DRAMATIC AND MUSICAL

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 94, 19 April 1902, Page 17

DRAMATIC AND MUSICAL

By Footlight.

D[X'S Gaictv Company. at the Theatie Royal, is thrn ing wondiMfulb, and the management is to be congratulated on the new oidei ot things The fust pait ot the programme is now fully up to the quahtv of the second part The best that the company can get is evenh distnbuted throughout, and the improvement is very gratifying Also, the old familiar screens, with George Fisher and Loid Roberts painted thereon, are gone, and everybody is glad. * * ♦ Miss Belle Ray, one of Mi Dixs most recent acquisitions, has a magnificent contralto voice. She sings Out on the. Rocks" in such nch, sweet style and almost without appearing to sang so effortless is her manner, that the audience gives her a splendid ovation. In the second part, ''Ben Bolt " than which a more tuneful song was never written, is exquisitely rendered. Miss Ray's every note is true and even, and she is probably the finest singer who has sung to Gaiety audiences. * * * Athas and Collins have leappeaied. Their repertoire is so extensn c that they do not go over the same ground they traversed before. The grotesque Athas is more amusingly absurd than formerly, and his dancing is wondious. By the way, he does a remarkable •flip" that I have never seen attempted before'. Try it in the sacred atmosphere at home. Stand at "attention," facing your audience, then throw your ' flip" not towards them, nor from them but at right angles to them. Don't touch the ground with your hands. It's remarkably easy Ask Athas if it isn't ? * * * Miss Collins the graceful sonerstiess and danseuse, is heard and seen m splendid buiness just at present Is Mv Hat Straight?" is given with fine dramatic effect, and the Coster girl's song she gives as an encore is wildh le-de-manded. * * * James Harvey pla^s a bloodcuidler in one act, with four characters in the cast. As Mr Harvey undertakes to imitate Wilson Barrett Johnny Sheridan Robert Brough and Bland Holt and is eminently saoceissful you nw believe that his turn is one of the best His funny business is most excellent Madge Morris assists him in his "eiennial foolishness with much daintiness and a decent soprano voice * * * Wallace King's songs are pioductne of the heartiest applause given to am aitiste now appearing He is billed for one song, Like a Dream." As an encore, he sings, with great effect the charming item, 'She Wore a Wreath of Roses" and, as ever the audience 1 \ riled for Sally" and that wondnful topnote. * ♦ • Sivroni has new business and new jokes, and Sihim's voice is m hue condition. The Lingard giilsmake a gieat success of a new thing of theirs Oui Threepenny Hop," appearing as up-to-date 'Amets The old familial corneimen are gone and altogethei the Gaiety system has been icvised out of all semblance to its former self, and the revision is vein welcome Miss Lizzie Kirk, who lanks with Miss Irene Franklin for originality has been persuaded to return She will eventuate at Dixs during the coming week » * * The Anderson Diamatic Compam closed their season at the Onera House on Monday, after a four nights' run of The World's, Verdict " Like the othei two pieces which preceded it it was chock-fnll of sensation, but there was also a strong infusion of low comedy and altogether, the audience seemed to en]ov it Like all Mr Andersons pioductioni, it was staged with great completeness of detail some of the sets being realistic to a degiee Take for instance, the faiimaul scene, m which a flock of ducks and poultry played a thoroughh domesticated and natiual P arh The culminating scene in which sensation is worked up to its highest pitch, was that in the maniac's den, where the heroine is bound to a chair and placed under a guillotine The madman starts the machinery b\ which it works ,md

the droacUul implement is actually descending when the heio arnves and effects a rescue in the nick oi time. So poueitulh did the situation tell unon tlio nerves, ot a > oung woman in the famih circle on Satin da> night that she was seized with hysterics and was caii ied out sci earning * * * Mr. Chas Blake and Miss Fitzmaurico Gill a& usual, sustained the paits ot licio and heioino with excellent effect. .Mi Lauience Dunbai was, of course, the polished and wholly-unscrupulous villain who equally, of course, was of the customan type of bad nephew. Mi-s Helen Fergus as Corahe C'as-sihs, «as his accomplice in guilt. Mi. Fiauk Hawthorne, as Sammy Carrot, a hiehh ioco.se seiving man, and Miss Hilda F'lasei. as Sally Jenkins, a romping housemaid, turned on a full tap of extiavagant fooling, and when the 'gods" were not hissing linpiocations at the bad characters, or cheering the hero and heroine, they were laughing uproariously at Sam and Sally's- 'gomes on." ' r he company, on their wa<v back from the South will play a return season, starting at the end of May * * * Miss Hilda Fiasei, who has laised main a heaity laugh in Wellington during the Anderson Company's recent reason, is a young lady with quite a long theatrical career. She commenced her professional work ten j ears ago, by playing ''Ada Ingot" to Arthur E. GieenwaVs "'David Gainck," at Melbourne Biiou. The manager of the Charles Hollow ay Dramatic Company, which she then joined, appreciated her cleverness, and gave her soubrette parts in which she certainly shines. She played sx>ubrette al='o with Arthur Garner in Sydney and Newcastle, and was captured for the Brough and Boucicault Company. She came to New Zealand with the company when it played "The Second Mrs. Tanquerav" and ' Lady Windemere's Fan," seven yeais ago. * * * Aftem\ ards, she joined hei husband (Mr. Godfrey Cass) in Westraha, and, together, the pair did a Long season with George Rignold She slaved 'boy" 'larts fo4 George She has been with the Anderson Company tor a long time, and they want to keep hei . Of course, she likes New Zealand Tt tieats pla\eis so well," she says. * * •* The manager ot the Auckland Opeia House has made a bid for the favoui of lach patrons ot the' theatre by placing bo\ s in the aiehestra stalk aaid chess circle piovided with boxes of chocolates for sale 1 at ordinal lates. Gentlemen who want to go out between the acts, ostensibly to bm sw eetmeatsi, ajid u&uaJh leturn with a refreshed look, will now have to invent some other excuse. * * * The following artistes aie booked to appear on the Dix Now Zealand circuit during the next few months — The Lottos, tuck cyclists the Musical Jackson family Val Vousden, comedian . Reienda and Breen, club swingers Colby and Way ventriloquists and dancing doll the Perman trio Isabel Watson Weston and Yost, Miss Molly Bentley, and the Sheiwms. Everybody who knows him will legret to see h} the newspaper cable this week that ill-health has obliged Mi. Alfred Hill to resign the \ anous positions he holds in the musical world of Sydney. But we are all pleased to know that he is returning to New Zealand, and that his ripe talents will be once moie exercised in this country . Mr Hill is not actually ill, but the climate of S\dne\ does not agree w ith him * * * I undei stand he will come acioss the heinng pond, with his wife and family, eaih in Juh and it is quite hkeh he w ill lcoume his study ot Maori melody, w Inch some years ago led him +o the composition of •Hinemoa." In the Auckland Opeia Club are to pioduce Lady Dolh," and "Hinemoa" will piobablv follow It is- quite on the i aids that thei may also be produced at the other large centres. Inducements will piobablv be offered foi Mi Hill to settle in Auckland, but for the sake of music I hope Wellington influence may pievail and that we shall have him installed here hefoie the end of the \ eai . The excellent compam of amateurs who so S'Uccosshilh pla\ed opeia at the lecont Empne Bazaar, intend to play again under less adverse conditions On Wednesday 23rd mst. Mr McLaughhn. promoter, geneial coach, and musical conductor will stage Les Cloches do Cornevi'lle " with the cast as at the Km[)ii c Baxa,Ai- unaJteied. On Thursday, 24th The Piuvte.s of Penzance" will he given As I before piedicted the uniT< r^il success attending the preliminary pimluction of these operas will be matenallv augmented b\ the fact that the-\ are to be given m the Opera House The pioceeds are to po in aid of the Catholic schools of the cit\ * * * Mr E H Stevenson who unfolds hi« R^ al Bioscope at the Exchange Hall

on Sotuiday night, comes to us with warm recommendations as a lecturer and entertainer. The bioscope contains 4000 feet of highh interesting animated pictures*, and, m addition, there are 100 coloiued photo slides,. Ifc is said there it. nothing dull or stale about this show. (Continued on page lh )

Alleged that Hawtiey, of the 'Message from Mais" Company, cleaied £3000 b.> lus lecent trip through New Zealand • » » Gum-digging pays in Tunaru all right. Mr. Gunn, a dentist there, has ]iist bought the Theatre Royal of the place for €8000. Miss Lilian Wheelei , the handsome young actress, who toured New Zealand several years ago, is a Victonan bv birth and also a university graduate. She has got an engagement at the London Lvcpum # * • The Dartos are due back in Australia in 1903, under engagement to P. R Pix and Harzy Rickaids Next time thpy will bo accompanied by five extra people who assist them in a pantomimic sketch w hich is a great success on the Continent * * * \inv Castles was a bit late in arriving at Melbourne, but her bicycle preceded her It. was piomptlv nlaced on exhibition in a shop-window, and thousands of the Melbournians gathered to gaze upon it as if there were something remarkable in the fact that it belonged to a popular songstress Nothing succeeds like success. » » * When at last the Australian, nightingale did arrive, she made her first appearance in public at a performance of "The Runaway Girl," at Her Majesty's Theatre. She entered one of the boxes, and wasn't noticed until the lights were turned up after the first act Then, there w ere calls for "Cheers for Amy Castles " and the orchestra, led by M. Leon Caron, struck up "Home Sweet Home." * * # The Musgrove Dramatic Company has "The Ro^ al Rivals" in reserve when "Sweet Nell of Old Drury" has exhausted the scanty resources of the two-show towns of Tasmania. "The Royal Rivals" is "Maritana" in another shape and it has been fully rehearsed during the run of "Sweet Nell " Another drama, says the "Critic," is the stage version of Miry Corelli's "Sorrows of Satan " The book must have been the heaviest of Satan's sorrows if he ever read it, badness only knows what the play may be'

Fred. Seagei, ot Wellington (late Dunedin mana&ei ioi P. R. Dix), is now the man m advance toi hngh&h euteitcunov Stm enson * * * hdwin Geaoh and Geo. Willoughby have biokcn ice with their London Comedy Company by staiting to play at the Melbourne Bijou. The part ot the pretty housemaid in The Wrong Mr. Wng'ht" is taken by Nellie Ascoh, a lecruifc from J. C. Williamsons choiusa.nd ballet girls, and for long one of the sweetest girls in the ioh m the Prmcess light operas and pantomimes. Miss Asooli off the stage is Mrs. Hill, wife of Han-v Hill, an actor well-known in Wellington # Ma-dame Venosta who was the contralto prnna donna, in the fust Italian Opera Company that wsitod Nev> Zealand in 1877, has m Wanganiu where Oie is now teaching the ait of smsine, and voice production Pi>ic.\ Verto, who describes himself as the Handcuff King," writes me that he has seveied his connection with the Punjaub Troupe of Indian jugglers, and w as leaving for Sydney bv the Warmnoo on Saturday last. He has been offered engagements for himself and w lfe at both Singapore and Manilla, and has just added to his repertoire two fiesh illusions besides a very long film, entitled ' The Sign of the Cross." He also claims that La Petite Verta was the first to introduce m New Zealand the songs ' Good-bye Dolly Gray," and ' The Honeysuckle and the Bee " She opened with them at the Choral Hall, Wellington, at Christmas time. * * * Mr. Rickards (Sydney) put on what practically a new company at the Tivoh for Easter. The newcomers weie headed by Madame Lydia YeamansTitus, billed as "the' Peerless Lyric Actress and Travesty Queen " Madame Titus proved the possessor of an exceptional voice, and exceptional dramatic and lyric ability, and was well received The Jackson musical family — two brothel's and two sisters — gave a wholly delightful concerted performance, varying, the items with mandolins guitars 'cello, piccolo, flute, violin, and xvclophone They were recalled again and again Piofessor Chas WriMo- a skilled clarionet and saxophone pi aver, was another clever and welcome nowcomoi

Mi. Dix\ various Gaiety companies did bettor business by £73 this Easter than at Foster of last j^ear Auckland topped the list, Christchurch was second, Wellington third, and Dunedin last * * • Pasquxn juiuoi" say& there is just a possibility that a marriage will take place betw een Mr. Ernest Bnnkinan and Miss Beryl Oilman at an early date. Mi's Gil mam is non doing "Gaiety" business for Mr Pix in Wellington. *• * * Miss Maud Beafcfcy, who has left for Kngland in the Ortona, has placed fortyfour parts m forty-one operas, and her sister May sixty-one parts in fortvthiee operas, since as children twelve years aao they left the Normal School, Christchurch to join Pollard's Lihputian Opera Company. * * •» Miss Lulu Evans, Mr. Pollard's newstar, is tiom the Savoy Theatre, London, and appeared tTiere as Nora in the original production of "The Emerald Isle," the. last of the Gilbert and Sullivan opieras. She is only under a short engagement to Mr. Pollard.