NOTES BY LORGNETTE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1091, 27 January 1893, Page 26

NOTES BY LORGNETTE.

The Holloway Company go to Masterton on Monday next. I hope they will have a good season in the Wairarapa township. The Steen-Smith combination are appearing in the West Coast townships. A Southern paper says that Maggie Moore is coming round New Zealand at an early date, but no dates have as yet been booked for Wellington. Mr Sydney Colville, an entertainer of the Maccabe stamp, is at present at Christchurch. With him is aMr Haines, who exhibits a performing cockatoo, which is said to be extremely clever. Mr Carlyle Snlythe, son of the ‘ muchtravelled ’ Smythe, is at present in Wellington, arranging for the Max O’Rell season here. Walter Bentley comences a season shortly at Adelaide. How about that engagement with Sir Augustus Harris ? Poor Fred Leslie got d>l2o a week at the London Gaiety. Something like a screw ! • • • • An honest criticism on Irving’s ‘ King Lear ’—‘He lacks dignity ; he is never the imperious monarch who, according to the king’s own words, has been flattered into a belief that he was above the common impotence of humanity. There is never one flash of grandeur or one touch of sublimity. It is a nineteenth century “ King Lear.” The surroundings, even to the music, are barbaric, but the actors are only masqueraders, men and women of 1893 dressed up as ancient Britons.’ Langtry’s once beautiful voice is said to be going fast. Her once beautiful natural complexion has long since departed, and traces of the fatal ‘make-up’ are now easily discernible. However, the Jersey Lily has made heaps of money, and can therefore afford to be philosophical on the matter of her fading beauty. She can write a cheque for a cool hundred thou—and get it cashed, which is more than most actresses can do. Mrs Darrell leaves a little son. Darrell will probably pay New Zealand a visit next year. Says the Bulletin of January 14 Henry Bracy was 43 last Sunday, and Leon Caron 41 on Friday, while J. F. Cathcart attained his 64th year with 1893. Friend Poole, who brought out Santley and Foli to the colonies, intends to take back five leading Australians and rua a concert party through Great Britain. Montague-Turner’s did fairly well in Christchurch last week. Frank Thornton, of Private Secretary fame, is reported to be coming out to the colonies again directly. He will bring several new plays out with him. Open-air concerts, & la Frangaise, have ‘ caught on ’ in Adelaide. George Leiteh, ‘ the good young man who died,’ will shortly open Melbourne Opera House with ‘ The Prodigal Son.’ In another column our clever and always well-informed London correspondent gives an interesting sketch of poor Fred Leslie. Snazelle has made a great hit in the pantomime at Melbourne Opera House. The Wirths are in Sydney showing at the Rink, but they can hardly hope to make much show against Fillis’ much bigger show. Mrs Bernard-Beere, who is now touring in America, has been telling a newspaper interviewer some of her reminiscences of the late Lord Tennyson. Her first managerial venture at the Globe Theatre in 1882 was the production of Tennyson’s pastoral drama, ‘The Promise of May,’ which she secured through the efforts of Mr Comyns Carr. ‘ Lord Tennyson was very amusing at rehearsals,’ she said, ‘and evinced the greatest interest in the way things were conducted on the stage. He came to most of the rehearsals, and, though against the rules, would sit in the pit smoking his pipe. I was a novice in theatrical management then,’ added Mrs Bernard-Beere, * and did a great many things that I would not do now. The production of “ The Promise of May” was an artistic success, and cost me a great deal of money; but an experience of two weeks was enough to convince me that I was on the wrong track.’ Florrie Graupner left the Royal Comic Opera Company at the close of the Dunedin season, and is taking a rest in Canterbury. Dampiers are in Auckland playing, so I hear, to only very mediocre business. Poor Dampier has had a lot of bad luck the last few years,

Dobson Company are still on the West Coast, South Island, and the Kennedy Company are in the country districts in Southland. Rumour hath it that Miss Stella Stoke, daughter of an ex-Attorney-General for South Australia, has resolved to adopt the stage as a profession. The Royal Comic Opera Company have a substantial surplus as the result of their trip to Maoriland. The Taylor-Carrington Dramatic Company visit New Zealand in June. The Kumara (West Coast) Times announces the marriage at that town of Mr A. Brandon-Cremer, manager of the Amy Vaughan-Cowan Pantomime Company, to Miss A. Wyniard, of Auckland. Both the parties are well-known to erstwhile patrons of the Yaughan Company. Mr C. O. Montr6se is giving his lecture ‘Lights and Shadows of New Zealand Battlefields ’ in the Waikato District. We notice by an Auckland exchange that Miss Katharine Hardy, late of Wellington, is to sing at a concert to be given by Madame Bahnson in the northern capital. Miss Hardy was, it will be remembered, a member of the Waller Bentley Dramatic Company, which disbanded at the close of the New Zealand tour in Auckland, Mr Alfred F, Hill, our talented young townsman, who is now in Auckland, will give a grand concert on Wednesday next, the Ist February. Mr Hill will be assisted by his brother, Mr E. J. Hill, who goes to Auckland specially to sing at the concert. We feel sure that the Aucklanders will highly appreciate the musical talent of these two clever young gentlemen. It has taken Max O’Rell ten months to get from Auckland to Wellington, but of course he has come a long way round. Last April Max O’Rell arrived at Auckland en route to Sydney from San Francisco. Since then the Australian newspapers have chronicled the enthusiastic receptions and highly successful seasons of the witty Frenchman, and next Monday we are to have the pleasure of hearing the famous author of ‘John Bull and his Island ’ in Wellington. The European celebrities who have previously visited the colonies and essayed to interest audiences with recitals of their varied experiences have represented the sombre side of life. Wit and humour found no place in the reminiscences of intrepid war correspondents, and the thrilling tales of Stanlay were of a still more serious hue. With Max O’Rell comes a change ; for the famous humorist sketches the nations he has known with a light touch and always with a view of exhibiting the humorous sPe of their characters. Max O'Rell, who speaks English perfectly, is consequently one of the most popular entertainers of the day, and quite recently, when owing to the dull times there was not a theatre open in Melbourne, he was attracting overflowing audiences. The popular writer is a universal favourite, and one of the chief causes of-his success seems to be his fairness and constant good humour. In Wellington Max O'Rell may look for a welcome not a whit less enthusiastic than he has received in the Southern cities, and his series of five comedy lectures should, if anything, prove too short. Mr W. H. Hayes, proprietor of Hayes’ Allied Circus, has just landed from Sydney, s x Talune, a patent waterproof calico tent, in which to show during the remainder of his tour through the North Island. The tent will seat an audience of 2000, and has been made from special d o eigns and material sent from England, the making-up being done at the factory of Mr S. Walder, of 292, Pitt street, Sydney.