PLAYS AND PLAYERS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 3311, 18 December 1897, Page 1 (Supplement)

PLAYS AND PLAYERS.

BY « LOFGNETTE ” IN " N.Z, MAIL.*’ DOMING EVENTS. Opera House. December 18 and 20—Fuller'd Myrionma December 23 (Boxing Night) to January 26 Pollard's Opera 00. in ‘’Djin Djin’ 1 January 27 to February IG—Williamson and Wusgiove February 17 to March 2—Bland Holt March 3 and 4 —Wellington, Orchestral S«;ci*-ly - ' ' ’ * March 7 to 12—Williamson and Musgrove March 14 and 15—Madame Merz March 10 to 30—Hudson's Surprise Party

The Pollard Opera Company are in town busily preparing for the production of “ Djin Djin," with which Mr Pollard declares he will break the New Zealand record in the way of gorgeous spectacle. Some of the scenery I-have seen, and can personally testify to its magnificence. The Hall of Storks, a scene which was nightly received in Melbourne and Sydney with rounds of cheers for the artist, Mr Phil Goateher, will, I venture to say, simply “ paralyse "'Wellington playgoers, and a Japanese garden scene'is also exquisitely charming/ Mr-John Wallace, The Firm's stage, manager, has come over specially from Sydney to supervise the production.', “Djin Djin ' willbe the talk of Wellington during the holidays.

. My Christchurch correspondent writes : The Hudson Surprise Party commenced their season at the Theatre Royal on Saturday last. Who among playgoers will not remember “ Tommy" Hudson, although it is some eighteen years ago since he visited this colony with a Minstrel Company. Well/ “ Tommy ", is one of those of. the-pro--fession who. lias -taken great /edro of himself arid his voice to ; day is as good as it was many years ago;, .- I ’Tommy," has also kept’himself up to the times and* gives the public a regular'iip-date entertainment. The company, comprise’some eighteen members, and thehright particular stars may be said to- be . Miss May tHabgood (Mrs T. Hudson) whose equal as ' a solo pianist and accompanist could not be found outside first-class . concert parties. Mr. Wallace King possesses a tenor voice that at once stamps him a star in the minstrel business, his singing of “Sally Homer" on Saturday evening receiving a double encore. He* was also heard to. great advantage in tho duct with Miss Stanbridge, “ A Night ’iu Venice." 1 Altro " gave some very clever balancing and juggling feats on- the same lines as ' Prorb; -Mr Hudson was exceedingly funny in the .first part, and in the second his parody on “Marguerite" and “ If I like 'em"-caused- the audience to roar with laughter. He was also good in the farce, which, if not new, was well worked . put. Messrs McKisson and. Kearns., gawo a clover acrobatic song and dance;: Miss‘Violet Elliott possesses a very excellent mezzo-soprano' f voice of great compass; and she was deservedly encored for her; items on the programme,' Messrs, .Wat-' kin and .Sherman do a clever musical act, extracting good musio from almost Anything, including billiard cues.>; Miss Ida Rosslyn contributed a serio-comic item,' Mias Jessie Williams a clever skirt-dance, and the Thornton sisters a clever turn. The whole programme may he summed up as one of the best that has, been put before a Christchurch audience for many a long day, and I predict a good run through New Zealand for the enterprising and genial “ Tommy."—The theatrical agent of the present day differs greatly to those who used to visit, us some years ago, In the olden times they were content to walk round the town, now they mostly have their own bike - Or' Kite one., . Mr Arthur Royd, Mr Hudson’s, representative, had a nasty experience last week, going round to see if his stands had been properly placed. Ho struck the tram-line, and narrowly escaped’Stopping the tram-car' with his- body. Beyond giving himself a nasty bruise on Ills head, shoulder and- lip,’ nothing seriotts Happened, but it was'a narrQW.esoapei —The Inman Dramatic Company am-to provide,, the Christmas fare. .Here, and should do all right, - - Grattan ■ Riggs', says 'tbe Bulletin, is doing a turn-of the “ Shaughrann" at Sydney Lyceum; and more Iris K-drama is expected later on. Nobody in this world really knows for oertainwHaka shaugliraun is, or whether it should be takeiTbbiled' oi raw,;but .the drama is a good old.stand-by,. and always commands ; a- certain amount of support,. Grattan Biggs, even' in his old age, and he must bo something phenomenal in the way nf old ago now, makes a very satisfactory Conn. .He is,.perhaps, a shade less- agile on his legs than some: yoimger’and duller rivals, and-bis lower notes, when he breathes Soft nothings*and -whisky into the) shell-like ,eaivof Moya, are a trifle rough, but; otherwise, there is nothing to show that Riggs isn’t just thirty.. There is no falling-off in his humour or in his fifle , old/Sligo:; brogue/)and there -is probably no man in. Austr’afia/at present who could play a really, aggravated, .Irish character muoH better titan G. .Riggs.,

; “The Royal Divorce," the Napoleon-* - Josephine 'drama, to bopi'pdncod here by iWllliamson and Musgrove earlynext year*; has been having-a-greak success at;,Her :Maj esty’s, Sydney.* /The* staging" is * said to bo perfect; 'the pictured of the retreat from .Moscow,; Waterloo,. ,and)’lhe/final panorama, of-i St. ; Helena, H e V I S amongst the finqat-evor seen in' Australia.:;,-

‘Memories of ,a yery sad '/event were' recalled' 'some'*£7s worth dpt!jewellery;,-formerly belonging to *tHe unfortunate Daores, vyere. sold by ordcrot the Curator ■of "Intestate Estates. // -

• Maggie Moope bps been playing ■iu “ The; Cqllqeri; B.awnf' at Melbourne, whereupon an “old timer " relates the i[act :;hat when Bouoicault’s famous plnywa? : Irst staged in .Melfibqpie $9 past included Sosq fennn .%? F.ily , Q’Qonnor i, . Julia ’atthewa (of;‘‘.-.Grand Duchess" fame) as Anne Chute ; Fawcett Rowe as HardressOregon ; ■ and: Stewart as Myles-na-Gopp’a-leon.

Wilson Barrett and- his l English'- company will occupy the stage at Melbourne Princess this Christmas,, The Firm pro. duoing its pantomime, .“ The Babes in the Wood,"'at Her Majesty’s; There will be two 'other - pantomimes in* Sydney, Dick-Whittington," by the Maomahona at the Lyceum, and “ Jack the Giant Killer," -by Harry Rickards at the I\oyal, Besides the pantomimes} there will be the Thornton Comedy pompany at the Criterion, Varieties at the . Palace and Tivoli, hot to speak of Fitzgerald’s Circus and other .attractions. Wellingtonlana visiting Sydney during the holiday, person will find no laoh of amusement-

Paderewski’s contract for an Australian tour with the “ Much Travelled'! Smytbo is “off;"'- The'etory goes that ‘.‘Paddy" has at length .assented to ‘ the demand “get-chor-’ahf-out.". rA New York manager sume'up century —end dramatic successes as ‘.t lace;'legs, lingerie, lasciviousness, and luck/’., Is he speaking for Now York sjlopo ?*:,* .8 ' As pogards the initial outlay in bringing qver Mr Wilson Barreft qhd hi? pburpapy, we are informed that.fpnoe alone will ip-, volve over J|2QQO. Scenery and costumes for eight, * nig- nroduotiona are being brought, “Olandlan," the opening piece, will be given with all'the original startling mechanical „ effects,. including, the great earthquake scono. There ;wfll ,also,, do a: chorus of male and female voices, a full: operatic orchestra, a enroll army,' of auxUiariep; Mr,saYrbtt "nil also he,seep, in ‘‘/The “ Hamlet,'/’ ‘‘The EUgn of the Gross," &aJ Ho firings as his loading lady Miss Maud Jeffries, who has boon associated with him for-some'* time/ and’ whose rendering of Mercia’ in.’ f. ‘..The;Sign of the Cross" was. one of tho'features of the London turn of that pjnyj , ’ ' . Dnrward Lely, the tenor/ who- was at; one time a peat star in the Sayoy 'operas, has been engaged, with .hi® Smytho to gjye a series, of concerts, ip Australia, They arrive in Melbourne in /ipril next, ’ Mr Harry Riokards, who seems defer-; mined ,to rival The/Firm as theatrical caterer,.' has' engaged Mr .Charles Cartwright and Miss Beatrice Xiamb, both well known on tho London stage, for an* Ails-: tralian tour. -Included Jn-their repertoire ’are two of Henry. A. 'Jones’' latest pieces, “ The Physician,"- aid 2 ‘‘The -Bogue’a. Comedy". / // ]