NOTES BY PASQUIN.

Otago Witness, Issue 1717, 18 October 1884, Page 23

NOTES BY PASQUIN.

Omtrtbvtionsfrom the Profession e&ronMing thtir movements and doings art invited. All cominunioadons to be addressed to "Patquin," Otago Witnm Offle*.] Mrs G. B. Lewis' " Sparks " and Pantomime Company arrived safely by the Te Anau on Tuesday, and were to commenoe their fortnigh t'a season at the Princess Theatre on Thursday evening. The first piece to be presented is "Masks and Faces,", with Mrs Lewis in her old role of Peg Woffington. It may be mentioned that the initials of the Mr Douglas who belongs to this company are H. A. The gentleman is not, as has been supposed, the Mr H. N. Douglas who was last seen here with Mr Bland Holt's Combination. Our old acquaintance, Mr J. W. Dodge, ia acting as business manager to Mrs Lewis' Company. The departure of one of our best known looal musioians— Mr A. J. Towsey — for Ohristcburch will be generally regretted. He has been resident in Dunedin for 18 years, during 16 years of which time he offioiated as organist at St. Paul's Church. The post which he has now accepted at St. John's Ohurcb, Christchurch, has until lately been filled by Mr Cambridge. The salary offered to Mr Towsey is, I believe, £120 per annum, and there have already been nttmeroua applications for his services as a teaoher of music. I am happy to learn that the resignation by Herr Scherek of hie post of conductor to the Choral Society is not now contemplated. Clark and Ryman'a Minstrels are continuing their tour of the Northern districts. One of their last productions in Auckland was Bartley Campbell's Irish drama, in three acts, " Shaun Ohiarlni's Cirous comprises 24 horses, 8 ponies, two elephants, four cages of Honß, tigers, &c, two Indian buffaloes, and one zeora. Webb's Royal Marionettes— acting manager, Mr Bobt. Love— opened at the Theatre Royal, Wellington, on Monday last. Their entertainment embraces besides the miniature minstrels an " animated skeleton." Many residents in Dunedin will remember Miss Jennie West — a daughter of Mr G. B>. West, of this city— who was some time ago most favourably Known here as an amateur pianist. This young lady has been at Home .for the last three years studying at the Royal College of Musio, London, and returned about a month ago. She now intends, r understand, to regularly enter the profession, and a concert %ill shortly be given to introduce her to the Dunedin public Miss West brings with her a certificate of competency from Prof. Franklin Taylor, under whose guidance the studied the piano for two years. I am sorry to learn by a private letter lately received in Dunedin that Mr Richard Kohler has been admitted to a lunatio asylum in San Francisco. Mr Kbhler is a veteran musician, wheae name is as widely known throughout tbesa Colonies as it is in America. Mr Arthur Lissant Palethorpe, who was lately here with the Dunning Opera Company, has been charged with wife desertion in Wellington, whither he was conveyed in custody from Invercargill. Bail was allowed in order .that an arrangement might be come to between the parties. Mr George Sawkins, the Freethought lecturer, has not been entirely, a success in the northern districts. On one occasion a bilioua attack ia said to have prevented him doing justice to his leoture " Undor the True Cross. .Referring to this discourse the Marlborough Times says: "We must enter our dissent from 'freethought' lectures of the class to which as audience in the Good Templars' Hall wore treated by Mr Sawkina last evening. It is true that we were only present during a portion of his leoture, but we have to' say, knowing that no one will accuse us of hypoorisy, that . the shortness of our stay was owing to the offensive coarseness of tlie burlesque of the story of Christianity to which the andience were treated. There are some freethought lecturers to whom even persons of orthodox . and fixed Christian opinions can listen without offence or shock, but we can scarcely include the lecturer last evening amongst them." Invercargill is likely to profit by the liberal patronage accorded to the Dunning • Opera Company. Pollard's Juveniles, and other coming troupeo purpose including that town in their route. A number of the Auckland friends of Mr Mack Alexander generously subscribed £25 in order to enable him to proceed to Australia, where he was ordered immediately by his medical attendant. Mr Alexander's health utterly broke down a week or two 'ago, and residence in a warm dry climate was pronounced to be the' only chance for him. He was a passenger to Sydney by the Wairarapa last trip, and the manager of the Union Company kindly reduced the fare by one-half in consideration of the circumstances. The first production of Mr Lnscombe Searelle's opera "EBtrella" in Sydney has been signalised by the appearance of an extraordinary critique in the columns of the leading local paper. From this it is found that the . opening chorus is/ 4 a greeting to Eatrella ; all the pages, gondoliers,' and fair maidens join in it, each set contributing its quota of harmonious brightness until the Btage is aglow with the warm tints of their robes?' The critic further remarks that a chorus "Joe to the Bride" " has a good time." " Estrella " seems nevertheless to have "caught on" amazingly well, although people are inclined to ohaff Mr Searelle (who himself ..conducts) for the modeatv which describes the piece as the most successful comic opera of the time." The title role fits Miss Nellie Stewart ?ike a glove, and Signor Carlo Modini hae been imported by the triumvirate from Italy to sustain the part of Lorenzo. Woodyear s Circus has closed a very successful season in Sydney and departed to the suburbs. The Majeronis have not been reoeiving the amount of patronage in Adelaide to which their menta entitle them: in fact Hudson's Surprise Party at the Academy of Musio have managed to ran a very fair opposition. Commenting on this the Observer says: "People must expect to suffer for their mistakes. „ Signor Majeroni thought that we in Adelaide would perfer high art to nigger melodies or amateur theatricals. H a ie pre tty well cured by thu time, we fancy." Mdme Patti, it is understood will sinf in America and London, under Mr J. H. MaptefPu n ? e - men .{, 2 urin S next year. It is likely that thm will be her last appearance in America, as Bhe intends in 1886, to commence • two years tour of Europe, and will then-at the age of 45-finally retire from publio life. If ho the lady will retire on a very comfortable competency. She is aaid to be already worth moto than a quarter of a. mfllion poun.dg

sterling— £2so,ooo, not counting diamonds worth another million of francs, Mr Edward Terry has met with a naßty accident on the stage at Yarmouth, while playing in " Paul Pry." A pistol he was about to use expleded, seriously injuring his left band, and the performance had to be diflcontinued. Tta joint authors of " Claudian "—Messrs Wills and Herman— are about to try their haDds at another poetical drama. Mr Dion Boucicault intends to try and run his new piece "Robert Emmet," in London, but does not think the Lord Chamberlain will allow it ; and Mr Boucicault, by this time, ought to know. It may safely be assumed that the play is as seditious as " The Shaughraun," which was prohibited in London many years ago. The writing of the pantomime for the Prince's Theatre, Manchester, has been entrusted to Mr Harry Nioholls, the well-known musiohall singer and comedian. In the same connection it may ba mentioned that a new theatre, to bo called the Comedy, is in course of erection at Manchester — architect, Mr Alfred Darbyehire, who has already distinguished himself by the alterations and decorations he designed for the Lyceum. A very interesting series of Shakesperian reprints iB being brought out in London. The first to appear v a reprint of the 162S folio of the veritable "Tragedie of Hamlet," by Mr William Shakespeare. It is neatly bound, and sold at eighteenpence, and a freßh play is to be similarly published eaoh month. Mr J. H, Mapleson has prepared an interesting celebration at the New York Academy of Music. Mdme Patti, after a tentative appearance as a child, made her real operatic dibdt at that theatre on November 24, 1859. The opera waß " Lucia," and the tenor Signor Brignoli. 'Exactly a quarter of a century later, on November 24, 1884, Mdme Patti will once more sing at the Academy of Musio in the self -same opera, "Lucia," and with the selfsame tenor, the veteran Brignolia, who now owns up to thirty- five years of age. The rumour is once more circulated that Sir Arthur Sullivan intends to go in for grand opera in his next venture, and that Mr W, S. Gilbert will likewise abandon hia quaintly satirical vein. One fact which' points significantly to the posoibility of the Gilbert-ewm Sullivan series of operettas being near its end, is that Mr DOyly Carte, manager of the Savoy Theatre, is about to abandon Bib post. He has arranged next winter to " engineer" through the States, Mr R. A. Proctor (who with his family intends to settle there), Mr Chas Bradlaugh (who moat English people wish would eettta there), and the Hungarian band. Mdme Oarlotta Patti, already suffering from lameness, has dislocated her other ankle by a fall. A new comic opora shortly to be produced in Rome, is entitled "An Adventure in Tonquin." There will be a mingling of queer accents to be beard on the American stage next season. Signora Ristori (an Italian), Frau Janisch (an Austrian), and Mdme Aimed (a French lady) all propose to play in English. The welL known tenOr, M. Gayarra, who sang last season at Covent Garden, has made a- fortunate marriage in his native Spanish town, and is likely to retire from the stage in consequence. Rubinstein has chosen an extraordinary title for his next opera — "The Parrot's Nonsense." He is at present in Venice putting the finishing touches to his work. A writer who has recently been play-going in Japan says : — " The funniest sight of all was the prompter— an old man with horn speotacles — who moved about on the stage as he pleased, sitting behind actors who bad long speeches, and carrying an enormous "book of the words" with him. When they "cut"— as they did on ue— about two pages, it was a sight to see him perspire about the head. A new kind of harp, made entirely of wood, has been invented by two Frenchmen named Foyre. Instead of strings the inventors use strips of American fir. Tbe sound is produced as on the ordinary harp by the contact of the fingers, but the player wears leather gloves covered with resin. The toDe of the instrument is said to be of remarkable purity. There was a lively acene at the Holborn Theatre a few weeks since. The ghost having failed to walk tho company refused to p]ay, and the manager consequently offered to return the audience their money. The deadheads hailed the opportunity and rushed to the box office, and after the manager bad repaid all he bad taken, and £2 more, he was obliged to suspend payment. Thereupon the mob hustled the authorities, tore up the benches, broke the lamp-glasses, and were eventually ejected by the police. Bartley Campbell's "White Slave" meets with disparaging criticism at the Grand Theatre, Islington. The material has been dealt with too often. The piece which is now about to succeed " Confusion " at the Vaudeville is a domestio drama by Mr H. A. Jones, said to be " illustrative of, middle class life in a provincial town." Mr Thomas Thome, who has not appeared on bis own stage for over a year, has a good part. , The report of the Abbs' Liazt's blindnesß was a ridiculous canard apparently originated by some reckless French journalist much pressed for sensational items. Iron curtains, however valuable in case of fire, are a trifle dangerous. Tbe iron curtain, at the Imperial Opera House, Vienna, fell twice without any warning in the oourse of a recent performance. The artists were scared, but fortunately nobody was hurt. The London Era contains an appeal on behalf of Mr Frederiok Marshall. Misses Susan and Jane Rignold are to accompany Barry Sullivan on his forthcoming tour. Mr Herbert Reeves, notwithstanding the comparative weakness of bis voice, is making great progress upon the stage, owing in a measure no doubt to the advantages he has enjoyed in the way of tuition. He is now singing at Mr Carl Rosa's Liverpool theatre. Mr Sims Reeves himself is to appear shortly in ballad opera in Glasgow. Mr David Belasco is experiencing all the bitters and few of the sweets of authorship, A Mr M'Cann accuses him of plagiarism as regards "La Belle Russe,".and Mr Howard still .persistently asserts his own claim to the authorship of "May Blossom." However, Belasco has some consolation. The New York Dramatic News stigmatises one of his assail ants as a "drivelling ass," and the other as a "fraud." Messrs Lionel Brough and Willie Edouin commenced a season at Toole's Theatre on September 9, with Mr Paulton's burlesque "The Babes or Whines from the Wood." Before leaving England Mr Irving treated Londoners to revivals of a few of hia beat pieces. "The Bells" drew immensely as usual, and the manager's Matthias was the samo grimly weird performance with which playgoers have been so often impressed. " Louis XI " and " Richelieu" were also played. The Dublin opera-goers are by no meaiia . half-hearted in their appreciation of a good thing. After a recent production of " Mefistofelej" the artiste, the conductor, and the

stagemanagor were called five times before the curtain, and Mdme Marie Roze at length dragged on the blushing Mr Carl Rosa himself to bow hia thanks before he counted his money. " Needles and Pins " was the final production of Daly's American Comedy Company at Toole's Theatre, and proved ao laughable and as plotless as the preceding pieces. The clever acting of the company again ensured them a trumph iv the face of difficulties which few English trouDes would have surmounted, dearly showing that although " the play's tho thing," an indifferent play can sometimes be condoned, whsreas indifferent acting cannot be. A letter which has appeared in a London daily goes to show that the disturbance on the first night of " Twelfth Night " at the Lyceum was in reality the work of a small and Bpiteful organisation. The correspondent says : " I was in the pit, anxious to see the play. That anxiety, I am sorry to aay, was disturbed by the rude conduot of five young men, who made themselves obnoxious almost from the commencement of the performances. Myself and a few others in my neighbourhood held them in cheek until Mr Irving, after (several times appearing before the curtain, was called on to apeak. When Mr Irving referred t» his having been away, ono of them remarked, " And a good job too." When he askod, " Shall I say this is a success?'' another of them in response to the roar of the audience, which shouted "Yoa," cried out "Don't tell lies." Their further interruptions wore drowned by applau3e. As we left the theatre I watched them,and whon they turned into the Wellington bar I followed and stood beside them. They were presently joined by several others, who commenced laughing over what they had done. One of the new-comers said : " Bryan started the hissing in the gallery, and then we had a bit our own way." Another remarked : " Did you see the temper we got him in. I thought he would twist his moustaohe off." Then came an . observation from a little fair man : " But it wasn't half as good a" lark as we had at the Adelphi."