THE CLARA BUTT SEASON.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 95, 15 January 1908, Page 8

THE CLARA BUTT SEASON.

: PHENOMENAL BOOKING. ' ■ . Five hundred'and twenty'pounds' worth of; seats 'snapped up in tW hours l ; This, in't-lie ■ experience ;/6f Mr., M. J. Brookes, manager ' : for %e.. Dresden ■ Piano • Company;' is 'phenomenal booking. Long 1 before nine o'clock, yesterday-morning; the fo'ptpath/in-'frbni' of: the' Dresden ,! and part' of' tho ; roadyray/ was., taken up: by aii expectant: crowd of pcopfib' ■parting: to book' .their seats'-for the; recitals of Madame Clara- Butt,. Thoro Tvas nothiirg sug-' gestiyo of the " mob " about' this crowd —the members of tho proletariat do not patrouiso guinea; and half-guinea concerts—arid, whpti the doors of,the Dresden'warehouse''opened '' they streaimwl quietly'in., . ' Suppressed ek- ; citement was there, of courso, but the dis- ; ciphllo of good breeding kej)t it well,in hand. : , bido-combs, hairpins, and other easily-detach-able articles of a woman's tout ensemble' did", not litter tho■ side-walks, mute witnesses of' a desperate struggle. During the first two hours no loss thin £520 worth of seats had been booked. A special feature of the booking was the unusually largo number of country .orders. Mr. Portus, business, man-' ager for tho Butt concert;tour,-'informed our representative that these orders alone totalled something like 300. ■ • ' Ihe total result of yesterday's booking was upwards of £700 for the rierving oTtho h^rtnrl 3 ka'f-guineii[seats. Such wholehearted, practical enthusiasm must necessarily be gratifyingto' _ the enteiprising management of "this, 'imports.. at - ract ? oh ' . Tho •• great audiences' which are assured from the above returns will no doubt receive a rare'treat in hearing the great' contralto and Mr. Rum- • in- two programmes, the items' of which comprise many songs which have added to ' world-famed artists. Madame Clara Butt, Mr. Kennerley Rumand party,, accompanied by :Mr. Nevin lait, arrive here on Saturday, and will take up their quarters at the Grand .Hotel during their stay here. Despite tho'heavy bookim;; . some excellent positions are still; available for the reserved seats: Country.'clients have ihe , Privilege. °f haying, special .. areas reservedtor booking by post. ~.