STAGE JOTTINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 110, 9 May 1903, Page 2 (Supplement)

STAGE JOTTINGS.

The Anderson Company still hold the boards at His Majesty's. In "Dangerous Women" —a play of the most astonishingly "thin" material taat ever attracted a decent house—this clever company had small chances. Mr Diver's mad doctor wa3, from the standpoint of acting, a really remarkable piece of work. And the children were very charmingly taken, both characters being quite a triumph for the Hughes Sisters, and especially for little Pattie Hughes, who played the blind girl Polly with singular naturalness. But good acting has failed to redee.ru better plays than this. It was consequertly no s all relief when the heavy atmosphere of this epitome of all horrors gave place to the comparatively healthy air of "Two Little Drummer Boys" — a play which proves as popular now as when it was first produced.

Is it no wonder tha>t novelists and playwrights have in our time harked back to the light atmosphere of the court erf tke second Charles — the most voluptuous in most brilliantly extravagant and plea-sure-loving of all times in our history? There is an unmistakable n of gallantry over it all. Notwithstanding that the chivalry was not ru&tic, we have a delightful sketch -of homely gallantry in Anthony Hope's novei, ■■&iiiiuu uh.lc, where Nell Gwynn figures so bravely. Hope is, perhaps, before anything, a writer of sparkling conversation, and in Nell Gwynne dialogues he is on safe, sure ground. He gives you wit and , incident, dush and dazzle. Nelly he has surrounded bj romance with a leavening of truth which gives her oharm. And Frankfort Moore, another writer of our time, has pictured Nelly as an audacious comedienne, her impudence only exceeded by her attractive attributes. Both these writers are agreed that Nelly was fif.creature o-f moods of infinite variety. Her quick changing expression was such that one mood had no sooner flitted half-way o'er her animated face than another was pursuing it. The sketch thait Paul Kester, the author of "Sweet Nell of Old Drury"—in which Mis 3 Nellie Stewart and Mr George Musgrove's Company will appear on Tuesday next — gives us is said to be even more picturesque than those of his clever contemporaries. The furniture, scenery and accessories of "Sweet Nell of Old Drury" are reported to surpass in splendour and exquisite taste anything previously placed upon the Australian stage. Mr George Musgrove is said to have paid strict attention to every detail of the period. In "Sweet Nell of Old Drury," Miss Nellie Stewart has, I am told, undoubtedly found her mascotte, rivalling l in popularity even her now famous role of "Ma Mie Rosette." There are few actresses who have attained such eminence in their profession as Miss Nellie Stewart, "Australia's Nell " as she has been aptly termed. From pantomine and comic opera to drama is a big step indeed, but Miss Stewart seems to have walked into the latter as to the manner born, and achieved one of the most pronounced triumphs of her career.

The Steele-Payne Bellringers had the same hold on the public that they always seem to have. Theirs is a pleasant, breezy, homely entertainment, such as would refresh anyone of not excessively exacting tastes, and one was not surprised to find that the audience sat very happily through the concert, and went away clearly contented.

I am much interested to see that Herr Seeth has come to light again at the London Hippodrome. It is a large statement to make, but I do not believe that any more astounding turn" has been performed in any variety hall in the world than that of this jnarvellous Austrian. To be followed by thirty forest-bred lions into a large enclosure, to lie down with his head resting on one of their necks, to get them all seated on a merry-go-round, revolved by a pony, and all the time to have no weapon in his hand more formidable than a riding whip—all this means extraordinary courage, quite apart from the mysterious power exerted over the animals. As for the power, I , suppose no one can explain it, unless it is, indeed, by pointing to the absolute and unique fearlessness of the man. Fearless he is, for on one occasion I remember that a, lion seemed inclined to resent the jerformance, and growled at him threateningly. What did Seeth do? Did he have firebrands brought and gongs beaten and guns fired? Not a bit of it. He just turned his back on the fearsome creature, and smPed at the audience. And Leo knew his master, and subsided!

Mr Bert Royle received advices by last week's Australian mail that Mr J. C. Williamson's Comedy Company are doing enormous season at the Sydney Palace with "Are you a Mason." The takings for one week constituted a record, and were sufficient to clear all expenses incurred by the staging of this play for the season.

Though it has been given out that Mr Edward Lloyd, England's admittedly first tenor, will not visit New Zealand, it i 3 just possible that some satisfactory arrangement . will be come to whereby the fanlous vocalist will be enabled to make a flying trip to these shores at the termination of his Commonwealth tour.

In conversation with one of Australia's biggest theatrical lights a few days ago, a friend of mine gathered that , were the colonial theatres built on a more palatial scale, all the companies touring Australia would be subsequently sent on to New Zealand.

Mr George Stephenson, famous in the colonial football world, has been in Auckland during the past few days for the purpose of conferring with Mr Fred. Duval, prior to the latter's departure for Americfi. As is well-known, Mr Stephenson is at the head of the venture to bring over a first-class American Comedy Company to tour New Zealand.

The Sydney "Referee" states Mr Frank Thornton is said to have taken £1068 during thre first six nights of his present Criterion season. Good going, these times.

There is an artist named Dick Seddon playVsf in a new drama, "The Greatest Scoundrel Living," in England. The artist, it is only fair to state (remarks the "Referee"), should not be confused with "King , Dick," who plays the star part in "The Land of the Moa." don. It is reported in latest exchanges that Paclerewski has sold his estate in Kahnagorna, Austrian Galicia, because, it is said, the keeping up of the place, which cost 100,000dol, necessitated the outlay of a great deal of money. It is further said that the pianist intends to settle in Switzerland.

There were two birthdays celebrated on Thursday, March 12—those of Mr J. L.Toole and Mr August Manns, the famous conductor, "who has done so much to popularise classical music in England." Mr August Manns, who was born in 1825, has "composed" the following litany: — From ambitious singers with bad voices. From tiddlers who play out of tune, From Wagner disciples without talent, Good Lord, deliver me. Miss Beatrice Valtha, the pianist wellknown throughout the colony, has been offered a two-years' engagement with the Laesen's Concert Company of Columbia , Ohio, U.S.A., to tour the States and Canada, starting l in the fall of the present year. Miss Valtha (writes my Wellington correspondent) is likely to accept the offer, in which case she will leave Wellington ( which has been her headquarters) in September next.

On Saturday evening (writes my Wellington correspondent) the Majeroni Dramatic Company makes its .first appearance at the Theatre Royal, the opening bill being Mr Frank Harvey's five-act drama "Brother Against Brother." Mr Chas. McMahon has not been letting the grass grow under his feet during his fortnight's stay in town, as the energetic little manager's liberal billing clearly shows. Writes my Wellington correspondent on Monday.—After an absence of fifteen months, the Hawtrey Comedy Company will this evening inaugurate its second local season at the Opera House with "The Lady of Ostend." There seems no reason to doubt a. profitable season for Mr Hawtrey's Company, According to a London paper, a defendant at the Newington Sessions informed the Bench that for the last two months he had been trying to get an honest living by the sale of pirated music! Great Scot!

The clang of the clog wa3 heard nightly at the Bedford, London town, during the first week in March, where our old City Hall acquaintance, Mr Frank Leon, was superintending a dancing contest among amateurs, the first prize being a silver belt and the added distinction of holding the championship of North LonThe following anecdote is related of the late Mr Joseph Smith: —An intelligent performer, on applying to Mr Smith for an engagement at the Circus, Rochdale, received the following reply s— "Dear Sir,—Your terms are too high.— Yours truly, J. Smith.'-' The performer accordingly at once wrote: —"Dear Sir, — You must have been on the top of a steeple when you discovered that my terms were too high." The artiste secured an engagement. What a thing it is to have a voice and a reputation. During her tour in the States Madame Patti will receive something like £1625 for each concert she appears at. With this as a basis to go upon, an expert in a London paper calculates that the great singer will receive something like 12/0 for each second she is upon the stage. Madame Patti will sing about 1800 notes at_ each performance, so that each note will be paid for at the rate of 18/3 a note. A well-known actor in the English provinces was considerably surprised the other day to receive a newspaper containing his name in the "Deaths" column. Instead of writing a furious letter to tlfe editor, he is reported to have returned the paper to that gentleman with the following written across the announcement m red ink: "Postponed for further rehearsals. Date of actual performance will be duly announced later on."

An audience which recently attended the performance of the Broadway Burlesquers at Jacob's Theatre at Elizabeth, N.J., showed its disapproval of the performance in such strenuous style that the reserve police force had to be called out to suppress the flood of their wrath; The stage was mobbed, the lights put out, the windows smashed, and the signs in the lobby demolished. The company was escorted by a cordon of police. Mr Neal M'Cay, the tenor seen some months ago on the concert platform in New Zealand, is the latest exponent of Hariy Bronson in Mr George Muagrove's English "Belle of New York" Company, McCay, while he had a pleasing voice, will be remembered as something of a face contortionist.

A Wellington young lady appeared lately in Pinero's comedy, "The Profligate," performed by the Players' Club at the Theatre Royal, Sydney. Miss Alice Holroyd, the lady in question, is a daughter of Mr L. J. Holroyd.

An amusing story is told by the "Era" of a foreign juggler, who recently arrived in London. As he left the London railway station the juggler was accosted by a rough 7100 king man, who in the usual way said, "Carry yer parcel, sir?" and at the same time attempted to get hold of the juggler's luggage. The latter gentleman, however, had heard much of the rogues infesting London, and not understanding a word of English, he immediately summed the poor man up as a thief, and without a moment's hesitation he smote the would-be luggage carrier a heavy blow on the nose, followed by a severe bang from the luggage. The unoffending man fell in the mud, but speedily regaining his feet he flew at the juo-gler, and much dissension ensued to the great amusement of a crowd of idlers, who shouted. "Give it 'im, Bill," "Go it, 'air cut," etc. The police, however, arrived on the scene in time to prevent thj? bystanders from taking liberties wita the foreigner's worldly goods, and both combatants wpre escorted to the station, where, with the aid of an interpreter, the incident was satisfactorily explained, and the luggage-carrier was generously permitted by the juggler to fulfil his mission in life. THE DEADHEAD.