NOTES BY LORGNETTE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1266, 4 June 1896, Page 19

NOTES BY LORGNETTE.

After a famine a feast. This is the rule in theatrical matters, if not always in everything else. During nearly the whole of June, July and August the Opera House will be tenanted by one company and another. The following are tho bookings announced:—June 3rd to 12lh, Royal Gaiety Burlesque Company ; 13th to 27th, Alf. Lawton's Variety Company, which has recently played a successful season up north; July 7th, tho Orchestral Society's concert; July 10th to 23rd, Williamson and Musgrovc's Royal Comic Opera Company ; and August 19th to 07th, the same linn's Trilby Company.

1 am glad to hoar that our old friend " Petoy" Hughes will accompany tho Royal Comics on their approaching trip through New Zealand. Tho Opera Company without tin; redoubtable " J'etey " would lie like Hamlet without tho melancholy Dane, although there's certainly nothing melancholy about Mr Hughes, who is, if anything, just a tnlle too "giddy" some times.

Tho Law toil Novelty Company, which opens at the Opera House on tho 13th inst., includes tho following:—Ouda, an serial artiste who is well spoken of; the Gray Sisters, duellists; Misses Eunice Fernandez, maud iliiii.-l; Violet Bishop, Stella Tudor; Ida Holbein, Florence Ranger, Alice Maher, and Messrs Fit /.main ice, John Mason, -Mike Maher, and Alt Ltwton. A fighting kangaroo is also included in the show. Mr W.J Holtom, Mo of Pollard's Opera Company, is acting as agent in advance.

1 understand that a benefit performance is being arranged in order to assist Mr George Warren, tic well-known agent, who has had a lot of bad luck lately. 'Mr Warren has p.kited a. lot of first class shows in his time, and is a hard-working, deserving gentleman. Latterly, however, like a good many other members of tie- profession, he has struck had luck, and a helping hand to him just now will, ! hope, be freely tendered'. The pert'..rmar.ee comes off at tho Exchange Hall on Wednesday week next, the 17th, and already several promises of assistance have been received from prominent local musicians and others. Next week I hope 1., be able to .;iye fuller particular.-, as to t he programme.

Mr J. St. Clair, who will act as advance courier for tho Opera Company, was in town last week on his way to Dunedin, where ho goes to meet the show. A better man in advance the Firm could not have

Poor J. J. Kennedy died in the Auckland Hospital last week. He was a painstaking, hard-working comedian, who has had to "battle" very hard for a living during tho last few years. He leaves a widow,

daughter of Mrs Walter Hill, and one child, Ruby Kennedy, whoso Little Lord Fauntleroy is a very clever performance.

The Napier amateurs, some of whom are exceptionally clever, are to stage Victorien Sardou's " A Scrap of Paper" on Juno 23. Rather an ambitious effort, but ono which, f trust, will bo successful.

" Your play is good enough," said tho veteran manager, after ho had read it through, " but it needs a better title than 'Sticketh Closer than a Brother.' With

would 'Tho Mustard Plaster' do!" suggested the struggling artist, anxiously.

The Royal Gaiety Burlesque Company, after having done a successful tour down South, have returned to Wellington and commenced a nine-nights' season on Wednesday of this week. Tho company have added largely to their repertoire since they were last here, and propose to give "Wellington playgowers an opportunity of witnessing the following productions:— " llumpty Dumpty," " Dick Whittington," " Fra Diavolo " and " Tureo the Terrible, or tho Magic Roses." New dresses and songs, and new incidental music are provided by the management, and a special feature is to be made of the ballets, consequently tho horary-headed tenants of the front-row stalls will have a line opportunity of viewing tho graces of tho human foot and continuations which they so delight ill. Also, thero is a line selection of new comic songs, so that tho theatre-going youth of this city will no longer bo excused if they continue to inilict " Disy" upon a long-suffering public. Add to the above-going facts that the prices are of the people, most popular, namely, two shillings, eighteenpence, a shilling, and sixpence, and if good houses aro not the rule and the heart of Manager Lindsay bo filled with joy exceeding, well, then there's no knowing what'll "fetch 'em," tho 'em aforesaid being the amuse-ment-loving public of tho city.

Pollard's Opera Company has, I hear, done perfectly phenomenal business down at Dunedin. For the first four nights the total takings (at popular prices) were no less than £l',)o, the biggest house being £] 10. And the curious thing is that up to now Dunedin has not been exactly a stronghold. Put a good show always succeeds sooner or later. My compliments to Tom Pollard and Fred Duval.

llland Holt's latest production at Sydney Royal is the, Drury lane success, the " Derby Winner."

"With the close of the Djin Djin season in Sydney, Elton ended his engagement with the Firm, at any rate, for some time to come, and has now joined Mr Westmaeott's company at Melbourne Royal in the "Silver King," playing Jaikes. Scot fnglis, who continues to get most flattering notices for his work, is to play Wilfred Denver.

Charles Arnold, of "Hans tho Boatman" fame, did well during his South African tour, which has now closed. The principals in the show return to London. Arnold is always a great favourite in the English provinces.

The Hellers, who did so well in tho country districts in this Colony, aro still touring South Africa, and making money, ft is an inexpensive, family show.

Mdlle. Antoinette Trebolli made her reappearance in Melbourne last week, Tho first season she had thero she was very badly managed.

That interesting, but unduly lachrymose African, " Undo Tom," has been drawing good houses at Her Majesty's, Sydney. As a coin extractor "Uncle Tom's Cabin" successfully rivals even the awful and yet marvellously popular " Fast Lynne."

The plump cheeked, rosy gilled, Rev Ilaskett Smith, tho most genial parson, at any rate, in appearance, " Lorgnette" ever remembers seeing, either on or oil' the lecture platform, still hovers ar.iund on the " other side." Ho litis recently given a series of six lectures in Sydney on the subject of tho " Unspeakable Turk," and the Armenian atrocities. Somehow 1. can't quite picture Ilaskett Smith as a bloodcurdler. Put stay, had not tho fat boy in Pickwick a penchant for " making yer flesh creep." Perhaps tho stout parson has tho same weakness.

Such is tho natural guilelessness of the good countryman when up in Wellington for a :i;w days' " look n und " that he falls an easy victim to tho showman whoso bills, to put it mildly, are written "with intent to deceive." It was only last week I enlightened a worthy Rangitikoi man who informed mo that he was delighted to have tin' luck of seeing "(hat, famous piece, 'Trilby,' founded on Du Maimer's novel." Ho was going, good trusting soul, to ".see Trilby " at the Criterion Theatre, Maimers street I I undeceived him, but he went 'iff to visit .a mediocre variety show with calm resignation. He was up in town for amusement, and, who knows, perhaps he got just as much fun out of (he "Trilby" varieties as he would nut of the real thing done by " Tho Firm's " expensive company. company. It takes all sorts of tastes to make up the world of audiences.

Miss (Catherine Hardy, the ex Wellingtoiiian, now with the P. and P. Company, }y...-; boon getting some excellent press notices in Sydney, and tho same must be said of .Miss Jenny Watt-Tanner, tho plump and pleasing person who succeeded that fine artiste, Miss Romer, with P. and P., and whoso superfluity of adipose tissua brought a sofa to eternal smash when Miss Jenny was here with the " New Boy " company.

St. Paul's, a London illustrated weekly which is modelled on The Sketch, and isn't a bad imitation of that lively journal actually alluded to tho other day to Miss Alice Leamar as "the Australian actress." What has Australia done to deserve this insult ?

The truth pops out occasionally in a delightfully unconscious and humorous way in the showman's ads. In tho Melbourne Herald's advertising columns tho other day "Professor" Kennedy's ad. contained the amusing mistake " and Mesmeric Farce," for " Mesmeric Force." For once the ad. told the truth, but how the fat hypnotist

Tho Payne Family, now known as tho Australian Quintette, appear to bo doing well in the Old Country. According to a letter received in Sydney they have datos booked right up to the middle of next year. And yet it was always a very ordinary show.

Ono of Mr George Reynold's alleged productions in tho Old Country is a four act society play entitled "Honour Among Thieves," and said to resemble somewhat that lino play " Jim the Penman."

Young Lawrence Irving, Sir " 'Euery's " (London pronouueiat ion) son, is the author of a one-act play, "Godefroi and Yolaudo," which was recently produced at Chicago during tho Irving season in Porkopolis. Tho fhemo of tho play is said to bo frightfully morbid, the otherwise fascinating heroino developing leprosy in tho final scene.

Tho veteran favourite Maggie Moore, who has been lost to sight for somo time past in tho back blocks of Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania, is to bob up serenely in Melbourne on Juno 2Gtll in an Irish piece, "Sweet lnnisfail," under the management of George Coppin.

Westmacott, who is recognised in Austialia as a second George Rignold as a manager, is said to pay very liberal salaries. Ho has a large private income, derived from property in Melbourne and Sydney. He talks of sending a company over hero to New Zealand beforo long. Judging by press notices, ho generally lias an excellent cast for his productions and is liberal in his mounting.

Miss Edith Crane, tho Trilby of tho Firm's company, is only 2(3, and has a perfectly lovely figure. She was at ono time a member of Augustin Daly's famous company, of which Ada Rohan is the star.

Talking about "Trilby," for which wo are .all waiting so anxiously, the Sydney papers are practically unanimous in their praise of the cast, and osspecially of tho imported American talent, excepting Mr Webster, who is put down as a rank failure in the awkward part of " Little Pillee." Of course 1 have not seen the play, but, having read Du .Manner's story twico and most carefully, I have como to the conclusion that "Littlo Billeo " could not to bo made a success on tho stago by anyone.

"Tho Firm " are having a. big year of it so far. " Djin-Djin" raked in shekels innumerable, although, of course, it was a costly affair; then "Trilby has been coining money, (.£3lO a night, one week's average, was in Melbourne) and tho Royal Comics did splendid biz at Adelaide. Well, Messrs Willliamson and Musgrove deservo all tho success they get. They are the soul of enterprise and liberality.

I am indebted to tho Melbourne Free Lun;e, anew satirical weekly, (and aromarkably smart ono too) for tho following interesting list of noms de theatre of actors and actresses, some of whom aro well known on this side of tho Tasman Sea: Scot fnglis, Thomas J. Walley ; A. G. Greenaway, A. E. Greene ; 11. R. Hamood, 11. R. Biggs; Georgo Rignold, George Rignall; Frank Thornton, Frank Tubbs; the lato Frod Leslie, Fred Stoneham; Howard Vernon, John Lett; Georgo Darrell, Ceo. Price; Arthur Vivian, John Arthur Harrison; Alfred Boothmau, Alfred Wcstlako; Miss Ida Osborno, Miss Ida Gardiner; Miss Virgio Viovienno, Miss Virgio Vivian; Miss Linda Raymond (Mrs Oily Peering, Miss Rose Blackburn; Miss Flo-mo Esdailo, Miss Florrio Solomon ; Miss Ida Gresham ; .Miss Ida Biddle; Nellie Farren, Mrs Bob Sou tar ; BeerbohmTreo, Arthur Beerbohm; William Kendall, William Grimsfone; Augustus Glover, Augustus Do Fivas; John Htire, John Fairs.

" Mr C. It. Bailey, Mr Westmacott's touring manager, at ono time played small parts with a dramatic company in Maoriland," so says Melbourne Free Lance. Many Wcllingfonians will remember Mr Bailoy as a local amateur. He was for somo years a clerk in tho Government Insurance Department.

The Opera House has been booked as follows :—Juno 3rd to 12th, Royal Burlesque Company; 13th to 27th, Luwton Specialty Company ; July 7th, Orchestral Society ; July 10th to 23rd, Williamson and Musgrove Burlesque Company; August 19th to 27th, " Trilby " Company.

Pleasant as syrup ; nothing equals it as a worm medicine; the name is Mother Graves' Worm Exterminator. 'The greatest worm destroyer of the ago.

At a meeting called by tho Chairman of tho Wanganui County Council to discuss tho question of draining the Matarawa Valley, a resolution was passed in favour of tho os« tablishment of a Drainage Board. Lord Justice Lopes recently purchased tkn Handcock Estato in Ireland, which comprises the fine domain of Carrantrila Park and a large portion of the town of Tuam. The purchase money is said to oxceed .£OO,OOO. Wm. Downio Smith, dentist, aged 21 years has been found dead in his room at his place of business at Hunterville. It is supposed that ho died while undressing to go to bed, and his death is attributed to heart failure. Deceased, who was a brother of Dr Smith, had but lately started tho profession of dentist in Hunterville, after passing a very creditable examination in Dunedin. He was unmarried.