PLAYS AND PLAYERS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1213, 31 May 1895, Page 16

PLAYS AND PLAYERS.

". Here come the actors, Buz, Buz." :■''.' , "■"•',? ■ —Damlrt

The theatrical s editor of, the New Zealand Mail will be happy to receive and print route dates and any other, information concerning the movements of companies. A post card giving ■■" route dates "for the week is recommended. Address all communications for this column to "Lorgnette,'' New Zealand Mail office, Lambton quay, "Wellington.

NOTES BY LORGNETTE.

vt Ruddigore " has been so fully described in the daily papers that there is little need for me to. do more here than to chronicle the complete success of the both in an artistic and financial point of view. The second act is weak,. but; the opera as a whole is far superior to what most of us had imagined it to be. The niusic is bright and sparkling, and there is sorue good stuff in the dialogue. The represenfeatipn was excellent. Mrs Miller surpassed herself, and so did Miss Newton, whose dancing in the second act with Mr Parsons was quite a revelation. Mr Lyon was very amusing, but decidedly the honours of the production go to Mr " Teddy " Hill, who made a big hit every night. Mr Trimnell deserves big kudos for the chorus work and the musical part generally. Mr Allan painted two very effective . scenes and Mr Alf Levi has proved himself a veritable treasure of a stage manager. Congratulations all round upon a very successful production.

The Kennedy Company, so long in Dunedin, now come up North, and open at the Opera House on Wednesday. The company includes some very capable people, and as .the programme is to be changed. very frequently r and popular prices charged, the season will no doubt be successful. s

The Cunard Family have been drawing good houses at the Excnange Hall. The entertainment offered is varied and amusing, and is laudably free from vulgarity. Hiss Helen Gordon's fine voice has made her many friends, and Mr Curiard's clever conjuring is alone worth the moderate prices charged for admission. This is a company which ought to do well in the country districts. The season closes to night (Saturday).

"The Guv'nor" goes up on Friday night, too late for notice this week. I hope there will be a good house. Next week I hope to give £ few notes on the performance. (,-•'•

The Mostyn-,J)alzeil Company opened at Christchurch'test Monday in "Hansom," at the Royal. I hope they may do better than they did here, but Christchurch, like all other town, is overdone with amusements it, present. After a week's season in the City of the Plains the company proceed to Dunedin.

The Gourlay-Stokes Company came up from Christchurch on Sunday, and proceeded to Westport by the Mawhera. After playing the Coast towns the company returns to Wellington, opening in the Theatre Royal.

His Lordship the Bishop of Wellington possesses, 1 am to learn, no paltry prejudices against the stage. "Stuck up "-by an enterprising pressman for his patronage to the Marshall benefit Dr Wallis promptly took two tickets, and intimated his intention if possible of being present at the show. -■ -

Mr George Darrell is, I hear from a private source, doing excellent business up in Auckland. The first production,

( the racing drama, " The Double Event," f was a great success. It is founded upon j Mr Nab Gould's (" Verax ") novel of the same name, and deals with the persistent I attempts made by a gang of turf swindlers to stiffen the hero's colt, Calbola, entered for the Melbourne Cup. A big sensacior? of the piece is the Melbourne Cup race scene in which ten horses ridden by jockeys are introduced. Miss Harrie Ireland made a great hit as the heroine, and Misa Isabel Stuart, was, I hear, extremely successful in a soubrette part. Mr Darrell himself is the hero, and is well supported by a company which is said to be strong all round. Other sensational dramas were to follow, including "Life for Life," a five act play by Mr Darrell, dealiugwith life in New Zealand.

Pollard's Liliputians did well at Wanganui, where their sensoii concluded on Sunday last with a grand sacred concert. I must say that I dislike these so-called "sacred" concerts at any time. They mean double work, and they very seldom carry extra pay for the "pros." concerned. In the case of the Pollards the Sunday concerts are in every way unjustifiable. The children have lately travelled about with rapid changes from one part of the colony to the other. They play six nights a week and that should be enough.

MrEmile Lazern, the well-known local conjurer, is now touring the New South Wales country districts as a momber of the Mascotte Variety Company. His Wellington friends will be glad to hear that business is good, and that their old " pal" is making a hit wherever he goes. So, at least, he wrote to a local gentleman.

Captain Humphrey, the "lion tamer," here with Fillis, is now acting as ringmaster with Allan Hamilton's Circus, which, I hear, is doing good biz in the Victorian towns.

Brough and Boucicault are due at Melbourne Princess' on June 1. I wonder whether they will play the Unspeakable Oscar's plays, of which they hold the colonial rights. If public opinion, forces the withdrawal of these plays it will be a nasty financial knock for Brough and Boucicault.

The 'Frisco Mail Summary contains the following extraordinary paragraph :—"A Newark telegram states that a German named Christopher Columbus Ritter asserts that J. Wilkes Booth, who shot President Lincoln in Ford's Theatre, Washington, is still alive, and that the man who was shot was Edward Fuchs, an actor, who resembled Booth. Bitter, whose character is above reproach, asserts that he assisted Booth to escape to Brazil, and met him by appointment seven years ago at Hamburg. On that occasion Booth gave him pictures of his children. These pictures bear a strong resemblance to Booth. Bitter says he heard from Booth last \vinter, and that he was then on the South American stage." I print the above for what it is worth, which I should say is not much. Booth was toy well known a man for any such mistake to have been made. I should put the story as a good sample of a Yankee lie.— Lorgnette.

Mr Philip Newbury and Madame Emily Spaila, who will be remembered here with their concert party, are about to set out on a tour, visiting Gonlburn, Bathurat, and other centres, and then giving a short season in Brisbane, whence they come, on to New Zealand. The principals will, I see, appear in an oratorio festival in Christchurch, when "Judas Maccabeus" and "Elijah" will be the chief works, and also at Auckland in a musical festival under the superintendence of Mr Arthur Towsey. Welb'ngton and Dunedin will also be visited, and about the end of August the New Zealand tenor and his wife expect to proceed to the Old Country.

On Wednesday the Rev. Mr Haweis, the well-known London preacher, and author of " Music and Morals," commenced a brief lecture season at the Garrison Hal], Dunedin. The Wellington season commences on June 9th at Thomas' Hall. Mr Hugo Fischer is acting as advance agent for Mr Smythe.

Mr Fred Villiers, the war correspondent and artist, has "caught on," I hear, in Sydney with his lectures on the Japanese-Chinese war. Mr Villiers comes to New Zealand in due course.

Talking of lecturers, I see that Mr Livingston Hopkins, the famous caricaturist, " Hop," of the Bulletin, is about to take three months' vacation from his Bulletin work, and sets out almost immediately on a lecturing tour. The lectures will be illustrated by lantern pictures of a highly novel character, i suppose poorold "S'enry" ParkeswiUpop up a good deal on the screen during the course of the lecture. To " Hop" Parkes seems as King Charles the First to poor Uncle Dick in David Copperfield.

By the way, I hope Mr Hopkins will include New Zealand in his tour, if only that one may shake hands again with '•good old" Lcuis Lohr, who is, [ see, to manage for him. '* The Umpire " has recently been running Charles Arnold's Company through Northern Queensland. A private letter to a Wellington press-

man the other day conveyed the information that "for mosqnitoes, cuss words, and whiskey" Queensland is the "hottest place on earth." L.J. L. expressed a hone to be soon round Maoriland again, and I hope that " Hop " and he may come along socn.

The following paragraph from the 'Frisco Mail Summary gives further details about an aif-iir alluded to in the cables recently ■:■ —"Lord Sholto Douglas, a son of the Marquis of Queensberry, while on a visit to Bakersfield, California, was arrested on a charge of lunacy. He became engaged to a variety actress named Lore'tta Addis (Miss Money), and having, procurod a license his liiends caused him to be arrested. Miss Addis steadily refused the young man's ad varices, and advised him to tear up the license, and go about his business. On his release on the following day the young man attempted to thrash a newspaper correspondent, but ho got the worst of it, and left in disgust for San Francisco."

The Bulletin evidently doesn't appreciate the " beauties "of " coster /; songs : —" There is one particular in which the Gaiety Company is immeasurably superior to Lonneu's. We miss the man in the 'leary' clothes, covered with black braid and pearl buttons, who stood in the limelight, and with contorted face and voice, inflicted ' coster' songs on a suffering audience. If for nothing else but this, Monkhouse and Company deserve big houses."

The Royal Comic Opera Company continue giving a round of new and old operas at Sydney Lyceum. "Madame Angot " made quite a hit. Rignold too has done very well with the sensational drama "Work and Wages" at Her Majesty's. .'

Melbourne Bijou, where the DacreRoselle season was such a frost, is now occupied by a variety company run by Frank Clark. Included in the show are Wilfred Shine, and English comedian who came out in " Morocco Bound," and Marie Elater, an operatic singer who ought to be doing better than she is.

" The Fatal Card," an Adelphi drama which was a big success in London, and of which Bland Holt has the Australian rights, was to be produced at Easter at the Porte St. Mariin Theatre, Paris, with the original Adelphi scenery and accessories. The Rev. Haweis, who will bo with us shortly, may be a good preacher and lecturer, bub when he compares the national hymns of England and France he talks frightful rubbish. He says '* the English National Anthem is nothing but John Bull shouldering his way through a crowd, knocking everybody out of his road," whilst " the frivolity and fickleness of the French nation is exemplified in the * Marseillaise.' " What nonsense ! I wonder whether he ever heard the " Marseillaise "sung by a crowd of say 10,000 people. Why, every line of Rouget D 8 Lisle'a magnificent hymn is forceful. As the Bulletin remarks, "It is bred of revolution, and breathes the fierce aspirations of a whole people battling for freedom." Neither in words nor music ia " Gcd Save the Queen " to be compared to the French National Hymn.

From the Otago Daily Times: —" Mis 3 Lilla Wilde's recital of 'The Heart's Charity ? was a fine piece of elocution, and she was even more successful in her delivery of ' Mary, Queen of Scots,' in connection with which two living pictures were presented with limelight effects." ! ! !

Harry Monkhouse, the comedian star of the Gaiety Girl Compaiiy, now all the talk in Melbourne, has a fat thing of it when "In Town" i 3 staged. In that production he doesn't appear, but he gets his full screw, sixty lovely " thick'uns," all the same. Who wouldn't be a successful mummer?

Mr G. W. Anson, who has had a long spell of bad luck since he left the colonies, has joined Mrs John Wood and Mr Arthur Cecil at the Court Theatre, where thoy were to open in a new comedy by G. W. Godfrey on the 20th April.

Arthur Deane, Syd. Deane's brother, who was to have left Australia to study in Paris, has been detained by illness. The young baritone, it appears, was severely injured internnlly some months ago by a blow from a cricket ball, and on the point of his departure for London his increasing weakness forced him to go into the doctor's hands. He hopes to sail in three weeks' time.

Friday, the 10th May, was the fortieth anniversary of the first appearance in this city of G. V. Brooke, the famous tragedian, who made his debut on 10th May, 18b5, at the old Victoria Theatre, Pitt street, Sydney. On that occasion the actor appeared as Othello, with«i fine cast, which included Richard Younge as lago, Robert Heir as Cassio, Charles King as Duke of Venice, J. C. Lambert as Brabantio, Lachlan M'Gowan as Montano, Miss Fanny Cathcart as Desdemona, and Mrs Guerin as Emilia. Of these and other antors who then appeared in "Othello" but two survive. ■' That sterling actor, Mr M : Gowan, is still living m Sydney, where his stage appearances are always welcome; and Mrs

1 Gneriu (Mrs Richard Stewart), the mother of Miss Nellie Stewart »nd of Mr R. Stewart, jun., still flourishes in her Victorian home. ! Sir Charles and Lady Halle (Madam Norman tieruda) propose to go to the Cape on a professional trip in July. It is not very often, says a contemporary, that a musician of 76 cares to starfe upon such a journey, but Sir Charies bears his years lightly. Mr Robert Courtneidge, who made many friends when here with the Gaiety Company, has been scoring a decided success in the English provinces in Gilbert and Carr'a opera, " His Excellency." Miss Alice Leamar is off to South Africa. Johaonesburg gets a constant supply of English artistes.

How Henri Kowalski now one of the leading Sydney musicians, came to be taught music has besn extracted from him by Mr I). J. Quinn, who re-tells the story in the Review of Reviews :—" There were four of us—four brothers. Father was anxious to make one cf us a musician, but not being able to satisfy himself as to which was the most fitted, he sent us (with a letter) to a phrenologist. I was the third son, and about six years old. My elder brothers walked eo quickly that in the endeavour to keep up with them I fell on the pavement. I must have hurt my head, for I remember I cried a little. By the tims we re-ached the head-reader's, however, I had forgotten all about it. The old phrenologist examined our heads carefully. Somehow, mine seemed to puzzle him, and eveu when he was writing down his observations I noticed him taking furtive glances at me. When he had finished he enclosed his observations in an envelope, whicn he handed to my eldest brother. The next day a lady of ,dreadful appearanea came to our house, and to the suri prise of my brothers and of myself I was ! handed over to the charge of my mistress of piano. The same day I reluctantly began my scales. It was not until six years after, by which time 1 was well advanced in my studies, that my father told me huw the phrenologist had come to select me for the musician by the phenomenal bump over my eyebrow. Oh ! it is not there now. It was the bump caused by the fall on the pavement I"

Artemua Ward relates having once tried the life of a showman with a peagreen ox, which lost its phenomenal hue by scratching itself against the tent pole. There are other trials in a showman's life, vide a County Court case at Manchester, in which a proprietor was sued by the man engaged to conduct the caravan :—The plaintiff Herbert Robinson, said he was engaged by the defendant to travel with the show. It was a "novelty" show, and included a cow wifch a wooden leg. (Laughter ) Mr Whaton— ** Where had you to go with thi3 cow with a wooden leg?" The plaintiff— "Round Lancashire." Mr Langdon—"ln the agricultural districts chiefly." (Laughter.) The plaintiff—- " The first place was Runcorn. I was fifty-two weeks engaged altogether. We had a sheep with three legs." The Judge "Wooden ones?" (Laughter.) The plaintiff—" No. Then there was a lamb with eight legs, two bodies, and only one head." Mr Wharton—" ilow long did you keep that from smelling ?" The plaintiff—" It was stuffed, sir." (Laughter.) Mr Wharton—" What were the live things you had to look after %" The plaintiff—" The cow with the wooden leg, the sheep, and two horses. There was myself, Mr Shepherd, and a * doorsman.'He shouted outside the show, and I took the money inside." The plaintiff was awarded his arrears as wages.

Miss Bmilie Soldene, the opera bouffe actress, who for some years past has been engaged as musical and dramatic critic of the Sydney Evening News, is going to London to publish a novel dealing with the new woman. .

Miss Helen Gordon, the principal singer of the Cunard Vaudeville Company, which opened on Saturday night in the Exchange Hall, was prima donna of Lyster's English Opera' Company in Melbourne the year he died. She has been around the world since then, and played in England and America, and is engaged to appear under the management of Gustave Walters, of San Francisco, in October next. The Hawera Musical Society are to perform " The Mikado." Madame Melba sang in " Faust" at Covent Garden Theatre, London, on Friday. The critics declare that the emotional power of her voice has increased since she last appeared here. The Prince and Princess of "Wales were present. Miss Ada Crossley, the Australian contralto, sings before them on Monday. Sir Henry Irving, the newly-knighted actor, is 57 years of age. He first appeared on the stage at the age of 18. His real name is John Henry Brodrib.

Our Masterton correspondent writes : The decision of the Native Land Court on Mr F. C. Tumor's claim as lessee against the Minister of Public Works in respect of a road taken by the Eketahuna Boad Board through Mr Tumor's property at Eketahuna has been delivered, awarding Mr Turner =£4o and .£l6O for fencing, with J3lO counsel's fee. Mr Pownall appeared for Mr Tumor, the department being represented by the Chief Clerk.