DRAMATIC AND MUSICAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8306, 12 July 1890, Page 4 (Supplement)

DRAMATIC AND MUSICAL.

The Royil Comic Opera Company finished their Auckland season and New Zealand tour on Tuesday evening, when all the members of the company were entertained it*, an impromptu supper on the stage given by t-he managers, Messrs. Musgrovo and Hughes. The season in Auckland has proved a great financial success, the takings being, 1 believe, the largest of the tour. The company left on Wednesday for Sydney on their way to Adelaide. • Mr. Mill), the Shakcsperian actor, commenced a short season of legitimate drama at the Opera House on .Monday evening. Win Circus continues to do good business. The Wild West Show in connection with it is expected to arrive from America, in September. .Mr. Ivignokl lias been successful in concluding 'negotiations with Miss Maggie Moore (MiJ. C. Williamson) for an engagement at Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney. -Mis.-. Maggie Mooie will make her reappearance on the Australian stage in a new play, which will be brought out on the termination of the present successful run of "After Dark," whenever that may be. The London correspondent ot the Paris Figaro—a Frenchman bred and born, in spite of his thoroughly English name, Johnson—has been discussing, in the pages of Js'ouvelle Kevue, question whether England can be said to have a dramatic literature. ( V α-til nil Theatre Anglais/J M. Johnson, who, it need hardly be said, is referring simply to the present condition of playwnting among us, lias long been a diligent attendant at London -nights. Though he toialiy misunderstood the obvious spirit and meaning of Gilbert s • "darned uiounseur" song in " Ku.Uligore, ' and rashly exposed ins own shortcomings in this regard to the world, he has enjoyed opportunities of forming an opinion on this subject such as fall to few ot his countrymen : but, unhappily for us, he has come to the conclusion that the English drama has no actual existence. Our so-called dramatists arc, according to him, all feeble folk, save when they adapt from the French, and then only on the rare occasions when they do not happen to spoil what they venture to tamper with, Fortunately, the English stage has found a defender in Mr. J. T. rein, who, in an article contributed to the new number of L' Art Dramatiquo, discusses M. Johnstons views and tacts in a fashion which, though concise, is very much to the point. Mr. Henry Irving was announced to read •' Macbeth"' at Oxford, probably at the New Schools, iHi .June •_'.;. About lour years ago Mr. Irving delivered a lecture in the Oxford University on " Uld English Actors," before the Vice-Chancellor (who was then L>r. Jowett, the Master ot JLJalliol), the proctors, and a numerous academic audience, Miss Ada Cavendish, widow of the late Frank. Marshall, Shakesperian scholar and dramatist, has arranged to tour the English provinces, commencing in August next, in ••The .New Magdalen,"' "The Double Marriage, ' &c. Miss Fortescue is playing in the provinces in the former drama, in "Moths," and in Sheridan Knowles' " The Hunchback." Mr. Frederick Leslie has just completed a further contract 01 over two years' duration with -Mr. George Ldwaidc.-. Mr. Leslie's popularity with the Gaiety Company is so strongly marked, and Ins artistic work so universally popular, that lie is naturally the recipient of many tempting offers ; but his associations with Mr. l.dwardes have been so remarkably congenial that nothing is likely to induce him to desert his old cliief. Mr, J. k. Jerome's three-act farce, " Now Lamps for Old," 1i;..-. under the. management of Miss Cissy Grahauie, passed us hundredth repte.-eiuation at Terry's Theatre. Much sympathy is felt in the dramatic profession, and by his many friends, tor George Alexander, wiio lias recently lost a considerable amount of money — i'llUU — through the defalcation and absconding of one of the confidential servants o: the Avenue Tneatre management, it is a little hard on a young manager when the truita of his rirst success tind their way into hands . that should be the tir.-i lo protect his | interest?. A new play, " Hound the Ring,' , has just been finished by Mr. i'aul Meritt for Palmer's Theatre, New York. Miss Genevicve Ward has secured the English and American rights of a play by Mr." George Olinet, author of '"The ironmaster," founded on his latest work of liction, " Dernier Amour. ' The term "additional accompaniments'' seems to explain it-self pretty clearly, i'-ut what is there, in language or anything else, that, some people will not mistake? A correspondent lias been obliging enough to 1 forward thu subjoined anecdote : —A gentleman offered his tickets for a performance of '• The Messiah' , to a friend, and finding lie did not appear anxious to accept them, remarked that the performance would be good, also that Mozart's additional accompaniments were to be used. The reply was: "i thank you very sincerely; but I have always found ' The Messiah' too lon<r, and am sure I could not venture to listen to an extended form." There is a very outspoken opera director at Reuil. After the fourth act of a performance of "Guillaume Tell," he walked upon the stage, saluted the audicsiice, r.nd said : "Ladies and gentlemen, we shall not finish the opera the fifth act is unworthy of Ros3ini. Ouery : Were the audience entitled to a fifth of their money back? Out of favour in high German circles, the eccentric Hans von Biilow is now said to pay homage to the throne of the " million." According to this report his visiting curds are inscribed : " Doctor Hans von Biilow, conductor and pianist in ordinary to His Majesty the German people." Exclaims Le MOnestrel: "The banjo reigns as tyrant in the United States. An orchestra of 150 banjos, guitars, and mandolines recently performed in Boston, and in New York the march from Tannhauser was lately played by another army of 100 banjos. The Americans no longer respect anything." With reference to recent article and correspondence on the encore nuisance, an old theme, Sir George Grove writes that, "A Singer" having mentioned the liking of Mozart and Mendelssohn for applause, the case of Beethoven was even stronger. When, at the end of one of his great improvisations, he found, a.* was after the case, his hearers too deeply affected to applaud, he Arould burst into a hoarse laugh. "We artists," he would say, "don't want tears; we want applause." When Maximiliand Brentans visited him in 1810, and lie sang to her "Konnst du dan Land," which ho had just composed, seeing that it excited her, he said, "Aha ! most people are softened by something good ; but not artist nature*. Artists are fiery ; they don't cry." With Goethe he went still further. Seeing that Goethe was deeply touched by his playing, he said, " No, air, I did not expect this from you. You, of all people, must know how fine it is to be applauded by worthy hands. If you don't understand me and accept me as your equal, who is to do it The art of Italian pantomime, that is to say, of gesture-acting, has been revived in Paris by an actor named Galipaux, whose performances takes place at the Cercle Funambulesque, which in a private institution. in a three-act piece, entitled "A Puff of Smoke," he enters an imaginary cafe, takes ofF an imaginary paletot, hangs it on an imaginary nail, sits down at an imaginary table, drinks imaginary beer from an imaginary bock, opens and reads an imaginary journal, comments by grimaces upon its contents, is annoyed by an imaginary neighbour smoking an imaginary cigar, revenges himself by doing likewise, quarrels with him, slaps his imaginary face, exchanges imaginary cards, and flies out of the imaginary cafe, angrily pressing an imaginary hat on his brows. In the second act he makes his will, practices fencing with an imaginary foil, divests himself of an imaginary suit of clothes, and goes to sleep in an imaginary bed. In the third ho lights an imaginary duel, kills an imaginary opponent with an immense amount of "preliminary business," and after meditating on the tragedy expresses by his pantomime these words, " Oh, never mind, after all there is only one insolent rascal the less." Francisque Sarcey pronounces the performance to be something, superb. Mosico-Dbamaticos. %• All communications intended for this column should be addressed " Musico-Dramaticus," lleralii Office, Auckland, and should be for>v«ud«d as early as^posslble.