DRAMATIC AND MUSICAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9220, 24 November 1888, Page 4 (Supplement)

DRAMATIC AND MUSICAL.

The All Star Company conclude their . season at the Opera House this opening, ; They will be followed by the Hicks-Sawye» I negro troupe, who open on Monday. A | change from this class of entertainment , would be a boon. I am eager to see a good j dramatic or operatic company at the Opera j HouSe, but there is no likelinood of thatfor some time to come. For the Christmas holidays tne J uugtrau-Ka[>eile vocalists will provide an entertainment. They are said to be wonderfully goou. Mr. Frank Thornton sailed from London on Friday, Sepicmoer —St ti, for Australia and New Zealand tor a -wo years tour. His repertory includes " Tim Private Secretary," "Sweet Lavender,' "-Mamma, T. G. Warren's " Bonny r-.'y, ' and Mr. \\» J. Eisner's " Lot 49. It is rumoured mat there is a strong probability oi Mr. F. id. Co wen being knighted on nis return to Engianu. m recognition of his services in conuei lion with the Centennial Exmtution. he terrible sacrifice which he made in accepting me oilei oi the Melbourne Commissioners sureiy deserves reward ! Mr. Ceo. C. Miln, the American tragedian, now playing at tier Majesty s 1 heat re, ►Sydney, is one oi tile tnree leaumg falmks--1 purian actors ol the younger generation in the United States. He as uorn in -t-ng-lunii in 1651, recei nis preliminary education at tile " Blue' Coat Sciiooi 111 London, unit his ■ oilege training at Princeton University in ttie United States. He is an American citizen, and Divides naving earned nigh rami as a legitimate actor, he is the auttioi oi several works on philosophy, a polisiie-a ana eloquent speaKer. Our old trienii JUtcnian Mcuowan is now playing at the Sydney Theatre Royal in Carrie osvain's Company. " Hands across me oca, a highly sensational meioiirania, excellently mounted, ami very well played, is now in the eighth week ot its run at the .Melbourne Theatre Royal. The literary merit may not be very great, if the play be strictly analysed, but it abounds in .-long situations, and the fact that Ausuaiia Tigures well in the story gives an extra interest. Mr. Warner, as Jack Dudley, passes tnrougn a series of most exciting adventures ana escapes. Mr. Vincent plays a Frenchman with much power. Mr. Herbert Fleming represents a thorough villain, and mere is in an the parts enougn to bring out tiie talents ot the actois who play tnem. Xt is not well to dull the cage or expectation by detail, but whenever me play is prouucea in Sydney its success may be sateiy predicted. r liie juecaanicul etiects are exceueut, and there are scenes in which the audience are worked up to mat pitch ot excitement wnen the house is perleCily aiieni, and tne specuitois uatcn in oreatiuess anxiety lor tile climax, relieving themselves witn prolonged shouts OI approval wnen the right moment comes. At tne Meioourne Bijou " sopnia ' is very largely patronised. Owing to an accident to Mr? Cecil Ward, Mr. Boucicauit now plays Tom Jones, ana proves ms versatile talent by ins success. Miss Lilian Cilmour is a arming Sopnia, and .Mr?. Biougn plajs Lady iieuaston with union success. "Olivette'' has oeeu succeeded by "The Mikado" at the Princess', Melbourne, where Miss Nellie Stewart has resumed urn lum to tne great satisiaction oi large audiences. The public never seem to weary ot the Japanese opera, but muster in crowds at every performance. Tne latest opera company imported by Mr. Martin Simousen are now piaying " Carmen, ' in Melbourne, in whicn Miss Louise -Uiblache acts tne heroine more poweriully than any predecessor in the colonies. She has a full, lien mezzo-sop-rano voice, with almost soprano compass, sings the mgn B witu ease, and acts with cnarming grace. Ine intensely dramatic and patnetic music oi the card scene in the thiru act, and tne tragic lorce oi the fourth are orougnt out in more striking relief than has yet occa done ; tnougn the baritone is by no means tne equal oi the Carmen of the Ci*st. i ne concerts at the Melbourne ExhiDition are still tne greatest attraction oi the vast building, and to many tne music ot tne present time is most precious. Hitherto, the woris o; many moueru composers have been known by name only—now Hubert Parry, Villiers Stanford, Mackenzie, and other prominent Britisn musicians find a place on tne programmes ; Massenet, Saiut-Saens, Codaro, Dvorak, Brahms, Wagner—all become familiar, and the appreciation for the music ot the great master of Bayreuth is genuine, and empnaticaliy in favour. Mr. Co wen does excellent work with nis orchestra, ana the improvements in the concert hall since tne opening render the effects far superior. Hugo Gorlitz, operatic manager, was examined recently in me Melbourne Insolvency Court, beiore Judge Molesworth, in reference to his own insolvent estate. He said ne came to Melbourne in May, 188*, ana started in June, 1&&7, as manager of Amy Snerwin's concerts, which paid. He had control of all the money ; it was banked in nis name, although it was the property of Miss Sherwin. The money was to be paid over to her. She feared bad results from the operatic scheme. At that time he had £2000 or £3000 of his own. The_ bulk of this went to -New York, over £1300. This was part of the profits from the New Zealand concerts. Tnere were 1467 dollars in America, the balance oi remittance. It was sent to procure another tenor from America. Eiwell, vice-president of the Philharmonic Society of New York, held this. Insolvent's wile (Amy Sherwin) had a private account in Tasmania and lent him monev from it. Ail the profits of the concerts had been swamped by the operatic season. G. A. Sherwin was now manager of the company, of which Miss Sherwin was a member. He himself got £7 per week as advance agent; £1688 was the cost price of the scenery, wardrobe, and music brought into the Ojxjra House. He gave the Opera House Company a lien by signing a document. The vaLue to him of the property was £1400; he added more since for "Faust." He wanted an advance, and signed tne lien, and got £175. He was then carrying on to save his wife' 3 professional reputation. He thought "Faust" would pull them through. Alter signing the lien he carried on as before. Nothing was done to give possession. He never asked for the right to use the goods. Since that time (10th July) he had spent £500 in improving the scenery and adding to the wardobo. It was at the Opera House now, and had been used, and badly used, by the Emelie Melville Company and the Spanish Students. After 10th July he pud the mechanist and the wardrobe keepers. The music was worth more than he paid for it; it cost £78. Music of " Der Erieschutz" and "Faust" was added afterwards. He was going to India, but would return in five months. Miss Sherwin had nothing to do with the Opera House. She was only engaged at a salary. When he saw his company first he knew he would be ruined. His wife could not join in it. "Faust" did well at first, but not after the Exhibition opened. He had received £57 for travelling expenses. He had a creditor in San Francisco for about £125, who would not, make any claimAnamountshould be paid for rent of scenery, etc., about £40 per week. He engaged all the artistes for the Opera House. His wife engaged none. The examination was adjourned till Ist June, 1889. The first of a series of papers by the late Mr. Lester Wallack, the distinguished American actor, is commenced in the current number of Scribner's Mug.'izine, under the title of " Memories of the Last Fifty Years. " It is accompanied, after the fashion of this admirable miscellany, wit h a number of excellent portraits of actors, actresses, and managers referred to in the text. We (Daily News) are under the impression that the Memories were not from the pen but rather from the lips of Mr. Wallack, having been taken down from his conversations ; but, however that may be, the chapters present many interesting anecdotes and facts relating to the theatres of New York, anion" which the celebrated old house in Broadway so long held a leading place. But besides all this, Mr. Wallack has something to tell us about the English stage and its leading celebrities of forty or fifty years since; for the Wallacks, a? our readers know, were a family of English actors who left us to try their fortunes in America a generation ago. Mr. Wallack relates, as one of his first important steps "on the ladder of fame," how he had the honour of playing Benedick to the Beatrice of Miss Helen Faucit at Manchester. This famous lady, now known as Lady Martin, gave him, he tells us, " more kind and patient encouragement" than he had ever experienced before, and was altogether "one of the gentlest and sweetest actresses he ever mot." There are some lively sketches of

i Charles Mathews and his conversational gifts, of Farron, the Cushmans, Edwin I Forrest, and O. V. Brooke. No bitterness is to be' traced in the old actor's recollections, unless it be in the case of Mr. Webster, whose memory has to bear the weight if that ancient, grievance, real or imaginary, the shelving"of an ambitious young rival. This Lwds to an explanation of how Mr. Wallace came to go to America under a tempting oiTsr from Mr. G. H. Barrett, of eight pounds a week instead of Mr. Webster's six pounds, which wo are told was nevertheless considered a very good salary in those days. What else there is that may seem to involve a touch of querulousness relates to the unreasonable caprices of the less distinguished members of his companies ; for the greater lights, he more than once observes, are generally more amenable to discipline. A good story on this head is told by him of his brother manager Volake, who, being once compelled by circumstances to yield when one of his company preposterously "insisted" on his right to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner' in a certain piece, announced the fact in the playbill in the words—" The character of So-and-So by Mr. Jones, in which he insists upon singing 'The Star-Spangled Banner. The trip to South America recently concluded by Madame Patti, or Adelina Patti Nicolini as she now styles herself, has been in every way a pleasant and remunerative undertaking. She left England on December 10th last and proceeded via Paris to Lisbon, and thence by the French steamer Congo to Buenos Ayres. There she gave twenty-four representations at the Politeomo Argentine, and the magnificent building (capable of accommodating 5000 people) was packed on each occasion, the receipts for the first night being over £4000. It is said that speculators made a prolit of £5 per seat. The total receipts for the short season amounted to no less that £70,000. of which Madame Patti received as her share £38,400, or £1600 per night, £000 per evening more than she was guaranteed. On the occasion of her benefit the house was the scene of the wildest enthusiasm. Bouquets and other elaborate Horal tributes were thrown in such numbers that the diva had literally to walk over them, while the President of the Republic and other notables made her handsome presents of jewellery, etc. At Monte Video eight representations were given in the Teatro Solis.and the total receiptsatnounted to £20,000. Owing to the prevalence of yellow fever in Rio Janeiro, several of the company refused to go there and no performances were held. Madame Patti, hawever, with Signer Isicolini, her husband, Ciirliiia Patti, her neice, Messrs. H. E. Abbey, A. F. M. Spalding, and M. Mayer proceeded to Rio to catch the Doric for England. So pleased was the great singer with the steamer and the manner in which she and her partv were treated while on board that, she has" been trying to arrange with Messrs. Shaw, Savill, and Co. that the outward White Star steamer leaving in March shall call at South America en route to land her there. In this second tour, which is now definitely arranged, Madame Patti lias been guaranteed £1250 per night besides a heavy percentage of the takings. lima de Murska, the famous singer, is now an imbecile and in a starving condition in New York, and subscriptions are being made to enable her to return to her native country, Croatia. There is a great talk of a theatre in London a la Irving, without galleries or internal stairs, and with every modern improvement; and it is said that when Exeter plucks up courage to rebuild her terribly often tire-levelled theatre, she will do so on Irving lines, under the guidance of a Sheilield architect. Mi'sico-Dramaticcs. *.* All communications idtended for this column should be addressed " Musieo.Dramaticus," HreaLD Office. Auckland, and should be forwarded as early as possible. _______________