FOOTLIGHT FLASHES

Evening Star, Issue 12258, 27 July 1904, Page 3

FOOTLIGHT FLASHES

JBt Call Bot.] The Abbott Company disbanded at Wellington, and tho member? thereof arc considerably fc-cattered. Miss Aggie Thorne returns to Sydney, while Mr F. Graham,has joined Dix's forces. The seating accommodation of the Melbourne theatres is:—Royal 2,488, His Majesty's- 2,000, Princess's- 1.814, Opera-house 1,550, Bijou 1,317, Gaiety I.COO. The Griieso-Roman wrestling display given ju connection with Fuller's Wellington combination is proving n remarkable draw. Feaice, the wrestler, offers £lO to any competitor who tan jtnnd against him for a given time. Scott (of Greymouth) 'managed to pull off the tenner the other night. Ptarcc appears* at the Alh.-imhra Theatre about. August 20, and the Nawns will also ."how in this City alxmt the snme time. While John Fuller, juu.,' in in. charge of the Dunedin hor.se liv brother Ren takes management, of the Wellington house. Mr Andrew Smart (" Lorgnette" of t.lu; 'New Zealand Mail') has bven appointed agent for this colony of the Samuel French Company, and will' collect fees on behalf of that firm. Amateurs who intend producing any of the firm's plays should not nog-, kct fo'communicate with Mr Smart. Referring to tin" death of M. Aliunde Wiegand. a correspondent writes from Oswego, NY., as follows: " Ciievalier Augnste Wiegand died in this city, far from home and kiudr. d. on May 26. t'ollowina an operation for app-.TidicJtis. M. Wiegand was taken ill on the 20th. but he insisted upon playing tho organ at St. Paul's on the following Sunday. The occasion was the Feast of Penteco-t." and. as he h-id prepared and announced a special programme of music, the Chevalier did nor wish to disappoint the people. M. Wiegand must, however, have suffered excruciatingly during the services, for after leaving the church he was obliged 'to retire to hi:- heme. The following day his physicians dccidi d that, only an operation would s.fVe the. life of their distinguished paiien'. The operation was periovmd on Tue'-d-ty, the knife being wielded by Dr .lames ]•'.. Mamfield, who is also mayo;- ~{ tiv city. M. Wiegand rallied from the operation, and was on the high road to recovery, when, on the Thursday following, he was attacked by a tit of vomiting, and soon breathed his last." Miss Florence Toule, one of Madame Wiederman's pupiLs at the Melbourne Conservatoriinu of Music, has been emu god as principal contralto vi the Moody-Manners Opera Company.

It is not generally known that Richard Cobden's first literary effort, was a play entitled 'The Phrenologist' ft was- offered to the manager of Coveiit Garden Theatre, who refused it—" luckily for me.'' CcMen added, "for if ho had accepted ir I should prohaibly liuve been a vagalmnd all the rest cf m'v life."

-Mr Kdward Miles, now living peuceablv at Wisbech, and in J>i.s ninnieth year, claim's to be the oldest living aetoi. He was born ill the year when Waterloo was fought and won, and took to the stage by the advice of no less renowned a person than Joey Grimakli. He begun his professional career, says the ' Referee,' in what- was known as the Hereford Circuit, appearing with Bra-ham, the celebrated tuiger. Later he appeared with Mac-ready, Charles Keun, (}. V. Brooke, Helen Faucit, and other artists of light and leading. Mr Miles wa.s on tho stage for sixty-three years, and did not retire until he had reached the advanced age of eighty-two years. Clement Scot!,'* benefit at His Majesty's, London, on June 23 ought to have been a big financial as well as a histrionic success. All the "big guns" in the dramatic world were to as-ist. Sir Henry Irving was to make lib truly appearance in London tin's year as Corporal Brewster in Sir A. Oman Doyle's ' Story of Waterloo' ; Mr Beerbohm Tree to perform in a new monologue by Mr Michael Morton, entitled 'Diogenes': and a new and original comic jihiy-' in one act. 'The Conversion of Nat Shirae-,' by Malcolm Watson, to be presented" bv Mr Arthur Bourchlei-. Other leading artists helping were Miss Julia Neihon. Miss K,ina May. Miss Irene Vanbruirh, Miss Marie Tempest, Mr Seymour Hick.s. and Messrs George and Weedon Uc/rssmitli (in a duologue written by themselvesi. -Miss Maggie "Moore has gone to London from Fremantle.

Mr Julius Knight, objects to his photograph being printed on nnv programme "on the ground that it is purely on advertising medium." =

It is not. often that twins are advertised for as a requirement of a, play, but the following in clipped from a Chicago newspaper :—" Wanted, Babies, twins, not more than twelve months old, to plav parts m 'The Virginian'; good salary." The profits of the playhouse.is nlwavs a fascinating tlieme of discussion. In these days, when long runs are not so plentiful »s they used to be. there is not much (says a. London paper) to put. before the public in the way of data. Of course, there have been many plays within recent years that have won great success, but phenomenal runs have been few and far between. When a piece does " catch on " with the public it is readily agreed that no gold mine could bo. more profitable. The report that ' The Chinese Honeymoon' has already yielded i£60.000 clear profit affords a .typical example of the large revenue from a really mccessfnl play. Some years ago it wns said that 'Rip Van Winkle,' in which Joseph Jefferson played the title role no fewer than 5,00/0 times, had earned the anm:n<* sum of £1.000,000. and that for three successive seasons at. the Boston Theatre it had averaged £4.600 a week in gross returns. 'The Old Homestead.' another American favorite, is credited with earning £950,000 hi twelve years ; 'Our Boys' ran for four rears, at an average profit of £4OO a week ; »nd Bame's "Little Minister' has long passed the £IOO.OOO mark in net profit. Madame Calve, who is now in Paris, has mi.de some interesting remarks to an interviewer. "I confess," she said, "that I have, hung chiefly because I needed the money, partly to support) my family, and partly in order that I misfit gratify roy tastes, which are decidedly luxurious. * But when you bear that I am" grasping, remember that I have, suffered, and suffered horribly, through poverty. The memorv of my early experience has taught me to" defend my interests. Suffering is indispensable to success in art— as indispensable as audacity. I have nerves. I have alreadv admitted it. They accuse me of liking to have things my own way. Why not? The artist who would make lit mark in the world must impose her will, impress her personality, upon others.'' A new and singularly sueces-sfiil method of preventing panic ha.s been discovered by the New York police. A fire bavin" broken out at a. theatre, sixteen stalwart policemen were hastily posted in the passages, and in a loud voic announced (hat they would " club the. head off" the first person who started a stampede. There was no stampede. Perhaps the reputation held iby the New York police - of being very fairly ready with their clubs had something to do with the result (remarks the 'St. James's Gazette'). But this does not affect the splendid testimony which the incident affords to the value of homoeopathic treatment of nervous disorders. "If you try to kill yourself in a panic-stricken rush," said the club-wielding ones in effect, "we shall kill you first." It is worth all the asbestos curtains ever made.

i'adeiews.ki has completely wen the hearts of musical amateurs in Melbourne, his second concert being marked by a crowded attendance and unbounded enthusiasm, [t has been arraugpd that the musicians of Sydney shall give him a- welcome- on his arrival in Svdney on July 26, and, if practicable, the pianist will be entertained with a harbor picnic on a .Sunday afternoon. So far the booking for the Sydney recitals, even for the guinea, .'.eats, is reported to be vcrv ratisfactovy.

Madame Emma Calve, who is raid to ba completing a tour of Australia next vear ender the.Williamson regime, has founded a sanitorium at C'lhrifres, near her own home at Ewron (France), where sixty young girla who may need f rG *h air and medcal attendance will bo received every Bummer, their entire expenses en route and maintenance being defrayed by the famouscan tatrice.

One of the London papers the other dav pnntcd a. storv to the effect that some menihers of the 'Prince of Pilscn' choru< wen. given to winking and smiling nt the audifc~*. The practici) described as ex-

trcmely objectionable, and one that did not commend itself to the taste of the better class of English playgoers. It is needless to add that immediately afterwards several papers came out with* interviews with members of the Shaftesbury company, in which the accusation waa repelled 'indignantly, while Mr Musgrove likewise strongly repudiated the charge. This and various other incidents which it is unnecessary to particularise would seem to betray the artistic touch of the American theatrical Press agent.

Apropos of the new theatrical partnership, Mr Harold Ashton tells the 'Auckland Herald ' that " Mr Tallis has been with Mr Williamson from his youth up in the Melbourne office, gradually working his way upwards until he became his right-hand man. We have always looked upon his advancement to his present position as almost his natural destiny. All Mr Williamson's representatives are particularly delighted to know that Mr Tallis has attained the position wo consider his many abilities entitle him to. As you know, when Mr Williamson was away, he was the director of his affairs. Mr Ramaciotti is a leading solicitor in Sydney, and has been for manv years tho manager of one of the principal Sydney legal firms. He ha« been a great friend of Mr Williamson for years, and amongst, us ail is recognised as* a man of very keen business acumen. He has also had a good deal'to do with theatrical matters, and it was mainly through his progressive ideas that the' theatre Royal, Sydney, the estate of which he represented, and of which Mr Williamson has been the lessee for some time, has become one of the best theatres in Australasia. Mr Williamson has of late been leading such a strenuous life, his work ever increasing, that he found that ho could not personally attend to all departments in the thorough way lie would like. He had several line offers to transform his whole business interest, into a company affair, but. did not care about the idea, and determined instead to take in these gentlemen as partners—the one is leading manager, and tho other his esteemed friend, the business qualities of both being greatly admired by him. They made him a very handsome offer for shares in the. business, and this he has accepted. Ry this new arrangement Mr Williamson hopes to he able to devote more of his time to the actual production of pieces, and much of the detail work that he previously felt bound to supervise he will now be relieved of by hi.s partners. -. . . Mr Wil'iamson expressed to mo that he was positively delighted with the results of the opera company's recent tour of New Zealand. The public of New Zealand can rest absolutely assured that in future he will send them nothing hut the best—nothing will be deemed to be tool good for them. Tn New Zealand you can, I confidently believe, look forward to a. big expansion of Mr Williamson's business." The first company to bo sent over under the auspices of the triumvirate will be the • Marriage of Kitty,' who opeu at. Auckland on the 25th inst., and wo are, to havo the initial performance of the latest London success, the 'Duke of Killificrankie.' That combination will get through the colony- by the end of September, and be followed by rne Knidit-JeiYerics Company, whose repertoire will include ' Monsieur Beaucaire,' ' The Eternal City.' 'The Sisn of the Cross,"The Silver King,' and ' The Royal Divorce.' Mr Ashton confirms my statement that ' The Darling of the Gods' will not be produced in New Zealand, but an almost fiic-similo of the finest'scene in it—namely, the Japanese. " celestial heaven"—will be reproduced in a striking and appropriate manner an the final scene in "The Sign of the Cro^s.'

A dramatisation of Bnnyan's ' Pilgrim's Progress' has been produced in the United State?.

Two more musical prodigies arc announced, the one English, the other Spanish. The former is Miss May Hnrrison, the four-trcn-year-old daughter of Colonel J. H. C. Harrison, -who has proved, herself quite the most remarkable of music's wonder-children that England has produced. She plays the violin with all the air of the great' artist she is sure to become. Fleeting to make her debut in such exacting compositions as Bach's ' Concerto No. 2 in ]£,' Mendelssohn's ' Concerto, 1 and Bach's ' Chaconne,' if. was obvious that in the reals of technique TJay Harrison has already reached enviable heights. M ; iy Harrison is- not only an English girl, but hii<» received her educationat the Royal College of Music. Sir Hubert Parry, the director, was nn enthusiastic witness of a signal triumph. Great sensation is being caused in Madrid bv the pianoforte concerts given hy the girl pianist Georgette Girler. This young girl is onlv eight years old, and yet her playing can be compared with some of the greatest piano geniuses of the day. Ever since she was five years old she ha,s shown marked capacity for music, and has devoted all her time to execution and composition, and to-day is able to play by heart at least twenty sonatas by Bach, Chopin, MendelssGbn. etc! The marvellous genius of the- girl-player reminds the critics of that other musical genius, Pepito Arriola, who at the age of. seven composed sonatas, and who is now studying in the Conservatory in Leipzig The termination of the season of Mr Williamson's London Musical Comedy Company in Melbourne was characterise 1 by much enthusiasm. The Princess's Theatre was packed, the mcmlicrs of the company were individually treated to a warm " send-off," and finally the curtain descended upon quite a bower of floral tributes. Mr G. P. Huntley was singled out for special honors. He hiving joined the Masonic craft while in Melbourne, there was a gathering of tho brethren to present him with a floral horseshoe and a. silver flask. The company have gone to Adelaide, and will come on to.Sydntv at tin end of the month.

At the close of their pre-ent season in Sydney the Royal Comic Opera Company go to Brisbane, and then to Melbourne and Adelaide. On returning to Sydney at Christmas they will be prepared with some row pieces Mr Williamson has secured in London, including ' The Duchess of Dantzic' and 'The Cingalee.' Mr Bland Holt's nest venture in Sydney will be Walter Raleigh's melo-farce "The Flood Tide.' At Madame Patti's only London concert, which took place at the Roval Albert Hall on June 11. she was assisted by Miss Ada Crossley, M. Jean Gerardy. and Mark Hambourg, all of whom were cordially received.

Dr Elgar's 'The Apostles' was (for th,e first time in Germany) performed on Sunday, May 22, at the Lower Rhino Festival, in Cologne. The performance, by an orchestra of 150, cb'onis of 500, and some of the best soloists in Germany, was superb i'\ every respect. The English composer was called for after both parts, and received an ovation.

There has been such a great increase in the ranks of choralists even-where that the following remarks by Mr Henry J. Wood, the famous English conductor, recently given before the members of a London Choir Association, should be of special interest. He said:—"The standard of musical efficiency is rising every year, yet some stricture. l ! ran:-r be passed upon choral singing.. Three great essentials must be commented upon—good training, good classification, good balance. Lack of balance is the chief cause of inefficiency in choral societies. Why make a large choir the object of ambition? Conductors would do well to be more exiting in selecting singers. . . . A_ good conductor must bo a fault-finder. What ke-'ps choral music from advancing? The desire for bigness. That tends to disintegrate a society. Efficiency cannot be maintained. -Miss A on the right row sings flat, -Miss B on the left scoops, Miss C in the row behind sings what is known as good seconds, but it is generally a bad third. belo.v the ordinary soprano. In the interests of art the conductor should be able on his own authority to weed out ineificients. Very often a choir will have such a balance as this: 80 sopranos, 45 contraltos, 16 tenors, and 45 basse".—(Lau"hter ) The orchestra for such a choir would generally consist of 30 performers. If a society car only ifford 65 in?trume- l' abfts they should not idrmit more than 10" in the choir. Start by ;e!eting tenors .' . . S.ime people say: " Never join a choir; .t is bad for the voice.' That might happen if the conductor induced part of the choir to shout and other members not to sing at all. That is why choirs of 200 t«v SCO should be condemned.* . . . Small choirs of 100. or even 50. voices are the most instructive and enjoyable. . It. is the duty of every choral conductor to

make every member of his choir a better singer. Conductors, however, endeavor to get as many performances of big works, with the least preparation; in tho shortest time. The late Henry Leslie would rehearse a short part-song or madrigal 70 times, and a new choral work 200 times, before he deemed it fit for public performance."

Sir Charles Stanford, the Cambridge Professor of Music, has composed a new concerto for clarionet and orchestra, which was recently produced at a concert by the London Philharmonic Society -with great success.

Like most other celebrated performers, the lato August* Wiegand displayed talent ai a very early age, and the active study of mnsio was undertaken after his fourth birthday. The boy's progress was so rapid that before he had completed his seventh year he was appointed organist of one of the Liegj city churches. A couple of years later he entered the Conservatory of Music in th-2 same town, and devoted himself to the close study of the organ and pianoforte. He became a professor at Ids Alma Mater in 1870, and occupied this post with distinction for six years. After leaving 'the Liege. Conservatoire he made a tour of Europe,, which was so successful that he deter - m ncd to become an organ virtuoso, and with this object in view enrolled himself as it. pupil of the famous Jacques Lemmens, who taught Guilmant, Widor, Mailly, and other notable organists. On the death of tltis gifted artist M. Wiegand continued his lesson under M. Mailly. At the conclusion of this last period of study he resume! his recital work, and soon his services Itecarnc in such demand that shortly before his Sydney appointment we find him giving his 500 th recital. M. Wiegand w-us euosen as the first city organist.of Sydney out '.f 105 applicants. Ho resided there from 1891 until 1900, and gave over I.COO recitals upon the monster organ. His last appointment was at St. Paul's, at Oswego, New York, which he. accepted at tho beginning of this year. During his short residence in America he. gave a number of recitals, and was one of the special organists engaged to perform upon the monster instrument at the St. Louis Exhibition. At the time of hts death M. Wiegand was in his fifty-fifth year.

The Howards, who for the past two years have been the *' etar " attraction of Wirths' Circus, start out on a tour shortly on their own. Surprising as their previous exhibitions wctc, they will be overshadowed in their new seances. New Zealand will also be visited in due season.

Speaking of Mr Watkin Mills, the great English basso at present touring the colonies, the Sydney 'Sunday Times' says: His voice is full and round, and he possesses a remarkable range—he claims /that when

" fully extended" he can cover two and a-half octaves —while his vocalicm is altogether free from any of the objectionable tricks which form so prominent a feature in many of the '' school." Another commendable trait is the good taste displayed in the selection of his items. JitMill!? evidently realises that there is a l>ig proportion of concert-goers who prefer highclass ballads in English or Italian, French, or German numbers, and he has the good sense to adapt his contributioas accordingly. The Tom Nawn Company of American Vaudeville Entertainers, who were recently appearing at the Sydney Palace, have closed down. The combination, which was unanimously acknowledged by the Sydney Press to be ail exceedingly strong one, did not " catch on" from the start. Mr Harry Richards has engaged the whole of the company with the exception of the Nawn Family, whom he could not place. Mr Rial, who was a co-partner in the concern, has cancelled dates in Australia and New Zealand.

Before leaving for South Africa Mr Frank Weathersby (Mr Sheridan's manager) sold the Australian rights of four dramas to Mr William Anderron. The titles of thepiece-s are ' A Girl's Cross Rond*,' ' Between Two Women,' ' A Female Swindler,' and ' The Greatest. Scoundrel Living.'

Mr Charles- Hanrauond is now with M's<= H. Crosrnan in ' Sweet Kitty Bellairs,' nowrunning in New- York. On May 50 a drama of Australian life, by an Australian dramatist, who ha? b"en "in rum actor, miner, volunteer in the Matabele War, <anrl journalist," was producer! at the Grand Theatre, Islington. It is entitled "The Bwhrangers ; or Incidents in the Life of the Famous Ned Kelly,' and. is the work of Mr Harry Leader, with whose name is braeketed that of Mr Bernard E?pinasre. The 'Daily Chronicle' of Mav 31 refers to tho '• rousing reception" accorded to the play, gives an ouiline of the plot, and praises highly Miss Helen Bancroft, who took the part of Marion Lee, Ned Kelly's sweetheart. Kste Kelly' and tho two frish troopers. Brannigan and Flannigan. figure largely. The 'Daily Telegraph' saw that Ned Kelly is presented " as a. sort of bnshranging Rob Roy, who deceives those nearest and dearest to him by the thinnest of disguises, who is saved from death again and again bv the <rei.eros.ity of his sister's lover, a sergeant of police—played, by the way. by Mr Hottnran with a reserve, which was pleasantly conspicuous—and whose daring and dash" are possible because of the fatuous folly of everyone with whom he is at variance."

Mr Forbes Robertson is producing Miss Margaret Young's new drama, ' The Edge of th; Storm,' at the Yhike of Y'ork's. Included in the cast are two old Australian favorites —Mr G. S. Titheradge, who plays Szentes Tstvan (a Magyar leader), and Mfs Henrietta Watson, who appears as Mrs De Trafford.

Miss Mad me Titheradge. daughter of Mr G. S. Titheradge, has a food part in 'I/>dy Flirt' at the London Havmarket. H«r acting is described as very lively and attractive.

Miss'Ethel'Bret Harte, daughter of the late novelist, who d'ed in 1&"2, went t-n the stage on the death of her father. She hae, fo the critics ray. a plying ance and swx] voire. Dauw-hters of ] : tenry men and playwrights are numerous on the board" Miss Winifred Arthi'T-Jon r s. Mrs Lilv Hall Cwrrc, ard Mr Sydney Grundy's daughter are names that are prominent. Yvetto Guilberi, the celebrated cafe concert ringer, was again in London sriving a series of recitals at the Bechrtein Hall last month. But her vogue seems to have passed away to a great extent. A new writer on Japan thus contrasts Japanese and European • playgoers. The European occupant of the lxrx wants excitement; that is what he pays for. The Japan man wants nothing of that kind. He goes to the show for contemplation. There are, however, certain things which the Jap absorbs from the sta-fje—the one is patriotism and the other self-sacrifice.

Mr P. Finn, well known as an Arcstralian playwright, who hag done some excellent work as a writer of some fifteen pantomimes and burlesques, which have been successfully produced in Australia and New Zealand, is leaving at the end of the year fen' London. Mr Finn's best-known pieces are 'The Genial Mrs Goldstein' (John F. Sheridan's Melbourne Cup Musical Comedy). 'The New Barmaid,' and 'Puss in Boote.' As a song writer he has also had much success. Hi« most popular efforts so far have been 'John Bull, Junior,' and 'The Mariners of England.' Charles Faning is at the Royal Standard, London. Carl Hertz is at the Leeds Empire Palace. THE MAORI OPERA ' TAPU.' The production of - Tapu,' Mr Alfred Hill's opera, at Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney, created considerable interest. There was a consensus of opinion as to the superlative merit*' of the music and the Maori dances. But the opinion was widely held (says my Sydney correspondent) that the plot is lamentably weak, and if the production is to go beyond the Antipodes it must be recast in the serious instead of the comic vein, and the character of the " Australian del""ate," in wfrch Mr Gror?cj H. Beid, M H.R., is merciVsly caricatur d from to end, mu t bp deleted ■'together. A io'-o at the exp-nsc of a poVtichn if opp thine, but sueh a bold ard •■''une'ess ho'd'ng up of an individual to puh''c ridicule a' has been resorted to for tickline the taste of the gallery amounts to

nothing less than a most unjustifiable libel. If the piece had been presented in London it womd have been banned by the Lord Chamberlain after the initial performance. The picture is so personal and gross that before long it begins to pall upon most patrons of the theatre.' One objectionable feature noticeable on the first night, when the corpulent politician was brought on to the stage robbed of practically all his clothing except top hat and boots, and garnered with vegetables so as to make him quite ready for the cannibal pot, has already been removed in response to protest!- privately received by Mr Williamson. Other alterations are reckoned to be necessary, but the whole character is conceived in such questionable taste that it will be hard to do anything with it but cut it out altogether, and then what flimsy plot there is to hold the piece together would be gone. Nothing but a complete revision of the opera with a totally new plot will mako it what the fine music of Mr Hill merits. As to the Maori dances which form such remarkable exhibitions tho 'Telegraph' says: achievements of the performance was the representation of the poi dance. The novelty of it, the gracefulness with which the poi (tells of flax) were whirled and twirled, the harmonious motion of the beautiful canoe movement, while the remainder of the chorus, -with their stalks of golden-tinted toi-toi. with the aid of flickering lights, represented the shimmering of the water, to the accompaniment of true Maori music, took the vast audience by complete storm. Greater or more enthusiastic applause has not been heard in the theatre. But excelling even this performance in its fierce reality was the haka. The poi compelled admiration because of the artistic counterfeiting of a purely native and characteristic dance by clever aud apt young women who until a few months ago "knew little of its mysterious movements, but the haka was the real thing. It was the Maori—in appearance, as nearly as was necessary, in his primitive condition, grotesquely tattooed, his hair bedecked with feathers, his brawny limbs practically free of clothing, his weapon of-war in hand, his blood fired by the excitement of the movements of the savage dance—who performed the inspiring haka. As in the case of the-pot dauce, the audience were tremendously enthusiastic. These two dances—the one craceful and symbolic, the other weird, thrilling in character, and machinelike in execution—must be important factors in maintaining the success of the production."