STAGE JOTTINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 84, 8 April 1905, Page 10

STAGE JOTTINGS.

After the tour of the Gilbert and Sullivan Company in New Zfealand, which will last till the end of June\ Mr. J. C. Williamson intends sending Miss Tittell Brune over here for a short visit. The talented- young - American tragedienne and her company have been hard at work with new pieces since they were last here, and they will; bring with them several new attractions.

The latest variety entertainment presented by Mr Rickards is perhaps the best hitherto seen in Auckland. Certainly it would be hard to excel the wire-walking performance of the Sisters O'Meers, or the astonishing feats of memory of the child Historicus. Altogether it' is a thoroughly bright and attractive entertainment.

The child Historieus (a small girl with a boy's name), who is in Auckland this week, is really a remarkable prodigy. The audience is supplied with a list of many thousands of questions, most of them requiring more or less full and detailed answers, and this extraordinary infant answers any or every one of them with a rapidity and precision nothing short of marvellous.

The English Comedy Company has now completed a twelve months' engagement with Mr. J. C. Williamson, and after the production of '"The Duke of Killicrankie" its members will be scattered again. As to their prospects especial interest attaches to Miss Rose Musgrovc, who has proved herself so capable an exponent of light comedy roles. For the nonce she resumes her place in the Royal Comic Opera Company, and is already studying the part of Peggy in "The Cingalee," which will be the attraction in Sydney at Easter. Miss Florence Hamer will be transferred to the KLnight-Jef-fries Company, where her capabilities are likefy to find an admirable opening. The rest of the English importations— Mr. Wilfrid Draycott and Mr. and Mrs. Permain (Miss Florence Le Clercq) return to London.

On March 4 Messrs. Frederick Harrison and Cyril Maude revived at the Haymarket Mr. Louis N. Parker's dramatic version of Mr. W. W. Jacobs' powerful little story, "The Monkey's Paw, ' which, by the way, has enjoyed a successful run in Paris of close upon 150 performances at Antoine's Theatre. On Tuesday, March 14, "Beauty and the Barge" was to replaced at the same theatre by a new comedy in three acts, entitled, "Everybody's Secret," an adaptation by Captain Robert Marshall and Mr. Louis N. Parker of Pierre Wolff's play, "Le Secret de Poliehinelle."

The run of '"'Peter Pan" at the Duke of York's terminated on Saturday, March 18, in order to admit of the production, shortly afterwards, of Mr. J. M. Barries new comedy, in which the two principal parts of an excxeedingly modern mother and up-to-date daughter are to be sustained by, respectively, Miss Ellen Terry and Miss Irene Vanbrugh. But, like the famous torpedo in "Olivette," "Peter Pan" is to ""bob up serenely' , at a later period. In point of fact, anyone anxious to book a scat for Tuesday, December 12, the evening definitely fixed for the revival of the piece, can do so now. It may be added that Mr. Barries fantasy will retain its place in the bill until the cud of February, 1906. Meanwhile, Mr. Chas. Frohman has completed -arrangemen-ts for its special production, at no very distant date, in America.

Mr Michael Joseph, manager for Anderson's Dramatic Company, which opens at the Opera Houso on Monday evening for a short season, informed "Orpheus." of the Wellington "Post." that there was a likelihood of Mr Anderson's pantomime. "Sin.bad the Sailor," which was such a success in Melbourne, coming to this colony.

Mr Tree's representation of "Much Ado About Nothing - ' brought firstnighters to the door at ten o'clock in the morning, accompanied, of course, by creature comforts, as well as the inevitable camp stool.

Miss Winifred Emery seems to have been the chief triumph in Mr Tree's production of "Much Ado About Nothing"; in fact, one paper at least sugi gests that there was no other part that was not disappointing. IVir Tree's own Benedick is described by the same paper as being the worst thing the tragedian k has ever done.

Writing to a friend in Wellington, the treasurer of tiie Stephenson Musical Comedy Company states that owing to the dengue fever epidemic the company had to close down in Brisbane for a week. Mr E- Laurie had suffered badly from the fever, and other members of the company were prostrated.

The success of Mr Williamson's Repertoire Opera Company leads my Wellington correspondent to express the hope that in future revivals will be far more frequent. "From both the vocal and acting standpoints," he says, "the several performances by the Williamson combination have won warm praise. The conscientious and capable work of the principals, the superb balancing of the choruses, and the lavish and harmonious dressing and mounting have all combined to make the charming old operas acceptable to the discriminating play-goer. "The Mikado , ' in particular was a brilliant success, tne cleverly terpreted libretto and the harmony of dressing and staging going to make up 'a most delightful production."

Miss Dolly Castles has falrlr captivated Wellingtonians with her delightful singing and acting (says my Wellington correspondent), and the young Victorian has a magnificent future ahead of her. Mr Howard Vernon has lost little, if any, of his old-time vitality, and in the several characters he indulges to his heart's content his taste for whimdJcal comedy. His welcome and unfailing source of humour are relished by play-goers! ' The other performers show a ready grasp of Gilbert's satirical conceptions. ••• - ■ The Knight-Jeffries Company are playing "Pygmalion and Galatea" in Melbourne to-night (Saturday), and are to stage "The Lady of Lyons" for their farewell on April 12. They open their Sydney season with "A Royal Divorce , ' on April 15. Mr Martin Harvey is making good progress with the preparations for his London season, which he now hopes he will be "able to start in time to share in the series of Shakespearian birthday celebrations. Since his appearance at Dublin in •'Hamlet' , he has introduced into the reading of the part many developments and improvements. The scenery for its London production has been specially designed to represent the architecture of the eleventh ■ century, upon the authority of Viollet-le-duc, while the costumes are being adapted from Grasset's illustrations to- the old eleventh century chronicles. Some of the models of the scenery are. by the way, to be included in the exhibition of the Scenic Artists' Association" at the Grafton Galleries in April.' Special music has also been composed for the occasion by Mr. Norman '•O'Neill.: • * 1 THE DEADHEAD.