliament and the N,! and Army, a section de voted to the ScoS peerage, and another to the pKgJ educational institution? and cent™. Z °»i? United Kingdom The wh?.".*?^ very carefully and extensively indexed Mr Quaritch the emb^t bookseller who managed lasb September to draw ul Gladstone on his collecting craze\ aSurl d tbo; Academy' the SprSgeS publishing the result. There is mJI matter of race, a greeb deal in theenui divested of the inevitable Gladatoneee bu one or two fragments, may interest' out readere. For example the G.O M con eiders a book-collector ought) to poesU tfc" following six qualifications : Apnatii* leisure, wealth, knowledge, dhcriminatW and perseverance. Ho himself claims only the lirst and the IaBD, but others ■■* 11 " probably agree he possesses tho remain ing four also The veteran bibliophile eaye :—The oldesb book I have-that uj cay tho one longest in my posseßeian-wm pre=entod to me personally by Mrs Hannah More. Ifc ia a copy of her • Sacred Dramas' printed and given to me in 1815, eighty-ona years ago, and was accompanied wi&h a pretty introductory sentence, of which I remember only the Brsb words. They wen these :—' As you have just come into this world, and I am jueb going onb of it allow me—aDd so forth. My purchases com! menced a few years after that time, and I have a variety of books acquired ab Eton Among them is a copy of Mr Hallam's 1 Constitutional History,' in quarto, presented to me by hie eon Arthur, the dnbjsctof 'In Meraoriam,' and at that period my dearest friend. Book buyers of the present day have immense advantages in the extended accessibility aDd cheapness of books which, whether in the ancient or modern languages, ought to be considered classical. I have a copy of the 'Spectator' in eighb volumes, Bvo., wbioh cost me£4, and I hold Scott's poems in the small volumes at a somewhat larger price. These were bought in 'the twenties.' The enormous development of the secondhand book trade, and the public fpirife of many publishers, have also been greatly in favour of book - buyers. . .., . Aj quantity has been my strongest point, I may without offence reter to it in comparison with quality. An able and learned person of our day bought for hie own use 20,000 volumes. They were examined and valued for eale (which never caae off) in London, and it was predicted that he would netfc from them eight thousand pounds, or a little over two ebik lings a volume. Nearly at the same time a library of somewhat over half the quantity, but rich in raritie*. brought (not at, auction) About six pounds a volume. . . .' Though, as I have said, a beggarly collector, I have had a few specialties. One I will mention. I accumulated more than thirty distinct rifatimcnli • f the Book of Common Prayer. Many of thuee had prefaces which' commonly ran to tiua effect: 'TbeProyfir Book is excellent-. But ib has some blemishes. Lab thorn bo removed, and it) will find universal acceptance. : Accordingly, I have performed this operation, and I now give the Reformed Prayer Boole bo the world.' Butlhave never obenined, and have never seen, a second edition of any one of theea productions. I greatly doubt whether they have usually paid tbeit printers' bills. The new " Gadshill' edition of Dickens,of which the first two volumes ('Pickwick') were published a few days before Christmas, will rank with the • Border Scott' as the moat sumptuous and convenient extant. Its supremo attraction lies in the illustrations, which are practically identical, touch for touch, with the earliest impressions of the first editions. Two seta of plates were originally made for each book. One was used for the first edition and copied and recopied for countless subsequent! ones. The other was packed away to increase in value, like wine, with age, This second cab has now been unearthed and given to us in the ' Gadshill' issue. The volumes are ouperbly prinked and furnished with introductions by the übiquitous Andrew Lang. The ons to Pickwick does, not contain any specially novel and interesting facts or reflections though to Londoners the portions anenfc the vanishing metropolis of 1837 are nob altogether agreeable reading. The Rev. John Wafceon, D.D., otherwise 1 lan Maciaren,' returned Home from his triumphal lecturing progress in America on the 24th of December, and re-appwe" in his own pulpit at Softon Park Cbspeli Liverpool, on Chmbmaa Day. It v inCff' eating to note the attitude of bis congregation townrdfi the reverend gentleintn. Of course, there are many pleased enough 6o rovel in his notoriety and ehinein bis reflected glory. 'Our parson b ■»" Maciaren, and he came to tea at my house yesterday, etc., etc.' But there are otbera who would gladly wipe out lan M«s!aren. and all his works if only they could ge« back the beloved spiritual ffnide, -wno was everybody's eupport and helper, sbo himself a shilling example of «*o highest Christian virtues. 'Trouble cftOo to Mr Watson (said one of bia friends on Christmas morning) trouble came ana eicknesa, and he preached and worked ana prayed better than ever. In adversity ne was splendid. Then followed a brillianß turn of fortune's wheel, and be wOB,^ 1?. the singeing fires of prosperity.' 'A" found wanting.' ' No. certainly not shouldn't dream of saying such a thingHe is still a great) and good roaD, butrmorbal, distinctly mortal.1 'What aw J°* expecb?' 'One thing or the other. * conceive Dr. Watson's duty * bia family might have »eeeesite<«° him for the time beiDg abandoning his work as a minister, and making «°° most of his literary gold mine. Or one■ wj» hoped he might, on the other band, t» the gold mine as a subsidiary consiaeistion to his cure of souls. I confess I .aon like the blend of parson-cum-novelisD^ showman. We have had to pub up « indifferent sermons at chapol in order She world mi-hb enjoy "Kate pa'n6^ t Naturally, we are not as onthusiebto 8"^ the book ac the general public. »y « way, wasn't) his Fermon on "'Kind''o j this morning admirnble V ' Excel ent.^ gather then you would bo sorry to lof* Watson were he to uocepb the ca • Marylebono Chapel, in London, wb6tl ~j P.>nt«cns6 goes.' 'Sorry isn't tho vro^.j The chapol would go to piecQS. °hl j Half "lao Mnclaren" is better. • K n deal bßtter than no Watson at all.