PLATS AND PLAYERS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 6938, 2 October 1909, Page 10

PLATS AND PLAYERS

BOOKINGS AND PENCILLINGS. OPEBA HOTJBE. Sept. 17 to Oct. 16—Allan Hamilton. Oct. 25 to Nov. 13— J. 0. Williamson. Nov. 15 to Dec. 9—J. 0. Williamson. December 10 to la— M. Branscombe. Ooc. 26 (tor six weeks)—J. C. Williamson. THEATB.E BOYAL. in Season—Fullers' Pictures. i NOTES (By "Lorgnette.") A season of farcical comedy and musical farce will bo (inaugurated by the Hugh .1. Ward Company at the Opera House this evening when this clever organisation will present for the firsfctirno in the Empire City "A Bachelor's Honeymoon." The piece has been a hugo drawing card wherever tho company has played it, and the same success is sure to attend the Wellington performances, if one is to judge correotly from tho box office plan. In noticing tho extended season of the play in Uunedin the "Star" says:—"The managerial announcement that 'A Bachelor's Honeymoon would be played tor two alights more than had beea originally intended was proved by last night's houso to be nothing short of an absolute necessity. .More people sought entrance than the seating accommodation fox, and. with tho fine stimuus that ipacked benches impart this inimitable farce went with a verve that mado the heart «lad. Prom this entertainment one goes away wi'th wellStamped impressions of exceedingly clever work by at least four performers, .which is not generally the case with mast farces. Mr Hugh Word's enterprise in surrounding himself with so many talented people does not result in any partial eclipse of the central figure. Miss Ghiloni's brainy work extorts admiration; Miss Palotta reduces .tho audience to a state of worshipful adoration that induces humble submission even when turns the laugh on |hem; and on every word, spoken or teuug, thiait comes from Mies Koee ilus.groye's mouth they hang as to a precious lind. Messrs Reginald Wykeham and Arthur Bid red also have no small sharo .in thu fun-making."

Mr Ben Fuller is expected to arrive in Australia from his world's tour about the middle of November. He will be met by Sir John Fuller, junr., and both will visit Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide in search of talent for their vaudeville shows whioh they are at present organising.

The attractions at the Theatre Royal this .wedk are better 'than ever. The Messrs Fuller have undoubtedly got a star programme on and the business done is first-class. The programme is a splendidly-chosen one, and the singing pictures are quite up-to-date. In fact, tho entertainment is one of the fbest evex presented at this popular theatre.

Mr Julius Knight and a company of seventy people, including the favourite l emotional actoess. Miss Beatrice i>ay, will appear at the Opera House towards, the end of November dn a. series of picturesque and romantic ,plays. The ing attraction will be Messrs Dix and ; Sutherland's successful drama, "The Breed of the Tieshams," in which. Mr Knifeht will appear as Keresby, "Thel Eat."

Mr-William A. Brady is the authority for the statement thiat Sir H. Beerbohm Tree will visit America during the present season—in all probability before th©| beginning of the New Year —with a varied repertoire of plays, including "The Merry Wives of Windsor," "The Merchant of Venice," "The Teonpest," "Twelfth Night," "The School for Sean-. dal," "Oliver Twist," "The Newcomea," "Faust," "Trilby," "The Red Lamp,"' and "The Man'Who Was"-—a very com- 1 prehensive programme for a. visit of some «ight or ten weeks.

Mips Florence Baines, who has just returned from a long tour abroad, has every reason to be proud of the reception accorded her on her home-coming. She appeared with her "Miss Lancashire. Limited" company this week at the Hippodrome, Huddersfield (says the "Era"), and though the -prices for this week only have been doubled, and the weather exceptionally -wet and cold, large crowds assembled in the pouring rain hours before the doors wore, opened. The "house full'"boards were displayed each evening at about 7 o'clock, and the local enthusiasm left little doubt as to her popularity in Yorkshire, as in Lan- : cashire, as our iMax-y Ellen."

The following (paragraph from "The Stage" of August sth, no doubt alludesto Mr Joe Webber's latest success, about whiioh some interesting information was published in these notes a few. weeks ago :—" 'Le Monde Artiste' is responsible for the statement .that a Mexican author named Weber has written and produced a .play, entitled The Climax,' which the critics have Btyled 'the drama of (pianos.' Six pianos are used in the, last actt, and each actor needs to be a good singer as well as an efficient pianist. Such a iplay must, it would seem, be difficult to cost." There only foua: characters in "The Climax," and Mr Weber is the well-known. American manager. Mr J. C. Williamson holds the Australasian rights of "The Climax."

Mr Harry Bickairds' Vaudeville ComSamy will commence a season at the pera House on Monday evenlvng, the 18th ins*. The combination will b»' headed by a host of European star artists, who will make their first appearance in the Dominion. The newcomers will include Madamo Cora Caselli and her marvellous troupe of Mexican dogs, who have created a tremendous furore in Melbourne and Sydney; Mesdames Florence and Lillian, in a musical act that has been much commented upon by liihe Australian press, who declare it to be a delightful departure, and as refined as it.is clever; the iiremka Bro'thers, a team of Continental aoroibats who do an act much superior to that done by the Artois. Brothers. In addition, Mr Fred Graham and Miss Nellie Dent will make their (reappearance in a budget »f new sketches. The i«st of tho company will comprise a number of popular Australian favourites.

Half a dozen don'ts, written in a vein of 'pleasantry, from the pen of Alt" Woods, the producer of melodrama: — "Don't pay any attention to the stage manager. His lot is one of peachea and- orcaan, and your crossing him at every fcurn is apt to keep nim good humoured. "Don't fail to talk shop in hotel (lin-ing-rooms—this far the edification of the. waitresses. "Don't fail to give the impression that you <uro too good for itho company yon are with, and are merely iplaying the part out of friendship for the manager, whom yon Tised to know when he was a tankman. "Don't forget to tell your fellow-play-ers of the salary you Jiad last season. Being of the same ilk, they know that actors always tell the truth regarding salaries.

"Don't fail to pose in front of the. theatre after the j&atinee. If there is a three sheet of your character in the play, stand as close to it as possible. -It will serve to identify. you. "Don't fail to taik in 1a loud voi'ee in all public, places, in case'you be .mistaken lor an iceman instead of an. actor."

Sir G. B. Titheradge gives the following interesting information about "The Silver King," in which he reappeared as Wilfred Denver at the Melbourne Princess on Saturday, September 18th,

I after a. lapse of some eleven years. He was in Now York, having just returned from his first visit to Australia.. when the first -whisper of its greatness reached him. He immediately cabled to. Henry Hermann asking for the- Australasian rights of the piece, only to learn, that they had already been disposed of. Then he wrote to Mr J. *C. Williamson offering either to go out and. play the part or produce the piece or both together. A few weeks after he was back in London to meet Mrs Titheradge, who; had stayed behind in Sydney, when he met Arthur Garner in the street.' "Are you wedded to London?" the latter asked,, "or -would you go out again to play Wilfred Denver H" The contract was fiicd up theirs and then—poor All's Titheradge, who had just arrived, had not even time to unpack before they were oiff again. Once only did Mr Titheradge 'see "The Silver King" played, and 'that! was in New York, where the only thin? that remains impressed on his jnenxory was the acting of Rose Coghlan as Nellie Denver. He opanid in it at' the old Theatre iioyal, Melbourne, on October 27th, 18S3, for •a season of 49 mights—a very long Tun lin those days, and he was playing it principally in Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide foir nearly four years before ha joined the Brough-Boucicault combination, and never touched the part again untiil his farewell appearance here in 1898, [under the management of the late Charles Hollowuy. Now after another 'interval of eleven years he is appealing in it under the same management as.he did twenty-six years ago.

STAGE COSSIP. The "Musical Blacks" were at latest 'touring tile "smalls" of Victoria. Mr Blaud Holt icommences his Melbourne season at the King's Theatre next (Saturday evening. The Scarlet Trouuadotirs will coni'monce another tour of the Dominion at (Wellington early in December. Mr Chas. R. Stanford, late of Meynell ,and Gunn's managerial staff, is now acting as manager of Mr Allan Hamilton s Dramatic Company. The Bollard Opera Company is doing; 'fine business in the inland towns en route to Auckland with "The Black Cloaks" and "Manola." ' . ' Said that Mir Julius Knight seriously contemplates pTeseritimj "Hainlet" at an «arly date, With himself in the role of the melancholy Dane. Mr Claude Bantoek, who had to leave fck« Royal Comics hurriedly owing to the fatal illness of his mother, hopes to return from England during- the present month. Mr Harry Phydora has been engaged, to play the Dame in Mr J. C. Williamson's pantomime "Aladdin." Mr Ired LislLe and Mr J. Campbell will also be in the cast. t , ~ Thurston, the t illusionist, contemplates making a second descent on Australia :early next year. As Carter is also fixing dates, people '.will have a full share of magic and mystery. Miss Heba Barlow, leading lady for the late John F. Sheridan, intends shortly to proceed to India or England, offers having been made her of engagements in both countries. . Mr George Homann Barnes has resigned from the firm of Messrs Meynell and Gunn, and is now on the start' of Messrs J. and N. Tait, the well-known. Australian entrepreneurs. "The Catch of the Season is being actively rehearsed by the Eoyial Comics, and wttll igo- up at the close of the run of "The Duchess of Dantzie" at Her Majesty's .Theatre, Melbourne. The plays to be produced by, Meynell and Gunn's New Musical Comedy Oom'pany, which, shortly sails from London, will be "Tom Jonto," "The Arcadians," "The Gay Gordons," and ''The Belle of Brittany." ! It is rumoured that Mr Bland Holt will, .after his season at the King's Theatre, Melbourne, disband his company and depart on a visit to England prior to settling down in Australia— : olf the stage. The negotiations for the presentation

in England of tho Hill-Birch oomio opera, "A Moorish Maid," are stated to have been broken off. Miss Buckmann, who was to have gone to London to sustain her original role of Zara, w'li return to her home in New Zealand. Miss .Nellie Stewart is said to he studying' another piece of the "Zaza"typo from the pen of David Belasco, entitled "Du Barry," and which is identified in America with Mrs Leslie Carter. It has a veiry sensational bedroom scene. ~.-,. Mr Georgo D. Portus, whose last visit to Now Zealand was as manager of Meynell and Gunn's "Cinderella" and "Luokj Durham" Companies, is now acting as manager of William Anderson's Company, which is headed by Frances RossWaiter Baker Company, at present playing a season in Brisbane. 'Tie said that Mr W. S. Percy is seriously thinking of giving up the stage tand -going to England to study the art of caricature. Of late years Mr Percy has added to his banking account by drawing cartoons for several Australian papers, and his success in this line may have suggested to him transferring his -Ualen'ts 'from the grease paint to the box of colours.' ' . * Nobody is more pursued by the autograph orank than the beauty, actor. Stated tWat Wernham S. Ryolt, of the Hugh J. Ward Company, ias a stock verse with which he always accommodates collectors in quick order. It runs : "Little daubs of powder, Lottie daubs .of paint, Mokes the -beauty actor. Look just what he ain't."