The Stage.

Otago Witness, Issue 1230, 17 July 1875, Page 11

The Stage.

THEATRICAL NOTES.

Dunedin. — The Bates'a have drawn very good houses during the week at the Princess, and have exceeded all expectations in their delineations of the leading characters in Hamlet and Macbeth. A drama, entitled " The True Heart," was produced on Monday, and met with well deserved success. Abounding with good situations, fair language, and effective tableaus, it could not fail to please, and it received full justice at the hands of the principal performers. Mrs Bates took her benefit on Wednesday evening, and the large attendance must have fully satisfied that lady of the esteem in which, she is held as a careful and accomplished actress. This (Saturday) evening closes the engagement of the present stars, and they proceed to Sydney per Easby, playing one night in Wellington en route with the am:ifcenrs there, the performance to take the form of a complimentary benefit. The Sfoneham Family have seceded from the Princess, and Mr J. Hooper and Miss Bessie Vivian have joined the company. Mr H. Stoneham, who is a careful and rising actor, proceeds to India, under an engagement to Lewis. Miss Polly Leake is expected from Melbourne per first boat to strengthen the ranks of the Princess. Christchurch. — There ia a scarcity of

amusement here. The Wheeler and De Glorion Comedy and Athletic Troupe are playing at the Royal. The company comprise Lo Lo, a lady trapeze performer ; Miss Elsie De Courcy, vocalist and comic actress ; the brothers De Glorion, trapezists ; Master Bennie, juvenile delineator of character, and Mr Ben. Wheeler, Irish comdian and vocalist, and an efficient orchestra.

Lyvercargill.— Jenny Nye and a small company are playing at the Royal to fair houses.

Wellington.— Hoskins and Colville are said to be doing a very good business. Their season terminates in a fortnight. The Darrelis, who took a benefit here on the 9th, open in Dunedin on the 19th of this month. Sam Howard is going to Sydney for a company. The Fakir of Oolu is doing well at the Odd Fellows' Hall.

Auckland. — Miss May Howard, who was playing with Collier and Miss Clara Stephenson at the Prince of Wales has left for San Francisco by the Mikado. Miss Stephenson is doing well at the Thames. The Fakir of Oolu opens at Auckland at the end of this month.

Sydney. — Mr Bennett has engaged several of the leading artistes of the late Opera Company for a series of concerts at the Exhibition Building, during the holding of the exhibition of French exhibits, commencing on the 21st instant, and which promises to be a very successful aff.nr. The Royal Marionettes are still in the full tide of a successful career at the School of Arts, and there really appears no limit to the bestowal of public patronage upon them. Those old and esteemed favourites, Mr and Mrs Case, are courting public patronage at the Masonic Hall, where they are giving very admirable entertainments. Mr Kennedy and his family have gone to San Francisco, and Mdlle Claus to Brisbane.

New York.— They have long been crying out in America for a genuine American cornedy — a comedy, that is to say, which should be really national in its tone. Have they obfained what they want in the last Fifth Avenue production? This is a play which deals with Wall street, and with a perpetual contest between money and brains. It would almost seem as if the wish were here realised, for we read in the Spirit of the Times that "The Big Bonanza at the Fifth Avenue is meeting with a merited success. It is rich almost beyond precedent in mirth, and is now acted in a faultless manner. The play itself is entirely unaffected, and the men and women who figure in its action seem taken from actual life, so natural and familiar are they. We have not seen, in a long time, any play that creates so much fun out of incidents which are in no wise exaggerated."

Long Runs. — " Figaro " says : — No one can say that when Londoners do like a performance they fail to give it satisfactory encouragement. This is, indeed, the age of long runs ; I fancy, indeed, that never before were so many pieces being simultaneously played at West-end houses after runs of over a hundred nights. One day last week I noted that there were being performed "Hamlet," .the "Two Orphans," "Old Sailors," "Loo," " Bluebeard," the "New Magdalen," "Brighton," each for considerably more than the hundredth time, and to these maybe added " Home," " Society, "„ the " Lancashire Lass," and "Lost in London," each thoroughly familiar by this time to the London public. A Great Tragedian.— The Musical World of April 3 says :—"Signor Salvini, the greatest of living Italian t-a-gedians, made his first appearance before an English audience on i hursday night. The play was { Othello.' Salvini was, of course, the hero ; and we may say, without hesitation, that no such dramatic embodiment of Shakespere's magnificent creation has been witnessed in our time."