Dramatic and Musical

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 95, 26 April 1902, Page 16

Dramatic and Musical

By Footligfrt.

DIX'S Gaiet\ Compan\ at the Theatie Ro^al despite mixed weathei and picturesque exhibitions gereralU is doing bie thm"s And reall\ I don't know why it shouldn't, for the bill is exceptionally stiong, the arrangements are moie effective than ever befoie and the stai 'turns" aie spread throughout botli fii&t and second parts to leaven the whole^ # Miss Lizzie Kirk is regarded by the management as the finest vocal comem enneithasevei engaged At first 1 was inclined to hold one exception but L herein recant There is talent in every expression of this chaimmg artiste, ami her magnetic nouoi is quite out of the orchnarv. The delightful naivete of Miss Kirk in the sons m which she personates an ingenuous but. I fear precocious damsel of twelve or so tickles the audience immensely. Ine clever comedienne is vocifeiou*h required to sing n\e each of which k a, veritible scm in comech I hope Mr Frank Leon is not called on to wear that champion belt often It appears to * eigh about half-a-hun-dredweight As befoie. Mr. Leon in his ante-dance songs gn es no indication ot his latent teipsichoiean powers, but having once broken out lie takes a good deal of stopping His woik is wonderfully clever • • • James Haivev has quite a new senes of humorous and quaint items Seems to me that James does a bit ot eveivthing othei artistes have made a « P eeiaht^ of His latest is to nick a chair up in his teeth containing a.precious bin den in the shape of Miss Madae Morns His juggling with an own umbrella bell-topper and other etceteras is smart Dixs quartettes should be heard as soon as possible Miss Belle Ray Miss Madge Morris, Mi Wallace Kin* and Mr C'has. Howard give Sweet and Low," in yen finished style. Bv the wav Mr Howaid's voice is wonderfully improved "The Skipper" is the best thing I have heard him do Mr Chas. Milton is singing Coster ditties successful Sivroni is iust as tunny as ever, and the Lmgard sisters with their skipping-rope, have learnt a great many difficult feats * * * Miss Belle Ra\ treats this week's audiences to Asthoie" This favourite song suits the rich tones of the singer s voice and is eagcrlv redemanded. Mr Wallace King is down for one song, 'Mine Always," but that does not satisfy his friends in front -Pretty Red Rose" is given w ith fine eftect and then Wallace naturally thinks he is off for the night. Somebody yells 'Sally Homer," however, and Mr. King is simply forced to warble that sweet old song A realh excellent little comedy bv the humorous Sivroni, winds u~ the pieseut programme It is the nest thing of lts^kmd that the company has put on Mis-, Kdit- Lmgard, who is plavins with the Dix Gaiety Company, in Wellington is a sister-in-law of Hamilton Hill one of the biggest favourites just now at the London 'Alls, where they say he is making a fortune. And Hamilton Hill is the husband of that graceful tip-toe dancer Beanie Gellateh * * * Mr George Musgrove's Dramatic Company which is due in Wellington in Octobei brings as its trump caid "Sweet Nell of Old Druiv " with Sweet Nell Stewart in the leadino- part But it will aUo stage 'A Royal Rival Ouida's ''Moths " and Mane Corelh s ' Sorrows of Satan " * *■ * Mr E H Stevenson has been at thp Exchange Hall with his animated picture paraphernalia, and a wealth of well-re)hearsed information about the-m There are a good many films the people 1 of Wellington have not seen before, and tho«-e that have become familiar by long repetition the lecturer invests with _ new in to rest bv his minute explanations Mr Stevenson recites frequently, to the accompaniment of coloured lantern slide*- "Curfew Shall Not Ring Tonight" is rung on between the moving pictures to rest the eyes of the audience and the reciter's handling of that tv ell-known poem i<= sufficiently impressive

Main comic stage steiu-s aie shown, and main celubuties, black and white, personal hionds ot the lectuiei, aie o\lubited Peiliaps, the best animated picture, because the newest to Now Zoalanders is a film ot the Niagaia lapids One is taken b\ the lecturei all o\ el Wmd.soi Castle and is glad at last to get in the bioscopic ti am away tiom its silent, <md sad gorgeousness Pathetic and lo\al reteieneeis to Hci late Majesty aie made and it is a lehef to get awa\ horn the lathei o\eidone mausoleums and royal hmoials to lopio&cntations of comic musjc hall ' turns " The familiar 800 ft him pouitrayrng the acted stoi \ of Joan of Arc's life and deatli is made a big featuie of A piano, under the direction of Mr P C Hanlev. supplied music appiopriate to the animated pictuies Audiences luw c been exceptionalh eood No doubt the ability of the lecturer is laigolx lesponsiblc for this ■f * * Mis\s Maud Hewson w a.s to commence a til Ico months' season with Mr. Rickards at the S\dnev Tivoh on Saturday last • * * A two-nights' season of comic opera was inaugurated at the Opeia House on Wednesday night b\ the amateurs who, under the tiaining of Mr W McLaughhn, made such a 'hit" at the Empiie Ba/aar There was a full house and "Les Cloches de Corneville" was the bill of faie. At the Bazaar the opeiahad to be eonsideiably abridged, but on this occasion it was given in full Mi McLaughlin wielded the baton and the cast w as as before A laiae slice of praise must be <n\en to the orchestra, which performed its woik m a musician-like mannei The chorus, too with oue 01 two exceptions, acquitted itself e\cellenth Yen fine indeed, was the effect of the Ding Dong " chorus, and also that of Silent Heroes " The singe is weie off colour iv one 01 two numbers that had not been studied foi the Bazaar, and had had, presumabh to be swatted up" since Their stage business was good and, in fact, the action ot aJI hands nght through was eommondably smooth *. *■ * Amongst the pnncipals, Miss Winnie Birch as Geimaine, and Mr F Hendiv a« the Marquis, earned off the \ ocal honours Miss Birch brought dow n the house and leceivetl some handsome floral offerings through hei tendering of the pretty ' l Ding Dong" song, and Mr Hendrv was also honoured with an encore for his opening song Miss Jeannie Sheen is the best actress of the troupe. She sings sweetly, and acted vivaciously in the part of Seroolette Mi Wm F Slack's performance as Grenicheux was uneven He has a voice of nice quality, and gave most of his numbers with good effect But there w ere others in winch he was at fault Mr F. Dunne made a capital Gaspare! The buffo paits of the Bailhe and Gobo werp again sustained by Mr Albeit M Samuel and Mr C Zachariah and the-* ceitainly made the most of them Tho\ lost no points and they added a few with local allusion^ Mr. Zachanah's grotesque dance was promptly eneoied The opeia was prettih mounted and the scenic artists (Messrs Williams and Hoskins) are entitled to a meed of praise for their pictorial w ork I place Mr. McLaughlin in a niche bv himself, for he has certainly spent himself freely in this labour of love — the production of two operas at short notice in a good cause He conducted with excellent iudement and the fruit of his training was seen on the sta^e "The Pirates of Penzance" is to be tnven om Thursday night but that is a stoi\ foi next week * • ♦ Mr McLaughlm, bv the wa\ was presented bv the opera chorus on Tuesday night with a silver-mounted ebony baton, in appreciation of his services And the baton was used for the fir^t time on Wednesday night, at the Opera House I have no doubt it will be in frequent requisition now that evei\boc"h — ''antediluvian fungoids" and all — know "Who is McLauehhn " * * * The unique and fascinating enteitainmcuit Our Navy," will be shown at the Opera House to-mortow (Saturda\ ) and following evenings, under the direction of Mr Charles MaeMahon. Foi the past tluee yeais Oui Navy" has been i mining at the London Polytechnic, and the Au&tialian tour' has been little shoit of a boom In Sydney, the show ran for ten consecutive weeks and m Melbourne for two months, to enoimous houses o\er -400 000 persons paving to witness the poifoimance iYi these two citicvs alone • » * A reeoid season of twelve nights has lust been concluded at the Auckland Opera House, to packed house*- Oui Navy" has been gi\en befoie the King and Queen the Prince and Princess of Wales and has been patronised b\ the Lords of the Admiralty, the Admirals of the Fleet and all sorts of lesser dignitaries

The peiformance depicts vividly a bluejacket's career in the service, from luo entry on board a training ship to his registration as an A.B. The arrival ot the "raw material," the transformation effected by discipline, and esprit de corps, and the whole routine of the 'hai^ man's" life afloat are all shown. Mr. L. B Butlei will deliver his stirnng lectuic, the electric effects will be under the direction of Mr. H Wyndham, the mechanical properties will be worked bv Mi. J. Sarlo, the oichestra will be under the direction of Mr. Harry Rushworth, and Mi Gromaim, the famous English baritone, will contribute oldtime sea songs ♦ * * I am m leeeipt of tw o new songs. The first, which rather takes my fancv^ is> a sentimental piece, called "Shadows," by Alec Hill, of Wellington and published by Reynolds and Co , of London. It is m' the intense sMe affected bv Lord Henry Someiset and Maude Valeric White and I should think ought to patch on all light. The melody is not difficult and the effect is pleasinc * * * The other piece, which comes to me through Messrs Begg and Co. is of the patriotic variety evoked bv the war. It is called 'New Zealand's Sons," and is composed by Mr J H. Phillpot a wellknown and capable musician, of Auckland and was sung by Mr. Stebbmg at the banquet and send-off to the Ninth Contingent. The air is, of course, martia.l and inspiriting, but it is a pity Mr. Phillpot didn't drop across a better rhvmstei for the woids to which the music is set are very thin stuff. (Continued on }><tqe IS.)