ABOUT MR. LESLIE HARRIS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXI, Issue 136, 9 June 1906, Page 13

ABOUT MR. LESLIE HARRIS.

Mr. Leslie Harris, the eminent English society entertainer, who visits Wellington shortly with Madame Lydia Yea-mans-Titus, under the direction of Mr. Allan Hamilton, was born in Liverpool, but was educated in Lohdon, where, owing to his precocious talent for the piano, ho entered into training for a musical career. At the age of 16 he secured by competition the post of organist at ono of the leading churches in Liverpool, and being called upon suddenly to replace a professional humorist who failed to appear at a Sunday-school entertainment, he awoke to the fact that ho possessed gifts as a comedian. This youthful beginning took the form of the then popular song "Sec me^ dance the Polkai and Harris s description is that "he sang it in his most earnest style, but it was a wicked effort." Aftet that the youthful organist's services as a Sunday-schopl entertainer were in constant demand in Liverpool and district, "and from that time," adds the humorist, "my descent was rapid. A daring and sanguine individual offered me half a guinea to sing at a public concert. Did I what? I should say I did ! That put me off my balance altogether." During these early days Mr. Harris was studying tho classic repertoire for organ and piano at the German School of Music, Liverpool, and it was not until Mr. George Grossmith heard him in public, and manifested a warm interest in his career, that he decided to take up work regularly as an entertainer. He also became an intimate friend of the late Mel. B. Spurr, collaborated with him in producing comic sketchos and pongs, and composed for him tho "imitations of composers," which Mr. Spurr afterwards introduced into his entertainments. Mr. Harris' 3 song, "Tho Ladies' Penny Paper," is popular throughout tho United Kingdom, and ho ha 3 himself performed it three times before King Edward. Naturally, the now monologue artist is as much attached in private life to his Beethoven-Chopin repertoire as over, and this serious musical work is by no means thrown away, since, in his own words, "it enables me to dress my humorous, songs in a gavb of decont harmony instead of imposing upon my audience the 'three chord trick accompaniment which has often bocn i made to do duty on similar occasions.

An audience which probably was the smallest in the world assembled— but "assembled" i» hardly a correct term to uso in describing an audience of one — at Her Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne on a recent morning, when the doors were thrown open for a copyright performance of the' new drama "Parsifal," written by Rev. T. Hilhouße Taylor. Such a "performance" is required by the copyright law, but the lines are merely read by the company. The prices here were £3, £2, and £1, and the audience (says the Argus) consisted of one gentleman, who paid the lowest entrance-fee for the privilege of being present. The management intend to have his sovereign mounted and presented to the author of the drama aft a memento of an unique occasion. The performance was a curious one. The theatre was empty, all the seats being in their holland coverings. In the centre of the dress circle sat the solitary paying spectator. The play was road by actors in overy-doy costume. The scriptural and lofty blank verse sounded strangely, coming from actors and actresses in straw hats and sao coats, and bonnets and waterproofs backed up by scenery that had done duty in "Arrah-na-Pogue." Rev. T. Hilhouse Taylor and Mr. Williamson travelled from Sydney to witness the performance. In the second lost week in April no fewer than five new plays were announced for production at London theatres. This list included "Dorothy of the Hall," at the New Theatre; "The Dairymaids," at the Apollo ; "Cuatlos in Spain," at the Royalty; "Tho Bond of Ninon," at the Savoy; and "The Girl Behind the Counter, at Wyndhams. Girls have had a remarkable vogue in stage titles for years past, soya to contemporary. At first she was some kind of girl with a distinguishing adjective, then a jjirl from some place ; now she is getkng behind things, though still holding her place in the forefront of tho stage. A telegram from Auckland states that the opening performance of "Tho FataJ Wedding" Company in Auckland was a repetition of the Australian triumphs. There was great enthusiasm and a record house. The Wellington season commences on tho 26th inst.