Dramatic and Musical

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 96, 3 May 1902, Page 17

Dramatic and Musical

By Footlight.

DIX'S Gaiety Company has not left the Theatre Royal, and tlieie is not the least evidence that ainbo*h wants it to. The piogianune bulges withstaa turns," and some new rneiuls, and mam ot our best-liked old fa\ountes- are helping things along wonderfully. Miss Alice Lay ton, the soprano who dunng a previous visit, produced an instantaneous impression, is welcome once more. Her treatment of well-chosen songs is eminently artistic the quality of her voice is sweet and even, and the audience is enthusia&tic. Among other songs, wen with much taste, Annie Laune" must rank as the gem Her "Good-bye" was ell nigh faultless. ♦ ♦ • Maud Failing's leappearance on Monday night -Has the signal for quite a gratifying round of applause. Maud's coon son^s are nocturnes in black, her tremendous animation and faithfulness to detail giving her a right to a first place among ooon singers. My Onhest One" is Miss Faning's best effort. People do not tire of Lizzie Kirk. She leaches the acme of vocal comedy, and, curiously, her audiences are always eager for her old items. In cold nnnt her songs would not strike anybody as uncommon, but in Miss Kirk's execution of them there is high art. She crosses the border line of genius, and she might easily do a six months' season without annoying anybody. Her handling of the delightful little Salvation Army girl's song is exquisite m comedy. * ♦ ♦ Bv the «a\ the plain, burnt-cork humourist, Jim Marion, has returned to stave off the coming mulligrubs of winter. Jim was not bad before, but he has improved almost beyond recognition. His dance' medley is the best thuiP- he does, and his sense of humour helps him along to success. Mr. * rank Leon warbles muchly about various things, including a piece of pork with buttons down its waistcoat," and his song in which, as am old man. he trins with quite unaccustomed gracefulness, is a thing of beauty. As ever, he w intds up with the clog-dance that won for him his half-a-ton of belts and cuos. * • * Mi&s Belle Ray has just the kind oi \oice that suits Sullivan's grand Lost Chord." One can almost hear the organ in the deep full nortes of her voice. Miss Ray sings in a comfortable way, as if it we're a treat to herself as well as the audience. The Lingard girls get lots of fun out of "The Only Pebble on the Beaoh," and the brunette sister is guilty of some very fine comedy. i±ei blonde sister has made a reputation as an original dancer, and she is keeping it. The pair's little vooal act, m which one personates a rich girl who tells you how the haut ton" does things, and the other peisonates a " 'Arnet with contempt for the "swell," is a refreshing item and well worth listening to. * * * Wallace King sings "Adieu 1 this week, and he sings it with all Jus soul. Also, he warbles other tuneful items, and, as ever, the audience require "Sally Homer," which never grows stale as he sings it. Mr. <-nas. Howard gets in good work with "1 he One Word— Mother— ," and Jim Marion gives the audience a: taste of his authorship in the farce "The Lawyer's Clerk. The test of a farce is hysteria. One lady trans^essed on Monday night and as t wended mv road tramwards she was still ohueklmg her way down the stairs. * ♦ * I think the Empire Bazaar amateurs made a greater "hit" with "The Pirates of Penzance" than with "Les Cloches de Corneville.' The performance of The Pirates " given at the Opera House on Thursday night last week, was far more even, and was. on the whole of more signal merit, than the exposition ot ■'Les Cloches" on the preceding evening. It was- a stronger cast to begin with The chorus work was more generally satisfactory. There were fewei blemishes. * * • Miss Jeannie Sheen was either in better voice, as Mabel, than she was as Serpolette, or the music was more suited to her. At any rate, she made a stronger impression. Miss L. White, as Ruth, the piratical maid-of -all-work, played her part as if she really felt it, and was not aware there was an audienoe in front of her. And she <=ane

both distinctly and passing well. Mr. Philip Palmer, as Fiedenc, wa& just a tufle stiff in action, but had mastered Ins part, admirably, and made every point tell in his singing. In the musical line, he took first honours. Mr. J. M. Izeft was histrionically the best, and he gave "Rule Britannia," m the pretty transformation scene at the end, with capital effect. • ♦ ♦ Mr. D. Cionm made a genial, goodhumoured Pirate King, and lv& voice uas heaid to advantage in moie than one number Mi W. Taboi's Samuel was aJ so good. But the police weie .simply immense, and the audience laughed upioanou«ly at their antics. Their make-up was right up-to-date, and the artist on the light wing, who took on the form and a.spect of a pievbeardod bobby, deserves a special woid of praise for his success. Mr. J G Now lan filled the part of the Sergeant of Police with dioll dignity, and Mr Gil Hoskins, as the Corporal, simph tied up the audience into knots of laughter. The orchestra did its work excellently, and Mr W. McLaughlin, a.s conductor left nothing to be desired • * * Between the acts, Fathei O'Shea made his debut on the stage, and, in the course of a fluent, well-delivered little speech, distributed generous lain and cm rant jelly to all who had earned them. He also claimed, and no one will contest it, that Mr. McLaughlin has succeeded with his amateur corps in establishing an amateur record in the col on v bv producing within three months two operas and winning success with them both. • ♦ * Our Nav> " ha,s been on exhibition at the Opera House since Saturday last, and will wind up the season this Saturday with a matinee in the afternoon and the usual performance at night. It is far and aw ay the best series of living pictures that has ever been shown in Wellington. But it is something more than a pictorial show . It is the nearest possible reproduction of the actual reality with which it deals, and the illusion comes home with such force to the spectator that he can easily persuade himself he is on board a man-o'-waa\ and seeing life there at first hand for himself. That is the peculiar merit and surpassing excellence of "Our Navy" as introduced bv Mr. Charles MacMahon. • * » It deals with the whole life of Jack, the handy man, from the time when, as a chubby-faced boy, he enters the training ship until, life's voyage o'er, he is borne away by his shipmates to his Jast berth. These animated pictures are vividly clear, entirely without that provoking flicker, and that curious vibration which dull the effect of the common, or garden variety, of bioscope, and you clearly catch the changing expression on the faces of the people who are in this fashion put upon the stage. More than that, the people behind the stage contrive to heighten the life-like effect bv accompanying the pictured movements with appropriate sounds. • * * You hear the sw ish and surge of water, the soughing of the wdnd, the rattle of implements as guns are loaded, their report as they are fired, the tramping of feet as Jack goes through his drill, and also the orders of his oflv cers, which reminds us that the gentleman \\ ho had this duty to perform seemed to have a frog in Ins throat. There was a capital series of views showing the sailors at physical drill, marching round the deck, doubling aft for payment, furling foretopsails, and slufting jibs. One very fine picture showed a boyish sailor receiving a visit from hi? mother and two sisters, and the heartily affectionate way in which the lad embraced his mother and elder sister, and took up the little one in his arms, was qmte touching — so true was it in all its details. • # * There was no lack of the mirthful element, either. A very amusing contest in walking the greasy boom at Swansea regatta was brought on to the stage, and as each successive competitor went lurching over the boom into the water the spectators laughed very heartily. Then, they saw Jack Tar playing at leap frog, and also dancing quadrilles on the forecastle to a conceitina and banjo orchestra. • • • The torpedo work, the explosion of sub-marine mines, the Royal Marine Artillery at drill, the divers at work, and a 12-pounder gun in action, were all highly realistic pictures. So. too, was the ladies' cycling gymkhana. Other animated pictures of great realistic force showed the torpedo boats Turbinia and Viper careering along at fullspeed, and placed you among the racing yachts off Ryde with a stiff breeze blowing. Then, you saw the King presenting medals, witnessed a sailor's farewell to his sweetheart by the, old mill-wheel, found out how battleships beha,ve' at fcea w atched Jack on Spunvarri Thursday darning holes in hi<? clothes and dropped in upon him on

w a&hing da t \ . One ot the finest pictures of all showed three sailors engaged in heaving the lead while the whitecapped bilious leaped in angry swell beneath them, and the fresh wind fluttered their garments, and bleu the hair about their eyes. Mr. L. B. Butler described the pictures veiy clearly and aptly, without in any sense wearying his audience, while at intervals Mr. A. J. Groman, a baritone singer, sang appropriate songs. Mr. Butler also incited 'The Handy Man " Pnscilla Verne, the old-time variety artist and wife of Charlie Hugo, is now playing the part of Lady Hawser, .n The Fiench Maid," in America. * * * The mainaige of Mi. W. S Pcic> and Mis*, Jessie Ramsay, both of the Pollard Opera Company, takes place at Dunedin on May 27th." Mr. Percy has been with the Pollards about eleven years 1 , and the bridenelect has been with them four or five years. As the wedding is the first inter-company one since Tom Pollard formed the combination, Mr. Percy intends to celebrate the event by giving a, breakfast to the members He and his bride u ill spend a brief honeymoon, and then rejoin the ranks. (Continued on jtage IH.)

It is said -4000 six-shilling seate weie booked foi Amy Castle's tlnee concerts in Sydney # *■ • Mr Fiank Gheen and Mi Atholwood, who weie here with Wilson JBairett, are supporting Janet Waldoit .n Sydney » ■» * TJie vdue of MdlJe. Doloies' jewellen is estimated at £40,000 One diamond necklace alone is said to lopicont £20 000 » • * H^rn Riekards has just leased the Theatre Ro\aJ in Peitli He means to be represented m eveiv State of lie Commonwealth, so as to establish a Federal eneuit * * * Mi E. W. Ciosslo\, fathei of Mi,s Ada ( io^hn the celebrated contralto, now in London, died at Maliern Victona, on the 11th He was a colonist of nftv-thioe years' standing The iiou Musgrove Liglit Opeia Company opens at the Piinecs>s Theatie Melbourne late in May. Artists now on their wav out for it comprise J Pidduck (bantone) and Edward Lauu (nephew of Geo. Laun), and Fostei Courtney and W R Shule\ comedians. • # * It seems that the eailv days of May Yohe (recent'v dn orced from Loid Hope) v,c:e spent in Australia under Fiank Clarks mrn-gement. when she was mereh a, pretty chains aimer and show girl m his Blue Stocking" Vaiiety Company. « • * Max Eugene, the bass smgei of the Mus^iove Opeia Company, who took the "aits of the Count di Luna in Tiovatoie," and Wolfram in ' Tannhauser, has been singing leeently at the National Theatie, Mannheim, and on Good Friday he took pait in a big, sacied concert at Liverpool • » ♦ The Dunedin Gordon Highlandeis who appealed in "The Ladder of Life ' down South, did not come through their baptism of fire on the stage battlefield unscathed Several of the kilted one •> were shot about the bare legs, and "Paso, urn" says in two cases which came under his eye blood flowed fieely fiom the w ounds * • » • Table Talk" states it has been informed by parties who are pi iv^i to the agreement with Miss Castles that she gives 30 per cent, of her Australian earnings to the Catholic Chuich. As she was paid £7">o foi the thiee Melbourne concerts the share of the Church would therefore be £200 But *he paper has its doubts of the truth of the assertion. • ♦ * Wirth Bios 1 Circus did well on the West Coast. Cleared £1400 in 'ess than three weeks. Hokitika panned out £400 for two nights, and Nelson paid in £417 to the treasury for a Saturdai night performance. Down on the Coast Hio whole population knocked off vioik the day the circus arrived in order to follow the elephant about They had nevei seen one before. » * ♦ Dates, it is said, were secured the World's Entertainers in Wellington from June 9 to 19, but, by some mistake June- o to 14 was booked to Harry Rickaids. "Here's- a pretty state of tilings here's a pretty mess here's a how-d'ye-do " However, should matters be settled, and Mr. Musgrove secure the dates in Wellington ongmallv booked by him, the Entertainers w ill open her on June 9, closing on the 19th * » * Mr E. Nable, who used to be one of the lcad.ng boys cl the Po'lard Opei a. Company, has found his way to South Africa. Witness the following advertisement in the "Cape Times,' of Maich 10 —■' Theatrical. —Wanted, two Ladies and two Gentlemen for Mr. E NaMes Australian Comedy Company Toui commences March 21. None but those hawng previous experience need anph —Write at once to Mr W T Pollard Grand Hotel." # * ♦ Janet Waldoif, as Rosalind, m As You Like It," has had a numb: 1!' of predecessors in that role who a:e still waimly lemembered on the othei side. For instance Mr*.. Scott-Siddons, with th? flashing black eves Ada Waid the divinely tall," who afteiwaids joi.ied the Sal\ ation Arim , Louise Pomerov the young American actress who also tued her figure in doublet and hose as Hamlet Essie Jenvns. who retired from the st^^e in 1888 to maiiv J R Wood, the milhonaiie of Newcastle and Hilda Spong who is iioa's "starring" in the States