MIMES AND MUSIC. [By Orpheus.] COMING EVENTS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 12, 15 January 1910, Page 11

MIMES AND MUSIC. [By Orpheus.] COMING EVENTS.

J. C. Williamson's "Flag Lieutenant" Companj, season closes to-night. Carter, the Magician, 17th to 26th January. J. C. Williamson^ "King of Cadonia" Cou.pany, 29th January to 10th Febiuar.v. THEATRE ROYAL. Fullers' New Vaudeville Company, in season. HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. Royal Picture Syndicate. In season. ST. THOMAS'S HALL. Star Pictures, in season. Carter, the magician, commences his" ireturn visit to Wellington at the Opera 'House on Monday night. It is ove v ■two years since Carter v x was in Wellington, and since then he has made a •complete tour of India, America, and Australia, and has acquired many ■novelties, especially from the East, where he made purchase of several novel allusions. Carter now travels a company of ten assistants. One of his star items is said to be his levitation act, in which a human body is raised clear above the stage without "any visible means of support." Besides the usual apparatus tricks, Carter does some exceedingly clever slight of hand. Another of his feats, or rather series of ;feats, is entitled "a night in China. ' •This is a costume and scenic act. Several especially comical turns are introduced iby Carter. The latest London exchange:* record ithe departure of Mr. Matheson Lang on 27th November for New York, whence ihe will leave for Australia with Miss Hutin Britton in April. Mr. Lang, who •visited . America six years ago as Mis. Langtry's leading man, was to open at ithe New (Millionaire's) Theatre on 15th December as Charles Surface, followed by Leontes in # "A Winter's Tale," Don in the new comedy "Don," and in the ■name-part of "Beethoven." ( Mr. Harold Ashton, who has returned .to Sydney from the United States, was well pleased with the performance of "The Climax" at Her Majesty's. "Australia does not know what an artist we ■have in Miss Florence Young," was Mr. Ashton's comment. "I saw 'The Climax' by four different companies in America," he added, "and in no case idid I see an Adelina as good as Miss Young. The play has made a million .dollars for the management that ex■ploited it in America." ' Herr Benno Scherek recently left Melbourne for South Africa, there to make arrangements for the continuation of the world tour of Madame Teresa Carreno, the famous pianist, whose last visit to Australia gave such unalloyed pleasure to music-lovers. Madame Carreno's tour this time is planned to embrace all the continents of the southern hemisphere — Australia (where she commences her visit in May next), South Africa, and South America. At present she is in the United States in process of fulfilling an engagement extending to 68 concerts, which will occupy her until April next. Amy Leslie, well known in the American theatrical world a-s the brilliant critic of the Chicago News, writing of Miss Katherine" Grey in "Mrs. Dane's Defence," described her as "a sensitively emotional and delicately artistic actress," adding, "and without in the | least attempting to compare two players so totally different in method and personality as Miss Margaret Anglin and Miss Grey, it must be admitted that Miss Grey is both sweeter and more tenderly womanly than the robust Canadian, and equals her in strength and fire. " It is reported by the New York cotrespondent of the London Chronicle that various difficulties have already presented themselves to the management of the New Theatre, or, as it is more popularly called, "The Millionaire's Theatre," and some colour is given to this report by the announcement that Miss Julia Marlowe and Mi*. Sothern are about to sever their connection with the stock company. On the night of the opening there were complaints, both about the acting and the inaudibility of the actors. This was put down to nervous strain and the magnificence of the surroundings, but it now seems that the two stars -of the company have been finding fault with their support, and the result was a quarrel between the managers and Mr. Sotheru and Miss Marlowe. This unpleasantness has grown into a more serious question, and consequently it has been decided to reorganise the company with the beginning of the new year. It is not known yet how many others of the company besides the two stars are leaving, but four additions are announced. They are Miss Annie Russell, Mr. Guy Post, Mr. Matheson Lang, and Mr. Oswald York. The managers declare that the company will bo greatly strengthened in the new year, but there is considerable dissatisfaction among the founders and others at the loss of Miss Marlowe and Mr. Sothern. On account of the illness of her son, Madame Melba has abandoned the West Australian concerts, with which she was to close her triumphant tour. ~^lr. John Lemmone and Mr. H. N. Southwell had gone ahead to Perth to make arrangements for the concert, when the great singer announced her decision to remain in Melbourne. The real name of Madame Calve, the distinguished^ soprano, due here next Easter is Emma de Roquer, and she was born in Decazevills, Department of Ayeyron, France, where her father was widely known as a civil engineer. M. de Roquer, however, died early, and as he left no fortune, Emma decided on a musical career. Her voice had already shown great promise at the Convent of the Sacred Heart, Montpellier, where she was being educated, and, when she made her first public appearance in a charity performance at Nice, she created an immediate furore. After that, there was nothing for it but to repair to the best tutors to finish her musical education, and she became the pupil of Puget, the great Marchesi, and Madame Rosini Labor cle, who has ever taken the most affectionate interest in her progress. Naturally, Emma, a born virtuoso, was particularly brilliant at her studies, and such was her precocity that she was enabled to make her debut at Brussels as Marguerite in "Faust" when only eighteen years of age. Mr. Harold Ashton, who left Australia eight months ago for the purpose of touring the United States in Mr. Williamson's interests, has returned to Sydney. All the principal American cities were visited, and Mr. Ashton saw over 150 theatrical companies at work. While he noted much that interested him personally, he was somewhat disappointed with the class of plays staged in America, many of which, he said, do not appeal to the average Australian. This is principally because of the local colouring given to "plays produced in the United States. Mr. Ashton there-, fpre found his field of operations considerably circumscribed, but nevertheless several first-class dramas and a ccJuple of musical plays were secured. In addition he engaged three or four prominent artists, including a promising prima dorm& Several Australian artists were met by Mr. Ashton during his tour, all of whom were doing exceedingly well in the States. They included Miss Irene Dillou, who was playing in .i musical comedy in Washington with one of the Schubert companies. Mr. Frod. Rivenhall, ftnd Miss .Vera Cooper. J

The success achieved by Mr. Hugh Ward in his recent tour through India and China, in conducting his own company over a route practically new to iiim, and producing on a complete scale no fewer than 16 plays, reveals the wellknown and versatile actor in a new lignt, at> a manager whose faculty of organisation and business capacity have been amply demonstrated by this enterprise. Hence (says a Sydney paper) it is important to learn that Mr. Ward may enter into management in Sydney — indeed, a syndicate has offered to build him a theatre for this purpose, and the project is now under consideration. Of course, it is too early yet to speak of the details of the scheme, but, should it come to accomplishment, it may be assumed with certainty that the now playhouse will be devoted mainly to comedies of the ' light, pleasant class, in which Mr. Ward bar. already won so much popularity in Australia. In the tour in the East, just concluded, he was his own financier and manager ; his knowledge of stage craft and long experience of the theatre enabled him to direct the production of his plays ; and in the ultimate result, the box office receipts showed tliat the venture was, in a pecuniary sense, thoroughly successful. So far as the artistic merits of tho productions are concerned, Sydney audiences who are enjoying the brisk acting of a talented, all-round company in "A" Bachelor's Honeymoon" will have but one opinion. Mr. G. Langford Kirby, an English artist of considerable importance, will make his debut in Sydney simultaneously with Miss Katherinc Grey, the new American actress, in "The Lion and the Mouse" on 22nd .January. Charles Klein's new drama draws the portrait of John Brodrick Ryder, a Trust magnate' (Mr. Julius Knight), who, in his endeavour to crush a certain upright Judge, -comes into collision with Tiis own son (Mr. Kirby), who happens to be in lovo with the Judge's daughter (Miss Grey).' This play had a great run in Xew l'orlc in 1905. Mr. Langford Kirby, who was educated in Paris and Bruges, is a nephew of the elder Dion Boucicault, but he began life in the army, going through the whole of the war in South Africa as roughrider to Lord Chesham. Mr. Lan Maxwell, now playing a small part in "The Catch of the Season," was in the same regiment, the Bucks Hussars which was the first yeomanry regiment sent out. Upon the suggestion of Lady Chesham, Mr. Kirby had his baritone voice trained in London by Hugo Heinz, and he then remained four years at Drury Lane- Theatre in* drama and pantomime, ultimately winning promotion in the baritone role in "Three Little Maids," at the Apollo, with G. P. Huntley and Edna. May. In 1907 he was the Lord Larkie to Miss May's "Nellie Neill" at the Aldwych Theatre, and at the New York Criterion lie was the Frank Fruddenell to the Joe Mivens of Huntley Wrightt in , "The Dairy Maids." "The newcomer has been much identified with "The Waltz Dream," notably at tho Hicks Theatre, where he. replaced George Grossmith, jun., for two months as Lothar. On tour he sang the tenor role of Niki, which character, and Hughie, in "Our Miss Gibbs" formed his principal successes in his recent tour of South Africa. It is for these pieces that the new artist was primarily engaged by Mr. J. C. Williamson Theatrical clips : — "The Girl from Rector's" is the next Ward farce to be played in Sydney. Rector's is a wellknown American restaurant, and the play is by the author of the dramatisation of "Trilby." . ... Miss Katherine Grey, the new actress from. America, is to make her first Australian appearance as Chirley Eossmore in "The Lion and the, Mouse" at Sydney Theatre Royal next Saturday. .■ . . Miss Beatrice Day will make her reappearance to-night in Sydney as Josephine in "A Royal Divorce." .... "The Merry Widow" is to be revived at Her Majesty's, Sydney, to-night. ... It is stated that the difficulty in regard to Fullers' Christchurch Opera House will be settled before long. Probably some alterations will ,be made to the theatre to suit the requirements of the Christchurch Fire Board. . . . Bert Williamson will probably leave Pollard's Opera Company at the conclusion of the Christchurch season. '. . '. Mr. MacDonald, a young baritone, who left Clark and Meynell's Dramatic Company about two years ago for London, has been engaged by Mr. Robert Courtneidge to play the principal baritone role of Jack Meadows in "The Arcadians" at the big provincial centres. . . . Miss Lily Titheradge was induced by the J. C. Williamson management to play the part of Jeifik in "The Sacrament of Judas" in Sydney last week. In private life Miss Titheradge is Mrs. (Dr.) Knowles. ... In the early days of his theatrical career Mr. Clyde Meynell played Romeo to the Juliet of Miss Violet Vanburgh. . . . Mr. George Willoughby, who is bring-*, ing out a farcical comedy company to Australia, has left London by the German boat Bremen, and will open his season in' February at the Melbourne Princess Theatre. . . . Clarke and Meynell are endeavoiu'ing to keep their Comic Opera Company in Australia for the production of their new piece, "'The Arcadians." . . . Rapley Holmes, the stalwart American, who will be remembered in the "Squaw Man," has made a great success as Slim Hooper in the "Round Up," another American play of the Western type

"I thought I should laugh right out," said Mrs. Cashton, "when at the circus recently Mrs. Smith called an animal a seraph. Of course, she meant a giraffe. But the fun of it was it wasn't a giraffe. It was a camomile."