MIMES AND MUSIC,

Evening Post, Volume LXX, Issue 61, 9 September 1905, Page 13

MIMES AND MUSIC,

[By Obfhecs.] COMING EVENTS. OPERA. BOUBB. Fitimaurice Gill Company, in season, Wellington Boxing As3ooiitlon, 20th Stpfccm. . H iil', B L rch °PelP cla > " The Moorish Maid," 25th to JOtli September. v Wellington Physical Training School, 2nd Oc tober to 4th October. Xance O'Neill Dramatio Company, sth Octo ber to 16th October. Brough-Flemming Company, 18th October to 4th November. Knight - Jeffriei Company, 9th November to 29th November. THBATBE ROTAL. . "The Hugirdea," Magical Sketoh Oompanv, m season. " UIS JUJESTX'S THEATM. Fuller's Kntertamerg. The concert, dnmatic, and vaudeville, stage was well represented in Wellington last week. Mr. Frederic Shipman, in advance of the Jessie M'Lachlan Concert Company, and' Mr. Norman, representing Hugo Heennann, passed- through the city; the MacMahon Brothers and tho Fitzinaurice Gill Dramatic Company, Mr. Stephenson's "Magic Kettle" Company, Idler's Entertainers, The Hugardes, magical sketch artists, and company, Mr. Edmund Montgomery and his Entertainers, and Mr. M. B. Cuxtis and tile American Novelty Company all being in town. Miss Eose Musgrove was sufficiently •recovered to take her part of Sabine in "The Cingalee" Melbourne. "The Coquette," the Sydney-written | opera, is not spoken well of by the Bulletin. " . . Australians who went down to bless remained to curse a hotch-potch of reminiscences of 'Tho Geisha,' 'Ploradora,' 'The Runaway Url,' and all the rest of the tripe that has emanated from the other side of the world the last few decadent years. . . ' ,The plot "is just puerile, the dialogue wearisome. . . On the other hand the music is very fine." ,' Mr. Clyde ileyn'ell, who is commencing an Australasian tour in Melbourne touight^ with the farcical comedy, ' "The J.P.V in an interview with a. Melbourne Herald reporter said : "After Christmas, I am bringing outjvYery"~remarkable musical drama, which has been a tremendous success in America, and in England also, where three companies are playing it now. It is "The Fatal Wedding," It is not an opera, but a, musical drama, a very strong drama of tbe "The Silver King 1 ' type, with splendid choruses, naturally antroduced, and dances by children—altogether, ifc' is a very fine thing, I and cannot fail to catch on." Hearty congratulations to Mr. Ben. Fuller, the popular manager of the firm of Fuller and Sons, the enterprising vaudeville- amusement providers in this colony, on his' approaching marriage. JJr. Fuller is to be wed to Miss Lily Thompson, of Auckland, in November. The future Mrs. Ben Fuller was understudy for Madame Lillian Tree in the Auckland 1 production of "A, Moorish Maid," and is a highly popular and accomplished lady. Her late father, Mr. H. Thomson, was for many years the leading baritone in St. Patrick's Cathedral, Auckland. A Melbourne correspondent writes : — Mr. J. 0. Williamson has finally decided to still further increase the repertoire of his operatic company with "The Sorcerer," "Princess Ida," "Trial by Jury," and "Utopia, Limited," all of which would . be sure to attract large audiences. Further, there are sevei-al oxd opera, bouffe favourites and musical plays outside the Gilbert and Sullivan list which might also be attempted. Pagel, the strong man, who toured Australia , with Fitzgerald'g Circus, has struck it in South Africa, and is by way of becoming a wealthy man. Pagel, who is due in Capetown at an early date, has toured Natal and the Transvaal, business being big everywhere. The big German is supported by a vaudeville company, including his wife, who now enters the lions' cage. - Mr. James Brown Potter has sailed hastily for England to render financial assistance .to his former wife, Mrs. Brown Potcer, who is said to have involved herself in difficulties in London (says Melbourne Table Talk). Last autumn, after waiting eighteen^ years for the return of his wite, whose rooms in his villa at Tuxedo were long left untouched f' r her home-coming, Potter finally rried again, leading a Virginian i .auty, Miss May Handy, to the altar, but this has not etfaced in his mind the sentiment of kindly sympathy for Corp. Potter, who still bears his name. Of this name he is Inordinately proud, and his distress at' the idea of its being implicated in ■ a financial scandal such as that by which Cora has been overtaken may also have something to do with his determination to go to her assistance. Boris Hambourg has a keen sense of humour, and can tell a. story against himself/ He bears no slight .resemblance to Kubelik, and, on one occasion, while on the way out to Australia, where he and j his brother gave 65 concerts, a lady on board, wishing to show off her knowledge i of musical celebrities, said to him: — "Oh, do you know, Mr. Hambourg, you are extremely like 'Kubicle.'" The remark was made in the presence of several passengers, and for the rest of the voynge Boris was known to everyone as "Cubicle." But the lady remained in Blissful ignorance of her mistake. On another occasion, after playing at Sydney, a bevy of charming young Australian ladies (this part, says Mr. Boris, was very nice) came up to him, and to his sudden and intense disgust, Pxclaimed: — "Oh, Bore us, how beautifully you played!" And this, adds the virtuoso sadly, "After doing my very best." But perhaps the best story of all is of a New Zealand lady,, who, after hearing tho brothers play (without music) a Beethoven sonatu, was overheard to say to another lady in the audience; — '"Look at those wonderful boys. They play everything by ear." An important operatic event in London on 12th July was a matinee at Covent Garden .Theatre, organised by Madame Melba, for the benefit of Mdlle. Bauermeister, an operatic singer, who had been before the public for 40 years. As early as 8 a.m. people assembled j outside the gallery, and by 3 .p.m., when the 'curtain rose 011 the first act of Gou- j nod's "Romeo, et Juliette," the house presented tho appearance of a Melba and | Caruso night, save that morning dress waa worn. Mme. Melba, though suffering from bronchitis, in order to keep fuith with the public and to show her regard for.Mdlle. Bauermeister, sang not only in "Romeo et Juliette," but in the third act of "La Boheme" with Signor Caruso. The proceeds amounted to £1300. Mr. Ben Fuller has always something refreshing and novel to vary the endless variety of his popular programme. His latest comes right on the heels of the classical craze, which is now the rage in New York, London, and Paris. In those great centres ancient neulpture is causing a sensation outrivalling the wildest furore ever created by a skirt dance or "Ta-ra-ra-buom-de-ay." Mr. Fuller is going a step further than the rest by representing in tho flesh of "Tho Modern Milo" what hithftrto has only been done by the chisel in marble or by tbe camera in picture. A striking and humorous contrast is provided by Cruikshank, the caricaturist, who with giantlike strokes of a clever pencil, shows the cartoonist at work. While "The Modern Milo" recalls the high artistic

genius of the Old World, Cruikshank pourtrays in life-like style the prominent figures of the present day. "The Modern Milo" leaves Sydney to-day, and makes her first appearance at His Majesty's on Friday next. The handsome Mrs. Maesmore Morris, who was in Wellington with the Nellie Stewart Company, has obtained in Melbourne a divorce from her husband, who is now in South Africa. The petitioner in her evidence stated that she "was thirty-two, and was married in 1892. Her husband gave way to intemperance, and she had to leave him.- "One night," she said, "during the performance of 'Tha Two Little Vagabonds' at the Theatre Koyal, my husband came into tho stalls in a very drunken state, and interrupted the performance. He ' was most abusive. He called me dreadful names, and was thrown out. Somo weeks later I met him in the street, and he asked me to have lunch with him, so that we could have a chat. I waited an hour for him, but he did not turn, up. On another 'occasion, as the Theatre Koyal was closing, the - stage-door-keeper came to me, and said Mr. Morris was at the stage-door very drunk and fighting a lamp-post. He was abusive, and threatening to do for mo. In consequence of this I left with my brother by the front entrance. Since the time I left the house at my husband's order ho has never said i anything else to me or offered me -money." Covent Garden witnessed an unrehearsed scene recently, when M. Marcoux, who, in the part of the Commander in Don Giovanni, ha» to fight a duel with the Don, was wounded in the throat. By some accident the foil .used by Don Giovanni was without the protecting button at the tip, aud when Scotti, who ! was playing the role, made a lunge at his adversary, the weapon entered the latter's i throat, inflicting a severe cut. The wound bled copiously, but the actor struggled manfully to maintain his part, aud succeeded in doing so without the house realising that anything untoward had happened. The opera doctor, who is always present in the" house, was called in, and treated the wound with stickingplaster, and M. Marcoux was able to appear towards the close of the opera and sing the few bars allotted to him. Madame Sarah Bernhardt recently paid a visit to the famous wild beast establishment owned by Mr. Cross at Liverpool, where ono ( of the tigers took her fancy. Whilst caressing the animal it took a violent antipathy to the handsome feather stole she was wearing. Quickly lifting its paw, it dragged it from her neck. The actress immediately drew back and seized one end, while the tiger tugged viciously, at the other, ultimately getting away with part of it. Mme. Bernhardt, adjusting what remained of tho stole on her shoulders, laughed heartily at the incident, and astonished everyone by her coolness. A North Island tour will be inaugurated nest week by Mr. Edmund Montgomery. He has a well-earned reputation for giving a thoroughly up-to-date entertainment. To keep abreast of the times another fine and most varied collection of moving-picture films has just been received from London. Many of the subjects are new to the colony, and have been specially selected from London and American present successes. "A Trip up Mont Blanc," "The Great American Bank Robbery," and "Tampering with the Derby Favourite," are of a sensational nature, while a historical picture depicting pageants bf great beauty, and tho vicissitudes of the ill-fated Queen, Marie Antoinette, is said to be a most interesting series. The humorous element is well represented by many subjects full of mirfch-provoking incidents, including tho extremely funny chase after "The Lost Child." An entirely new set 'of pictured melodies have been secured. Among them are two of a distinctly patriotic flavour in "A Soldier of Japan," and "Lest We Forget." The illustrations ate said to be most artistic in grouping and colouring. Musical monologue items will be sandwiched between the pictorial display. Mr. Montgomery's enterprise merits well-deserved patronage. ' Puccini's opera, "Madame Butterfly," described as a Japanese tragedy, was given successfully at Covent Garden in July for the firet time in England. The libretto follows the play of the same name by John Luther Long and David Belasco, and retains its pathos excellently. The opera depends for its charm on its impressionistic style, its thoroughly vocal quality, and its rich flow of melody. It marks an advance in the orchestral writing of Puccini, arid will doubtless when better known rival "La, Boheme" in popularity. Clips: Miss Maud Dalrymple sang to Mr. Boosey in London, with the result of being engaged for appearances at the Promenade and Chappell concerts. . . Mr. J. C. Williamson commands at present five organisations, comprising 300 people. The total is made up thus : Royal Comic Opera Company, 95; KnightJeffries Company, 50; Miss Tittell Bruno's Company, 40 ; Gilbert and Sullivan Repertoire Company, 76; Nance O'Neil Company, 40. ... The Denefit to the veteran profesMonal Mr. George Ward takes place at His Majesty's Theatre, Dunedin, on September 15. . . Abomah the Giantess, recently through New Zealand, is now exploiting Australia under her own management. _. . . Chiquita, a tiny lady who is but 28 inches high, and Annie Redline, a large lady who reaches the imperial proportions that tip the scale just under 600 pounds are on exhibition in America. . Mr. William Haw trey sailed from Sydney from America. . . . It is said that Amy Castles has wisely refused engagements to sing at the Opera Houses of Toulon, Toulouse, Geneva, Tunis, Nismes, and Algiers, because tho greater number of their roles were Witgnerian. . . . Miss Beatrice Holloway is ill and in a hospital in Melbourne. . . . Miss Elaine Ravens- | berg, the principal "boy" in William Anderson's panto, sailed for South Africa a week or two ago. ... On the last night of "The Earl and the Girl" in Sydney Miss Maud Amber was presented with a miniature map of Australia in gold, on tho back of which was engraved : "To tho Pick of the Bunch, from the Girls and Boys." ... In Berlin a Japanese troupe is playing in Japanese. Kuroki is star of the troupe, and two plays, "Ronin" and "Fatutn," comprise the i repertoire. . . . ' Mr. Edwin Geach has leased the Criterion and Palace Theatres, Sydney, for Christmas. . . . Tho music of Mr. Seymour Hicks's next musical play, "The Lady of Bath," which ; »vill be produced at Christmas at his new ■ theatre in Aldwych, will be written by Mr. Jerome Kern. . . . Mme. Melba sang "Carmen" in London recently, and ; made considerable of a failure of the part, say 8 an American paper. ... On the cards that Miss Ada Reeve returns to Australia next year. . . . "A Silent Accuser," a drama, by Bernard Espinasse, the Australian author, had its first representation at tho Crown Theatre, Pcckhom, recently. . . . The scenery for "The Cingaleo" has been duplicated. Mr. Williamson being desirous of all towns seeing the gorgeous mounting of the opera at its best, has had a touring set painted. Tho properties are also being reproduced. A woman bill-collector called on a leading society lady to try to get her to fiottle a bill for a sable coat. "I am sorry," she said to the collector, "but I can't settle this bill at present," "Very well, madnra. When shall I call again?" the collector asked. "Well," replied tho lady, "ifc would hardly be etiquette for you to call again until I have returned the present c»U."-