DRAMATIC NEWS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LIX, Issue 6868, 5 March 1883, Page 3

DRAMATIC NEWS.

Simonsen’s Opera Company commenced their Auckland season onFeb. 19, with Girojte- O-iroJla. The Hermit's Sell followed, in which Mr Brennir made hie dSbdl, and was succeeded by La Fills de Madame Angot, which served to introduce Mies Leonora Simonson to the musical public of Auckland, Good houses have been the rule. —A» "special dramatic season" wos commenced at Abbott’s Opera House on Feb. 20 by a company comprising Miss Jennie Nye, Miss Lucy Ashton, and Messrs J. J. Welsh, Gerald Dillon, and F. W. Fisher. • The Child of the Regiment and the extravaganza of The Bride of Abgdos were presented.—-Mr Maooaba will make bis first appearance in Wanganui on March 29.—Tho Juvenile Opera Company closed a successful season in Wanganui on Feb. 23. Mr Archibald Forbes was the rage in WanSanui at latest advices,—Mr Moccabo introneed himself to the Napier people on Monday last.—Previous to visiting Wanganui, Mr Forbes lectured at Hew Plymouth, Hawera, and Fatea. —Woodyea* and Boss’ Circus is at the Thames.—The Juvenile Opera Company wore to have opened with U.M.S. Finafore in Wel’ington on Monday, but were detained In Wanganui by stress of weather.—Miss Jennie Lee and Company closed their lengthy Dunedin season of nine weeks on Friday evening with a mixed bill, comprising the first act of Jo, the first not of Tie Grasshopper, and The Happy Fair. The last named afforded Mias Lee an opportunity of. addressing ft few words of farewell to the audience. In reviewing ; the season the " Otago Daily Time* " says:—"The season has been a noteworthy one, not only on account of its unprecedented length, but also on account of the success that baa attended it throughout. During the latter portion of the season the average of good attendance has certainly been maintained by constant ohanges t of, programme} but it baa been maintained, and the company may congratulate themselves upon having achieved what might almost have been doomed an impossibility. We have seen Miss Jennie Lee in many guises and in many widely different parts, and wb would willingly site even more of her. Long as she has stayed In Dunedin, she has not weareid playgoers as yet. Her extraordinary versatility and genuine talent are sound recommendations that have gained her a long and patient bearing wherever she has gone, and will doubtless stand her in equally good stead wherever she may go for the future."—On Saturday night La Fills da Tambour Motor was produced for the first time, in Dunedin, in presence of an audience that crowded the house from floor to ceiling. The critiques in the local paper* were favourable, notwithstanding that Mr Drayton bad such ft severe cold that most of hi* music bod to bo omitted, and he could hardly speak. The following is an extract from the article in the Age which led to the assaolt by " Jennie" Moore on Alfred Moul s— " That Miss Maggie Mooro’e impersonation of the Masootte is altogether unnecessarily vulgar, aud that her vocal performance! cannot be eeriously spoken of, in short, that she is most thoroughly out of place at the primo donna of tho Mascotte cast are facts that remain at present at evident as oh the first night she appeared in the opera. A week ago a protest oould hava been made against the infliction of being obliged to see La Maseotte only in association with Miss Moore’s prominence in the cast, . - - We'hope never again to have to condemn a management so unreservedly .as we have been compelled to do in allaeioo to the Masooile oast. It only serves a* another instance of - the readiness with which managements will, and do, ignore all proper (Interests of art, if they can find a means of filling their treasury by a less expensive method than the engagement of competent

artists. The more intelligent seotlon of the public, whom tastes have reached a level of refinement that introduces discriminating power, will by this time have seen with a feeling approaching disgust, ths deliberate way in which managers in Melbourne are inflicting a series of inralte on the public, apparently to gratify a feminine caprice or to save a few paltry pound# weekly "—Miss Nellie Stewart hse lately taken Miss Maggie Moore’s place in the cast.—Messrs Clark and Hyman’s Variety Company are still at the Bijou Theatre.—Mr H. F. Towle is now conductor’of the La Matcoite Company vice Signor (Horn, transferred to the Theatre Boyal. Henry V. is still running to crowded houses at the Theatre Boyal, Sydney.—Mr Funk Towers took a farewell benefit at the Gaiety Theatre on Feb. 16. Grifwu produced on the following evening.—Mr and Mrs Polk commenced their season on Feb. 17 at the Opera House, with The Strategies They scored a big “ hit.”—On Feb. 20, at the Central Police Court, Sydney, Mr Frank Towers proceeded against Mr L. M. Bayiiss, the lessee of the Gaiety Theatre, on a charge of using offensive language, with intent to provoke a breach of the peace. The action arose oat of a disagreement between the parties relative to the payment of a certain >?aß faiiL . Tha Got Company lately sent in a bill to the plaintiff demanding payment, and threatening if it was not discharged to cat off the supply of gas. The plaintiff, fearing that the gas might be cat off during the per* fomance, and his credit thereby seriously affected, paid‘the bill, and then wrote to Bayiiss asking for the amount to be refunded. Bayiiss, the plaintiff stated, thereupon went to the Gaiety Theatre, and entering the plaintiff’s office and seating himself upon the table, said the plaintiff was “a dirty dog.” Mr Crone, before whom the case was heard, suggested that it would have been better to have settled the case out of court, and it was subsequently withdrawn.— A Sydney paper baa the following about a couple of old New Zealand favourites:— "Clara Stephenson and poor old Charles Burford are up in the most remote and broiling North just now, playing in Shakespearian dramas 1 . The Company consist of Miss Stephenson, Charles Burford, Cora MTan, and Mr Wills, Clara’s husband. The latter is advance agent. We are glad of this, because we heard that when the original Company broke np he started by hie solitary self to make bis way down here on a peepshow performance. Charles Burford, by the way, it the backbone of the Company. In Hamlet, and such like trifles, he plays not only the principal part, but all the others—all the other male ones. / Thus he comes on by one entrance as Prince of Denmark and questions the gravedigger. Then he stalks out to come in again at the other entrance as the gravedigger, and answer his own questions. There is something about this style of surmounting difficulties which borders upon genius, bnt if requires a very patient audience. We should think it would successful in a cemetery. The Clara Stephenson Company propose to go to India next. Tbpj can go to—Hong Kong—for us.”—Mr H. E. Walton it with Mr George Blgnold’s Henry V. Company in Sydney. Miss Solange Navaro is also a member of the Company.— Cagli’s Opera Company hade farewell to Adelaide on Feb. 10, when II Barbiere di Siviglia was produced to a good house.—Dunning's London Comic Opera Company opened with . Boccaccio at Adelaide on Feb. 12. Boccaccio has been running ever since to good bouses.—On Feb. 17 Bainford’s Colossal Mirror of the Egyptian War opened at the Academy of Music, Adelaide.