MIMES AND MUSIC.

Evening Post, Volume LIX, Issue 11, 13 January 1900, Page 3 (Supplement)

MIMES AND MUSIC.

[By Obphetts.! COMING EVENTS, OPERA HOUSE. Williamson and Musgrove, 9th to 23rd January. Mr. Len. Parsons, a member of a gifted Wellington family, played tho Major-General in a recent performance of "The Pirates of Penzance" by amaWurs at Bulls, Rangitikei. His acting and singing came in for much commendation. Mr. Will. Jameson, who conducted the business "in front" for Herr Friedenthal, the pianist, on his recent visit here, has gone on tour with Montgomery's Kinematograph Company, now in the South. Mr. Richard Stewart, senior (father of Miss Nellie Stewart and Mr. R. Stewart, jun., at present in Wellington with the Chinatown Company), one of the best known of Australian actor-managers, has returned to Sydney, his native city, after am absence from its stage of nearly twenty years, and is now representing Mr. J. C. Williamson at the Theatre Royal as treasurer. The dramatised version of "Tess of the D'Urbervilles " was due at the Theatre Royal, Sydney, to-night. The three principal characters, those of Tess, Angel Clare, and Alec. D'Urberville, will be played by Miss Edith Crane. Mr. Thomas Kingston, and Mr. Tyrone Power respectively. The drama opens at Farmer Crick's harvest supper, where Tess, a beautiful dairymaid, who has struggled away from the evil fascination of Squire Alec. D'Urberville, is genuinely in love with Angel. In response to his entreaties to say why she persists in refusing his offers of marriage, Tess promises to leave a token on his window sill at night, which will explain all. Accordingly she places there a letter confessing her longregretted relations with Alec, together with a wild rose as a mark of her affection for Angel. The tragedy of the drama arises from the theft of the letter by Tess's mother. Angel takes her to his arms as the curtain' falls, and a fatal misunderstanding is established. The second act is largely devoted to the pathetic scene in which Angel discovers the truth on the evening of their marriage, and' immediately resigns his grief- , stricken bride and leaves for Brazil. The third act shows the abject poverty of the Durbeyfields, and Tess's heart-broken consent to save them from the workhouse by rejoining Alec, who has brought ncr false news of Angel's death The , action of the novel is still faithfully followed in the last act, where Angel reai 1718 tO , En 8 1 ?»d and finds Tess with • Alec. There is a terribly tragic and tnrilling; scene in which Tess suddenly stabs the taunting and boastful fiend . who has again betrayed her. Angel re- . appears, learns the horrible truth, and • lues with his wife, whom he now fondly \ loves Beautiful passages of the novel 1 preceding the final close are then repro- . duced. ' Stonehenge is revealed with the , sun slowly rising, and Angel kneeling by the sleeping form of the weary Tess! bno is completely in the toils of the i pursuers, who surround her on every ■ side, as the rosy shafts of light gild and glorify the solemn monuments, heirs of all eternity, amidst which this touching • story of an erring soul is brought to I i close. ■ The death of the veteran Australian 1 actor Edward Gladstone, at the age of > «I years, is recorded by the Melbourne papers. He died at Fitzroy in one of the » cottages of the Theatrical Charities Ory ganisation. Mr Tom Fitzgerald (Fitzgerald Bros.' " r i CXX r )f accom Panied by his wife, has • left for London to engage a new com- > pany and obtain fresh attractions for i Australia. • rJS* neW S u voy o °P era > " Tho R ose of • P^sia; or the Story Teller and the l biave, has made its appearance. Speak- , ing of the first performance, the Daily : Chronicle says :— ln the new comic opera ' bir Arthur Sullivan has given the Savoy , patrons some of his daintiest workman- ■ snip. Whilst of effervescent spirit, the score is totally devoid of vulgarity. . Among the charms of Savoy opera, of 1 Silk T> froD \ t £ c musical P omt of view ; lno Kose of Persia" is a good specimen 1 mv\ unbroken fl °w of simple melody. Whether in ballad or in concerted piece • with pendent dance, tunefulness prevails. ; .... On the whole, there is no i trace of exhaustive labour in his latest " is for the most P art as fresh i and buoyant as though it had come from l the pen of a young musician rejoicing in • the strength of having captured the ear t of the public and meaning to retain it , Miss Ada Colley, the Australian coni tralto, is in New York, and has been , appearing in Koster and Bail's music l hall programme for some time. She was i recently married to one of the directors . of the above hall, a very wealthy Jew, , Sydney Cohen, from Chicago, and it , is said she will not sing in public any . more. Mr. J. C. Williamson, who has bet come the lessee of tho Theatre Royal, ; S y£ney, re-opened the house with • ,1, Onl y Wa y>" a dramatic version , of "The Tale of Two Ciues," by'Freel man Wills. Mr. T. Kingston was the Sydney Carton, and a strong company . supported him. There was a large aud- | ience, who gave the drama,, which is said , to be idyllic and "weepy," a cordial re- , ception. Dante, brother of Dante the Great, whose untoward death was recently recorded, wus booked to open at Auckland on the 10th inst. Mr. Edwin Geach, jun., is managing the tour. Sir Arthur Sullivan has resigned his post of conductor of the Leeds Festival, Professor Standford, it is believed, will take his pluce. Mr. George S. Titheradge has, .next to Charles Hawtrey himseli the principal part in the new piece "A Messenger from Mars.' It was originally assigned to Herman Vtzin, but Alter looking it over tho Grand Old Man of the stage -couldn't soo his way to frisking in farcical comedy. Hence tho luck of Tithoradge, who hud no such scruples— London corrospondenl Sydnoy D.T, A performance bjr Mr. Wilson Barrett at tho Lycoum, London, a week or two ago. in aid of the Lord Mayor's Transvaul War Fund rosultod in £402 15s being netted. Mr. Charles Wyndham's taking* ut tho opening of his new theatre, which wore devoted to the families of the "Absent-minded Beggar" totalled £4000. . Mr. George Leitch has dramatised the Btory "Bun Uur," un Eastern tale, undor tho tiilo of "A Prince of Jerusalem," mid it in to be played presently in an English provincial town for copyright purposes. "Floradora," tho new musical comedy ab tho Lyric Theatre in London, written by Ow*n Hall (author of "The Geisha") und Leslie Stuart was successfully brought out last month* Miss Ada Reeve as Lady Holyreod, a widow pursuing a millionaire with matrimonial intent, is bright and vivacious, Binging, acting, ■ and dancing with much effect. The death is announced from West Australia of Mr. Walter H. Woodfield, who was well known as a member of the "Firm's" Comio Opera Company. He created many comic opera parts in Miss Kate Wrigglesworth, elocutionist, is prepared to attend at homes, evening «ntertainments, etc. Address, 47, Upper Dixon-street. Vacancies for a few pupils. — Advt. Programmes, cards, posters, and general show printing can be procured at Evening Post Theatrical Printing House. Telephone 1270. J

his time, and his Pooh Bah in "The Mikado" was one of the best. Unlike most operatic artists, he was not only a good singer, but a very good actor, too. ■