MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9307, 16 September 1893, Page 4 (Supplement)

MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC.

The Holloway Dramatic Company will open .at the Opera House on Monday next in Frank Harvey's powerful comedy-drama "Judge .Not," which has proved a strong attraction wherever ib has been produced. The Kennedy Faun bleroy Company are at present touring the Auckland country districts. The Cogill Minstrels close their successful season at the Opera House to night. The Wellington Amateur Opera Company has taken in hand the production of a work wholly written and composed by two residents of the Empire city. The piece is known as "The Monarch of Utopia, and the company will spend something like £450 in placing it upon the stage. Air. Travers Vale is still with the Steena as business manager. Mr. Harry Lynch, manager for the famous Lynch Family of Bellringers, writes to say that the family are about to commence a short tour of this colony, en route to San Francisco. This clever company was organised as long ago as 1867, and claims to be the oldest and most-travelled company in Australia. They have recently returned to Australia from a lengthened tour in China, Japan, and the East generally. The company has been strengthened by the addition of several new artists, and will present an entirely new programme. Miss Clara Stephenson has started classes for elocution in Sydney. Bland Holt is doing excellent business in Dunedin. The Pollards are back again in Christchurch, where they have produced Offenbach's " Princess of Trebizonde" very successfully. The company will shortly proceed to the West Coast, South Island, and play through the larger townships. Mr. Phillip Stuart will shortly arrive in New Zealand with a first-class concert company, including, among other artists, Messrs. Armes Beaumont and John K. Lemone (the celebrated flautist), Mrs. Palmer, Miss Maggie Stirling, Mr. A. H. Gee', and Mr. W. A. Barker. Mr. Robert Courtneidgo has resumed harness at .Melbourne, where he is now seen as the Scotch professor, Seneca Pickering Peck, in "On Change." Messrs. Williamson and Musgrove have organised a good comedy company for the season, the members of which are Misses Henrietta Watson, Watt-Tanner, Emma Gwynno, Madge Herrick, and Ethel Haydon, Messrs. Sass, Cathcart, Ireland, Emery, Hans Phillips, and Cosgrove. Of the people who talk about local industries, probably very few know that one of the Very biggest industries in Australia • is that of Messrs. Williamson and Musgrove. Hundreds of people are employed, and hundreds of pounds go to them weekly when the traditional ghost enjoys his hebdomadal promenade. A month or two ago the output of the firm in salaries and other expenses was over £3000 per weekall in cash, too, which is almost as rare as the amount paid. Leumane's Comic Opera Company have begun a season at Adelaide. Among the members of the company are Miss Marie Elster (soprano), Miss Carrie Bilton, and Messrs. Leuiiiaue, C. P. Joseph, George Templer, George Leopold, and W. T. Barker, A.R.A.M. The new Italian Opera Company opened at the Princess', Melbourne, last Saturday with Leoncavallo's " 1 Pagliacci"—a two-act opera, beautifully melodious and strongly dramatic. The ballet, which followed the opera is called "A Study in Blue." Six shillings is the price for the circle and reserved stalls, 4s for the ordinary stalls, and 2s for the amphitheatre. A booking fee of 2s was charged for the first night. According to Mr. Musgrove's statement, even with full houses every evening during the season there is little chance of Mr. Williamson and himseif doing more than covering expenses. Mr. A. Hamilton has severed his, connection with Fillis' Circus, and will come to New Zealand ahead of the Myra Kemble Company, the business manager of which will be Mr. J. St. Clair. Charles Turner, tenor, has a good stage presence —of mind. One night in " Mignon," in the character of Wilhelm Meister, he | called out, " What ho ! without there. Bring me a glass of wine." Seeing the •'super" advancing with a bottle, he added" coolly, "Or a bottle; I don't care which." The St. Petersburg correspondent of the London Standard writes as follow* The event of the present year has been the appearance at the Aquarium Opera of the new star Madame Saville, who has boldly attacked the same repertoire as Madame Marcella Sembrich, her illustrious winter predecessor on the same boards. Madame Saville had been singing with great success as prima at the Mounaie, in Brussels, through the winter, but was otherwise unknown to the Russian public, who awaited ber debut with much curiosity. Being an Australian by birth, and consequently to all intents and purposes an Englishwoman, there was no predisposition in her favour, but she at once won over the Russians, than whom no singer could wish for a more enthusiastic audience. From the first she pleased both the critics and the house, and in " Lucia'' the furore was boundless. The wardrobe of Mr. Alfred Dampier, the well-known actor, which was seized for a ilebt due to the Wellington Opera House Company, was sold by auction last week for £75. The property "-was valued by Mr. Dampier at £300. During her tour in the United States next winter Madame Patti will produce a new opera by Signor Pizzi. The opera is entitled " Gabrielle," and the action of the libretto, which is from the pen of Mr. Charles A. Byrne, an American journalist, is laid in the reign of Louis XIH., Madame Patti in the first act playing the part of a nun. The heroine is said to be identical with the " Charmante Gabrielle" of the song attributed to Henry of Navarre, and the composer recently gained the prize ab an operatic contest at Bologna with an opera upon Heine's story, "William Ratcliffe." Upon the story of Ratcliffe Mascagni also has recently finished an opera. Musico-'Dramaticcts.