FOOTLIGHT FLASHES

Evening Star, Issue 15480, 30 April 1914, Page 9

FOOTLIGHT FLASHES

[By Loitebxb.] WILLOCGHBY N~Z. ATTRACTIONS. 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' Company will be here from June J9. fe, gg, Invercargill will be visited on Jwje 26 and 27. 'The Rpaajy* tour will* b« inaugurated at Wellington §© Thursday, Juno S5. I>nnedin dates are July 15 to July 21. The "Tenderfoot" American Musical CMmedy Company will start at Auckland in tlie first week of September. The Dunedin dates aiia Saturday, Ocfoher 31, to Monday, November 9. Several tours fSx 1915 have been booked by Mr Stanley Grant. Ariiong these are an attraction (at present undisclosed) at His Majesty's opening on Boxing Night and extending till January 2, 1915, and the pantomime, probably 'Cinderella,' which will be seen in Dunedin on Easter Saturday.

Mr D'Arcy Perry, who for some time pasr has been manager of the Auckland OpeTa-houee for the Fuller-Brennan circuit, lifts been promoted, to act in a similar capacity at His Majesty's, Wellington. The following are the dates for Harry. Lauder's tour of the Dominion:—Auck-

land, July 18 10 25; Wellington, July 27 to August 1; Wanganui, August 3 and 4; Napier, August 5 and 6; Christchurch, August 8 to 15; Dunedin, August 17 to 22; Invercargill, August 24 and 25; Timaru, August 26; thence to Sydney by the outgoing hoat from Wellington. A couple of London theatres have lately provided themselves with what are known as "deaf stalls," which have been known for years in New York and Berlin. They are stalls fitted with instruments resembling t-plephone receivers. In a deaf stall a deaf playgoer can easily hear every sound uttered on the stage. The twin receivers fork from one stem—a handle resembling the handle of a lorgnette^—and contain appliances which greatly magnify sourid-s. An electric battery is needed, but this addition is hidden below the seat. The deaf stails cost no more than other seat?, and can, of course, be used for ordinary playgoers when not booked by the deaf. But at present they are being booked for weeks ahead. Ernest Drake, the promising young tenor vocalist, who was recently successful in gaining the first prize at the Auckland Exhibition. in the tenor contest, has. decided to give the Dunedin public an opportunity of hearing him prior to his departure for Australia, and to this end the Garrison Hall has been booked for a concert three weeks hence. Mr Heywood, F.R.C.0., organist of St. Paul's, has undertaken the duties of musical director. Mr Drake studied under both Spencor Lorraine and Philip Newbury.

Mr James K. Hackett, an American actor, will receive approximately £300,000 from the estate of Mis Minnie HackettTrowbridge, Ms half-niece, although in the will fikd for probate Mrs Trowbridge declares that she bad "never seen the man, had no interest in him," and otherwise showed her dislike for him. The fact that Mr Hackett would, by a etrange trick of fate, come into a fortune was told shortly after Mrs Trowbridge's death a few weeks ago, but the next-of-kin refused to credit- the facts until the will was read after the funeral. They declared that a second will was in existence, but to produce it. Mrs Trowbridge, after making individual bequests, left everything she most- vahi«ed to her husband, and he would have received all had he lived ; but after the execution of the will on January 9, 1908. Mr Trowbridge died, and unless another and later will was drawn Mr Hackett. as next-of-kin, wijl inherit. If another will was signed, it probably could not be admitted to probate, for immediately after her* husband's death in September," 1910. Mrs Trowbridge suffered an iifness which left her rnentallv unsound. A film of interest at the New Queen's Theatre just now is one in which Dunedin'e idol, W. S Percy, late principal comedian of the rvoval Comic Opera Company, plays the principal character. When he visited America the other dav New York was a city to j wonder at The traffic all went thp wrong way, he said, and it seemed rmVhty stranae to be freezing to death in December, for that month is midsummer in Australia. His :<dventures in outlandish U.S.A. made a thrilling story for him to take back with him to the other side of the world. That Harry Lauder lias made a tremendous impression in Melbourne is shown by the tributes he has received from the local Press. Thus the 'Herald': "Hie songs and speeches have bo-en distributed all over Australia by means of the talking machines and by the sheet-music retailers, and coneequentlv every word was more familiar than the quotations in Hamlet to that audience. But ha was the conqueror, and the fact of his triumph was proclaimed in unmietakeable terms. He received such a rousing assurance as possibly would not be equalled anywhere else." The 'Age' observed : "His genial personality- made him at home with everybody from the outset. Hie abounding good-humor wafted itself across the footlights. TJie way he passed from the falsetto soprano to the heavy baritone in ringing a verse of 'Rocked in tho Cradle of the Deep,' and more especially the, way he skipped about the stage, showing extraordinary lightness of step and facial expression, made everyone anxious for more." M. Alfred Edwards, the founder of the ' Matin.' the Parisian n«wspapsr, who died last month, left the whole of his fortune, subject to the payment of £4,000 to MdlleYvonne Rcaxd and an annuity of £24 to his valet, to. Mile Colonna Komano, the actress of the Comedie Francaise, who receives Jie leeaev in recognition of. her lomrstandirp friendship with the second wife of the dead man. Amone*t other. clauses in his will is one in which he says: I enjoin on her not to pay gambling or Stock Exchange debts left unsettled bv me, unless she is ordered to do so bv the Courts, for I havo been auda-

clotttlv robbed and deceived. M. Edwards, who was the son of a British (rtbjeet living in Constantinople, has died worth about £250,000 apart from the value of bis interest in several theatres. Mil© Romano declares that her first impulse wa* to refuse the legacy, but for the 6ate of those persons committed to her care in it she has decided to accept it. She will also continue to pay the annuities to the three of four former wires pf AL Edwards," wlosc "divorces cost him eo dear tiat he ofccfc dedaffci that on* or two more

eulaied. sas when Mile Romano has met 4U tW monetary charges there will only pgrnaip, to her out of - the quarter of a iullion sterling a sum of about £20,000, and this money she intends to devoto to the foundation qt a, charitable institution jpr children to bear the nam© of Alfred Edwards. "Undoubtedly," says the Auckland 'Herald,' "one of the finest acts seen in Auckland for a lohr time is that provided by the 'Five Juggling Normans.' The Normans' specialty is juggling, with Indian clubs, and the speed and precision with which the quintet manipulate the awkward articles is marvellous. Right through their act the Normans introduce fresh items that make their turn one of the most versatilu it is possible to imagine An exciting item is when four of the team stand in a line before the other member, and interchange dubs with him at incredible speed. Another feat that is decidedly sensational ie when two interchange clubs from a distance, while two others sUind jn the line of firo calmly juggling ar.d paying no attention whatever to the clubs whirling past their heads. Each evening during the week large audiences have greeted the Normans in a most enthusiastic manner; in fact, have been loth to let them leave the stage, thus showing th-?ir keen appreciation of easily one of

the best juggling acts ever seen in this city." This act will open at the Princess Theatre on Monday ni#ht. When in this City the other day MiLeo Chomiavsky, one of the three distincuished musicians touring the Dominion ■with Miss Maud Allan, was invited to hear A. V. a son of Mr J. Benson Westhead, of Woodhaugh, play the violin. To a Timaru interviewer Mr "Cherniavsky subsequently stated that he had met in Arstralia and New Zealand young musicians of great promise, but too frequently the public showed a want of appreciation. In a young country like this talent should be more fully appreciated, and every pains taken to have it developed. At Dunedin he had met a boy of 19, whoss qualities as a violinist astonished him. The bowing and fingering were not as he would like to have them, but the boy put himself into the music. He had the peculiar ner%'ous temperament of a violinist, coupled with good brajn power, and there was a probability that with right training he would become a great artist. Fe felt a gTeat interest in the boy, and had given him the best advice he could, but art and money seldom went together, and unless some assistance was siven him he would not be able to bear the cost of training under some of the great masters. He had offered to give the boy lessons during his Sydney and Melbourne season, after which he would be in a better position to judge of his fitness for training, and could also advice him which of the teachers he should place himself under. It is understood that young Westhead is not in a position to accept the generous offer given him by Mr Leo, Cherniavskv. The suggestion is therefore made that some of our prominent musicians might interest themselves in Mr Westhead's> future in tho way of organising a benefit concert-, or in other directions.