MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14691, 27 May 1911, Page 4 (Supplement)

MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC.

BOOKINGS. \ HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. Hay 27 to 31—William Anderson. June 2—lrish Delegates. June 3 to 10—Allan Hamilton ("Why Men Lovo Women"). June 12 to 14—Macllabon Bros. Jly 17 to Auckland Amateurs " Pirates ot Penzance"). July 24' to August "Jack and the Beanstalk." August 14 to September 2—" The Arcadians." CHORAL HALL. May 27 and Dolores. KING'S THEATRE. In season— Wide World Pictures. ROYAL ALBERT HALL, In season—West's Pictures. OPERA HOUSE. In Vaudeville. Lovers of music in Auckland have had an ■ opportunity of hearing many • notable singers during the past few years, and for none of them have they a warmer welcome than for Dolores of the " velvet voice." And now - the gifted singer is back once more, fresh from a triumphant tour in the South, and at her first concert in the Choral Hall last evening she fully sustained her reputation, and justified all our best memories of her work. Endowed with a beautiful voice and with a great | love for her art, Dolores reaches the hearts .of her audiences as no other singer of today has done, and as time rolls by she remains the same delightful singer that we remember years ago. It is now some four years since mademoiselle was last in Auckland, and since then she has visited many distant lands, renewing old acquaintances, and brightning many a sad life with her wondrous voice. She returned to Now Zealand in February last, and so great has ! been the success of her concerts since she landed at Dunodin, that her tour was extended for a month, and during tho time she has been in the Dominion she has visited 30 towns, and given over 50 concerts. Dolores leaves Wellington next week for Australia, and so her stay in Auckland is, of necessity, brief, and only two more concerts aro to be given in the Choral Hall.

That Dolores is glad to bo here again was evident from the enthusiastic manner in which she spoke of ' Now Zealand and its people yesterday. She had experienced some difficulty in securing " suitable dates at the Choral Hall for her concorts, and it was therefore only possible to give three evening performances in this city, for her engagements across the water could not do put off. The hall, she said, was almost perfect to sing in, as far as sound whs concerned, and .in this respect at lea si was superior to any other public building in. Auckland.- She always engaged it whenever possible. After her Australian tour she would visit South Africa, after an absence of 'two years, and would then return to Europe and continue her concerts. She never tired of her work, although the, lot of the singer was harder than most people supposed. "They always see the roses," she said, "but they never see the thorns." Even now she practised hard every day, and studied her songs as much as possible.

The following programme will be given by Dolores —Mr. Selwyn Shrimplin at tho piano—in the Choral Hall this evening —

(a) " Komm Susser Tod," (b) " Mem Glaubiges Herze,",(c) "Willst du dien Hers ltiir schenckc"— Bach. Aria, " Casta Diva" (" Norma")—Bellini. (a) " Nocturne," Op. 55, No. 1, (b) " Waltz," Op. 64, No. 2Chopin. Piano, (a) ," I Attempt from Love Sickness to Fly," Purcell; (b) 0, Listen to the Voice of Love," Hook; (c) " Pastoral." Carey. Value, "Ye veux vivre" (" Romeo and —Gounod. Piano, " Impromptu," Op. 23, No. 3llheinhold. (a) " Tes yeux blcus," Pierne; (b) " Crepusoule," Massenet; (c) "Irish Folk Song," A. Foote; (d) " Within a Rose," Schumann.

Looking ahead at the list of theatrical attractions which are due to visit Auckland in the near future it will be seen that, local playgoers are to be well catered for during the months of winter. The company headed by Miss Beatrice Day and Harry Roberts will bring their season to a close on Wednesday evening, and their places will be filled by Allan Hamilton's organisation, which will be with us for a week, when " Why Men Love Women" will probably be the only play produced. The theatre has been engaged by the Amateur Operatic Society for June 17 and five following nights, and on July 24 the brilliant pantomime "Jack and the Beanstalk" will be staged for the first time in the Dominion. In August Clarke and Meynell's Company arrive from the South with " The Arcadians," a musical play which has been running for two and ahalf years at the Shaftesbury Theatre, London, and is still drawing crowded houses there. That excellent little band of entertainers, "The Scarlet Troubadours," •will also be in Auckland shortly. The dates for the visit of the Sheffield Choir are June 26, 27, and 28.

For ten years with Bland Holt's Company Miss Frances Ross was considered one of the most popular leading ladies in Australasia, and on June 3 she will again visit us as Violet Livingstone in Allan Hamilton's production of "Why Men Love Women?' Playing the part at the Princes Theatre, Melbourne, recently, Miss Ross received a great ovation from a crowded house, and when the final curtain was rung down it had to be raised again and. again, whilst the talented actress acknowledged the greetings across the footlights through a wall of floral tributes. The other members of the company have been carefully selected, and Mr. Leo. D. Chateau, who arrived in Auckland from Waihi on Tuesday to make the final arrangements for the season, states that tho production is o f an unusually high standard.

The coming visit of Sousa and his worldrenowned band is already being looked forward to by music-lovers in Auckland! The Australasian tour is under tho direction of Edward Branscomb, and the local representative, Mr. "Scott Colville, furnishes me with tho following dates for New Zealand: —Invercargill, July 3l; Dunedin, August 1 to 5; Timaru (matinee only), August 7; Christchiirch t August 7 to 12 ; Wellington, August 14 to 19 ; Palmerston, August 21; Wanganui, August 22; Hamilton (early matinee), August 23; Auckland, August 23 to 31.

The dates for the Dominion tour of Clarke and Meynell's "Arcadians" Company are as follows : —Dunedin, June 27 to July 4; Wellington, July 6 to 20; Christchurch, July 22 to August 4; Palmcrston North, August 7 to 9 ; Wanganui, August 10 to 11; Auckland, August 14 to September 2. Mr. Leo. D. Chateau will be in advance of tho party.

The untimely death of Mr. Harry Herbert*, which took place .on Wednesday afternoon, after a sudden illness, removed from the theatrical world a man who was credited with great promise, and who was much beloved by his fellows. Actors arc thrown into close friendships, and while their lives aro made up with frequent partings, they feel very keenly the final leavetaking of ono of their number in the full .bloom of his life. Mr. Herbert was an Aucklander, who began entertaining by reciting and taking part- in amateur theatricals. He then joined Miss Maggie Moore and 11. R. Roberts. Mr. Herbert was engaged to play in the New Zealand production of "Pete" and "The Hypocrites." In "Pete" he had a very small part, but his treatment, of it was so 'clever that he was given a more important role in "Tho Hypocrites," gaining good notices everywhere. He bade fair to become an excellent comedian. The funeral took place yesterday, and on Wednesday afternoon a benefit matinee in aid of the relatives_ of the deceased will be held in His Majesty's Theatre. 1 Musxco-Dbamaiicto.