MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13325, 3 November 1906, Page 4 (Supplement)

MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC.

• BOOKINGS. : HIS MAJESTY'S THRATRB. October 20 to December I—Weat-Brescian Co. December 3 to December 15—" Man from • Mexico," Mr. Edwin Geach's Co. „ Decern tier 26 to January 15—Brougn-i lemming Co. / .1987. January 16 to January 24—Meynell and Gunn Co.—" Little Stranger." January 25 to February 16—Royal Comic Opera Co. , February 18 to March "The Squaw Man and " The Virginian" (Mr. J. C. Williamson's Co >. March 12 to March 16—Meynell and Gunn Co. March 25 to 30—Besses o' the Barn Band. April 1 onward—William Anderson Dramatic , Co. OPERA HOUSE-.' Fuller's Vaudeville Co. CHORAL HALL. November 8, 10, and 12—Mdlle. Dolores' Concerts. West's Pictures and the Bresciaus are generally having a. good time at His Majesty's Theatre, and continue to draw most .satisfactory houses. The programme of this week lias been a decided improvement on the previous one. except that the concert portion is somewhat lengthy. The Brescians are really a first-class combination, and the talent;they apply to their work is scarcely ■' recognised enough by the public. The violin solos of Miss Antonio, Marin en go are musical treats, and the triosinging of Messrs. Hay ward, Mills, and Ch'enoweth is - always delightful. One of the best renderings the orchestra has yet contributed was that- beautiful selection from " Maritana" adopted as 'an overture for this week's programme. To say that Mr. Fred. Mills, the genial comedian, is a favourite ist only to repeat a chestnut, for there never was a time since he came to the colonies when his songs were not popular, and his numbers during the week have all been fresh and screamingly funny. The patrons of vaudeville are being well catered for just now by Messrs. John Fuller and Sons at the Opera House. The popular "palace of vaudeville" was opened again l".st Monday evening, and the programme was bright and fresh; Miss Addle Barton come along for the first time, with a pretty little dance, and the Bertotos made their reappearance and received a hearty welcome. Miss Celia Mavis was another great favourite. Little Jackson has a charming " turn" in the representation of Madam Titus, and the Bicknells are always sure of good receptions. Mr. Fuller announces some good things for this evening. .At the invitation of her father, a number of musical critics attended. on Friday morning at Paling's (says the Referee of the 10th ult.) to hear Miss' Nellie Black give a sample of her ability and versatility. The voting lady, who is a New Zealander, and the star -of the concert party known as the "All Blacks." who have been touring the Land of the Moa for the past five years, contributed several songs, in addition to playing selections on the violin, piano, and mandolin. Possessed of a contralto voice of exceptional range, Mies Black sang in a most artistic fashion, while she also proved that she is a mistress of instrumental music. Owing to the inability of Mr. Black to secure a suitable city, hall, the combination will tour the country towns, but will be a "distinct loss to local music lovers if arrangements cannot be made for a season here later. Miss Black would certainly be a strong acquisition to any company. * Miss Antonia. Dolores will arrive in Auckland to-morrow by the s.s. Victoria, and her*ffrst-concert is announced for Thursday evening next. She has had a remarkably successful Australian season. Miss Nellie Stewart's engagement with Klaw and Erlanger, the well-known American theatrical managers, is for 21 weeks, at £100 a week. At the termination of this contract Miss Stewart is to star at an increased salary, with a percentage of the profits. The' Philadelphia Morning Telegraph, in chronicling this information, states:—"The scramble for the services of, Nellie Stewart, the Australian actress, came to an end yesterday, when, Klaw and Erlanger engaged her as the leading;woman of the* stock company they will launch in .Philadelphia. Miss Stewart has created a mild sensation on the Pacific Coast by her portrayal of the title role in 'Sweet Nell of Old Drury.'J Upon her arrival in the East several managers began negotiations for a contract to star her, and David Bala.sco was reported, to have offered her a niche in, his temple of. Thespis. Inasmuch as Klaw-and Erlanger are to make no less than ten productions of new plays in Philadelphia, Miss Stewart will have every opportunity of demonstrating her versatility.' Writing from Australia.. Mr. Williamson says:—"lt is not often that -a revival of an old favourite is attended with such marked success as to necessitate an extension of original arrangements, iu order to give Ue play going- public an opportunity of once more "enjoying the piece to the full. That is. .however, what happened to the ' Belle of -New York,' and although beforehand faced with the problem of crowding two pieces into four weeks, I had definitely decided to limit the ran of the musical comedy to a fortnight, I was obliged, in view of the exceedingly good houses and the enthusiasm shown for the Royal Comic Opera Company's rendering, to add yet another'week to*the run. 'The Shop Girl,' the allotment of the characters in which gives such excellent opportunities to Miss Florence Young. Miss Clara Clifton. Messrs. George Lauri, Claude Bantock, and W. S. Percy, will be produced this evening (Saturday, October 27), while 'The Spring Chicken'" is already fully ready for the race carnival week. At a recent meeting in Melbourne, Dean Phelan felt called upon to denounce "The Spring Chicken," and to express the hope that no Roman Catholic in Melbourne would go to see it. He did this purely on the word of W. T. Stead, who saw the play at the London Gaiety Theatre, and ascribed to it a whole gallery of unwholesome attributes. Mr. Williamson intends to invite Dean Phelan to the performance, and thus give him an opportunity of correcting an erroneous miprcsS ' "The Squaw Man" reached the end of its five weeks' run in Sydney last week, after really excellent busiuesss, quite equal indeed to the Melbourne season—and that was one of the l>est all-round seasons which Mr. J. C. Williamson has had in that city for some considerable time. "The Christian,' in which Miss Ola Humphrey shines to such advantage alongside Mr. Charles Waldron, will be revived, and Hall Game's drama will be followed by "The Virginians." A theatregoer who is in love with Miss Tittell Brune's acting writes to say : — "There is a problem awaiting Miss littell Brune when she returns from New Zealand. A devotee of the simple life she has found it impossible in the big cities to secure peace and quietness, and the constant succession of calls upon her in a hotel gets on her nerves. So she has intimated that she intends to hire a motor-launch, fit it up in cruising style, and spend her days in flitting about the harbour, being at anchor in some quiet cove or leisurely cruising from point to point. Her nights she will spend on shore. But anybody who wants to see her during the daylight hours will have to pursue 1 her on another motor-launch. Considering her popularity, therefore, there are likely to lie some exciting speed trials on Port Jackson in the near future." The Stonham-Morrison Company, who are now playing the west Coast of the South Island, report excellent business throughout New Zealand, both from an artistic and financial standpoint. The company leave Nelson on "November 6 for Auckland, from which town they commence their return tour of the colony, showing an entirely new set of articulating pictures, amongst which they promise something new and extraordinary in the way of coloured, animated photography. Karl De la Warr, who served in South Africa during the late war, is now proprietor of the Kursaal Theatre, Bexhill-on-Sea, and has Zena Dare as one of his stars. It will lie remembered that after the fight at Modder River the earl wanted a rest, and arriving at De Aar found himself stuck for a train. He chartered a special, invited all his friends, and went to the Mount Nelson Hotel, where they had a roaring time. i .' Alusico-Dramaticus,