Dramatic And Musical

Free Lance, Volume III, Issue 110, 9 August 1902, Page 7

Dramatic And Musical

By Footlight.

DIX'S Gaiety Company, at the Theatre 1 Royal, is giving a show of great excellence at present. The act of Arras and Alice, the latest and most nov v el feature, is responsible for much cheering. Arras is a big little man, with muscles of iron, and a pleasant smile, and his feats of strength and precision are very remarkable. One of his most sensational feats is to hold a hne in his 1 teeth. The other end is made fast, and in the centre Alice performs a seaies of clever evolutions, winding up with a lightning spin on the quaintly suspended rope. The powerful Arras poises the small but solid Alice on his hand, and she, with a rifle turned up-side down, does some remarkably smart rifle shooting. • • « Amae, himself, is no mean shot, and rattles on "bulls'" with bewildering celerity from any position. He does some sterling feats of strength with a quartette of heavy rifles with fixed bayonets and is probably the strongest man in the wrists Wellington has seen. Having a speoia,l chair which is raised twelve or fourteen feet from the floor he raises himself with almost imperceptible pressure of the hands and turns apparently inside out, sunporting himself by sheer strength the whole time The strain, which he bears smilingly, must be intense. * • • Mr. Carl Collier, who has a trio of banjos, a stock of queer songs 1 , and a confident manner is a better banjoist than comedian. He played Strauss's "Stars and Stripes" with great finish and dealt with familiar subjects in a vocal way. His imitations on the banjo were excellent , particularly where he successfully imitated the cadences of a country parson's droning voice. Val Vousden, who is- back again, is introducing new novelties and local "hits" into his impersonation of Mrs. O'Rorke, and the junior member for Wellington comes in for hisi share as also* does the member for the suburbs. Val fills in as usual with dramatic recitation and quaint ventriloquial business. # * * The Vitagraph, a sort of poor relation to the cinematograph, biograph, and the other branches of the animated picture family, shows some pictures to which one can attach any title one likes. The concluding film, which was not as filmy as all the rest, showed one of the smart London music hall illusions, and saved the credit of the machine in some slight, degree. Miss Stella Ranger, who was suffering from a severe cold, could not reach her top notes, and retired in the middle of the verse. The audience cruelly insisted on her coming out again, which she did. To her credit be it said she warbled through her siong with almost her usual excellence. Miss Connie Devereaux with "Finiouli Finicula," got on good terms with the big crowd, and the dashing Florrie Ranger looked as pretty as she always does. ♦ * * Frank Clarks excellent little corned v, "Rumpus." played as a finishing touch to a fine bill has plot, and incident, is extremely well acted, and is, perhaps, the best thing of its kind ever seen on a Gaiety bill. Miss Connie Devereaux and Mr. Cowan assist Frank in winning the hearty applause it deserves. • * * The Pollards have filled the Opera House nightly for the ~ast fortnight with "The Messenger Boy," and his English and Egyptian pranks, and the crowds eager to enjoy the bright music, the rich comedy, and the gorgeous mounting, have been remarkably unstinting in their praise. Every Pollardian of reputation has had a place in the bill, and the "Boy" has gone with an ease and freshness that makes one hope he may come round and see us again in the future. • • • I am informed by Mr. Carter that it is not his intention when in England to seek a theatrical engagement. He is severing his connection with the Pollard Company solely to go in for two or three years' training for voice production under one of the best masters in England. He is to be tendered a complimentary benefit bv the Wellington amateurs some time in December. He concludes his engagement with Mi Pollard after their Auckland season,

some time m October. I wish Chailie e\ cry success. * w ♦• The present season is the last occasion on which Mr. Carter will appeal with the Pollard Opera Company in Wellington. Mr. Pollard is staging "The Gondoliers" and "La Poupee" next week, which will afford Mr. Carter's friends and admirers an opportunity of seeine ham in two of his best characteis, namely, Marco in ' The Gondoliers," and Lancelot in ''La Poupee." A matinee performance of ' The Messenger Boy" is announced for to-day (Saturday). •/• - — The follow ing is the change of bill for Pollairds' Opera. Company next week — Monday and Tuesday, August 11th and 12th "The Gondoliers" , Wednesday and Thursday, August 13th and 14th, 'La Poupee" Friday and Saturday, August l()th and 17th, "The French Maid " * * * Fiank Leon champion dancei of the woild, owes his marvellous skill, so it is said, to Dan Leno. Frank after seeing Dan dance, swore to become equally proficient. He practised eight hours a day and now it takes a couple of railw ay cars to carry his cups and medals. Leon is as hard as pin wire, as local sportsmen who have taken him out "gunning" know to their cost. \ # *• J C. Williamson is giving Melbourne the 'Circus Girl." He has engaged the services of Melbourne's biggest "bobby" to play the "Terrible Turk." ' The Turk's name is Kelly, and he is 6ft llin. Constable Kelly won the beauty prize at a Bendigo show, and he is several feet longea* than George Lauri who is playing bar tender m the "Circus Girl." Lauri gets a laugh out of the plavgoing crowd by using a step ladder to converse with the seven -footer. Mr. Johnnie Wallace, stage manager for the Musgrove Comic Opeia Company, lost an artiste recently over the small matter of an accent. Miss Clara Wisdom was the artist. Miss Wisdom, who possesses a fine Yankee accent had been with Musgrove's Comic Opera Company for some time, and at a recent rehearsal her lines included the sentence', "I must go to my bath." Johnsie, who was in rather a bad humour, snapped, "Don't say baath, say barth " "Oh,* I couldn't say b-arth." was the reply. "Well, you must say it if you play the part " continued Johnnie. "All right," said Miss Wisdom. 'I'll quit then" : and quit she did, and is now on her iva" to America bv the Ventura. (Continued on page 20 )