MIMES AND MUSIC.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 09, 11 January 1908, Page 11

MIME S AN D MUSIC.

[By OarHEUS.} COMIXU EVENTS. OPERA HOUSE. J. C. Williamson, in season to 10th January. Pollard Opera Company, 17th January to sth Febnury .■:. C. "Williamson, 6th February to 25tU Febtuai y. Flemming Company, 28th March to 17th .April. J. C. Williamson, 18th April to Bth May. K. Geach, 11th May to 20th -May. / J. C. Williamson, 23rd May to 13th Ju«. Allan Hamilton, 20ih Junp to 4th July. E. Geaoh, 16th July to 25th July. J. C. Williamson, 14th August to 31st August. Allan Hamilton, 2nd September to 22nd September. Warn' Holt, 3rd October to 20th October. West's Pictures, 23th November to 19th December. ,t. C. Williamson, 26th December to 14th Januerv / To\m Hall, sfadaits Claai Butt, 2C-'h «nd ' 2nd January. THEATRE ROTAL. Fullsr's Vaudeville Company. * TOWN HALL. Madame Clara Butt, 2Cth and 22nd January. Mr. Tom Pollard's Juvenile Opera Company follows Williamson's Musica 1 Comedy Comyany at the Opera; Hotise. The juveniles have had a prosperous time in Auckland, full houses being the rulo. "The Isle of Bong Bong," an American musical comedy, will be staged during the forthcoming season, and it is said that it will prove as entertaining as "His Highness tho Bey," the dialogue being smart, and the music pretty. This popular company is sure of a hearty welcome on its return. Mr. George Callender, writes from Zeehan, Tasmania, to say that tho Helliers have just returned from a trip to England and Europe with a number of new mystic novelties. The Hellers ■will tour the Dominion early in the year, and Mr. Callender is now booking dates.~ s Mr. A B- Walkley, the dramatic critic of the London Times, confesses that he doesn't care much about the theatre. "My life," he saye, "is among the fruit trees in my Surrey garden. I have a passion for gardening, and a whole library on fruit culture. Those are my favourite book.s " The following wero amongst the chief Christmas attractions announced at London theatres :— -"The Babes in the Wood," Drury Lane ; "Robinson Crusoe," Lyceum ; "Aladdin," Adelphi ; "Alice in Wonderland," Apollo ; "Peter Pan," Duke of York's. The salaries of pantomime principals, according to an agent,/ are higher in London this year than ever. Miss Marie. Lohr's success in London appears assured. She is to have- a part in a 'new play at the Haymarket — Mr. Michael Morton's adaptation of Albert Guftion and Alfred Bonchinet's fouract play "Son Pere," which made an immediate success at the Odeon two months 'ago' It doals with a divorced couple who, after 16 years' separation, are reunited by the sweet intercession of their daughter, Jeanne. For this part Mr. Harrison has engaged Miss Some curious things happen at re~hearsals, and a most extraordinary accident happened the other day in Melbourne to Miss Irene Dillon. She was practising the dance which follows her Bong, "Wouldn't You Like to Learn to

Love Me?" in which she introduces some clever back kicking. In one pirouette she threw hor head too far back, and her foot curled right over it, os that the heel of her boot hit her temple, breaking tho skin just above the eye Anybody who wants to appreciate tho difficulty of tne feat is advised to try. it personally. ''Humpty Dumpty," the successor' of "Mother Goose," appears to have attained popularity in Melbourne, though it is too early yet to see whether ts run will be as long as that of the pantomime which preceded it. One of the features of the new pieces which is said to be full of spectactular effects, is a huge wheel revolving amidst the blaze of maay coloured electric lamps. There te a rora) ballet, in a sceno depicting the ocean depths, and an Australian States ballet and nursery rhymes ballet are also danced. Edward Lauri and May Beatty, who were appearing at the London Tivoli, forward' to the Beferee a bunch of appreciative notices. "Says tho Daily Express : "Mr. Edward Lauri, who has been scoring a big success in Austialia, is making a hit with his miniature musical comedy 'In Her Boudoir,' at the Holborn Empire, which he has brought on from the Tivoli. Ho is preparing a big sketch, which will be seen in London directly, called 'The- Lady Bandits. ' This is by Mt. Charles H. Sargent, who is adapting Mr. Jacobs's stories to the stage. In 'Th© Lady Bandits' we shall have a squad of giantesses, with Mr. Lauri as the Home Secretary on holiday. The music will be by a well-known com1 poser." ' Before his death. Mr. Henry Ivemble, who was conscious to the last. left_ telegrams to be sent to Lady Bancioft and Mrs. Leigh : "All is over. God bless you." Mt. Kemble; who was a greatgrandson of the aclor Roger Kcmble, complete 1 his fortieth year on the stage recently. Among liis friends he was alwaj'3 known as ''Beetle" Kembie, from' a blown cloak which, he wore as a young man, and he was for years a popular member of the Garrick Club. On one occasion he was induced by a iriend of his to attend an amateur performance. His friend, a well-known mon about town, was himself in tho c>.st, ar.d was annoyed to notice that Kembie left after the second act. The next day the two men met, and the amateur asked the professional why he had gone at that point. "It ivouid have been rude to go after the first act," was the solemn reply. Mr. Kembie once played in a rather bad comedy written by a notoriously irascible dramtist, and there was friction at tho rehearsals. One , morning the> author very sarcastically pointed out to Mr. Kembie that 'he was 'not playing in a melodrama, and advised him to speak as if he were in an ordinary drawingroom. The actor instantly replied, "Mr. , I should not dream of paying such silly, vulgar things in an "ordinary drawingroom." Music-loveis are looking forward to the, two concerts to be given ir Wellington by Madame Clara Butt and her concert party. The Town Hall will bo used, and I the dates aTe Monday, 20th inst., and Wednesday, 22nd (Anniversary Day). Madame Butt's first Australian season came to an end on Saturday, the 28th December, with a concert in the Sydney Town Hall, which was attended by a tremendous audience, who exhibited an unrestrained enthusiasm, and exacted full toll from the famous contralto in the matter of encores. Ever since it com-

mencßd the tour has been one of imbrokon triumph, and already tho number of concerts which Madame Butt contemplated giving in tho whole of Australasia has been considerably exceeded. That original number was twenty-live, whereas thirty-one now stand to her credit in the Commonwealth alone, without counting in the forthcoming New Zealand tour or the return' visit of farewell which she is to pay the chief cities in Australia before' she finally leaves again for England on 28th. By that time Messrs. J. and N. Taifc' estimate that she will have given no less than sixty-one concerts, considerably more than double the number it was expected would b& given, and that total is far more likely to he exceeded' than diminished. This is easily a record lor any artist who has previously visited Australia, and the record is maintained not onjy in the nuinJoer, but a,lsp in tho financial returns accruing from the series. In short, Madame Butt's visit will long stand in the recollection of all Australasian musiclovers. Two visiting actresses now making their first tour of Australia are members of Mr. Frank Thornton's English company at the Sydney Criterion — Miss Bello Donaldson, who plays Ladyßowena. in "When Knights wero Bold," and jtfiss Beatrice Bramah, who is the Miss Isaacson of the same cast. Miss Bramah, who has been for five years on the stage, spent more than four years as a member of Sir Henry Irving's companies, and was with the distinguished actoT in his last tour, .when death came to him at Bradford. Like all who have met Sir Henry, Miss Bramah speaks enthusiastically of his kindly and chivalrous nature. He was a gallant gentleman, who in one of his last public utterances at Wolverhampton, insisted on remaining bareheaded when speaking in tho open air, in a keen wind, and thus contracted a chill which hastened his doath. As one of Sir Henry's company in hif> lnst tour of America, she .had an opportunity of realising then how eminently popular he^ also was on that side of tho Atlantic' Miss Bramah, who was born in Lancashire, and went at an early age to London, comes of a. theatrical family. Her aunt was Mrs. Edmund Phelps, daughter of the celebrated tragedian. ' Sirs. Phelps, who died not long since, visited Australia with Mr. George Edwavdes' Gaiety Company, and it was her glowing descriptions of this country which induced in her niece a, desire to visit this part of the world. Like Miss Bramah, Mis 3 Donaldson, who claims Manchester as her birthpkice, has had a good deal of experience 'in the English provinces, and included ir> it has been a comprehensive tour in "Monsieur Beaucaire," in which she pjaypd Lucy KeltPtton. She- had a part for a yea^r in "The Breed of the Treshams," a successful play, as yet unknown here, produced by Mr. Martin Harvey, who is a gieat favourite in the provinces of England. One of Miss Braniah's, recent engagements was in Miss Irene Vanburgh's part, Amy Gray, in a provincial tour of "Alice Sit-by-thc-fire," organised by Mrs. Kuss Whyttal. iOne old friend who wished her well in her Australian visit was Mr. G. W. Anson, whose name playgoers in this part of the world will hear with pleasure. Mr. Anson, who has lately been with Mr. Beerbohm Tree, often speaks of Australia, and espress^b many a -wish to come out hero again. The Bulletin understands that, about next July, the name of Walter Baker will appear in big nigger typs at the

head of the bill wherein John Wren and George Musgrove .will announce- that they have rushed inio melodrama at Melbourne Royal. The New York Dramatic Mirror states that the reason of Mr. J. C. Williamson's coming to New York at this time is to discuss business with Mr. Charles Frohman. Mr. Williamson controls in Australia rights to all of Mr. Frohman 's New York and London productions. Their next important venture together will be <i big Australian production ot "Peter Pan," which will havo its premiere in Melbourne in April next. The title role will be played by Miss Minnie Tittel Brune, who has been starring for three consecutive- years without break under Mr. Williamson's management. Mr.' Frohman and Mr. Williamson aro bringing Miss Brune all the way from Australia to study the production of "Peter Pan" as it is being played by Miss Maude Adams. Later Miss Brune will go to London and rehearse the play under the direction of James M. Barrie, the author. Theatrical Clips. — Edwin Geach's "Modern Adventuress" Dramatic Company will tour Australasia. . . Miss Dorothy Sidney, lato of the Julius Knight Company, wasmarried on the 31st 'December, lo Mr. Claude M'Kay, of Sydney Daily Telegraph. . . Montgomery's Entertainers aro "resting" in Wellington They leave for tho country next week, en route for Auckland. . _. MacMahon's Pictures did splendid business on the West Coast at Christmas time. They wero at Nelson on Wednesday. . . James Bain leaves for England shortly to engage artists for Brennan's Vaudeville Theatres in. Sydney and Melbourne, . . Harry Eickard's family and Mr. and Mrs. Mass accompany him to England in March. They ■will be absent seven months. John Fuller, senior, also leaves for Eng land in March. . . Madame Spada and Philip Newbury are returning to Australia. . . ■ Mr. Edward Lauri was amongst thoso engaged for the Christmas pantomime "Sindbad the Sailor," at Mr. Mulholland's new theatre at Hammersmith on Boxing Day. . . The first important event of the new year so far as tho London Lyceum is concerned will be a- revival of "Romeo and Juliet," with Mr. Matheson Lang as Romeo, and Miss Norah , Kerin as Juliet. . . Charles Blake and his company were on the West Coast at New Year playing to good houses. .. . Fuller's Touring Company was in the Hawkes Bay district at latest. The company returns to Wellington shortly to reorganise. . . "Blue Bell in Fairyland" has made a decided hit in Sydney, everybody — pros> and public alike, joining in praise of the all-round cleverness ofAthe young Australians who make up tHe cast, and tho dainty whimsicality of its book and music. . . "The Merry Widow" has beaten all records at Daly's Theatre, London. It was originally intended that tho opera should run only through the summer season, but now it looks as if it were settled for another twelve months at least. . . . Mr. G. S. Titheradge has been engaged for an Australian tour under tho Williamson management.

"1 suppose you go to the city at least once a year,"' said the summer boarder. "I used tew," replied tho old farmer, "but I ain't been thar fer nigh onto three years neow. Since we got rural fren delivery I kin git bunkoed jisfc as well by mail, b'gosh !"