DRAMATIC GOSSIP.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXX, Issue 8577, 3 September 1888, Page 3

DRAMATIC GOSSIP.

The farewell appearance: of the Gaiety Burlesque Company at the Princess’ Theatre, Melbourne, was made on August 1(3, when Mr F. Leslie took a benefit* The house was crowded to the doors. During the evening Mr Leslie was recalled so often and cheered that the progress of the piece was delayed, and the curtain did not fall until considerably later than usual. At the close the curtain was rung up repeatedly in response to the calls of the audience, and the whole Company coming to the footlights wore warmly cheered. Miss Letty Lind, who was indisposed, did not appear, while Miss Sylvia Grey, who met with an accident while dancing recently, was also absent. As the audience still remained, and still cheered, the members cf the Company passed in turn before the curtain, and bowed their acknowledgments, but the people were loth to see the last of them. The orchestra appropriately played “ Auld Lang Syne,” and the audience, who were now all standing, sang it with much enthusiasm. Finally, in response to calls, Mr Leslie came forward and addressed the audience. He said the Company had left Englaud with fear and trembling, for it was just possible that the peculiar form of entertainment they had to offer would not, to use a slang phrase, “catch on.” He felt satisfied, however, that the season had been a success. One question he wished to ask, and it was, “Do you wish to see us again ? ” (Loud cheers, and cries of " Yes.”) That settled the matter, for he could assure them that he would do all in his power to bring it about—(cheers) —but it could not be sooner than two years hence. (Cries of “ That’s too long to wait.”) Then he would shorten it, and say twenty-four months. (Laughter.) In conclusion, he could only assure them that a very large corner of the hearts of members of the Company would ever be bo warm towards Australians. (Loud cheers.) On the Saturday following, August 18, Miss Essie Jenyns, supported by Mr W. J. Holloway’s Company, commenced a farewell Shaksperian season of six weeks at the afore-mentioned house, which was w r ell filled m all parts, and crowded in the dress circle. The play presented was The .Merchant of Venice. It was enacted with the smoothness which has been noticed on former occasions, while the distinguished excellence of Miss Jenyns’ portraiture of Portia gained for her frequent and hearty applause. She was many times called before the curtain, and similar compliments were paid to Mr Holloway, who impersonated Shylock, and the leading dramatis pcnsonce, Messrs A. Norman, R, Stewart, R. Inman, H. Hodson, A. Ralfe and A. E. Greenaway, and the Misses Steele and Constance Deorwyn.

The Magistrate was revived at tlie Bijou Theatre on August 18, before an exceedingly large audience. Mr Brough, who appeared before a Melbourne audience after a ten months’ absence, took hia old part of Posket, and received something akin to an ovation upon his first entrance. The other leading characters were sustained by a galaxy of talent in the persons of Messrs Titheradge, Boucicault, and Eoyce, and Miss Harwood, Mrs Brough, and Miss Pattie Brown. On the same evening the Opera House was re-opened, with Miss Emilie Melville as the chief attraction. The piece underlined was Martha, and, although there was a fairly well-filled house, the season does not promise to prove a great success. Besides Miss Melville, there were attractions in Miss Colborne-Baber, Mr H. Stockwell, and Mr Hubbard, the latter of whom, in consequence of the indisposition of Signor Yerdi, took that vocalist’s place as Piunkct. Miss Melville met with a warm welcome as Nancy, but though she was unable to do full justice to the music Elotow wrote for the part, the charm of her comedy manner remains, and her archness and vivacity compensated to a great extent for her vocal deficiencies. Miss Colborne- Baber was well received, as also were Messrs Stockwell and Hubbard, the “Age” remarking, in connection with the latter’s appearance, that his “ substitution for Mr Yerdi was not a matter for regret, as he sang Piunket’s music very well.”

The effort' made by the Norton-Sidney Dramatic Company to resuscitate the fortunes of the Alexandra Theatre has not been attended with success. On August IS the Outcasts, a dramatisation of one of Miss Braddon’s novels, was performed to a beggarly array of empty benches. The Company have The Mystery of a Hansom ready for production. Despite the adverse opinions of the critics. Miss Carrie Swain has no reason to complain of want of patronage at the Theatre Royal, where Little Nell and the Marchioness is being played nightly. The Lynch Family of Bellringers and Company, which now includes, besides Miss Annette Ivanova, Mr J. C. Parlatto, are appearing in a miscellaneous programme at the Athenamm. 'I he variety halls continue to be largely patronised. MrMaccahe is touring in the western districts of New South Wales,

“ The Australasian” refers to the Gaiety Company’s Melbourne season as the “most succesful yet experienced in the Colonics.”

In Brisbane, at the Opera House, Mr Holt is playing A Run of Luch. At the Royal, Miss Marion Willis is appearing in East Lynne and other dramas.

The Dampier Company are still touring in the extreme North, where also are understood to be the Jungfrau Kapellc. In Sydney Lights o’ London, at Her Majesty’s, is still enjoying a gratifying and undiminithed success.—Mr Warner has finished his season at the Royal, and was followed by the Gaiety Burlesque Company, who opened on August 18.—At the Academy of Music the Federal Minstrels, with supplementary variations, are maintaining their popularity. —Modern Wives, at the Criterion, notwithstanding the favour it enjoyed, has given place to Jim the Penman, in which Mr St Maur and Miss Thomas sustain the parts they played in Melbourne. And at this theatre there is to be a matinee performance by and for the ill-starred French Comedy Company, to help them to get back to France. —Miss Finkelstein is still lecturing at the Y.M.C.A. Hall, where she has proved an immense success.

In Adelaide Miss Kellie Stewart lias been maintainin'? her good reputation as Bettiaa in La Mascotie. Garner’s Rooms are again occupied by Mr Hudson and his Surprise Party. Mx 1 H. St Maur has purchased the Australasian rights of Bootle’s Baby , which he will produce at the Melbourne Bijou, as well as, in combination with the Majeronis, putting on Me Barnes of Keio York at the Royal. Mr Frederick Cowen (the Melbourne "Punch” remarks) says that without llattering he can truly say he has never conducted a better orchestra than the one now at the Exhibition, A little more practice will make them quite perfect, he says, and fit to match any orchestra in the •world. Ho also speaks highly of the choir, which numbers 800, and promises to hare them at a pitch of perfection in a short time.

A sale of seats for the opening performance in Sydney of the Gaiety Burlesque Company was held on August 14. Four dress circle seats brought 25s each, and the same purchaser paid i!l2 for a box. Eighteen other dress circle seats went at 22s each, and the balance brought prices ranging from 21 s to 10s each. The front stalls sold briskly at advanced prices, and the whole sale was entirely satisfactory to the management. The report has been circulated, then denied, circulated again, and denied again, that Messrs Williamson, Garner, and Musgrovo wore about to dissolve partnership, until opinions have become divided as to what the triumvirate really intend doing. The following letter from Mr Williamson, which has been published in an Australian paper, has set the matter at rest; —So far as I know no arrangement lor our dissolution exists or is iu contemplation. Nothing authentic or truthful has been published. The firm of Williamson, Garner, and Mu&grove will, in all

probability, continue to exist and do business for many years to come. As a matter of fact our position and business standing is stronger now than ever it was before. IPttle Otto Hegner has left England and has gone to study again with Herr Huber> at Bale.

The two most accomplished men singers of the day in opera are tbe brothers de Resake. M. Jean de Bet-zke, when singing for the Grand Opera in Paris, get £240 a month. In London he receives about that per week. Mrs Langtry’s next tour (says tbe “ Era ”) commences at Omaha on Oct. 15. She will not visit England this summer, as she will be engaged in showing America to her mother and her brother and his wife, who are at present her guests at her farm in California.

Mr Edward Lloyd has been singing some of tbe music from Wagner’s Siegfried. An English paper declares that if the singing of the Nieblung’s Ring series of operas had heen entrusted to similarly cultured vocalists in 1882, these operas would by this time have become as popular in England as is Lohengrin.

One successful debutante at least has appeared in opera this season in London. This is Mdlle. Zelie de Lussan, who lately took the part of Carmen with great success at Covent Garden. The lady is of Spanish descent, on one side of the family, young, attractive, animated, a good singer and actress, and a little like Adelina Patti. All the critics speak well of her chances for a future.

Mr Barry Sullivan, the well-known actor, who is reported by the cable messages to be dying, was lying dangerously ill at Brighton when the mail left. Evidently but little hope was at that time entertained that he would soon be fib for work, for it had been arranged that hia place should be taken by hia son, Mr John Amory Sullivan, on the autumn tour for which he was engaged. It is not a bad thing to be a leading dramatic critic after all. Mr Clement Scott was lately entertained at the Arts Club, on the occasion of the completion of his twenty-fifth year’s experience as dramatic critic, and the managers present gave him a handsome silver casket for cigarettes, inscribed with their names as follow :—J. L. Toole, Henry Irving, S. B. Bancroft, Wilson Barrett, Augustus Harris, Charles Wyndham, John Hare, Agostino Gatti, Stefano Gatti, H. Beerbohm Tree, Thomas Thorne, Edward Terry, Charles Hawtrey, and E. D’Oyly Carte. Miss Louise Pomeroy played Hamlet, and played it fairly well, when she was here. Sarah Bernhardt is going to play Romeo to Mrs Brown-Potter’s Juliet! At least that is the latest story from New York, where an enterprising reporter extracted the information from her just before she left for England. It is not generally believed, but the announcement was circumstantial enough, however, the divine one stating that on the close of her engagement at the Lyceum she and the Juliet of her choice would go together to Cauterets, there to perfect themselves reciprocally in English and French. Mr Irving had of course to deliver the inevitable speech at the close of his last performance at the Lyceum, before departing for the provinces. In this he announced that he and Miss Ellen Terry would not re-appear at the Lyceum, till December, tbe theatre being in tbe meantime let for Mdme. Bernhardt’s performances, and to Mr Mansfield, who will produce a play founded on “ The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.” In December the favourites will return, and Macbeth will be revived, an interesting feature of the performance being the incidental music composed by Sir Arthur Sullivan.

There seems no end to the ingenuity of the showman. “Niagara in London” is the name of the latest novelty, and it seems to be as successful as novel. The “European Mail” declares it “to be held in popular favour by the classes and the masses, as well as country visitors to London. As a picture, it transcends anything we have ever seen. Everything seems so natural and so lifelike; indeed, it is impossible, in glancing around at the scenery in the vicinity of the awe-inspiring falls, to tell where the real and the artificial begin and end. We hear that the promoters are well pleased with their venture, and that the success of their show has far exceeded their most sanguine anticipations.” The strict protectionist creed of the American extends even to the stage. Prom a Home paper we learn that a deputation from the New York Labour Union recently protested against the landing of forty-three ballet-girls and acrobats, who were brought over to perform in a spectacular production at Coney Island, on the ground that their importation violated the contract labour law. It is interesting to know that the important question of American versus foreign legs was settled in favour of the imported article. The Commissioners held that the ballet-girls were “professional” people, and did not come within the provisions of the law. Under this ruling the ballet-girl is apparently rated higher than the clergyman, for in the case of Mr Walpole Warren it was decided that a clergyman could not be imported free of duty for an American church. The irascible Dr Hans von Billow fled from England the other day “in a huff,” apparently, because the London public did not attend in their thousands to hear him play the piano, saying he would never come back any more. His programmes were tremendous—five or six Beethoven sonatas at a sitting—and the Handel Festival in progress, so it is not to bo wondered at that his receipts suffered. The musical critic in “Truth” consoles himself with the reflection that von Billow has already threatened twice that he would never come to London again, or, to quote his own words, “ The Fates only know what he will now say about us in those tremendous organs of opinion, the newspapers of Leipsic. Of course. Dr von Billow may write in the Leipsic * Signale’ strong nothings about our love for little boy pianists and for Brobdingnagiau Handel Festivals; and, of course, like the young lady, he may declare that he never—no never, will speak to us any more. Yet I venture to prophesy that in three or four more years’time, say after his return from the projected starring tour in the United States, we shall have Dr von Billow again in England, And with more recitals, although, if we do not, some of us may be inclined to agree with Mr Wilbert, that ‘it really doesn’t matter, matter, matter.’ ”

A simple but touching ceremony took place in Vienna on the afternoon of June 22, and it attracted numerous spectators. It was the reinterment of the remains of Beethoven. In the presence of the Mayor and Municipal Councillors and many Professors of Music, the remains were disinterred in the suburban churchyard of Waehring. The coffin was found intact, and bore the well-preserved inscription—" Ludwig von Beethoven, born Dec. 16, 1770, died March 26, 1827.” On opening the coffin some discussion ensued because the Anthropological Society wished to take measurements, to which the Mayor objected. Ultimately the measurements were taken. At two o’clock the Mayor and those interested escorted the remains, which bad been placed in a new metal coffin, to the Central Cemetery. A mourner on horseback bore a flag decorated with a large laurel wreath. Two carriages contained splendid wreaths of laurel and palms which had been sent from all parts, oae of the finest being from Bonn, where Beethoven wasborn. The Concordia Society, and all the musical societies of Vienna and of various Austrian towns likewise sent wreaths. The coffin was covered with laurel wreaths and satin ribbons bearing inscriptions. Behind the hearse walked two mourners with crimson cushions, upon one of which there was a crown, and upon the other the baton of an orchestra director. Twentycarriages followed with professors of music, actors, and singers. Before the coffin was placed in the grave in the "Avenue of the Illustrious,” Herr Lewinski, the famous actor, delivered a funeral oration, written by Herr von Weilen. The procession passed quite close to Beethoven's beautiful monument in the square named after him.