NOTES BY "LORGNETTE."

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1440, 5 October 1899, Page 24

NOTES BY "LORGNETTE."

"The Belle of New York," that delightfully piquante little personage, made her appearance at the Opera House on Monday night," and to use a vulgar expression, "caught on" at once. The piece is the maddest farrago of fantastic farcical fun that ever the still brief, but crowded annals of "musical comedy' have produced, the man that can discern and discover anything approaching a plot has yet to be found, but who cares a rap about plot when one's ears are agreeably titillated with sparkling, "catchy" melodies, and one's eyes gratified by graceful dancing—a fig for your plots, i.ncoherency is quite justifiable when it amuses. May Beatty is delightfully naive in Edna May's great part, although of course her naivete has its reservations, and Albert Whelan is decidedly the right man in the right place as Bronson. Some of the songs are very funny; and to those who have ever seen the Bowery, the dialogue is not so exotic as it may have appeared to Wellingtonians who Know not New York. The piece is beautifully mounted and runs from beginning to end without the slighetst hitch. Mr congratulations all round. * » * * * The second production of the season will be "The Firm's'panto. "The Forty Thieves," which was such a big success on the "other side." * * * * * sfcMany of my readers will remember Mr John Baillie, the well-known artist, who was at one time a. member of the Dramatic Students. Mr Baillie, who went to London a couple of years a<zo, has, for a time at least, abandoned art for the stage. He has got some useful experience in the leading provincial cities as a member of -Miss Kate Phillip's Comedy Company, and has now got a London engagement under a first-class manager, to wit, Mr Beerbohm Tree, of iier Majesty's Theatre, who has engaged Mr Baillie to play the part of the Archbishop ot Canterbury in his forthcoming revival oi "King John." At a meeting-' held in Carterton on Friday evening. September 29th inst., a club, to be called the Carterton Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Societv, was formed. Mr F. D'A. C. D'lsle was elected general manager; Mr Webb, stage manager ; Mr Williams, lion. sec. and treasurer ; Mr J. T. M. Hornsby was chosen as patron; Mr Allen, president; and Messrs G. Fairbrother and Kitchen, vice-presidents. It was resolved to produce "The Prairie Flower" on. the racenights. Nov. 9 and 10 next. "The Prairie Flower" is a farcical, musical burlesque of which lyrics, libretto, and music are all from the pen of that talented snortstory writer, Mr F. Do L'lsle. The piece is highly spoken of, and Ave wish Mr Dc L'lsle every success. The Payne Family of Bellringers are -reported to be doing well in South Africa where they have recently been touring the eastern districts of Cap:' Colony.' Miss Beatrice Tansley. the New Zealand soprano, who is a member of the company, has been ill, but has now corapletelv recovered. ".* * * * Carterton on Tuesday, September 26th inst. Mrs Hughes, a. local soprano, sang a song entitled "Crying for the Sunshine on the Wall," written and composed by Mr Fabian De L'lsle. An imperative and most decided encore greeted both the singer and the song. Herbert Fleming, who will be remembered by New- Zealand playgoer-* as a sterling actor—last here with Janet ; Achurch-T-is, how a flourishing manager in South Africa, lie was to leave C«oi> -- '■'' ■ '■''■ -" i: '--'•■■'-■ • ■ • - - ■'■ • ■ -- : * _

don on September 27th for Capetown with a new dramatic company and a big repertoire of dramas, including several pieces of which Bland Holt enjoys the Australian rights. •* * * * *. William Gillette, the author of "Secret Service," which was sucii a success in America and London, but which failed to draw when recently produced by "The Firm" in Sydney, has completed a new play "Sherlock Holmes,'' in which are utilized certain o|L the more marvellous adventures of Conan Doyle's hero, the amateur detective. The play will shortly be produced in New "lork, and later on, in London. ' * * * * * The CavtTtcn Amateur Dramatic Club intend visiting Masterton, Grey town and Featherston with Mr De L'lsle's comedy "Twins." Frank Filiis, of circus tame, continues to coin money at carl's Court-,. London, %vifch his "Savage South Africa" show. ***** Touching the very quiet marriage oi The Firm's leading lad.3\ Miss Henrietta Watson (sister to Miss Watson, here with Bland Ho it, the •'Bulletin" says:— The lustrous-eyed Henrietta Watson kept her nuptials very quiet for one so prominently before the public, three weeks elapsing ere the fact was published. The incident recalls how Henrietta used to spoof certain soulful young Melb. scribes before she returned to England. "I will never marry, : she told on,e of these credulous youths three years aero • "I am wedded to my art. It is all I love. My whole life is devoted," etc., etc. The beauteous Watson's soft tongue was obviously in her pretty cheek at the time. A girl with such eyes and shoulders was never meant for celibacy. *-»„##,* Sydney's theatrical sensation at present is the production, at Her Majesty's, of Wilson Barrett's adaptation of Hail Game's novel "The Christian." The cast is very strong, including Thomas Kingston, the recently imported "lead." as John Storm ; Henrietta Watson as the hysterical Glory Quayle; Cecil Ward, the Hon Francis Brake: Harry Hill, as Lord Robert lire (how Titheradge would. have played this part' Walter Bentley, as Lord Storm; George Majeroni, as Brother Paid ; Miss Eloise Juno, as Mrs Pollv Love; Miss Clarice Maylon, as Polly Love; Miss Rose Musgrove, as Betty Bellman. There are nearly forty "speaking parts" in the play, which is in five acts. The booming which the novel received, and the catchpenny, like title will alone serve to draw the public in big crowds. * * -■* -* * The Brcugh season in Sydney has closed, after having lasted many months, and resulted, so it is well known, in a profit of several thousands of pounds to the plucky principals. A feature of the last fortnight—which was devoted to revivals—was the enormous sxiccess of that grand old favourite, "The Village Priest." The second night of the revival witnessed the fourth largest "house" of the whole season. Joseph Carne, who replaces Titheradge in the name part, is very successful therein. * * * * Other Sydney Theatres—Charles Holloway's Company still at Lyceum, playing "Tommy Atkins" to big audiences ; George Rignold, at Criterion, as Paoli Maca'ri in "Called Back" ; Richards' burnt out Tivoli company at the Palace. A A Carterton correspondent- writes: At the Assembly Rooms, Carterton. last Tuesday, September 26th inst., the newly-iormed Carterton Amateur Dramatic Club appeared before a full house in Mr F. De L'lsle's new comedy in two acts, entitled "Twins." The author himself played the leading part with great success, impersonating the gentleman's gentleman masquerading in ins owner's shoes. Bill Scvagley, valet to Sir Herbrand Castle-Trevor, steals his masters papers, clothes, money, etc., and appears at Hinemoa Station. New Zealand, .. vilely over-dressed, over-bearing cad, bent upon marrying Netta Gwynne, the "haifess," as he calls her. Charles Gwynne, owner oi Hinemoa, is nonplussed at t'"o metamorphosis in little Firebrand, as Sir Herbraud Trevor was called when a boy. But Dr Illartley, a. cool-headed scientist, on. a visit to Hinemoa, does not i.e-ieve in. the flash British nobleman, and .:akes steps to expose him. The comedy goes on, loaded to-overflow-ing with sparkling dialogue and humorous situations, until the arrival of the genuine Sir Herbraud Trevor at Hinemoa, when everything is satisfactorily settled. The piece was greeted with much applause -and uproarious laughter ; and Mr De L'lsle has certainly added fresh laurels to his fame as a dramatist and playright by his last work. The Carterton amateurs, most of whom made their debut in Mr He L'lsle's new piece, are to be generally congratulated on their effective style of light comedy; and the whole performance evidenced "the careful coaching of a master-hand. Mr "V* ebb impersonated the genuine Sir Herbrand Castle-Trevor quietly and with dignity: Mr A. Brown_playei.Dick Gwynne. Netta's lover, fairly. The Charles Gwynne of Mr O'Meara lacked dignity, and the lines were taken too fast to be intelligible to the audience. The Dr Martley of Mr D. M. Hornsby was capably pourtrayed, though the long speeches were delivered in too low a tone of voice to make the character telling. Of the ladies. Mrs Hughes, in the soubrette part of Daisy, was eoual to the best of professional impersonators, her clear voice, natural vivacity, and freedom from staginess or stage fright, making the character ot Daisy one of the best played in the piece. 'Miss/Slieen's-Netta was-'toQ' operatic : and-.,,

stagey to b-e-suit-a-bie in light comedy, anrT a certain fhsffiness- in -her delivery nervousness and insufficient preparation. In the "City of the Vanished Boom," the j.uoyal Comics, fresh from. Western Australia and Adelaide triumphs, are' going very strong in "The vxeisna," which Japanesery "lidy" seems to. set "the Australian by the wool, sg to speak, whereever produced, 'xne buxom and blithsonie Trebelli has been very successful with her recitals, in which she is assisted by the Wellingtonian John Prouse; a Hollow ay company, including some imported artists, has succeeded Bland Holt at the Royal; and the inevitable Rickards variety show, including the great CincjuevaUi, ho-lds the fort at- theßiiou.' ' * ■ * * *■ * "• Mario Majeroni, the clever young son of the late Signer Majeroni, who wassuch a favourite in New . Zealand, has played with the Broughs for some two years or so, and has developed into a very fine character actor. He was married in Sydney the other day to a Miss Harbin, not. I believe, of "the profession." * * * *".-. - * "Crochet," in the Tasmaniah "Mail," is responsible for the statement that before leaving-. Auckland for 'Frisco, en route for the Old Country, Miss Maggie Moore (Mrs J. C Williamson that was); was married to Mr" Harry : Roberts. "Lorgnette" believes that there is not the slightest truth in the statement. *• * * * «■ The Flying Jdrdans are running, a big circus in Sydney, on the Redfern site, so long occupied by the Fitzgeralds. On the opening night -of the shew Miss Mamie Jordan had the raisiortune to miss her hold of the high trapeze and came down on the ground with a terrible thud. The general opinion is that her escape from sudden death was little short of miraculous. She is new laid up in. bed, and it will be many weeks before she will be all right again. Apropos to circro-es, the Fitzgeralds are touring tne country districts of New South VV ales. The New Zealand te-tir will be commenced very shortly. * * ."'.-* - * * Here's a good joke. The manager of a smaH circus, *at present touring the Australian back-blocks, advertises that he has gathered his artistes from all parts of the five hemispheres ? "Five hemispheres" is good! . , ; Harry Conor's-Musical Comedy Company, rtin by "The Firm," is- at Adelaide, in the evergreen "Trip to Chinatown." In the Holy City also- are Hudson's Snprise Party, and McAdoo's Jubilee Singers. * * ■* # * At Brisbane Alfred Bampier is doing well, the opening production being "Robbery "under .Arms." . The WoodsWilliamson Company are at the Royal, appearing in an atrocity labelled "The Ktslly Gang." * " ■* * •» * ■■ Madame Qoldenstedt , (Miss Cecilia Staunton), Willie Wal&he and other artists well known in New Zealand, have been touring with the Carl Rosa Opera Company, which, however, so I see by London "Staged of August 23rd, has now gone bung—whether temporarily or permanently was not definitely known, when the -mail left. * ■* * . * * Bristol, whose tour Gf New Zealand with his trained horses was such a frost --Kennedy, the mesmerist, who. financed the show, losing very heavily—is -now in partnership with- another circus man named' Warren. Theehow at latest advices was at -Saigon,. Cochin China, and aoing well. In the company are the Alton trio, well-known in Wellington". The Aicons- &xe returning to Australia, very shortly. *** # y * In s the_ Tecenzly - published (Oscar Wilde'<) "Importance of Earnest" (which is even more anru.s-ing. to re-ad than; to see on the stage), there is a cynical little passageja-hout Australia that is worth quoting. Cecn* T "Uje heiress, tells her lover Algernon that her , guardian. wants „.va to -emigrate and isVbuyihg his outfit. "1 certainly wouldn't' let Jack buy my outfit," says- Algernon; "he "has no taste iu neckties." Cecily: "I don't think .you will reqiure neckties. Uncle Jack is sending you. to. Australia." Algernon: "Australia! I'd sooner die," Ceciiy : " Well, he said at dinner on Wednesday night that- you would have to choose between this world, the next,'and Australia." Algernon: "Oh, well! The accounts I have received of Australia. and the next world are not particularly encouraging. This world is good enoragh for me cousin Cecily." Certainly Australia is no place for the author of "The Importance of Being Earnest."—"Bulletin." _ One hasn't"'heard ranch of our-"-old friend Billy Elton'-.for-a long 1 -time,"' buLpndon "Stage" .of August ' 17th announces that; thepopialar •' ex-comedian of the "Royal/Comics" nad just - sailed for New York,.where he-is to'play Benley's part in "A Little Ray cf Sunshine" at Wellnck's Theatre. * ' * * * ■ -.* English papers to hand record the roarriage of Mr Dudly Hardy, the we,lknown a.rtisf and ' clever "poster" desinger to a popular actress, Miss "Lizzie ■ Mulholland. ' * » * . :/ * # Miss Kate Chard, Who ■ :,£onae yerrg' ago played in ■'Bocca-ccio"- in-- Australia, ■iand -has : since :becdni.e" : -a■ ; ;,recently, r ;;|o|* i :hQr,: : , .Mr,'-',::Dean.ei ...Brand, a ; t \c Z.v ish actor-vo -1 h -, ."..,,<, 4£m. „,,,v„v„: ll - ia -v,,,>„, ;