AMUSEMENTS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 937, 14 February 1890, Page 14

AMUSEMENTS.

The Theatre. CYCLING EXTRAORDINARY. The audience that assembled in the Exchange Hall Friday night had the pleasure of witnessing a performance unique of its kind and remarkable as a practioal demonstration of the feats that are possible to a man of cool nerve and good training. Mr W. S. Maltby is privately an educated and intelligent young man, who has travelled all over the world, starting out from Connecticut, the wooden nutmeg State, and concluding (for the present) in New Zealand; publicly he is a cyclist whose performances surprise the most vivid imagination. The stale phrase, ” must be seen to be believed,” may be applied to him with perfect truth, for really one could hardly conceive, lacking ocular demonstration, that such tricks as he performs were possible. Beginning with an ordinary bicycle Mr Maltby performs various evolutions, making his machine stand still, dismounting and remounting without moving the wheels more than a few inches, standing up in the seat, and doing many other strange things. Next he introduces a new description of bicycle, which has the small wheel in front. His feats on this machine are still more astounding. He stands the bicycle up in the centre of the floor and literally crawls all over it, puts it on two chairs and mounts and dismounts with the greatest of ease, rides backward and forward in front of the handle and behind it, -lifts the hind wheel and spins round iike a teetotum on the front wheel alone. The small wheel is then taken off and exactly the same tricks are performed on the unicycle thus formed. The climax is reached when Mr Maltby takes handle and brake off and starts out on the wheal divested of everything but pedals. On this strange conveyance he travels up and down the hall at a great speed, and occasionally jumps on to the pedals from the ground while the wheel is travelling. His balancing powers necessarily are wonderful, and everything is done with incredible neatness. A burlesque act was also very well carried out. The performance fairly took the audience by storm, and occasionally the hall was fairly shaken by their applause. Hugo’s Minstrels. —Mr Charles Hngo’s Buffalo Minstrels commenced a short season at the Theatre Royal on Friday night, prior to their departure for Australia. There was a large audience, who enjoyed the performance immensely. An excellent programme was performed, most of the items being redemanded. In the first part Miss Verne, who seems to be as great a favourite as ever, had to repeat her comic medley, and Miss Cleveland’s waltz song ** Veneta ” was also encored. The corner men (Messrs C. and W. Hugo) had also to repeat their songs. The second part of the programme was of the usual variety character. The Leslie Brothers repeated their clever musical act with great success, and all the other items, especially a localised song, “ To be there,” by Mr J. Cullen. A farce, in which Mr Charles Hugo kept the audience amused, concluded the performance. “ The Private Secretary.” —Mr R. A. Underwood, touring manager for Messrs Brough and Boucicault, arrived in Wellington on Friday to make the necessary arrangements for “ The Private Secretary ” season, which begins at the Opera House on the 17th instant. The Company, who are now in Christchurch, have about broken the record of theatrical success in New Zealand, and in Dunedin they had to play an extra week. In addition to “The Private Secretary,” they have also “ Sweet Lavender ” and “ Mama ” in their repertoire. Mr Santley. —Speaking of Mr Santley’s visit to Auckland, the Herald says: “As showing the great interest created by Mr Santley’s arrival, it may be mentioned that yesterday the celebrated vocalist received telegrams from nearly every important town in the Colony, inquiring whether It would be included in the tour, probable date of visit, terms, etc. Other telegrams were of a congratulatory nature, while some were from musical societies offering their co-operation. Mr Santley has brought with him the principal artistes who assisted at his Australian concerts, viz., Miss Ellen Atkins, soprano, a pupil of the Royal College o£ Music; Mr Henry Scockwell, tenor, who Bince he was last here has gained a high position in his

profession, being now the tenor most sought after for Melbourne concerts ; and Mr Frank Bradley, a pianist and organist. Mr Bradley, who possesses excellent ere. dentials, was organist of the Melbourne Exhibition. Notwithstanding Mr Santley’s great name and fame, the management have acted wisely in fixing popular prices, for doubtless it will be found here as elsewhere that to hear the famous baritone once is to hear him as often as possible. American Coloured Minstrels. —Mr Charles B. Hicks, business manager of tbe American Coloured Minstrels, arrived by the Hauroto, from the North, to pave the way for their season here. They open at the Theatre Royal on February 17. The company have been meeting with great success in the Northern cities. THEATRICAL. NOTES. Bland Holt is working hi.s way from Brisbane down through Sandhurst and Ballarat to Melbourne. Mrs Langtry’s profits the year before last are said to have been £19,200 ; and last year £7OOO. Miss Nellie Stewart’s new opera company is about to start out. The lady is said to have a good deal of capi.al, and Messrs MacMahon will be her business men. Snazelle, the English baritone, will be of the company, and so will W. H. Woodfield and Miss Marie Burton ; and Herr Shereok will be conductor. ‘Paul Jones’ (Planquette's latest) will be the opening piece, and is to be followed by • Boccacio,’ 4 MignoD,’ and 4 Faust.’ The revival of ‘The Gnv’nor' ha* been a success in Melbourne, Mr Elton being the Boatman. ‘Q’ is moved to disclose the following interesting particulars in connection therewith : ‘James Albory (author of ‘ 4 Two Roses ”) wrote the comedy and sent it to James and Thome, who accepted it, but laid it aside. They had another piece of Albery’s on band, called “Jack and Gill,” but it was a failure when produced, and over it the author offended some ot the critics. They wanted soon after to put np 41 The Guv’nor Albery refused to make certain alterations ; Robert Reece put it into shape, and, owing to the “Jack and Gill ’ incidents, tbe comedy was announced as by E. G. Lancaster, a fictitious personage altogether. Mr George Darrell has struck oii at Dunedin, where 4 Potter of Texas,’ and 4 The Pakeha ’ have both been drawing large audiences. Mr Charles Warner contemplates a second New Zealand tour in a few months. , The Rarotongan troupe now in Auckland have been drawing large andiences, and appear to have had a very good time during the Jubilee festivities. The man in charge is Tepou o te Rangi, described as Premier of Raratonga. The American Coloured Minstrels coneluded their Auckland season last week, and started south. Mr Charles Santley’s first concert was given at Auckland on Monday night. He was in good company, for the Silbon-Stirks Company were also advertising, and Wirtii’s circus was in the immediate future. Hicks’ American Coloured Minstrels are at Napier, where they are drawing like a team of bullocks. New features in the show are gymnastic feats by Miss Eva Germaine (who is also a contortionist), dancing by Madame Farina, and Swiss jodelling by Mr W. Wesley. Mr Will Johnson, the bas 3 singer who was formerly with the company, and whose voice will be remembered as having a note or two in it that came from the bowels of the earth, is in Sydney delightiug folks there with that playful ballad 4 A Hundred Fathoms Deep.’ Misses Connie Devereux and Lillie Warren, former 4 Buffaloes,’ are members of the 4 Austral Tourists,’a company now performing at the Bondi Aquarium, Sydney. Mr George Rignold’s Sydney production of 4 A Midsummer Night’s Dream ’ was a rare success, and the play reached its 28th night on the Ist inst. 4 Sweet Lavender ’ was played for the 700th night at Terry's Theatre (London), on the 12th of this month. Miss Genevieve Ward has arranged with George Humet, the famous French novelist, for a dramatisation of his novel 4 Dernier Amour.' Mr F. C. Burnand has written a burlesque of Sardou’s play c La Tosca.’ Mrs Langtry has commenced her London season at the St. James’ Theatre with a revival of ‘As You Like It,’under the direction of the Hon. Lewis Wingfield, her director and literary adviser. The 4 literary adviser’ is becoming quite an indispensable adjunct to the theatrical manager. Henry Irving for years has had in his service Bram Stoker, an M.A. of Trinity College, Dublin, and Mr L. F. Austin, a professional journalist, who under the pen name of 4 Frederick Daly,’ once wrote a memoir of Irving ; Augustus Harris, the Drury Lane leasee has, or had, until very lately, in his employ the gentleman who wrote the 4 Celebrities at Home ’ for The World; while Mr Beerbohm Tree, the manager of the Haymarket Theatre, has a 4 literary adviser ’ in the person of Mr J. Comyns Carr, the well-known art critic. Autolycus.