MIMES AND MUSIC.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 122, 23 May 1908, Page 11

MIMES AND MUSIC.

[Bx Obi'hkus.]

COMIKIi EVEKTS. OPERA HOUSE. 1. C. Williamson, 23rd May to 13th June. Allan. Hamilton, 20th June to Ith July. E. Geaon, 16th July to 25th July. J. C. Williamson, 14th August to 31et August. Allan Hamilton, 2nd September to 22nd September. Bland Holt, 3rd October to 20th October. Weat's Pictures, 25th November ( to 19th Doeember. ,' J. C. Williamson, 26th December to 14th Januwy THEATRE ROYAL. Fuller* Vaudeville Company. HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE, Royal Picture Syndicate, in season. To-nighfc the Wellington public, or as many of it as can squeeze into the Opera House', will resume acquaintance with Mr. Julius Knight and Miss Ola Humpnrey, ana the Williamson Dramatic Co. That the house will be full there is no doubt, for the box plans for this evening boar a very congested appearance. "The Scarlet Pimpernel" has been awaited with much interest, and its success here should equal that in other parts. During the season "Claudian," "The Prisoner of Zenda," and "A Roya) Divorce" will be staged. The tour of the small towns from Gisborne to Palmerston North has also been a triumphal success, all available seating accommodation being reserved days before the company's appearance. Madame Clara Butt telegraphed to Messrs J. and N. s Tait from Fnsmantle on the day the Mongolia left that' port : — Farewell Australia and New Zealand ; we shall never forget your kindness, and we hope to renew the friendship some day. v

Advice has been received in Dunedin that Miss Amy Murphy and her sister, Miss Dulcie, have "signed on" for another twelve months with Mr. J. 0. Williamson's Musical Comedy Company. A. E. Langford's interest in the firm of Allan and Co., Meloourne, has been purchased by Messrs. J. and N. Tait, the well-known ' concert directors, and • Mr. Charles Tait, one of the present firm of Allan's. The\ amount paid for the interest held "by Mr. Langford was £32,500, arid this Las peen paid over. On 24th May Madame Melba will celebrate the twentieth*, anniversary of her first appearance in opera at Coyenl Garden — the beginning of a . brilliant career happily still in its zenith. She means to "keep the occasion by , "giving a popular concert in some big London hall to the poorer people /of the great city." The King and Queen will be present at this historic concert, their Majesties having graciously informed Madame Melba to that effect.

Mr. J. Nevin Tait has sailed from Adelaide for London, %vherp , hia chief mission will be to conclude, negotiations for a visit here next year- of Mischa El man, the great boy viplinist. He will also complete the details of Mark Hambourg's return. This pianist bade farewell to London at a great .concert at the Royal Albert Hall last Saturday w>ek, and will shortly leave for Australia via America. The Royal Welsh Choir, _ body of Welsh miners famed f for the beauty of th&ir choral ensemble, is to reach Australia in August. The new English concert party, '"The Merrymak-

ors," is already at the Princess Theatre, Melbourne.

"Colonel" Ike Austin died in the George-street Asylum, Parramatta, last week. Austin served in the American war as a scout, and afterwards travelled, giving exhibitions as a rifle shot. Ho came to Australia to give exhibitions, his salary being £100 per week. Failiing eyesight, however, caused him to relinquish" his engagements, and he found his way to the Benevolent Asylum' some ' years ago.

Mr. Clyde Meynell, during his forthcoming visit to England, will conclude negotiations, now proceeding, for the importation of some of the m6st notablft attractions in the Old World. Questioned on the v subject, Mr. Meynell said — "I cannot make a stateaient at present, but we intend to bring out some artists, plays, and other attractions world-fam-ous. We intend to spare no oxpense, and I think" that when the names are announced there will be a good deal of astonishment."

Air. Bland Holt, recovered from his recent accident, produced "The Great Millionaire" in Adelaide on the 9th instant, and appeared in the cast in his old part as Barcoo Bill. The performance was notable for the appearance of Miss Bessie Major, who gave what is described as a perfect little character sketch in the role of Sarah Dawes, the old gipsy woman. Miss Harrie Ireland played the adventuress, Kate Cagney, whilst her sister, Miss Daisy Ireland, made her first professional appearance, and is credited with a natural impeisonation as Daphne. The cast also included Mr. Arthur Styan in the title role, as Campbell, the financial magnate ; Mrs. Bland Holt as Nancy Dawes ; Mr. Max Maxwell as Reginald Peyton ; Mr. George Bryant as Denby Grant ; and Mr. Charles Brown as Gregory Middlethorpe.

Beaumont Smith has just been attached as an Andersonian secretary. It seems to be a fashion for press-inclined' men to enter a theatrical atmosphere (says the Bulletin). Instance Darbyshire, of the Age, who recently went over to Her Majesty's (Melbourne), and ClaUde M'Kay, of Sydney Telegraph, lately annexed as Williamson's secretary. Young. Beaumont Smith is a budding dramatist. Anderson has accepted a play of his (tcp-notch bellowdrama), and will produce it at the New Theatre. He has also dramatised Steele Rudd's "On Our Selection," which MS. has got as far as a "favourable consideration" <\Vuliamson.

"Hiphen" in the Bulletin : Whatever else Meynell and Gunn have done, or intend to do, fn their theatrical venture, they have already introduced to us th» daintiest daqcer .that \^as graced Australian boards for many years. Miss ' Essie Perrm, of the "Hcok o' Holland" Co., is the nearest approach tothe groat Genee that I have -seen in this hemiv phere. In, many respects also she recalls memories of our own gifted Male Saqui. She is one of the very few dancers ono meets who know how to use the hands and arms. 'As an exhibition of grace, it -is quite as entertaining to watch Misi Perrin's expressive hands as it is to behold her eloquent feet. Unconscious ease is the crown of art, and that is <just the fair lady's strong suit. She dances all over like unchained sunlight. She realises all the floating, -soaring •grace that Tittell Peter Pan Brune eskiays, when on the end of a stout wire she shows the kids how to fly. If danc-

ing is tho poetry of motion, I claim for the dainty "Hook o' Holland" lady tho poetess-laureateship and any "Red Page" tin wreath, or ironmongery, or flotsam that may be vacant.

George Alexander, the actoi\manager. who runs the St. James's Theatre, London, so successfully, has among his repertoire of amusing stories one which illustrates the keen wit — not to mention the astute business temperament — of the late Wilson Barrett.- In the days before he had succeeded in obtaining his first London engagement, and when his histrionic art was still known only to provincial audiences, Alexander received a telegram ''from Wilson Barrett, offering him a part in the new production at the Princess's Theatre. The young actor, however, not being then "at liberty," was compelled to' refuse. Some years later, when Alexander had made a name for himself, and all London was ringing wilh his praise, he was looking through some papers, when ' he came upon the identical telegram that he had received from Wilson Barrett, and a day or two later he chanced to meet his old friend at & meeting of the Actors' Association. Thereupon he promptly produced the document, which he had stowed carefully away in his pocket. On reading it, the celebrated "Silver King" glanced up with a merry twinkle in his eye. "SPray consider the offer still open," he remarked. "You can begin at once, and I won't reduce the tefms a single penny. " The telegram lead something aft^r this fashion : "Open Easter Monday. Terms, six pounds per week."

A London correspondent writes : — Arrangements have been definitely concluded between Mrs. Langtry and Mr. Frederick Harrison, when the former obtained a short lease of the Haymarket Theatre, where she will commence her season of eight weeks on Saturday, 18th April. If the success which everyone is wishing Mrs. Langtry awaits her she will secure another theatre, and thus prolong her season. The season will consist of a new play by Mr. Sydney Grundy, called "A Fearful Joy," a farce, in which she will have tho 'support of Mr. Arthur Bourchier. It is an odd coincidence that this month Mr. Grundy celerbates his~ 60th birtKHay, and "A, Fearful Joy" is his 60th production. After his three years' absence to London theatregoers Mr. Grundy> views of the present position of things theatrical will be read with interest. It has always been a contention of his that dramatists are placed at a very serious disadvantage, having, as it, were, to satisfy two entirely different masters. "The critical bench," he insists, "wants one thing, the public another ; the two factions are wholly opposed and at daggers drawn. A play should be judged by its dramatic, not its literary qualities. If Ihad my way only the public — the real paying public, who are out for entertainment — would be permitted, to witness the first performance of n, piece, the critics not being invited until the second night. For ,the playwright's chief object should be. to get into direct touch with his public. I admit that no amount of adverse criticism was ever able to ruin a play which the public wanted. Adverse criticism, on the other hand, must inevitably have a discouraging influence upon the artist and upon the manager, the result being that both are. apt to lose heart only too readily. As a consequence the efforts of the company become spiritless, and the faith of the manager

undermined. Let me, then, have the verdict' of the public without any interposing medium, and I am more than well content."

Theatrical Clips: — Doris Black, aged 15, the youngest members of the "Musical" Black Family, of New Zealand, died in Perth a- few clays ago from heart failure. . . Amid a e^ene of musical tumult the Band of the Royal Artillery left Liverpool, en route to Australia, whore a comprehensive tour will be carried out. Tho Besses o' the Barn Band went in full force to the docks, and played farewells to the departing bandsmen. . . Miss NellieStewart, writing from London, cays that, under the care of her medical adviser, Sir Thomas Barlow, she has quite> recovered from her illness. She hopes to visit Australia shortly with new productions. . . Dr. Frederic H. Ctowen, the popular compoijer and conductor, is about to marry Miss Frederica Richardson, a young singer, who has been a pupil of Sir Charles Santley. The wedding will take place towards the end of June. . In a letter recently received from Miss May Beatty by a friend in New Zealand she mentioned that she was shortly to be married to Mr. E. Lauri. \ . Miss Khadijah Cooper is preparing for a trip to New York, leaving Sydney on 'Bth Junel . . Miss Thompson, one of the Pollard Company's most valued members, is still ill. Miss Nellie Finlay (Mrs. Harry Quealy) has been playing Miss Thompson's part in "The Isle of Bong Bong." . . . The Royal Pictures now showing at the Christchurch Colosseum have caught on immensely. . . ' 'Love when you may ; propose but seldom ; marry not at all !" — "Merry Widow" philosophy. . . The wardrobe for "The Belle of Mayfair," to be staged by the Meynell-Gunn Comic Opera Co., is said to have cost £1200. . . An association of stage hands is in course of formation in Melbourne. The idea is to found a mutual benefit society rather than a union for other purposes. . . J. .B. Atholwood, now prominently under the limelight, was the hero of Louisa Jordan's (Mrs. Geo. C. Miln) novel ; "An Actor's Wooing," published in 1895. . . "Nothing is certain in theatrical management except uncertainty." — Sir Charles Wyndham. . . To-night Melbourne will see the play, "Home, Sweet Home," whiijh has been played everywhere else in Australasia, for the first time. It will be staged by Anderson's Dramatic Co. . . Richard Strauss hopes to conplete his opera "Elektra," by the end of the year. It will be pioduced at Munich, the composer's birthplace. . -. Siegfried Wagner is putting the finishing touches to his new opera, which is entitled "Dietrich yon Bern. . . The ashes of Greig will shortly be removed to a grotto in the grounds of his house at Troldhaugen. . . All buildings in Russia are opened with a religious dadication. At Kishineff .a new opera house was recently publicly blessed and sprinkled with holy water. . . Harry Lauder's resignation from the membership of the T?resbyterian Church, Upper Tooting — in consequence of removal to another suburb — was bewailed by the pastor from the pulpit. . . In "Girls," Clyde Fitch's new comedy, the first act depicts three bachelor girls, who live in a flat, going to bed. , Ono sleeps in a cupboard bed, one on a settee, and the third in a Morris chair. Miss Clara Clifton, of the Royal Comics, proposes to leave on a holiday trip to England early in June. . . .