Dramatic And Musical

Free Lance, Volume VIII, Issue 399, 22 February 1908, Page 16

Dramatic And Musical

By Footlight.

THE smile fever is stiil raging around at the Theatre Royal, im Johnston-street. Hen Fuller has got a severe attack, and every evening at about eight o'clock his temperature rises rapidly. That's about the time when the orchestra starts around there. The crowded 1 house has been busy for some tune before that hour devouring chocolates, reading papers, and waiting for the show to commence. And the show is worth waiting for. The Vantells, in their horizontal bar displays, are aloine w orth the admission money, and rouse the house to a great pitch of enthiisiasm. • • • Iheir feats are numerous, and no more clever performers m this line have been seen in these parts. Then those so-called knock-about acrobatic comedians, the Banvards, are a fullsized entertainment in themselves, and the merriment they produce in the Royal looks like throwing doctors and chemists out of work. Bonetta and Williams, the comedy sketch patterers, are up to concert pitch, and give a very clever "turn." • • • Madame Blanche CarelH, (not Mane Corelli, as somebody said around there on Saturday evening) is consistent in her work, and Wellington, has grown to regard hex as its ownest own soprano. She and A. L. Cropp carry the honours of vocalism through the programme, and are cheered enthusiastically. Will' James, with his banjo, is well worth hearing. And there are enough of other useful items right through to make it a first-class programme without any padding. » • • Somebody (we think it was Mark Tapley) orace said he had been so' much astonished that no astonishment was left in his system. If any Lance readers wish to be in the same enviable positioni, they should step along to the wonderful entertainment given nightly by Carter the American magician, to crowded and delighted audiences at the Opera House. Wonder grows into astonishment at the marvels presented and his performance baffles __ description. Nothing can manifest more study, more excellent method 1 or more artistic execution than Mr. Carter's magic, and so thoroughly is he up to his work as a conjuror that the keenest observer will fail to detect him, while the manner in which he addresses his audiences proves him to be a man of refined education. This is as it should be, and the public are content to be so pleasantly deceived. The performance is a very lengthy one, and embraces almost every phase of legerdemain and mystification. Part one opens with <a ' 'Bouquet of Mysteries," and the programme candidly states that "the closer y<su watch the less you see." In presenting his "Bouquet," Carter is inimitable. "Rapid Transit *~ "Aerial Cards," "The Astral Hamd," "The Enchanted Cone and Orange," 'The Inexhaustible Bottle" — whatever one takes as a specimen of dexterity, he is compelled to say that amongst much of this class of entertainment which ordinary sighters must witness, never were they better, and very seldom were they anything like nearly so. well performed. His running discourses, too. are unique. The bombastic self-sufficiency of the ordinary "conjuror" is happily wanting, and in its place we have a cool, imperturable, "chaffy" talk, which is amusing and generally witty. There is a careless elegance about Carter's magic which completes the charm. • • • Miss Abigail Price, the lady with a supernatural vision, a phenomenal memory, and a marvellous faculty for doing strange things blindfolded, is another fine performer. Judging from Miss Price's powers of revelation, second sight, and quickness in finding clues, she wouM be a perfect treasure as confidemtial adviser to the Detective Department. With her eyes securely bandaged she described bank-notes, ran up figures and aiames, touched off the numbers, quality, jewelling and style of people's watches; all but one, which was either at the watchmaker's or with the owner's "uncle." In divining the thoughts of her audience, Miss Price exhibited cleverness and ac-

curacy. Miss Price's exhibition is a very clever one, and she well deserves the applause she leceives at its termination. • » » Mi\ Carter introduces two entirely new stage illusions to Wellington, in "Flyto" and "The Magical Di voice " and they are a couple of the best In the first of these a light wooden, cabinet, standing about a dozen feet fiom the curtains at the back of the stage, and with a clear space between it and the floor, was show n empty Them a young girl took her place in it, the doors a<re closed the curtains drawn, and in a few seconds, at the call of the wizard, the curtains were shot up. The girl had disappeared and in her place stepped forth a young man in military uniform. Next the girl appeared amongst the audience Ha vine re-entered the cage, the voun,g Tadv performed the feat of transferring herself at the word of command to a second cage, hoisted in mid-air •» • • In the "Magical Divorce," Mrs. Carter, seating herself in a chair, was pulled up by means of a windlass into mid-air where she remained for a few moments in full view~<>f the audience. Then, at a pistol shot from her husband, she completely vanished. "Witnessing these two illusions, a man or woman mar for the moment, share the belief of Kins; Rene's bland daughter that the only uses of eyes are to weep with and to go to sleep with. Altogether, it is a most wonderful and amusing show, and Mr. Carter and his talented oommny are to be congratulated upon it. • • • At the Town Hall on Tuesday and Thursday, March 3id and oth. Madame Clara Butt and Mr. Kennerley Rumford will make their farewell appearances in New Zealand, leaving on March 6th for Sydney. This will be the last opportunity of hearing those two world-famous singers, and no doubt they will be greeted with similar demonstrations of enthusiasm, and large audiences, as was the case on their recent brilliant season. The box plans" for the Wellington concerts will be opened at the Dresden next Tuesday morning. • • • A grand complimentary concert to Miss Lenore Pulsford is announced to be held m the Town Hall concert chamber, on Thursday next, February 27th. The concert has been promoted bv Miss Pulsford's many friends, who are desirous of hearing her again in. public before her departure for the Old World. It is interesting to note that most of our popular local artists have willingly agreed to assist in the programme, including Mr. Alfred Hill and others. The programme is also to be a popular one in, the nature of its items, and from present indications it looks as if the promoters' one mistake has been the engaging of the concert chamber for the event instead of the large hall. • • • For the farewell Tetrazzmi concerts at Co vent Gardens big prices were given — ten shillings was cheerfulh paid for but poor standing room. Extraordinary demonstrations were made as the new star left the theatre. Men fought to shake hands with her, and women to kiss her, and on. one or two occasions > she was rather roughly handled in the general enthusiasm. Bands of gentlemen, and several policemen surrounded her, and fought a way with her to her carriage Crowds followed to the hotel, cheering her. Hans Mohwinkel and Carl Suidemund, Tate of Mr. George Musgrove's Grand German Opera Company, have returned to Europe. Herr Mohwinkel hopes to return in the near future to give a series of vocal recitals in Australia. After the loss on the operatic tour, George will not mind being superseded in management, even by the flying Dutchman. • • • "Claudian," a success of the early eighties, is being staged by Julius Knight in Sydney. It has always seemed to many that this is the play upon which Wilson. Barrett founded "The Sign, of the Cross." The resemblance is very great. We shall probably see it here before long. An important engagement made by Mr J. C. Williamson during his American trip was that of Mr. Dudley Clinton, that fine character actor who made such a favourable impression with his work in "OH Heidelberg," "The Bishop's Carriage," "Sweet Nell " and .so on.. Mr. Clinton, who will arrive here in the course of the next few weeks, will join the Julius Knight Company.

The new Windsor Buildings, in Willis-street, have already been made conspicuous by reason of the fine florist's shop opened there by Evans and Son, nurserymen and flor-

ists, of Taita. This enifcerprisinig firm of propogators and floral artists have made admirable progress of late in their art. and the securing of these commodious premises as a depot for the display of their artistic products, and also for the distribution of their increasing busiue-ss, marks another step in the city's advancement. The establishment is under the capable management of Miss Murray, late of Lambton Quay.