MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13485, 11 May 1907, Page 4 (Supplement)

MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC

. ..... . '. BOOKINGS. . HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. . May 6 to 24—Andrew Mack Irish Dramatic ( "■?.-; Co. .v^x/. : :.:-«;ry^^;'wv > May 25 to June B—Wm. Anderson Dramatic I Co. 1 June 10 "to 'Jane 15—Mr. Edwin Geach's i, ' " Human Hearts" Co. ■ June 17 to June : 25—" Kelly Gang: Pictures," ' '■ ■ J. and N. Tait. . ) June 24 to July 13—Julius Knight Dramatic Co. (Mr. J. C. Williamson). » • July 15 to July 20—Mr. Frederick Shipman. [ July 22 to Augrust 10—Grand Opera Co August 12 to August 24— J. 0. William- -' >: son."- 1 .- ':- •-,,;■■-■'"•■■ ■ ■ -"■' ;; -■ I , September 16 to October s—Mr. Allan Hamilton's English Star Co. , i October 7 to October 26—MacMahon Bros. Dramatic Co. • . November 4 to November 16—Mr. Edwin Geach. ■ OPEEA HOUSE. Kierhtiy—■ Fuller's Vaudeville Ce. ; July 9 to July 12— Patrick's Operatic Society, " Maritana." : ' - ■■'•;'";' CHORAL HALL. . May 8 to May 11—Exhibition Orchestra, ■ May 15—Blanche Arral Recital. Mr. Andrew Mack opened with "Tom Moore" at His Majesty's on Monday. The play was mounted in that thorough manner characteristic of Mr. J. G. Williamson, and on the whole the same may be said of the performance. Mr. Moore himself stands out as a star of the first magnitude, centre of the system, the other constellations being of more or less brilliancy, revolving around him. Vice and virtue are contrasted in "Tom Moore,' but in comedy it goes ten ounces to the. ton all through. " Jack Shannon" will '; be'.performed this evening. It is a very fine Irish play, extremely rich in comedy, and ■•■ the dramatist - has given the rest of the cast plenty to do. Moreover,;* the play will be brightened by delightful little 'musical touches, which Mr. Mack knows so well how to apply. The Elton Comedy .Company recently concluded a very successful Napier season, with a programme which served to emphasise in a marked degree the versatility of the- talented combination. Miss Florence Quinn made her first appearance under Mr. J. C. Williamson, in Sydney on Wednesday, in the pantomine. "Mother Goose." Miss Quinn, filled the role of leading lady, recently played by Miss Olive Morel. Notwithstanding the shortness of the notice, at which she was called upon to fill the part, she was ;;..'* entirely successful," according to a private wire. ' .;. {,{{- . ' ■", -' . , ."' • ; Hen* Beno Scberek is in New Zealand arranging preliminaries for the visit of Mine. Carreno. Mr.- Scherek writes:—, "Carreno's unique , position in the musical world has, during the last 15 years, remained undisputed. • What Sarah- Bernhardt is in the world of the drama, what Adelina Patti { was in ; the realm of - song, that Carreno is in the bead-roll of pianists. She stands at the head of her chosen art. Carreno comes here in the very prime of her splendid powers, and has just concluded an English and Continental tour, which has even surpassed all her previous triumphs in the immense ■and wildly enthusiastic audiences which have everywhere thronged to listen to her." Mme. Carreno's reputation, as so enthusiastically indicated by ■ Herr Scherek, is supported by recent notices recent as March lastin the London Times,-' Globe,. ;■ Standard Chronicle, Glasgow Evening News, and Manchester Courier, i She is a Venezuelan by birth, and holds the appointment of court pianist to the Kings of Wurtemburg . and Saxony, and possesses many decorations. {- A line) from Mr. Harold Ashton: We (the Waldron-Humphries Company) are on our way to the West with " The Squaw Man" and "The Virginian.",, We begin absolutely our final season in Adelaide ;■ on June 1, and remain there until:". July 5, when, we ■ disband. Mr. George Musgrove lias thoughtfully sent me a batch of programmes.'; of the Royal Grand Opera ; Company, which will appear in Auckland in, July and August next. The programmes are of " Lohengrin," " Tannhauser," " Hansel , and Gretel," " Carmen,"',and " Romeo and Juliet," anyone of which should be -a': feast in itself. A managerial note the programmes '*.announces ; that; before the '! commencement ! of each opera three fanfares -.will be sounded as a : sign for the audience to be seated. The * doors are closed after the first fanfare, and no "one is allowed admission uqtil the act is finished. -This excellent rule is suggestive of those of Bayreuth; when the audience is expected to realisethat it has its obligations to the artists, even as they have a duty to perform towards it. - The Melbourne season of the opera. company was a magnificent success. / - Another vaudeville tour of New Zealand has been arranged by Mr. Harry R-ickards, commencing at Dunedin early in. June. Those who were unable to be present at the special performance of " The Robing of Gods will, no doubt, be glad of ,; the opportunity to see it at the Opera House this evening and during the coming week. For many reasons it is to be preferred to the "Milo" statuary turn, which the Fuller proprietary introduced to New - Zealand, and which has met with such lingratified success at 'Home. Mr. J. E. Ward has shown how: some of the most beautiful pictures in the world may be presented by living figures, and he has succeeded in avoiding the slightest suspicion of indelicacy. The "Psyche" and ," Niobe" items are certainly the best of the studies. For the rest of the- bill; Messrs. Fuller have such warm favourites as Val Newton; the Kickapoo Dancers, with 14 performers; Victor the Great, a very clever • ventriloquist; the Quealys; Amy Blackie, Lucy Lavinia, Shand and Gilbert, Bob Lloyd, and several other popular artists. Mr. H. Blakely forwards me particulars of the lyric vocal quartette, of which more will be heard. Mr. Blakely concludes hi« note: —" Three members of this combination, constituted what was known last season as the 'Unique' Quartette. Finding it necessary to disband, the 'lyric sprang into existence,' Mr. Rowe having withdrawn. Although formed a comparatively short time, ,we have, met with very great success to date, which encourages. us in the endeavour to present to the Auckland public such music as will be both pleasing and elevating." ' Miss Olive Godwin, who has been for some time out of the cast with the Royal Comic : Opera Company, owing to a very serious illness, is now rapidly recovering, and expects to be able to resume her place in the company before long. : Mrs. Tom Fitzgerald, when last heard from, had been doing good business with her new circus in India, but her health was not too good, and she thought of shipping the show to. Australia at an. early date, provided that quarantine regulations would admit of the horses being landed. Le Roy, Talma, and Bosco, the " world's monarchs of magic," who will be well remembered by Auckland Opera House patrons, have been making their usual success in Portugal, and have just terminated a two months' season at the Clysee Royal, Lisbon. This building is a combined theatre and circus, with a stage 240 ft deep. The auditorium has 99 private boxes, and holds over 7000 persons. During the recent carnivals it was packed at every performance: Oporto is now claiming Le Roy, Talma, and Bosco for a few weeks. In the autumn, Servaia Le Roy will produce his mystical musical play for a run of the best , British provincial theatres. Mr. Edwin Geach's Dramatic Company commences a tour of New Zealand and Ausi tralia at the : Opera House, Wellington, on • May 18, with the American drama. "Human Hearts." The play is in four acts, the scenes being laid in Arkansas and , New York City. ... "-■■>' - p : : ' ' , There will now be a lull in Cliristchurch in matters theatrical, so far as professional companies are' concerned, for •at least a , month. A revival of "The Mikado" by amateurs will take place at an early date, . but nothing definite has yet been settled. The "All Black" New Zealand Company : opened at the Melbourne Town Hall on ; the 6th hist., to good business. > > Mr. Lionel Brough, uncle of the late . Robert Brough, so well-known in New Zea- ; land, "s being tenderly nursed by his daugh- , ter Mary, his son Sidney, and Mr. ; Brough's sister, Miss Lily Brough. In the » garden of his house in South Lambeth Road »is a rosebush standing in a tub, and to one i of the branches of the plant is tied, daily, i a fresh bulletin of the patient's condition. , JloticotDramaxicus..