NOTES BY LORGNETTE.

New Zealand Mail, 28 July 1898, Page 18

NOTES BY LORGNETTE.

COMING EVENTS. Opera House. August 1 to 20—Pollard’s Opera Company. August 26—Caledonian Society (pencilled in). August 29 to September 3—Professor Dante American Company October 31 and November I—Physical Training School (pencilled in). November 7 to 2; —Alf. Woods Dramatic Company. December 3 to 17 - Henry Dramatic Company. December 26 to January 21—Messrs Williamson and Musgrove.

Pollard’s Opera Company are giving the Mastertonians a treat this week, and open at the Opera House on Monday next with a revival of the gorgeous pantomime “ Djin-Djin" which has been entirely re-modelled and re-written, and now plays much closer and better. A number of entirely new songs and dances are introduced, and the production should prote a great success. “ Djin-Djin " will probably be followed by some novelties which the company have had in rehearsal for some time past. Mr Pollard always mounts his pieces well, and spares no pains to present the public with good entertainment. The orchestra will be specially reinforced, and lovers of good music, bright acting and a pretty .enBemble will be liberally catered for.

The Ada Juneen Burlesque Company were at Dunedin last week, where also Mr Fuller was giving his Myrioriama entertainments.

The Cowan dramatic season ended on Tuesday evening, the company then proceeding to Palmerston North, the West Coast, South Island, to follow. I wish them a pleasant and profitable tour.

The dates originally booked by Mr Charles Holloway for a season commencing on Boxing Night have been transferred 10 The Firm, who will send one of their companies on a tour of New Zealand about the beginning of December. The visiting company will most likely be the Knight-Ferrar Dramatic Company, who will produce, amongst other novelties, Mr Wilson Barrett’s dramatisation of Hall Caine’s novel, “ The Christian,” and “ Under the Red Robe."

The death is reported at Home of Mario De Grey, an extremely pretty woman and very fair comedy actress, who visited Australia four or five years ago. She was formerly a popular burlesque beauty, but took to comedy and management “ on her own," and was very successful in the English provinces.

Mr “ Dorrington," the long-legged « haw-haw ” actor here with the Brough and Boucicault Comedy Company, has “chucked” the stage and gone into the South African mounted police. He is a son of Mr and Mrs W. H. Kendal.

It is said that Maggie Moore and the leading members of her company, at present touring in Westralia, are off to England very shortly. Is the projected New Zealand tour off ?

A theatrical entrepreneur, about to open a show, wrote a straight-laced Sydney friend asking him to engage half-a-dozen , female supers for him. That gent., innocent of things theatrical) put in an ad.

with a dim idea that those beauteous damsels would come 'along duly chaperoned and armed with references. The first to appear was a strong, well-built 20-year-old ; after a few questions, he said : *' I’d like to see your references from your last employer, my girl.” “ Last employer ? There's my references from th’ Almighty—look at ’em 1 ” she replied, gathering up her drapery and throwing an alluring calf on his knee. He announced himself satisfied, and concluded he wouldn’t ask other applicants for references.—“ Bulletin.”

No less a personage than His Satanic Majesty is said to be a leading character in a hew serio comic opera, libretto by Pinero, music by Arthur Sullivan, shortly to be produced in London.

Hugh Emmett, the clever ventriloquist and mimic, here with Fanny Wentworth, has joined the Coghills, and is now in Brisbane.

Lily Titheradge does not accompany her faiher to England.

Miss Mabelle Darley, prima donna of the Royal Comics, is said to bear a strong resemblance to Nellie Stewart.

Mr William Pauli, The Firm’s new baritone (late of the Albani concerts), possesses all the grace of Ryley, more than the vocal ability of Brovvnlow, and a refinement all his own, which the other singers lacked.

Ninety performances of “ The White Heather ” in London realised .£40,000, and netted £13,000.

Essie Jenyns has left a sister successor. Miss Theodore Holloway (Miss Cecil Arden) made a great hit recently as Rosalind in “As You Like It” at th 9 Johannesburg Theatre during the season lately conducted there by her father, Mr W. J. Holloway. She looked charming in the part, and was much admired.

Titheradge speaks of returning to Australia, “where his successes were achieved and where his friends live.”

Rumoured last week that Mrs Maesmore Morris had £BO worth of rings stolen from her room at a Sydney hotel. Wasn’t it Minnie Palmer who regularly lost valuable parures of diamonds and things which she never possessed, when public attention seemed to be diverted from her for the time being ?—Melbourne “ Critic.”

Henri Kowalski, the pianist, is returning to Australia very shortly.

Tenor Kenningham, the new importation from the London Savoy, has made a success with the Williamson and Musgrove Opera Company in Adelaide, taking the part of the peasant-soldier in “ Ma Mie Rosette,” which Taplcy made so popular.

In the cast of “ The Greek Slaves,” the new musical farce at Daly’s (Loudon), are Letcy Lind, Marie Tempest, Hilda Moody, Haydon Coffyn and Rutland Barrington; and in that of “ The Runaway Girl,’* at the Gaiety, are Ellaline Terris, Harry Monkhouse, Louis Bradfield, Edmond Payne, Connie Ediss and Katie Seymour.

Mdlle. Antoinette Trebell lately appeared in Sullivan’s “ Golden Legend,” performed by the Cecilia Club, at Boston. “ The most dramatic feature of the entertainment was the fainting of Mr Heinrich as he was mocking the pilgrims. During the process of resuscitation on the stage Mdlle. Trebelli and the orchestra went on with their work. Tho singer recovered sufficiently to go through the fourth scene.”

It is now definitely settled chat Mr and Mrs Robert Brough will open their return dramatic season at the Bijou Theatre, Melbourne, on 29th October next. Mr - Brough has secured the Australian rights of production of three recently successful London plays, Carr's “ Madame Sans Gene ” and Jones’s “The Liars,” and R. C. Carton’s three act comedy, “Lord and Lady Algy” now being played by Charles Hawtrey’s company at London Comedy.

One evening a company of amateurs in London were about to give a performance for the benefit of some charity. There was one very small part, that of maidservant, and each one of the amateurs loftily said that she would not play it. Very much provoked, Edith Wardell, daughter of Miss Ellen Terry, who was one of the company, startled everybody by announcing that she would get her mother to do it; and sure enough she did. On the night of the.performance the little theatre was crowded, and when the maid appeared in her pink clothes it was a wonder the applause that greeted her did not lift the roof off the house. It was with the greatest difficulty she finally succeeded in getting silence enough to say the one line that was her part:— “Please, ma’am, did you say you were hout or hin ?’

■While the performance of “ The White Heather)" was being witnessed at the Theatre Royal, Sydney, on July 6 by a large audience, a stabbing affray occurred in the dressingroom, one of the supernumeraries named Wells being suddenly

stabbed in the back by another employee of Mr Bland Holt’s company, who subsequently gave himself up to the police. The motive for the act is not clearly known. Wells is now under treatment.

“La Poupee,” the new comic opera, has been a failure in New York, and the critics are inquiring the reason. One paper said it offended the religious section of theatre-goers.

The last performance Mr Gladstone attended was “ The Sign of the Cross,” performed by Mr Ben G -eet’s company at the Village Hall, Hawarden, on Thursday evening, April 22, 1897.

Mr George Rignold, taking note of the receipts of the companies in the west, has decided to go there too. He will thus be in advance of Mr Bland Holt; Who has not yet included Perth among his “ stands.” Mr Rignold, remarks Table Talk, will have the distinction of introducing the first melodrama organisation of any note to West Austialia.

Durward Lely is touring in Queensland. He leaves for Frisco at the end of next month, and will on arrival at the Golden Gate, start on a long ’Murkan tour. Lely has made a big hit in Australia, and Smythe, whose Jlcdr for payable specs is wonderful, is said to be highly satisfied. The Broughs are said to have clear d over £3OOO during their Eastern tour; Hope the report is true.

Miss Peggy Pryde (daughter of the late Jenny Hill “ The Vital Spark,”) is at present the idol of Sydney. Every man in Sydney’s theatre-going community is ready to die for her. She is a veritable boom at the Tivoli, and has proved to be the greatest success that Harry Rickards has yet had.

“ Saucers” the Cockney flower girl in “ A Bit of Old Chelsea ” (in wh’ch Pattio Browne is appearing in Svdne.y): “ Wat, me go ’ome in a keb ? Wy, I’d as soon go ’ome on a stretcher; If any one seen me in a keb I’d lose me character.”

“ The Sign of the Cross " Company was to open at the Princess’ in a revival of Wilson Barrett’s drama on the 22nd of July.

The Firm has got into a law case over the production of “The Scarlet Feather" in London. A certain Mr Hedmondt claims £1025, balance of. salary due to the 24th week under his contract. He was to have played the principal tenor and high baritone parts at a salary of £7O per week. But he proved a failure, and consequently the Firm notified that his coontract was at an end. Mr Kedmcndfc refused to accept the notice and brought this action. The defendants wished to postpone the case till they could receive the evidence of two witnesses in Australia —Mr Charles Cartwright and Mr Pauli. Mr Cartwright, it wa3 alleged* attempted to teach Mr Hedmondt his part, and would testify that he was unable to learn it. Mr Pauli, they further alleged, had received an admission from the singer that the part was not suitable to his powers. The judge refused to postpone the trial, and io will come off shortly.

Harry Plimmer, the Welling coni an, has been engaged by The Firm. This clever young actor is making rapid strides in his profession.

By the Miowera from Vancouver last Saturday Profess >r Dante (an illusionist), Mr VV. B. Curtis (an American comedian) and Madame Kdmunda arrived from AmericP:. The skill of the professor is highly spoken of. Mr Petheriok, the well-known theatrical agent, is arranging the New Zealand tour, which begins at Christchurch, Dunedin to follow. The Wellington season will open on August 29th.

Miss Maud Jeffries, the well-known English actress, who has been appearing for years past with Mr Wilson Marrett, was a through passenger to Amorica by the Aorangi, which arrived from Sydney last evening. Miss Jeffries, who has just completed an engagement in Australia uudrr the management of Messrs Williamson and Musgrove, was the original Mercia in Mr Wilson Barrett’s play “ The Sign of the Cro?s,” played here recently by the Knight e'orrar oemhinatim,