PLAYS AND PLAYERS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LVII, Issue 2543, 22 June 1895, Page 1 (Supplement)

PLAYS AND PLAYERS.

The Haweis season began poorly—as regards audiences —warmed up well towards the middle, and then dickered out with an attenuated house which must have put Hugo Fischer’s lovely black moustache bang out of curl—if anything could. The lecturer is a droll, little mite of a man, who ought to have been an actor. Ho puts me in mind of what Johnny Toole will be if ho is living ten years hence. Ho has a jerky manner, often builds up a weird mystery of sentence with a frightfully complicated subject, and nary a predicate at all, talks the baldest of platitudes at times, cracks wheezy old chestnuts, and yet is, to my mind, one of the most genuinely entertaining lecturers we had yet seen in Wellington. Thera is no pretension to high faintin’ oratorical airs, no hysterical flap-doodle of the Tall Rago kind. Instead of this the little man buttonholes his audience, has them one minute in smiles, and another almost in tears, and even if ho does toll an old story it is so ingeniously dressed up that it ccmes quite like a new and welcome friend in its now garb. A genial little man, I should say, in private life, an honest, outspoken parson, with no “side" about him, and, above all, with a perfect genius for mimicry. I wish ho had given a lecture on “ American Humourists." His book thereon is well worth reading, and a lecture would have boon equally worth hearing.

Fred Villiers, the war artist-corre-spondent, will, I believe, be the next Smythe star, and then the Rev. Haskett Smith, with a lecture on Palestine. Villiers, with bis lantern pictures of the Jap-Chow war ought to prove a big draw.

By a private letter from Sydney I learn that Miss Nellie Stewart's successor with the Royal Comic Opera Company is Mdllo. Marie Farina, a charming American mezzo soprano, who has been singing in Italy for some years past in grand opera. The new prima donna is expected by the next Orient boat. 14 Our Nellie " loaves for England, via Italy and Paris, almost immediately. She takes a wellearned rest of six months, and afterwards will probably go to the States, Mr George Musgruve having secured for her the American rights of “one of the most beautiful arid dramatic operas over staged in London or Australia. At present Miss Stewart says she does not wish the title to appear in print—is it “Ma Mio Rosette"? Mr Wallace Brownlow, says ray correspondent, has signed for another year’s engagement with The Firm, who have also offered a provisional engagement with the Royal Comic Opera Company to Miss Josephine Flegeltaub, a young Jewish lady of Ballarat, a clever and handsome ycuug amateur who recently made a great hit in “ Pinafore.”

The Konnedy-Lucas Company continue to hold the boards at the Opera House, producing In rapid succession a number of excellent plays, old and new, playing them on the whole very faiily, and staging them with Uudable attention to details. That good old-timer, 44 The Ticket-of-Lcave Man," was produced early in the week, and on Wednesday was succeeded by the double bill, “Dream Faces” and 44 Our Boys." It is probable that this Company will “move on ” to the Theatre Royal when the GourlayScokoa Company take possession of the Manners street house.

The Gourlay-Stokos Company, who have been doing good business on the West Coast (South island) are duo at the Opera House on Monday night. Their opening production will be ike burlesque of 44 Revels," for which the company has been specially strengthened.

Mr Gee has been very well received at the various concerts at which ho has recently appeared in Wellington. He leaves for England short'y, and will take with him the hearty eood wishes of a host of local admirers for his future success.

The Wednesday 44 Pops," at the Skating Rink, under the management of Mr F. Junes, bid fair to be a great success. The programmes include something to please every taste, and the attendance ought to be good all through the season.

I am looking forward with great interest to the performance of Pinero’s comedy, “ The Schoolmistress," to be given by the Dramatic Students, on the 2nd and 3rd of next month. The cast includes some of our best amateur talent, and as the comedy contains many highly humorous situations and some eery bright dialogue, and has been in rehearsal for some time, the production should prove an artistic success. A financial success should be hoped tor, if only on the grounds that the proceeds are to bo devoted to some very worthy charitable objects.

The Gwen Davies Musical Sketch Company, to which I made allusion a fortnight ago, have been doing wellintheSouth Island, and open at Thomas’s Hall on Monday night. They will, no doubt, attract good audiences from amongst that large class of people who do not care about patronising the theatre, but who nevertheless have no objection to being amused by the professional element in any place not nominally a temple of Thespis. Pollard'? Liliputians have been playing “ Unc’e Toni’s Cabin" in Auckland lo fair business. The Company opens at the Thames on the 28ib, closing the season on the 3rd J uly, and then will make yet another Southern tour, opening at New Plymouth on the 2th prox., thence overland to Napier. From Napier the Company proceed by boat to Wellington and Lyttel'on. A West Coast (South Island) tour will then follow, and it is expected the Company will be at Christchurch for the Christmas season. 1 wish Mr Pollatd every success, but I cannot help thinking the Company is remaining too long in tills colony. Mr Fred Duval and Mr Grattan Riggs have, I notice, left for Sydney.

“Call Boy," in Dunedin Star , from whose valuable “ Footlight Flashes" 1 frequently quote, uses, 1 notice, three or four recent pars of mine in his last budget, but he forgets to mention their source. Please note.

The Australasian, of June 8, gives a very line portrait of Miss Geraldine Oliffo, the' new leading lady with the Brough and B moicault Company. Judging by her portrait, Mrs Brough’s successor is a singularly handsome woman, and should possess a very tine stage presence. Willie Walshe, the tenor, well known in New Zealand, left for 'Frisco last week by the Alameda. When at his best he is very good, but he is careless at times, and as an actor is always a stick. Walshe was, like poor Vi. Var'ey, a pupil of Madame Lucy Chamber l , and used to sing at first with the Melbourne Licdertafel. He made his debut at Melbourne Princess' as a principal tenor in “ Fati nitza ” with Emilie Melville's Company, of which Verdi (Bill Green) and Farley were members. Verdi and the fair Emilie now keep an hotel near Johannesburg. Walshe did some good work in Australia. When Madame Patcy was out in the colonies he sung the tenor music in “The Messiah," and the great English contralto then strongly advised him to go to London. The Bulletin's final remarks re Walshe are worth quoting here :—“ He is six feet high, and every inch an Australian, has a goi d quality of voice, and ail who know him wish him well. Australia is a place for good tenors to get away from. We always export our best, and get shoddy in return —in music as in other commodities.

Allan Hamilton’s Circus has boon doing well on its provincial tour on tho other side. After a forthcoming season at Brisbane the “ big man * brings the show to Hew Zealand. It is some time since we had a good circus, and tho “ spec " ought to prove a success.

Mr Alfred Greenaway, who was a leading member of the Albert Lucas Company at Dunedin before the Lucas Kennedy combine came tiff, and who is a well-known Australian actor, has engaged a dramatic company, and with filiss Frances Ross as leading lady, will open at Christchurch Theitio Royal on the 29th inst.

Sydney and Melbourne programmes this week : —Sydney: Lyceum, “A Gaiety Girl" ; Royal, “ Sweet Innisfail ’’ (Maggie Moore); Her Majesty’s, “ Esther Sandruz" (the D.iores) ; Tivoli and Empire, variety shows. Melbourne ; Princess, “An Ideal Husband ” (Brough and Bouci-

cault); Royal, “ The Fatal Card ” (Bland Holt) ; Opera House, Fred Villiers ; Bijou, variety show.

Tiro “Gaiety Girl" Company did well at Adelaide, and returned to Sydney lust week. The company is remarkable for the number ot pretty women it includes, also for an excellent low c median, Harry Moukhuuse, and a Mr Bradfield, who t may be described as a combination of Fred Leslie and Arthur Roberts.

“Bis,” the well-informed, and alwaya readable, Australian theatrical correspondent of the Otago Witness says : ' “ A report has readied me—from your colony, too—that young Harry Hall (sou of comedian John L.), who went East some throe years ago with Willard's Opera Company, is confined in an Asylum. You can ploaso give this denial to the report, as it has no foundation whatever. 1 met Mr George Dean the other day ; ho has only recently returned to Australia from India, and in conversation with him he told me that Williard'a Opera Company were at Calcutta when he left, and that Harry Hall is the principal comedian and “ the mainstay ’ of the company."

Messrs Williamson and Musgrove’s “ Cinderella * Company, recently in Brisbane, are said to be coming to New Zealand shortly.

The theatrical carnival held at Melbourne recently to raise funds for the “ poor pros."—alas, there are so many of them nowadays—was a huge success, the net profits being over £IOOO. All the stars of the Gaiety Company had stalls, and dispensed tea, buns, and smiles at the usual exorbitant bazaar rate. A doll show was a great feature. Sydney Sunday Times Buys of this :—“ Hundreds of dolls dressed by ladies well known in society, theatrical and musical circles wore sent in for competition for very handsome prizes. Miss Nellie Stewart obtained the first prize (a ailvor tea-urn valued at 20 guineas) for the doll she dressed representing herself in the second act of ‘ Dorothy.’ Miss Stewart also took another prize (a large cornucopia cake) for another doll. Madame Mnjcroni's doll, dressed as Queen Elizabelli, and Mrs Lauri’s dolls, dressed a a the clock work figures in ‘The Mountebanks,' were greatly admired. The throe dolls Miss Stewart dressed realised respectively £5 ss, £5, and £5, which goes to the fund. 1 ’

Ada Colley (hero with MontagueTurners) is appearing at Sydney Empire (late Opera llouflr), where the all conquering variety business is now in full swing.

Oily Docring and Linda Raymond, so long with 44 Cimwles " Holloway, are now with Maggie Moore at Sydney Royal in the Irish drama, 44 Sweet Innisfaii."

Talking about Irish drama, the Bulletin Jets itself * l go ” in the following amusing stylo:— 44 There is nothing in all this j world which has quite so much sameness - in it as the Irish drama. All the characters begin with 4 0.’ There is a camel* shaped informer, with one bow leg and one knock knee ; the primitive Irish \ humour can only express the moral crookedness of the informer by making '! him a toad-hko wreck. Also, there are a fine old man, a holy, father, some soldiers, two beautiful girls, a noble- j hearted rebel, and a good deal of whiskey. - The rebel is a tiresome person, who never does anything in particular, and who talks like a burst cistern about Ireland ; he can’t even eat half a slice of bread without rising between etch bite to make a column or two of remarks to the effect that I*eland will yet be free. The. consequence is that he doesn’t get a chance to digest his food properly ; no. man could digest his food properly who always gets up with his mouth full and the crust in his hand to state that his bleeding country will rise again at some , date not yet fixed. Some day, the ] Bulletin is going to express its feelings ; on this great subject by writing an Irish j drama of its own. In it the rebel will i i not make one eloquent remark about 1 Ireland all through, and will have a i chance to get his meals properly ; there ! will be no whisky ; the colleen will be a i plain girl with bare feet, and there will :i be twelve handsome informers, which is I probably about the right proportion. \ Also, the pig, which seems to be un* J accountably omitted, will be a leading ; character ; and theio hero will bo justly hanged for being a bore and a weaiy repetition, and for always being on the ■ point of doing something and never doing I it.

The following sensational paragraph is clipped from the Bulletin : —“A young and pretty actress in Maoriland still bears upon her checks the tccth-marks lately inflicted by a jealous lady who ascertained that the former had accepted a bouquet for tier, the latter's husband. An assault summons issued was allowed to lapse." Names, please, names !’’

Miss Flora Graupncr, for so long with the Royal Comic Opera Company, and, will) poor Vi. Varley, such a success in “ Tho Gondoliers," is off to London shortly, whither also goes the fair Nellie Stewart. Heaps of luck to both.

That genius at self advertisement, Mr Herbert Jones, is touring through Tasmania with his lecture, “ Maoriland, the World’s Wonderland." Jones is a long time in getting back lo “ Hing ! and."

Tho late Corney Grain left over £16,000.

Theatre hats are getting bigger and bigger in Paris. The other day two ladies sat in front of two gentlemen who wore very desirous lo sec one of the new plays ; and tho touring plumes and flower gardens on the fair ones’ hats so obstructed their view that they uttered audible complaints. One of the ladies turned round reprovingly and said, “Wo come hero to hear tho performance !" “ And wo come to see it, Madame,” said one of the men. The hits were taken off.

Mr George Darrell and his company opened at Dunedin last Tuesday in tho sporting drama, “ Tho Double Event.’’

Mrs Brown : “What is a burlesque?" Mrs Jones : “A takeoff.” “A take-off of what ?” “ Clothes, generally.”

Some English mens, (culled from recent files) .—E J. Lonncn and Alice Lethbridge are in the cast of “Baron Golosh" at the Trafalgar Theatre; Johnny Sheridan, Gracie vVhiteford, and Ethel fiaydon (recently of Melbourne) m “ Dandy Dick Whittington," at the Avenue ; “ Charley’s Aunt" still running to big houses at the Globe ; Horace Lingatd on tour with “The Old Guard" (last reported at Dumf.ies); W. H. Vernon (here with Genevieve Ward) in “ Sowing tho Wind," at Edinburgh ; W. J. Holloway's Company at Leeds Grand in “ Tho Foundling ” ; Charles Warner at Newcastle on-Tyne.

Just before the last English mail left Madame Sspio made a most successful appearance at a St, James’s Hall “Monday Pop.”

Oi public favourites who hare died suddenly within the last 15 years (says an English paper) one rccal's Sir George Grosso-ilh pcrc, who passed away at a little club banquet in his honour ; Miss Neilson, who died in Pans from the effects of suddenly drinking iced milk ; while she was in a healed condition ; Mr Fred Leslie, who died of typhoid in the autumn of 1892 ; Madame Patey, who : was stricken down at her farewell con cert in Sheffield list year ; and now Mr Alfred German Reed and Mr Corney Grain. Nearly all the Yokes family, too, s have come to a melancholy end. It is a melancholy list. ; —“ Lorgnette ” hr N.Z. Mail.