NOTES BY LORGNETTE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1199, 22 February 1895, Page 17

NOTES BY LORGNETTE.

" Paul Jones," which succeeded ** Ma Mie .Rosette," drew splendid houses, and had it nob been that Planquette's and Farnie's merry opera bouffe had to be withdrawn to make way for "La Cigale," it could easily have run for a week or so more. Miss Nellie Stewart made a bewitching Yvonne, and Messrs Howard Vernon and Lauri ware seen to great advantage. As fur the piece itself, the first act drags terribly, but directly these two merry mnmmeis, Vernon and Lauri, get a chance, the fun is fast and furious. A special word of praise is also due to Miss Marietta Nash, who song, " Just look at my sabots," moved the audience to immense enthusiasm. Miss Nash is becoming a great favourite with the Wellington theatie going public.

On Tuesday "La Cigale" was produced, and at once scored a great success. Personally I think this is far and away the best, of the three operas produced so far, but this being 'Frisco mail week and the Mail going to press much earlier, I cannot go into details. " Mam'zelle Nitouche" will follow "La Cigale."

Fitzgereld's Circus opened at Dunedin last week, and, I hear, is doing good business.

At Dunedin also, the Kennedys, still at the City Hall, have produced " The Woman of the People," a piece in which Miss Poraeroy appeared wlun round the colony some years ago, and which, I fancy, used to be a trump card of the Beatrice—Harvey Company (Madame Beatrice and Frank Harvey) in the English provinces a few years ago. ,

Mr Rolf Boldrewood, author of the best Australian novol ever written, *' Robbery Under Arms" (so badly dramatised), is said to have written a sparkling comedy, to be produced Bhortly by amateurs at Albury, New South Wales, where Mr Boldrewood (Browne is his real name) tills the position of police magistrate.

"Chawles" Holloway, with the Holloway—Westmacott Company, opened at Hobart recently in that weird combination of melodramatic horrors, "My Jack." That equally awful production, "The Shamrock and the Rose," was to follow. Harold Ashton, well-known in New Zealand is managing the show.

Respecting the once much-talked of yisit of Paderewski, the f imous Polish pianist, to the colonies, the Bulletin says : r—Most of the London musical agents are Hebrews. Daniel Mayer, Melba's agent, is one of them. Melba herself looks a Jewess, but she isn't. Mayer is the man who madea contract with R. S. Smythe for Paderewski's Australian tour. It was never carried out, but some day, probably, something will be heard about it. The Much-Travelled is waiting till the clouds toll by. People would not p*y a guinea nowadays even to hear the Pole with the fiery hair, and Paderewski's red beard will have grown grey before they will do so.

** Merry Little Benham," th« clown with the pig, so long with Wirth's and •other circuses, has joined Woodloch's *awdust show in Sydney, which. "Big Man " Allan Hamilton is managing.

> Amongst variety artistes well known «pn~this side of the Tasman Long Drink,

and now at Sydney Tivoli, are Priscilla Verne (where is Charles Hugo nowadays?) Mons. Provo, the clever juggler, Georgie Devoe (her with the shrill voice), Tommy Callaghan, Charley Fanning, and Florrie St. Clair.

George Woods, the " somewhat different comedian,,' was given a " beg a-bit" the other day, and leaves the Land of the Golden Fleece and the company " fleecers " for the Golden Gate of 'Frisco, where he has been offered an engagement at the Grand Opera House. By the way, where is Billy Emerson nowadays ? Does anyone know ?

It is now said that Madame Melba is not likely to extend her Australian tour to New Zealand.

The Australasian of Feb 2 gives a beautiful portrait (from a photo, by Falk) of Miss Hilda Spong in the character of Rosalind in "As You Like It." Miss Spong hus made a great advance in her profession since she was here in Wellington, and as the heroine in Bland Holt's big success, "The Span of Life," his achieved a decided hit.

" Allitiration's artful aid " is well applied by the Bulletin thus:—"Mar vellous, merry, magnetic., Maggie Moore!" A good top line for her ads.

I hear that the Princess Theatre, Melbourne, Messrs Williamson and Musgrove's house, and said to be the finest theatre in the Southern Hemisphere, has been renovated and entirely re-decor*ted at an outlay of over .£3OOO. "The Firm" don't do things by halves, and deserve all the good fortune that they meet with.

A recent number of a London periodical contains an interesting interview with Herr Joachim by the Baroness von Zedlitz, wherein the great artist said, " A curious fact in connection with the career I chose for myself was that I became a violinist, so to *pe*k, by accident. My mother took me to a country fair one day, and, as you know is usual at such places, cheap instruments were to be hid in abundance. I wanted some trifling toy, and my mother bought me a violin, so that my first start in violin playing was indeed mere play. At the age of five I already felt so keen a desire to study that the organist of our church in Kittsee was induced to give me my very first lessons." All who have heard the famous violinist will thank Providence for having blessed him with that toy.

What theatrical and musical ads. must mean to a big London daily. A correspondent, to whom siucere thanks, sends me a copy of the London Telegraph for January 4 last. The theatre ads. proper occupy two and a-third columns of space ; there are advertisements from 32 separate theatres, besides circuses and other shows. The music hall ads. also occupy three parts of a column, and other entertainments, concerts, lectures, recitals, etc. fill up another column and a half of " ads " of songs that are being sung by various aitistes all over the country, and you have a total of over six columns of advertisements relating, to amusements. How is that for high?

Miss Marie Halton, who appeared in "LaCigale" when that opera was first produced in Australia, is now playing the principal part in " The Shop Girl," a musical comedy now running to big houses at Lond< n Gaiety. Miss Pattie Browne, the favourite Australian soubrette, is appearing in "The Derby Winner "at the Princess', Oxford street, under the management of Sir."Gustus" Arris. George Walton is leading comedian in the panto of " Aladdin " at the big Standard Theatre, in Bishopsgate street. J. F. Sheridan (Widdy "o'Breehon")and Gracie Whiteford are doing a "turn" nightly at the Palace Theatre of Varieties, and at Toole'a Theatre I see the veteran is agaiu to the front with " Walker, London," and " Paul Piy," a double bill in which he is supported, amongst others, by Billington, Westland, C. M. Lowne, Eliza Johnstone and others who were with Johnny in New Zealand.

Miss Katherine Hardy, late of Wellington, will have a good in the initial comedy production of the Dacres (Arthur Decre and Amy Rosette from 'Ome) at Melbourne Bijou. Miss Hardy is gradually making up into a very good position on the Australian stages.

The London correspondent of the Mail writes as follows under date January 5 : 4 The death of Victoria Vokes recalls merry memories of days when the famous Vokes family were as inevitable a part of Drury Lane pantomime as Herbert Campbell and Dm Leno are to-day. They were par excellence pantomimists and dancers. Fred Vokes, the male head of the troupe, seemed made of india rubber. He could (as was remarked on one very inappropriate occasion) " throw a loose leg over anybody or anything." The only dancer who can touch him nowadays is Fred Storey. Vokes married Bella Moore (of the Moore and Burgess Minstrels), and they went to America. Victoria Vokes understudied the beautiful Liliau Adelaide Neilson as Amy Rob3art in Halliday's Drury Laue version of " Kenilworth," and played the part with sonie acceptance in the States. But the Vokes's never did much good after they split up. It was as a family

they will always be doubt the Lauri's, troupes of to day, a Vokes Family in " Kitchen" started th tain m en t.

remembered. No and other dancing re better, but the The Belles of the at school of enter-

' The dramatic obituary of 1895 does not include any stars of primary magnitude. Mr Henry Herman and Mr Fred Broughton were playwrights of but minor merit, and neither poor George Barrett, nor Miss Edith Chester, nor the sisters Rosina and Victoria Vokes had ever set the Thames atire. Arthur Blackmore wae, however known all the world over, as an agent, and the venerable Edward Stirling had ruled Drury Lane in our grandfather's time.

' Beerbohm Tree wound up his season at the Haymarket on Saturday lost, and has gone to that theatrical Tom Tiddler's ground, the States, there to pick up gold and silver till Easter. Meanwhile Mr Brookfield and Sir Morcll Mackenzie's son (Mr H. Morell) have taken the theatie, and will to night produce there Oscar Wilde's "An Ideal Husband."

' The preparations for "King Arthur" at the Lyceum are in an advanced state, aad though the success of " Santa Claus " promised to be great, the play will be produced at the end of the month. Mr Irving's principals, be it understood, are engaged not for a run but by the year, so he cannot afford a long holiday. Mr W. J. Holloway is not in the cast of "King Arthur," but Genevieve Ward plays Morgan le Fay, and Miss Lena Ash well Elaine. Ellen Terry, of course, will be the peccant Queen, and Forbes Robertson Sir Lancelot. The costumes and scenery have been designed by Sir Edward Burne Jones, and the music composed by Sir Arthur Sullivan. The scenes will not be many, but will comprise some striking landscapes, wherein the myotic element of the legends will find an appropriate poetic sotting. In the final "Passing of Arthur," the casting of the brand " Excalibrr" by the reluctant Sir Bedivere, and the appearance of the supernatuial hand which brandishes it three times before drawing it within the mire should only be less effective than the departure of the wounded King in the mystic barge, " dark as a funeral scarf from stem to atem." r

' Mr Santley, who has just been " interviewed " by Gassell's Saturday Journal, tells therein two little stories that seem worth repeating. He was speaking of the various audiences he had sung before, and stated he had fouud ; the public equally appreciative in America, Australia, in the'south' of .Spain and Italy everywhere, as in England. In Dublin the audiences were very enthusiastic; but occasionally the facetiousness of the gallery was somewhat iroublesome. One night I was playing Plunkett in " Martha," and at the end of the "Goodnight" quartette, I took up a candle to light the two girls to their room. I had scarcely put my foot inside the door when one of the "gods"called out, "Ah,.ah! Come out of that, and leave the gals alone." That was not so bad, perhaps, coming as it did, at the end of the scene. But in another instance I certainly did not appreciate the interruption. It was in the sceneof Valentine's death in "Faust." After the duel Martha rushed in at the head of the crowd, raised my head, and held me in her arms. The scene was impressive, and there was a deathlike stillness in the house, which was interrupted by a voice from the gallery, calling, " Unbutton his weskit, Miss."'