MIMES AND MUSIC.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVI, Issue 112, 7 November 1908, Page 11

MIMES AND MUSIC.

* [By OapHKca.] COMINu EVENTS. OPERA HOUSE. J. C. Williamson, in season to 24th November. Maskelyne and Devant, 25th November to 19th December. J. C Williamson. 26th December to 14th Janutry THEATRE ROYAL* Heller's Mystic Coterie in season. HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. Boj-al Picturo Syndicate. Jn season. West's Pictures are doing splendid business at the Melbourne Olympia, of which they have secured an uninterrupted lease from Wirth Bros. Wests are also showing at the Sydney Glaciarium. The Salome fever is still raging in England. "Countess" Romanoff, whose name is remembered in connection with the living statuary vogue, has been astonishing the natives at New Brighton Tower Theatre, near Liverpool. Mr. Edward Reeves, Australia's talented elocutionist, will visit New Zealand early in the New Year. Mr. Reeves has just concluded a wonderfully successful season in Melbourne, where he was greeted with very large audiences. His repertoire includes Charles Dickens's "Christmas Carol" and "The Cricket 'on the Hearth" ; Ralph Connor's "Sky Pilot," and Sir Conan A. Doyle's "The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard," all of which are two-hour re citals, and are given entirely without the aid of note or book. The Australian press are united in their praise of Mr. Reeves's platform appearances, and his recitals are described as being o f absorbing interest. Wirth Brothers have just opened Princes Court, Melbourne. The spacious grounds have been quite transformed, and the aptly-named Pleasure. Park em braces all the attractions of a pleasant piomenade, a complete circus and a splendidly varied Zoological 'Jarden. Conspicuous amongst tho unusual animals is the £1000 giraffe, the first living specimen of its kind that has ever been seen in Victoria. The uniquo animal came m for a large share -of public admiration and attention. Lions, tigers, elephants, bears, wolves, and other animals abound. The Tasmunian soprano, Maaame Amy Sherwin, who recently returned to England after her Australian tour, has decided to form a new ladies' choir in London. Mr. William Anderson's New Zealand Dramatic Company includes Robert Inman, Maud Applelon, Stirling Whyto Harry Douglas, Frank Reis, Frank Crossley, Hilda Frazer, Lillie Bryer, Crosbie Ward, Oswald Edgeworth, Herbert Linden, W. Clemow, Florence Richter, and others. , Mr. Barney Levy is in advance. Mr. Ben Fuller predicted to the Sydney Referee that the picture boom in New Zealand would last until next Easter. Scotland is coming to her own. She is banking the Sassenach's money, and she is supplying him with humour — and making him pay for it. England ■worships- at the shrine of the humorless country's humoiists and smiling with

the privilege. No two comedians are more talked of in that country to-day than Harry Lauder and Neil Kenyon; no two men on the English stage are assured of " greater profits in years to come for services rendered than they. Harry Lauder is talking of his £1000 ' a week salary — and talking pretty loudly. He will stay twenty weeka in the States. He is to have a special train in America and a special dressing-room automobile. And he is to be feted andlionised and adored and heroisod. And he once wielded the pick and carried + .he Davy lamp ! Even now ho prefers the moaest professional "diggings" and the frugal meal to the hotel and table d'hote. • Lauder expressed the opinion that "ye can dae too much o' the newspaper business ; but he has to thank the papers for a great deal. Prodigies are not so rare nowadays that they create mor« than an ordinary interest by their simple appearance, but the Cherniavskis, who recently appeared before Sydney audiences at the Town Hall, are artists above the average, and aa "wonder children" they are bound' to excite admiration. Mischel, the 'cellist', is twelve, years of age, Jan, the pianist, is fourteen, and Leo, the violinist, is •seventeen. What' is remarkable about these boys is theii gift of musical interpretation, which can. hardly be acquired. The Reggtardos ana Lex M'Lean, both well-known in Wellington, are playing at the Sydney Amphitheatre. 'The Merry Widow" at Her Majesty's, Sydney, is still sailing gaily with wind and tide in its favour. No comic opera has had euch a boom in that city for the pasb twenty years. Last Saturday Miss Anglin app«ared in Adelaide. She sails on 19th December for JiHirope and America, where engagements made long before she left for .Australia are awaiting her. The engagement of Misa Ivy Salvm seems to have been a, good stroke of business on the part of Messrs. Meynell and Gunn at the Sydney Criterion. Miss Salvin as appearing as Countess Mount Highgate in "The Belle of Mayfair." and curiosity has brought hundreds to the theatre. There was a crowded house on the first night that Miss Salvm "faced the music." Half an hour should have 6ufficed to prepare the lady o£ the settled breach ot promise case for what she has to do as the Countess. She does not act, she does not speak a word, or sing a note. She does not even join in the choruses. Looking very shy and nervous, Miss Salvin stands in the one place as if glued to the epoi. All she really does is to show off throe pretty "walking" dresses, which w«re made for her by a Sydney firm. In this she is assisted by her tall and slendor figure. ..Miss Salvin, according to the SydneyReferee, was to have married a Melbourne gentleman last Friday, and to leave the stage. " Diana of Dobsons," the now play at the Sydiey Theatre Royal, »s a theatrical novelty in which the- name part is given to Miss Tittel Brun«r. Mr. Ben Fuller and Mrs. Ben "Fuller and Mrs. John Fuller, jun., leave Sydney about the middle of December for Thursday Island to meet Mr. J. Fuller, sen. "The Bonemian Girl" has been revived oy the National Opera Company at the Melbourne Theatre Royal for the liret time in eight years. Enormous enthusiasm was shown when the old airs, such as "Th& Fair Land of Poland," and "I Dreamt that I Dwelt in Marble Halls," were sung.

The Mites-Stavordale Quintette, who were recently in New Zealand, are playing Western Australia on their way home* to England. Mr. William Anderson's drama, "The Squatter's Daughter," will be seen i» Wellington shortly. Then Christchurch and Dunedin for a fortnight each. A tour ot the smaller New Zealand towns will follow. The tour altogether will last about five months. In addition to "The- Squatter's Daughter," the same company will later on tour with "The Village Blacksmith." No doubt "The Squatter's Daughter's " enormous success in Australia will be repeated in the Dominion. Fullers are likely to have a vaudeville organisation in Wellington for Christmas. . Mr. Frank Musgrove, in conjunction with Mr. George Musgrove, has secured » number of attractions which will shortly be seen in Australia. His principal " capture" was. Mischa Elman, a violinist, who is regarded as one of the greatest exponent* of this instrument-, and who commands big sums in London. The Royal Welsh Male Choir, till the end of the year, will be railway journeying round tha Eastern half of Australia, singing at every important town along the -route. Their New Zealand tour is to commence (probably in Auckland) not later than. 15th January. Pollard's Juvenile Opera Company commenced a tour of Western Austialia on 31st October at Her Majesty's Theatre, Perth, under the- direction, of William Anderson. The Kilties' Band will be in Wellington at the end of the month. They have been a huge success wherever they have appeared. Mr. J. M. Barrie'a new play, "What Every Woman Knows," is essentially "Barriesque," and everyone who knows the author both as playwright and novelist will read into it, from that one criticism only, tendei sentiment, wit, irony, humour, and individuality. A poor and ambitious young Scotsman, John Shand, burgles the library of a rich but uneducated proprietor of a granite quarry. He is caught "in flagrante delicto," but the respect for learning ; s ingrained in the 'heart ot the rich man, and he suggests paying for Shand's education for fivo years on condition that ho gives his daughter Maggie tho refusal of his hand after that period. Shand consents, studies, and, success following success, becomes M.P. for Glasgow. In thb meantime he is fascinated by a society woman, and his fiancee releases him from his engagement. Shand, however, refuses to be released, marries, and becomes a succflssfuJ speaker in the House of Commons. 'Ihe turn of the wheel brings him again Into contact with Lady Sybil Lazenby, the woman who has fascinated him, and he tells his wife they must part. She consents, but arranges for a fortnight's visit to a country house, where Shand and Lady Sybil aro thrown together. Long before the fortnight is over Shand's cure is complete, and he realises the sterling merit and charm of his own wife. Mr. Henry Kolker describes the play "Zira" as "a sure rain-getter." It poured in torrents all the time "Zira" was played m Sydney, and its opening night in Melbourne was in the middle of magnificent rains, which continued till very nearly the end of its run. Miss Meredith Meredro, principal boy of Meynoll ami tiunn's pantomime (Cinderella), studied singing in "Vienna, hav-

ing been sens there free of cost through, winning a. competition. While in Vienna she- had the honour of singing "Caro Nome" from "Rigoletto," before the Emperor of Austr ; a. " Surely there never was a prettier Margaret than that presented by Miss Marie Lohr. From the first to the last she completely won the hearts of the audience, because they saw before them the- embodiment of a sweetly youthful Gretchen, with a tenderness of her own, and also a wistful grace, which combined to form a- beautiful picture of innocence." In these- terms of praise the London Daily Telegraph records the latest success of the clever daughter of Mr. Lohr, who years ago was a familiar advance agent in New Zealand. The young Australian is in Mr. Beerbohm Tree's- gorgeous production of "Faust" at His Majesty's Theatre. Apparently all the critics unite in praising Miss Lohr's performance, which is said i to reveal a sense of tragedy a-s well as j a rare delicacy of treatment. Miss Lohr has evidently inherited the good* looks of her mother, Miss Kate TJ shop, a- one-time favourite in New Zealand. The London Royal Choral Society has engaged the Australian vocalist- Madame Mary Conly for its New Year's Night performance of "The Messiah." Madame Conly will be associated in the performance with Madame Clara Butt, Air. William Green, and Mr. Watkin Mills. Miss Ethel Sinclair, the- young Bendigo violinist, who has been for a- number of years in London, was married recently to Mr. Frank Bridge, one of the most promising of the. new generation of English composers. Mrs. Bridge originally went to England as the holder of the Clarke Scholarship in ihe il-r.ynl College of Music, and after a number of successful appearances she returned to Australia on, Madame Maggie Sterling's tour, remaining for a subsequent tour with Mr. Andrew Black. She visited New Zealand with Mr. Andrew Black. i At the Water' Summons Court, Sydney, recently, application was mad© that Jas. Brown Atholwood, actor, should show cause w,hy he should not , be dealt with for not having complied with an order for maintenance made in favour of his wife. It was stated that the total amount duo was £49. Defendant had paid £12 off, and the balance due was £37. Defendant's solicitor intimated that defendant would pay the amount as soon as possible, but that he had been under expense in connection with another matter in Victoria. An order was made for the case to stand over for a fortnight, the amount in arrears to bo reduced at the rate of £3 per week in the meantime. Miss Marie Narelle's matrimonial affairs have been engaging the attention of Mr. Justice Simpson in Sydney. She sought a divorce from Matthew Aloysius Callaghan, but his Honour observed that he did not see practically what use a divorce would be to the petitioner if she got it. She was a member of the Roman Catholic Church, attended to her duties, and had done so all along. She knew she never could marry again, according to the teachings and doctrines of her Church. She could not marry again unless she chose to act in defiance of the Church, and she was not, he hoped, likely to do that. He was willing to grant a, judicial separation, but not a divorce. It is reported by cable that Miss Amy Castles intends or-ening her Australian concert tour in Melbourne on 10th March next year.