MIMES AND MUSIC.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 66, 14 September 1907, Page 11

MIMES AND MUSIC.

[By Orpheus.] CUMIN U EVENTS. OPEHA HOUSE. WiHousfliby-Ward Co., in -lasoH to Zlst September. J. C. Williamson, 23rd September to 9tU October. Allan HaniiUo:i, 'Qth to Mth October. Harrison's Gymnastic Display, 31st October. M.iitin Swallow's Conceit, Ist Xovcuibcr. MaoJUhon Cumpim. 2nd to loth November. Allan Hamilton, 22nd November to 6th Decembi r. Pollaril'a Juvenile Opera Company, 7th to 17th December. J. C. Wtll'ameon, lEth to 22nd December. J. C. \Vi)l<iiiuson. 26th December to 16th January, 1903. TOTS .UilL. ■Tess'.p Maclach'.m Concert Company, 16th, 17th, and 18th September. TIIBATBE ROTAI*. Fu!!ir'a Vaudeville Company. Mr. 6. H. Barnes arrived in Auckland last week as general manager for Messrs. Mcynell and Gunn during their forthcoming tour with MiE3 Maud Hildyard, who opens in Auckland on Monday under the direction of Mr. Allan Hamilton. West's Pictures, now in Queensland, intend revisiting Xew Zealand, and will commence the tour at Auckland in November. A special attraction will bs De Groen's Yicc-Ilegal Band, a popular fcJydkiey institution. It is said that Mr. James Brennau, who controls the National Ampitheatre iii Sydney, has now entered into the possession of the Gaiety Theatre, Melbourne, and purposes extending to Hobart. Vaudeville is very popular iv Australia, and the managers seem very solid. Mr. Breftnan deals mostly with the Australian iiitist, who fills the bill as well as the imported article. London is going to .have a playhouse after Hio style of the 'Guignol in Paris. It is to seat only 300, and to be called the Little Theatre. Prices : 10s, 7s 6d, and ss, with occasional "students' nights" at lower figures. The plays given will mostly be short, and such as are either too subtle/ or too sultry for the ordinary stage. Mr. Wybert Stamford has been en gaged as stage manager by Mr. J. 0. Williamson for one of his companies. Mr. Stamford has had consideiable experience in this work in South Africa, where he produced many plays for tlio Wheeler-Edwardes Company, including "The Dairymaids," "Tho Catch of the Season," and "The Beauty of Bath." After its visit to New Zealand, which will come to' a conclusion about the middle of November next, the Paiitumime Company return to Australia to i begin the preparation of the pantomime for nest Christmas, for, which Mr. J C. Williamson has alreadj made several important engagements m Lou don. The Harccrart Beatty-Madgp M'lntosh Company will commence, the first reason of Messrs. Meynell and Gunn's ten years lease of the Theatre Royal, Melbourne. .Besides possessing their lease of the Theatre Koyai, Messrs. Meynell and Gunn have secured a lengthy tenancy of the Criterion "lhcatro, Sydney, and •>vill retain attractions in these theatres Jiimultaneoiisly.

The Chicago News stated recently that a lawyer > sailed from New York ior London to arrange the details of an international theatre trust. Tho journal quotes Mr. Erlanger, of Klaw and Erlanger, as saying : "Wo are about to make our interests co-extensive in J'.'uropo and America." Messrs. Klaw and Krlangcr are the principal members ot the great American theatrical trust, of which Mr. Charles Frohman is albo a member. Recently they have gome largely into the variety business. Mmo. Melba, through her private secretary, Miss Agnes Murphy, forwards to the press v kind of proclamation in connection with her visit to Melbourne, the point of which is that she does^ not wish her many friends and admirers to tako umbrage at her intention to spend her holiday in strict leUrem^xt. Mine. Melba "remembers »«th gratitude the welcome extended to her in 1902, and will equally treasure the compliments of seclusion for which .she asks on this occasion." Alrtadjj the great singer has had to refuse many requests for public appearances during her visit, but under ho circumstances will sho sing in public. On the other hand, this reigning representative soprano of the operatic stage Europe promises to make every effort towards carrying out a tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1909. Melbourne has already taken Madame Clare Butt to its collective heart, and since she landed in that city .each of her many public appearances — at official receptions, concerts, theatres, balls and so on — have all been provocative of increasing interest. • In addition she and her husband, Mr. Kennerley Bumford, have made many friends in' their private capacity, their engagements from da-y to day including a full course of society functions at the invitation of J all the best known members of Melbourne's leading society sets. The mest 'significant feature of the whole visit however is the way in -which the public aro evincing their desire' to hear her. Booking has been exceptionally heavy ever since the box plan opened, writes Mr. Tait, a steady stream .attending at the box office every day. The number of seats reserved, indeed, passed. the record for the Melbourne season a very few days after tho plan opened — not only for the first concert but for the whole scries. Tho cablegrams informed us on Wednesday of the great success" of Clara Butfs firsfc concert. The Dunedin Amateur Operatic Society, at present rehearsing "Tho Belle of New York," is anxious to produce the musical comedy earlier than originally intended. In all probability tho piece will- be "staged in December, enquiries for dates in that month having been made at His Majesty's Theatre. All the bookings of various companies afc the- Princesu Theatre, Dunedin, including those of ' Herbert • Flemming,' Bland Holt, and Mr. Anderson for the latter end of 1907 and 1908, aro to be transferred to His' Majesty's Thoatirb. No outside company will be able to book dates at the Priiicess Theatre after the ' season of the Willoughby-Ward combination in October. Madame, Clara Butt sang several times for ths passengers on the Mongolia, and became indeed the idol of the ship. Ono concert, given in aid of the Distressed _ Seamen's Fundbrought in over £100, and in addition the sale by auction of several pro-

grammes autographed by Madame T iutt iralised another . substantial sum for tho fund, one copy fetching as high as 20 guineas. * Mr. Alfred Hill has not iclinquishcd his idea of producing "The Moorish Maid" in Dnncd'in. The coraic opera, "Pasquin" understands, will bo pioduced in His Majesty's Theatre in December next. As the opera >has nevei' been heard in Duncclin, il should go well with lovois of good music in that city. Tho Stage says that Mr. Frank Thornlon, who is to visit tho colonies again under Mr. Edwin Geach's management, has secured the' Australian rights of ths curtain-raisers The Bookworm and "Clause No. 6," both by Charles Windeniere, and .will play them on his forthcoming Australian tour in front of "When Knights Were Bold." ' Miss Emma Temple will make her leappearanco on the stage in Melbourno this month in a well-chosen part as Miss Pyeehase, the autocratic schoolmistress imder whoso stern rule tho gymnasium girls practice in "The Dairy Maids." The Sydney Herald says that many people havo probably forgotten thab before hor 'long association with the Broughs in comedy, this clever actress indulged in tho frivolities of comic opsra, ;>nd burlesque. She -had an important part' in" "I^it'tle Jack'Sheppard,'' for example, and .ha.ppe.ns also io have bee" prominent. in the only other gymnasium scene for girls 'that has ever been staged: — the one in that' vivaoious comedy of Pinaro's "Ths Amazons." tMiss Madge M'lntosh, the new leading lady ■ for the, Harcourt Beatty Company, has arrived in Australia from London, under engagement to Messrr,. Meynell and Gunn. Miss M'lntosh will appear in .the leading female role of tho newlyrformed Beatty-M'lntobh • Company, of which Mr Harcourfc Beatty is leading man. Mr. Gastoji Merv'ale is also a .prominent member of the comjjauy. Miss M'lntosh will make' her first appearance -in Australia iv "Hey Love Against the World," at the Theatre Boyal, Sydney, -to-night. Amongst tho other plays, to <be ' included in the company's repertoire is the romantic drama "The 'Midnight Wodding,"' "Second to None," "Prince 'and tho Begparmaid." Like Mr. John Fuller, juu. ? Mr. Harry Richards's photograph and interview appears in London Era. "I do not know any place -in tho world where there is such a- theatre-going public," is" his opinion of Australia. Mr. Richards enumerates to the Era man the theatres he controls in Australia, and remarks also, in a casual way, that ho "has '• short ' leases of nearly all the principal theatres in New Zealand," which is calculated to cause a wrong impression He might have said that ths "Jease" extended for only twoi or three weeks, that 'his visits to this colony' were like' tho angel's visits, few and far between, and that it was scarcely, worth while malting the'vi'sits more fre quent, as Fuller and Sons were permanently jnbtalled iv. vaudeville' m the four centres, -and owned their theatres. But one' could scarcely expect it ! Messrs. Meynoll and Gunn have arranged a strong supporting company for the New Zealand tour of the Eng' Tsh actress, Miss Maud " Hildyard. Amongst the principals are included Messrs. James Lindsay, Conway Wingfield, Trncey Borrow, ' Boyd Irwin, Rutland Beckett, Xoel Stokes, W. Bovis, Misses Amy Singleton, Hilda Aleade, E. Guildford Quinn, and Jean Thome.

Miss Hildyard is part autnov of two ! ploys* in hey repertoire, viz. : "A Beautiful Fiend," and "The Groat Awakening." Miss Hildyard appears as \Va,nda ljiibinoff in "A Beautiful Fiend," and Lola Selby in "The Gieat Awakening." In consequence of the fulfilment of important Australian engagements, tlie tour is necessarily short. Only the leading centres aro to bs vifited, with ono night each in New Plymouth, Wanganui. and Palmcrston Noith. Miss Hildyard and her company left Sydney on Wednesday for Auckland. "Mrs. Wiggs, of the Cabbage Patch," the amusing comedy which is Having such a great 'run iv America and Loudon, has been acquired by Mr. Edwin Geach for an Australian imd New Zea land tour. '"Mrs. Wiggs" is- one of the successes of the present season in London, for it has been running there since May last, at Terry's Theatre, ancl appears 'likely to continuo to amuse crowded audiences for an indefinite period. Its record in the "United States extends over four years ; but when it was proposed to take the play to London, Mrs. Ma'dgc Carr Cook, who appears as Mrs. WjgRS, thought, it "sheer madness" to talk of such a thing, as it was fap too local to interest Londoners. TJiis prediction proved quite erroneous — a (u^^umstanco which merely shows, liko many others in the history of the stage, how difficult it is to teli whether I the public will like or dislike a play. j The scenes outside Terry's in the early ! history of the London run wore described as "extraordinary," people waiting nightly in long queues ; and at latest advices tho piece -ivas still prospering, though Mr. Gaston Mayer was searching for another theatre for it, because of certain- contracts previously booked for Terry's. 'Its -London success lias be.en attributed by the Tribune to its "fresh, dean, homely humor, with a leavon of kitchen ' philanthropy. " The offer to Sir. Geach includes an English company to come out to play "Mrs. AViggs." Theatrical dins — Maskelyne and Cook are to visit Australia next year, under the direction of Mr. H. Hay ward, and will appear first in Sydney at Ea.ster. ... . Percy Denton is in Sydney, at. the National Ampitheatro. .' . Holloway's Dramatic Company is at Melbourno Bijou. Mr. Harry Sweeney is playing leads. . . , Charles J. Stine and Olive Evans will be starred next season in ,i three-act version of their [ sketch. "A Bachelor's Holiday," says a New York paper. ■ . . Reported that <i new theatre is to be built in Castlci-eagh-. street, Sydney. . . Walter Rivers and Nina Rochester recently left Manila- for America. . . Mr. Hayden Coffin, the well-known operatic tenor, tna under, taken a tour of the Moss-Stoll variety f circuit in England. Mr. Courtice Pound's I and his sister, Miss Louie Pounds, • are also -pci'int* to the variety stage. . , . The Dunedin Mason of the Pollard Juvenile Opera Company was a repetition of tho success gained in Christchurch. . . Miss Marie Narelle k still* improving in health, but the period of her resuming her professional work has not y-2t l>een fixed. . . Mr. Gregiin M'Mrhon has joined the "Miss Lancashire Limited" Company, and is .low appearing at the Palace Theatre, Sydney. . . "Marquis, is it possible to confide A secret to you'i" -'Certainly; I will b& as silent a.\ the grave." "Well, then, I havo absolute need of two thousand pound?."' -'Do not fear. It is as if I ii'id heard nothing."