NOTES BY LORGNETTE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1264, 21 May 1896, Page 19

NOTES BY LORGNETTE.

The Faust Family are touring the Hawke’s Bay townships this week. A return visit to Wellington is on the cards. Mine. Trebelli did splendid business at Dunedin last week. Mr Prouse’s singing was highly spoken of by the Dunedin press. Miss Marguerite Johnson, so popular with Wellington music lovers, is, I hear, engaged to marry a Melbourne gentleman. Hearty congratulations. Miss Clara Mongrodien lias returned to Dunedin from Melbourne, and settled down in tlio Southern city as a teacher ot singing. Mario Majeroni, here with GoutlayWalton, playing a small part, is lieu ben Fax’s understudy for Svongali in “Trilby,’’ on which piece, by the way, j Lho I) inn are said to have been making a perfect heap of money. Would I like a (501 b dumb-bell dropping on me? Not much, thanks. Act that was what very nearly happened at Proctor s Pleasure Palace, New Fork, recently. Sandow, the “ Strong Man,” was doing some juggling “funny business” with throo (501 b dumb-bells when one of thorn slipped and fell into the orchestra. A music stand was smashed, and the conductor got a bad bruise. “ What might have been a serious accident, as tho 10porters say. How pros, do travel! That’s a sentiment “ Lorgnette ” gave utterance to last week. He repeats it when be reads that John 1 1 . Sheridan, “ Widdy O’Broehon,” and Grace Whiteford, who ran “ Fun on the Bristol ” round these parts, are back again in London town from India, tho Straits Settlement and China. Now Zealand is threatened with a visit from a person called Ernest Hosking, who runs an alleged entertainment entitled “ Peeps into Spirit Land.” The New Zealand public doesn’t care much for “ spook ” business.

I read in London Singe that Charles Wyndham, tho famous English comedian, for so many years lessee and manager of the Criterion (Spiers and Pond’s pretty littlo theatre in Piccadilly Circus), is under engagement to Williamson and Musgiovo for an Australian tour. The Criterion will, it is said, be occupied by tho American comedian,Nat Goodwin, during W yndhani s absenco ’neath the Southern Cross. Poor Myra Kemble, benefitted weekbefore last in Sydney, is, I hear, suffering from a complication of complaints, including cancer, partial paralysis and disease of tho kidneys. She will never appear on tho stage again. “ Trilby ” was due at Sydney Lyceum on Saturday last. Melbourne’s coming sensation is the opening of George (Tattersall) Adams superbly-fitted now music hall, for which Arthur Garner is now at Ome engaging the best talent. Amongst other Londoners and “Londonesses” (expression patented by “Lorgnetto”) are Herbert Campbell, the comedian (one of the regular Diury

Lane panto, heroes), Cinquevalli (a peifect prince amongst jugglers, one of whose feats is to balance two billiard balls on the end ofacue); the Gregoletis (“ flying wonders”); and Brown and Newlands (exponents of nigger business. B. and N. must be rather old at the game nowadays, for “Lorgnette” saw them, with their then partner Leclercq, at the old Princess’ Palace Music Hall, Leeds, as far back as 1577.

Garner also hopes to induce Lottie Collins, the original “Ta-ra-ra-boum-de-ay ” maniac, to come out to “ ’Orstralyer,’ which is, I am told, the usual way in which Cockney music-hall artistes allude to tho land of the kangaroo.

Charles Clarke, the chubby-faced reverend, who can “ give ” Dickens better than any man I ever met, but whose piece (7c resistance now-a-days is a lecture on “St. Paul’s,” was due at Melbourne last week. He comes to New Zealand, under management of tho “ much-travelled ” Smythe.

Harry Pickards is to take a Variety Company to Adelaido for seven weeks, to commence "on" Monday last,' and then ho for the Land of tho Maori and the Moa.

Williamson and Musgrove’s Opera Company were to stait; a Melbourne season on Friday last with “Miss Deeima,”in which, so I hear, Miss Juliet (Flegeltaub) Wray has made a big hit. 'The season lasts for 10 nights, after which, New Zealand.

Wo shan’t see Mr Courtice Pounds, the Savoy tenor, in New Zealand. His engagement with the Loyal Comics ended in Adelaide, and he was to sail for England last week. Air C. M. Leumane takes bis place as tenor.

Talking about M Williamson’s Opera Company, tho many friends of Mr George Tallis, who was treasurer of the Company last time but one it visited Wellington, will bo glad to learn that the sprightly, dehonnair young gentleman in question lias been promoted to the position of business manager at Melbourne Princess.

I have to thank Mr Tallis for a copy of the “ Trilb) ” programme, and a very smartly got-up and original affair it is. Congratulations upon your promotion, old fellow!

By a batch of programmes sent me by Mr Walter Bentley from Brisbane, I see Mr Ralph Roberts,who played the “ New Boy” in Wellington was recently at Brisbane with a company of his own playing “ The Foundling Boy,” and other comedies.

William and Amy Gourlay, well-known in New Zealand, together with Emile Lazern (ditto) are members of McLean’s Gaiety Co., playing New South Wales provinces. Martyn llagan and Lucy Fraser, here with tho Faust Family, were at Brisbane when last heard of.

Sydney Referee, whose theatrical news is always bright, accurate and up-to-date, and from which I bag many a good par, for which I am duly grateful, has been printing an interesting account of good old George Carey, whose “ old men” with Brough and Boucicault’s Company were so well liked. It appears, from the Referee account, that Mr Carey hails from tho “Green Hills” on the Hunter River, N.S.W., and begun bis theatrical career in Sydney in 1870. After playing at various times with Rosa Cooper, Madame Janauschelc, Augustin Dargon, Florence Colville, Eleanor Carey, Charles Young, William Hoskins, William Andrews, Lytton Sothern and others, ho toured Queensland in '7B, playing lead in Irish pieces, and later lie was first comedian at Melbourne Jiijou, under Win. Crcswick and other stars, and in ’B2 accompanied Louise Pomeroy in an Indian tour. After this ho wont to London, where ho got a start under two Australians, Clarenco Holt and Charles Wilmot. He remained in England two years and then ran a comedy company through India “on his own,” losing his money but gaining experience. Three years ago ho joined Brough and Houeicault, and lias been with the company ever since.

Paul Mcritt lias been dead these two years or so, but nevertheless 1 notice that a blood-curdler,entitled, “The Raid on tho Transvaal,” by “ Paul Mcritt and George Conquest,” was running at the Britannia Theatre, Hoxtou, when tho last English mail loft.

Hermann Ve/.in, once a great fa vuiirib* in the “ legitimate,” and said to have been, in bis day, the best lago the English stage ever knew, had a benefit on March litth at London liaymarket. Vezin’a greatest hit “on his own” was in a somowhat dreary “political and historical” drama, “All for Her,” by, 1 think, C. Wills. Yezin’s father was a German. He is a naturalised ’Murkan. Ho teaches elocution nowadays, and is (1(5. One of the old school.

Nellie Mortyne, an Australian actress who has been over here on more than one occasion, but who recently went to England, is now on tour in the English provinces, playing Polly Eccles in “ Caste.”

Scot Inglis, who made such a good impression when hero with Sass and Kemble, and afterwards with Hilda Spong, is to be the “melancholy Jacques” in tho Brown-Potter-Bellew production of “As You Like It.” Frank Cates goes to England shortly for his health, in a “ wind-jammer.” Carl Hertz, the conjuror, has gone to South Africa. Australia to follow. W. and M. are nothing if not enterprising. They have, secured the Australian

rights of the big religious drama, “ The Sign of the Cross.”

New York Dramatic Mirror repoits the death of the veteran English actor, Henry Howe, who must have been, if Lokgnette’s memory is worth anything, quite SO. Sir Henry Irving took him to America with his company, and the old man's last appearance on the stage was in Irving’s production of “ The Merchant of Venice ” at the Grand Theatre, New York, on February 21, when ho took the part of tho Duke. lie died on March !), and was buried at Cincinnati.

Madam Modjeska, now living in Southern California, is said to be gradually recovering tho use of the left arm. The trouble was supposed to be paralysis, but was really due to the interruption of the circulation by a clot of blood. She may yet appear on the stage again.

Catherine Foote, one of the Gaiety “liouris” here with Lonnen, Lelhridge, Courtneidge and Co., was divorced from her husband in London the other day. It was hubby’s (an ex Sydney clerk’s) petition, and the evidence was distinctly “ giddy.”

Reuben Fox, who has made such a hit as “ Svengali” in the Melbourne production of “ Trilby," was under study for “ Wilton Lackaye ” in the original (New York) production of the piece. The Bulletin says that Fax got a show to play “ Svengali ” at a matinee when Beerbohm ’Tree was over in the States, and that the London actor modelled his Jew on Fax’s impersonation.

Fax, by the way, is not a Jew, hut a native of Toronto. His mother was Irish and his father Scotch. Personally he would prefer to play tlie Scots artisi, The Laird, rather than Svengali.

For the benefit of Mail readers who are acquainted with the London stage I reprint the cast of a really wonderful performance, to he given at London Criterion, in celebration of Manager Charles Wyndham’s tenancy thereof; First an act of “ Money,” with tho Bancrofts as Dudley Smooth and Mrs Franklin respectively, Beerbohm Tree as Evelyn, and his wife as Clara Douglas. Then “ School for Scandal,” with this great cast:—• William Barren, Sir Peter Teazle ; Forbes Robertson, Joseph Surface; Wyndham, Charles Surface ; If. If. Vincent (once with “ the Firm”), Oliver Surface; Cyril Maude, Sd - Benjamin Backbite ; Crabtree, Tom Thorne; Teddy Righton, Moses; Weedon Gmssmith, Snake ; Fred Kerr, Trip ; George Alexander, Careless. Sir Harry Bumper was to ho played by William Tcrriss ; Sir Toby by Arthur Bouchier ; Mrs Candour by Rose Lcclerq ; Lady Snoenveli by Miss Milward ; Maria by Alary Moore; and, finally, the Lady Teazle was to be Mrs Patrick Campbell. Tho like of such a cast has seldom been seen before.

During the time of Booth’s—the American actor most successful playing, there happened an amusing incident;. Booth’s Othello was much liked in America. An inveterate playgoer invited an old Yankee to go and witness Booth’s performance of the Moor. Of course the Yankee, who had never been inside a theatre, let alone witnessed a play, consented, and on being asked at the termination of tho piece if lie liked Booth’s acting, he replied, “ Yes, amazing ; but cuss me if I don’t guess that little nigger (Othello) played as well as any o’ the white fellows —if not better,”

A gruesome form of entertainment is being provided in London. It is called the “ Great Indian Fakir Mystery,” and is based on those feats of suspended animation of which most people have heard or read. In the Aquarium experiment a man is hypnotised and placed in a coffin furnished like a bed, which is lowered to a depth of 7ft Bin, and partially covered with earth. A wooden shaft, placed over the head of the subject, rises two or three feet above the level of the floor. Tho face of tho buried man is thus in communication with the air, and plainly visible Lorn above.

Mile. Degaby, late of Paris and Brighton, was at latest at the I’a aco Theatre, London, to enliven the monotony of living pictures with some studies of the “altogether,” 'The London Rrenimj News, commenting on the petformance, sava : “In two of her classical and artistic reproductions Degaby wears

about half a yard of muslin ; in the rest she is clad only in innocence and pads. Whether her umlraped studies are improper or not is an open question, depending much on the moral line of vision. If her reproductions of famous statues or pictures were given in the cold charity of marble they would be artistic ami decorous ; il’thev were given in flesh and blood they would be frankly indecent. As they arc, being rendered in the

medium of white tights ami cotton wool, with a structure of living woman concealed inside, they miy be regarded as a nice com promise between marble and immodesty. There were many ladies present last night, and only one of them—who was old and wily, and in charge of a pretty daughter and a meek young man—thought it necessary to arise and depart whilst Degaby glimmered white and shapely under the lime-light. The rest of the audience took Mile, from an artistic point of view, and expressed much delight in her exuberance of curving outlines and her statuesque grace of po e. Anyhow, Degabv will draw the town and the County Council.”

“ The Prompter,” in the Manchester Umpire, says : upon the London theatres, and if a piece is at all shaky upon its legs it usually succumbs during this period, and this, 1 regret to say, is the case with ; A Woman’s Reason ’ at the Shaftesbury, which was never as strong as in certain quarters it was represented to be, but which deserved a longer run than it has had. Incidentally the fate of ‘ A Woman’s Reason ’ shows what little effect iB exercised by the most extravagant praise in the Press, The most powerful organ in London for thsMii-

cal purposes is unquestionably the Daily Telegraph, and the Daily Telegraph, in a column of frenzied laudation, declared ‘A Woman’s Reason ’ to be infinitely superior to ; Frou-Frou,’ and at once the ‘ best-written and the best-acted play’ of its year.’ Evidently the public have not been of this opinion. Anyhow, this masterpiece has received less support than is accorded by two-penny-halfpenny farces like 1 Miss Brown’ or ‘ The New Boy.’ ’’

Messrs Brown, Potlter and “Curly” Billcw open at Melbourne Princess towards the end of next month in “ As You Like It.” They will bring with them some American support. Veteran James Cathcart has also been engaged. A New Zealand tour follows later on.

Choice specimen of dramatic criticism (on “ The Importance of Being Earnest,”) by William Archer:—“An iridescent filament of fantasy, grateful and comforting.” It “ imitates nothing, represents nothing, means nothing except a sort of rondo capriccioso, in which the artist’s fingers runs with crisp irresponsibility up and down the keyboard of life.”

The dramatised version of “ The Prisoner of Zenda ” (the novel by which Anthony Hope, author of “ l’hroso,’’ made his name), Ims been drawing £2()00 a week at London, St. James. “The Firm” have bought the colonial rights, and will specially import a company to play this and other pieces.

Bland Holt, was to stage “ Saved from the Sea” at Sydney Royal on Saturday week last.

Mr Beerbohm Tree is said to be quick at dressing and malting up, partly because be believes in as little making upas possible, relying more on muscular action than on painted lines to represent expression. He does not goto his dressing-room until the overture begins. Sir Henry Irving is also a quick dresser, and is usually in the street fifteen minutes alter the fall of the curtain. An hour is no unusual time for an actor to take before he emerges from the stage door, for usually he has grease-paint to remove from his face, false beards to pick off, wigs to comb out and put away, costumes to change and pack in boxes, and a modern toilette to make afterwards.