FOOTLIGHT FLASHES

Evening Star, Issue 11626, 10 July 1902, Page 1

FOOTLIGHT FLASHES

LBtCah, Bor.] - j ' wettt ' away from ■Ucnedni with the Broßghvhas earned high praiso in Bmbooe for ak pfoymgof Lien tenant Barfajr in *in» SecoiSmCommand *SJ“ w a go<4jttrt in. toe new play of‘men Wewere In connection with Miss Amy Murphys spcceM inopera at Weßmgfon we may mention tiat she was tanght her part here by W. Densem* than whom there is no better tutor sboaL. .. CeciL Ward- has decided to become: ger, and with a company, of: his - own. wVtl play a nombMvof pieces .from the Broughs’ repertoire. If his company, meet with popuiat support, it is Mr Ward’s: intention to pate the Australian theatregoer <‘annliar witty all London .successes in tie ;hi*h ccmedy hue that he can secure for production m.the oolonies. ' Everybody whotnows tbe geniai;Cedl wiH be glad-if his venture catches ou-. .. The wife of .Mr Hermann.Vejdn. a welltorown English actor of the good old.school, committed suicide at Margate recently. She wouid be beter known to oofoniafo as Mrs Cnarles Yoong, and in her yoqqp day site was associated with a brilliant' band of arttats, the sole survivor of wham is Mr George of Melbourne. After the retirement of I*dy Martin tHeJen Faacif}, Mra Vezm held for many years . undisputed sway in Finland as the principal interpreter of Shakespeare’s heroines, and by many critics toe was" regarded as the best actress m classic drama that* the English stage has ever seen. She was seventy-four °t a B e » “d !»d been Mrs Vesin since 1863. Depression of sprite, caused by the loss of a favorite daughter, was responsible tor her laying violent hands bn heirelL . : - Mra Patrick Qampbell has derided to spend roost of the summer in quiet retirement at Bar Harbor, on.the coast of Maine. In toe autumn she purposes producing varies pliys in toe United States, with Mr Samson Grey as manager, and in 1905 will carry out her engagement for an Australian tour under the management of Mr Mu-s grove. ’Die statement that Mrs Brown-Potter had accepted “ the comedy problem ” written by the vicar of Gorleston, under the name of ‘ The Rector,’ was prematura. The lady has pronounced the play unsuitable for production on the stage. The London critics are still soundin'* the praises of Miss Rosa Rird, toe young Aintralian soprano, whose performances at Bechstein Hall, after a ooople of years’ stndj in Paris under Madame Marubeni, ber to be one of the' most capable of the many Antipodean vocalists who have worn high renown in the Mother Country: The recent scene at the* Leicester Operahouse—or rather the circumstances whie-i led up to it—has resulted in the issue by Lnb tenant-colonel Winstanley of a '.rrit for slander against Mr and Mra Kendal. Madame Melba celebrated toe anniversary of her birthday on May 19, but the newspapers, in recording the fact, gallantly refrain from revealing her age, and confine themselves to statements to tiro'effect that when she dresses and warbles in some of her ju\ enile parts she does not seem more than seventeen!

. ' The Chinese Honeymoon,' now playin'* at me Melbourne Princess's, is by Gteorge Dance, who adapted ‘Ma Mie Rosette * for oio English stage, the lyrics being supplied ; b, T Howard Talbot The plot deals with an Emperor who Ls looking for someone to love him. .for Lipself : a .Lord Chancellor who makes laws on the spar of the moment to suit everybody, principally himself; an Kiiglishman in lovo witk ■ft singing giri * a servant girl who loves the Englishman, and accompanies on their honeymoon- a young lady and her elderly husband, tie gentle•mau being gloved by an official mother-in-•“w > who has been imported into YlangYlang by the Emperor. The music is catchy ami pretty, the lyrics smart, and the book ” funny. The dressing is quaint and rich to a degree. The cast is as follows: Princess Zou-Zqu,' Josephine: Stanton ; F: Fi (the servant). May Beatty; Mrs Brpwa (the mother-in-law), Clara .Wisdom; Mrs Pineapple, Clssie Neill; Mr Pineapple Edward Lsuri; Lord Chancellor, W. 11. Shirley ; the Emperor, Henry Hollam; Frank Hatberton, J. C. Riddoek; and Admiral He Lung, Forster Courtenay. There are no • less than thirty characters in H 1 "Were a- King,* which Mr George Alexander is about to produce at St. James’s Theatre, London. Mr Alexander will be cast for the part of Francois Villon, a poet and cut-throat. ’ ’ the veteran actor J. L. Toole h:i« been dictating for ' Household Words ’ some interesting reminiscences of his friendship with Charles Dickens. It was really the novelist who was responsible for Mr Toole adopting the stage as a career. In company with Mark Lemon and John Forster, Dickens paid a kmdly visit to the Waive ort hj Literary Institution for the purpose ■9 seeing Mr- Toole act and recite the monnogue called ‘ Trying a Magistrate.’ Dickens was strong in his expressed opinion after the visit that Mr Toole’s vocation was that of the stage, and the stage only. Acting on the advice given him with ad that kind, and clraracteristic energy which was so marked a feature in Dickens, Mr Toole started upon his professional life, and he savs that he does not know that he has had cause to regret the step. I n after life Dickens always remembered the man to whom m earlier days he had been kind, and took many opportunities of watching his career. Dickens was very much delighted with a story which Mr Toole once told him of a circumstance which occurred on the stage of the Adelphi Theatre during the rmrof the ‘ Christmas Carol.’ One of the children employed (who plaved Tiny Tim) was fomid each night to have anything buu a tiny appetite, and night after night the food bestowed on this cfold’s nkte 63 * with marvellous rapidity. (It is to be oWved that Mr Webster, the lessee, supplied real goose and real plum pudding during the run of the nre™? A 8116 (a Httle S& plaved the part) had taken advantage of a practicabk fireplace to oass through it the portion aUotted to her, which in its turn found its way to the other hungry children iW he P? 6 *" 8 ” “ the theatre, who “5 nightly enjoyed a high treat from the tif-desyißg action of their little' friend. Dickens s comment when Mr Toole told mm the story was simply; “Oh Too’e you snould Lave given her all the goose Ada Behan s hair is now almost entity wfote, according to a writer , who saw her at the opera, hut she looks better than she has tZ-Ir I™' 1 ™' is fch ® tesalt of the first real yacation she has enjoyed in many yeara Mer bnrfretrrement from the stage after the death of Augustin Daly was doubled b? vexatious litigation and other, annoyances Her mother,-to whom she was devoted, and * a I!ed1 !ed “ Period- Her return to the stege lart year in ‘Nell Gwynn ’ was not wholly felicitous, as the version in which she acted was not popular, nor a worthv vehicle for such an actress. It is doubted if she will ever act again, as she fa said to be now quite above the necessity of working rmlMs Ac wants to. The litigation over the Daly Theatre m Leicester square, London has been deeded in favor of the Dalv estate, in which Miss Behan has a larae interest °