STAGE JOTTINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 222, 16 September 1905, Page 10

STAGE JOTTINGS.

Mr Tree reopened His Majesty's The!at re on September 5 with Mr Com jus Carrs version of "Oliver- Twist." Mr Tree -was Fagin and Miss Constance Col- j lier NaaeT. Despite the evident fact that The Clngalee"' is destined for a run that, will challenge the records held by i '"Florodora," "The Orchid." and "'The ; Country Girl/ , preliminary rehearsal? I I are already in progress for "Teronique." j in which Miss Margaret Thomas, who has made such a success of Nanoya, i will take the lead, while Mr George j Lanri -will also be provided with a part | that should suit him admirably. Mr G-eerge Musirrove. the wen-known theatrical manageT. who has been ab- ; sent in England and America for the past- four months, retnrned to Sydney ! by the Sonoma. It is understood tha-t \ Mr Musgrove is contemplating the for- | mation of another English Opera Com- j pany with a Wagner repertoire; but j when asked a question on the subject recently by a representative of "The DaiJy Telegraph"" he said he preferred ■ saying nothing at present concerning his plans for the future. Mr Mas- j grove found a state of depression eat- ! isting, not only in the theatrical world i of Bngland. but in that of America, I wbeTe many of the theatres ■were clos- j ed before the end of thr season. Hγ ' was immensely struck "with the music ■of Puccini's new 7 opora, "Madame But- ■ terfly," produced at Covent Garden ; while ho was jn London. "To see the pe.rformance." he declares, ""was worth the whole trip."* The prima donna was Mdlle. Destinn. and the lenor Kig- ! nor Caruso: and though the opera was . not produced until late in the season, it shared 'with ""Lohengrin" and other important works the honour of four performances. Miss Jessie Maelachlan. the Scottish prima donna, i> now on b«r way to New , Zealand, and wiU open in Dirnodin en ■ the 20th of this month. Miss Madach- i lans toar will embrace the four centre*., comprising about 16 concerts in all The ■ Auckland season eommenoes on October j 9 at His Majesty's Theaiw. i The Knight-Jeffries Company are ■ now finishing up a very popular season at KalgoorDe. where the reception of each one of the pieces was most cor- j dial in character. From West Australia the company returns direct to Mcl- ' bourne, where it is due to open in "His I Majesty's Servant" at the Princess" ■ Theatre on September 23. The piece ! will be, followed by "The Darling of the j Gods. ,; and probably "David Garrick." ! The incoming Orient mail tt-eamer. the Ormuz, due to arrive in Sydney last Saturday, had on board Mi?s Susie j Vaugha.n and Mr Douglas Gerrard, -who i have come to Australia under engage- . mem to Mr J. C. WilliaiiiDon, to play leading paTts with the dramatic comi pany headed by Miss Tittel] Brune, both ; c-ommenring in "Merely Mary Ann." which will be the feature of the young American actress' Sydney season. That i season, owing to Mias Brune's holiday, i has been postponed until October 14, when ii will be opened in aD probability by a revival of "L'AiglOu."' j The Gilbert and Sullivan (company arc at present drawing excellent bouses at Adelaide, whence they go West to Perth and the Goldfields. As those centres hare not yet heard the company in their presen-t repertoire, the seven pieces of which should be more >b-a.ii snrfficient for a first instalment, Mr J. C Williamson has decided to postpone the production of "Trial by Jury" and "The Sorcerer* , (which the company are now rehearsing) until they return to Sydney, where they are due to begin a srason at tile Criterion Theatre in the early part of November. I Preparations are now complete for the i New Zealand season of Miss Nance O'Neill. The tragedienne will play seasons at Wellington from October o to 16, a,nd at Christchurch from October IS to 26. Tie Auckland season is to open on October 28. Begriming with an audience that crowded Her Majesty's Theatre. Melbourne, to the doors, the attendances at "The Cingalee' , remained at an extraordinary high levsl throughout the opening week, and when the returns were made trp on Friday evening, it. was found that the total had only once been ex-c-orded —on the occasion when "The Darling of the Gods* was produced by the Knight-Jeffries Company at the same theatre some time ago. The fact m= worth . noting, seeing that in a few weeks the ! picturesque story of Samurai days 'will ! be rerrf=ed in Melbourne by the same com- ! I pany. who have recently restored it to [ their repertoire. The Actors' Orphanage Fund is a rspf idly-jrrowingr charity in England. It is : chiefly maintained by annual performances in the different English centres, by [ "theatrical companies, the principal event talcing place in London in the form of a garden carnival. The last one took place a few -weaks ago in the Botanic Gardens, when ten people ware I present, but that was only the number ~, I that could get in. for quite"a» many were turned away. The "Dairy Chronicle" (London) suggests that Hytb Park 1 should be secured for next year's * carnival. "A short act of one clause is " j all that is necessary, and with a little lobbying by, let ue cay. Miss Winifred 1 , Emery. Miss Evelyn Millard. Miss Irene 5 Vanbrugb. Miss Nancy Price, and Miss Kati? Rorke. tbe thing might be done I even without tbe closure or an all-night r I '•'sitting." The main attraction was the s j performance of "Passion, Poison, and I ; Petrifaction; or. the Fatal Crasogene," *j a new and original tragedy, -which is i I best described by an admirer of George t j Bernard Shaw as the only serious play ', [which he ha= yet written. i j The prospects of ' Jack Shannon ' r i proving tbe most popular piece of Mr. - Andrew Mack's repertoire in the eyes f of Sydney playgoers have received sati;-----e factory confirmation. Although he play- - ed a ten weeks* season there his last six - nights, during which "Jack Shannon" I was staged, made a record for the sea- . son. Mr Mack and his company are . ! now in Brisbane for a short season. . 'and on the conclusion of it they leave ~ I Sydney for San Francisco. r I Miss Nance O'Neil, tbe American J tragedienne, wbo toured this colony in ■ 1900-1901. commences a short tour of ' New Zealand on tbe sth prox. Her re- | peitoire consists of "Hagda." "The Fires of St. John," "Queen Elizabeth." ••"Mari? Antoinette," and "Trilby." a Another rehearsal of the Hill-Birch 0 : comic- opera, "A Moorish Maid" took t ' plac-p last night. Miss Rosina Buckman, who iias undertaken the principal soprano role (La Zara) at very short dop tice. has already made such progress therein as to practically ensure a success y ' for her in the part. Miss Buckman be- * i longs to Wairarapa, and went home to . i England, where she has had several years Jof training. Although she has only ~ I made one previous appearance in opera, '" j she has declined several earlier offers. c i Mr. Fred. H. Graham arrived in Wel- ! liogton last Sunday to take control of ■ the stage part of the production. The (, j Wellington season opeas on Monday. Sep-

I The Brough-Flemming Company enter<ed on its last eleven nights at the Prina=s5 5 Theatre, Melbourne, with a production of Mr. Barries highly successful comedy "{Jnality Street." . I A pathetic incident happened in a ; certain town in Hungary, where Mark. Hambourg was giving -a recital. The blind Prince X.. who is well-known to I have been an intimate friend and ari dent admirer of the late Anton Rubinj stein, was present in tbe audience, j j Suddenly he rose from his seat, and ex--1 claimed: "My dear Anton: My dear Anton: They told mc you were dead!" i And with these words he endeavoured !te find his way to the platform. He j had been so vividly impressed by the i similarity between Hamboiirg's playing ' and that, of Ruhinstein. t-hat he had ■. actually thotight the Maestro was there ' iin persoD. and 51 was some time before j bf could be convinced of his error. j Mark Hambourg. who was visibly a.f- ---| fected. aiterwards spent some time as ! a Efupst of the veteran music-lover. ! awakening pleasant recolleftions by ' playinc to him mairy of Rubinstein's j ' favourite soloi. j At a recent meeting of the Actors' ! ! Fund of America, Mr Daniel Frohman j was talking about playwriting. He ex- ! plained, more for the benefit of the ! reading public than for those present.! j says the "Liverpool Post." what "snap" \ ! meant in drama. "To succeed."" said ! IMr Frohinan. ~a play must have snap. : Literary men. when they write plays. | forget this fact. They cneate dramas | ;of literary, bm of no dramatic worth. ' Snap i> everything. A jitcrary man ticked mr the o"i her day to t«ll him j what snap na-. 1 described a play to ! ; him —a one-act play—that was full of fnap. The play opens, a? i explained. , in a drawing-room -wiih a man and woman seated >ide by side on a sofa. I embracing each other passionately. \ Into the dra-wing-roorn stalks a man | ] w-ith a grip and an umhrella. Of eonrse. | the husband, unexpectedly returned. | i The husband no sooner «ees the couple lon the sofa than he whips out a re- i voher and kills, them both—hei first_ , h-nj afterwards. Then he puts on his j i gla.sses. and ( Joofcinp eJaout him. sud- i denly gives a gr?at si-art. "Good heavI ens! , ho exclaims. "I'm on the wrong iflflt , .' That's snap.'"" THE DEADHEAD. j