MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9022, 7 April 1888, Page 4 (Supplement)

MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC.

» ■ '- Bbouoh and Boucicault's Burlesque Opera Company have been doing good business at the Opera House. Last, evening Jacobowski's comio opera, ''pick," wae produced, and will be followed by The Forty Thieves." A Wellington correspondent), writing on Thursday night respecting Miss Amy Sherwin, says:-"This charming cantatrice, eo well known in Auckland by her early ipeformances there, has been delighting tie people of Wellington during the oast week. When she appeared before an Auckland audience, just ten years ago, Bhe was an interesting debutante ; n° w ? he »! one of the most graceful and accomplished irtißte of the lyric stage. Her interest in 3iij New Zealand, where she achieved her nret iucceeses, ie appropriately marked by her desire to endow a Chair of Music in the New Zealand University, to be called Ihe Amy Sherwin Bursaxy. 5, She sings to-da> in furtherance of that object and the concert will certainly be attended by e>erybodv of note from the Governor down. Her Auckland admirer, will remember Miss Sherwin by the extraordinary energy which °he bestowed on her impersonation of Lucia, the exquisifca sweetness of her voice, and a somewhat overwrought vocalisation. Now she takes rank with the principal female vocalists of the operatic stage For execution and facility she has been compared with De Murska. Without going into details, the comparison itself is the greatest tribute that can be paid to her merit She styles her company an " Operatic Quartette Company, and the beauty and completeness of these musical selections exemplify her taste, her facile powers of vocalisation, her vivacity, grace, and piquancy. The lovers of music ffl yonr city have a great treat betore them. Edwin Booth and Laurence B*™?* owned at the San Francisco Baldwin Theatre on March 5. with "Julius Cnesar, the former as Brutus and the latter as Cassins. There had been a tremendous fu*h for ticket?, and on the night before the opening some £3800 had been paid into the box office. They were tn play "Julius Caesar' for a week, to be followed by " Othello, "The Merchant of Venice," and "Macbeth." and then "Hamlet." The outlook for a splendid season is regarded by the critics as beine very promising. It is reported that Georee S. Knieht has settled fora tour of Australia, and will probably leave by the Mav mail steamer. At Barnum" and Bailey's show, at Madison j Square Gardens. New York, Captain Paul Boynton has been engaged to give a series of swimming performances. The new opera." La Dame de Mousorean, by Salvavre, was recently produced at the Grand Opera House. Paris, but proved quite R failure. One English critic says that "it might have been a success but for the nrasie and the libretto." It has the most marvellous mw-flwffw ever presented before a Parisian public, but the music is said to be monotonous and unbarmonious in the extreme. . All Paris theatre-goers are in a state of great expectancy just now, it being announced that M."Bertrand, in order to inaugurate his management, intends to bringout "Madame Angot." with all the splendour of mifi-en-sanc and the best available cast that he could gather. Granier, as Clairettc. was looked upon as a sure attraction, but it seemed hard to find an equal Lange. In the emergency, Madame Judic was communicated with, and. in renly, she stated that she knew the role, and would come to Paris; so that to see these two great artistes on the same stacre is looked upon as quite a theatrical sensation. The recent misunderstanding between Mrs. Lansrrry and her leading man (Maurice Barrymore) is said to have arisen from the fact that the ladv charged the actor with not knowing his lines, to which he is said to have curtly replied that he knew his lines quite well enough to support such a star as she is. Mrs. Langfcry is to return to England some time during the present year to appear as Cleopatra. Henrich Kohler, the solo-pianist, has arrived at San Francisco from China, and proposes to give a series of concerts there, opening in April. After that he goes to South America and Mexico. Tt is reported that Henry Irving is upon the threshold of nervous prostration, and it is possible that he will be compelled to abandon the stage for a time. He is a ceaseless worker, and gives every detail of every scene he ha 3 in his nsind the most exhaustive analysis and research, notwithstanding the fact that the runs of his plays are very long. Mr. Augustus Harris has commenced making his engagements for his forthcoming season of Italian opera at Covent Garden. So far the eneaeements announced are said to include Albani, Nordica, Van Zandt, Amoldson, and Russell, as soprani; Trebelli, Leblache, and Scalchi, contralti : Jean de Reszke. de Reims, Ravelli, and Paroli, tenon: Lasalle, del Puente, Pandolfini, and Cotogne. baritoni •. Edward de Reszke, Norara, Miranda, Ciampi, and Navarrini, bassi: Signori Mancinelli and Randecrger to conduct. It is said that Mr. Harris lost £20,000 in his Drury Lane opera season la.«t year. " His Natural Life" has had a very fair run at the Alcazar. San Francisco, and was succeeded by " Called Back," by Joseph R. Grisinerand Phcebe Davies, who have returned after a very successful tour to the East, bringing back both flattering notices and money, a thing almost unprecedented for a Western organifed company. Madame Marie Roze, is to make a concert tour of the United States next season, beginning in the autumn and closing in the early spring at San Francisco, after which she will proceed to Australia. Coquelin, the French actor, has been performing in Egypt, where he has scored a great nuocess. He gave five performances at Cairo, which were attended by the Khedive and the principal members of the Court, and he has been received at the palace of the Khedive with distinguished ponours. The following is from a theatrical column t»f advertisement*:—" Mrs. Gray, of Cardiff, will be pleased to box with any other lady, or will spar three rounds with her husband, for the benefit of the sufferers through th s Grand Theatre fire •!" An invention is to be tried in Germany which, if successful, will revolutionise stage scenery construction. Instead of inflammable cloth, the scenery is made of fine wire gauze, ;ind over this is brushed a paste, •upon which the pictures can be painted. There is said to be no difficulty in arranging this scenery. With electric lights and wire scenery, the greater part of the danger from fire will be removed from the theatres. It is reported that all the works that are in manuscript of the great violinist, Paganini, are being prepared for publication by his son. If this is eo, the work will prove of immense interest to lovers of the " fiddle and the bow." Amongst the works are said to be a grand "Military Sonata," for the fourth string, the concerto.the transcription of the prayer from "Mose," and several >ther pieces. A French writer mentions as a proof of Shakspere's attention to particulars his allusion to the climate of Scotland in words, " Hail, hail, all hail!"— "Orde, grele, tout grele!" Charles Kemble used to tell a story about upoor foreign dancer who, after many annual * -0 attempts to get on the right side of a benefit, came forward one evening with a face beaming with pleasure, and thus addressed the audience:— " Dear public ! Moche oblige, ver good benefice—only lose half-a--crown—l come again !" The following, culled from the dramatic column of the New York Herald, is quite a "gem" in its way:—"The timidity, the maidenly modesty. . . which she (Adele Palma) displays when in company with her father's landlord and future husband are beautifully pictured," etc. Her father's future husband forsooth ! Sarah Bernhardt ie said to be very busy on a piece of sculpture. It represents the God of Love trampling on two prostrate female forms. The Paris correspondent of the London Daily Telegraph says of iihe work that " there is much in the bold conception and no less bold execution of bhe group that, reminds the spectator of Dore." She Iβ also busy with her pen on a new oneact piece which is to be produced in Paris soon. Sarah also finds time to pay much attention to her new pets—a pair of young lions—who are allowed to play about her studio, and are locked up in a golden-barred cage. Truly, Sarah is a most wonderful woman! , The following is from a New York paper: __««The question as to the propriety of ladies going out in this city to places of entertainment unattended by male escorts baa ceaeed to be a question. They simply

go when they wish to, find say j »J*J»f about whether it is proper or not, and that is just exactly what they ought to da A civilisation Which doea not ensure safety and resipeot to women as well a* men after night, is in need of improvement Not evlry womanwho likes concerts and theatres has male relatives ready to escort her. New •York is fall of independent, self -supporting women who like to go when and where they please, and ask no man's leave or aid, since they belong to no man. They go in twos, threes and fours to whatever entertainment they wish to see, and nobody respects them any the less." " L'Expiation de Saveli," a five-act drama by Madame Henri Greville, and founded on her novel of Russian life of that title, has recently been produced at the Theatre Municipal, Lille (France). Musico-Diumatxcus.

V All communications intended for tnis column should be addressed "Musico-DramaUcus" Herald Office, Auckland, and should be forwarded as early rut possible. __^___ —- __,—•-.