THEATRICAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1912, 13 July 1888, Page 28

THEATRICAL.

(Contributions from tk* Prof ettion chronicling their nmements and doing* «?e invited. All communication t be dddreud to "Fatquin," Otago Witness Office.)

NOTES BY PASQUIN.

*• Hans the Boatman" has fairly started to paddle his canoe round New Zealand, and put into Dunedin for a week on Friday last. May he have sunny skies, smooth seas, and an exemption from the stormy winds that do sometimes blow with a vengeance upon theatrical enterprises in this colony. All things considered, I think Hans will navigate his boat safely throughout this trip and that there will be a great hugging and handclasping between Messrs Brough and Boucicault and their manager, Mr Lohr, when those three meet again. The latter gentleman, four nights from the start in Dunedin, was in his usual equable spirits, but the fact that a dozen 1 seats in the far-off corner of the stalls bad remained tenantless each night weighed slightly upon him. In all the ocean of space only 12 vacant seats ! Surely here was cause for rejoicing and for the throwing up of the managerial. Quito so;_Mr Lohr fully recognised that view of the position, but his feelings as regarded those 12 seats was that he would rather see them filU-d.

As regards this character of Hans that Mr Charles Arnold has laid hold upon aud made his own, in the salient feature of his character he resembles all others of his craft that have ever been presented to us in song or story. The jolly young waterman, the gay ferryman who carolled "Ohoy-ee-ho !h! h at Twickenham, and most others of the craft have all been fellows of the same kidney. They were feather-brained, and jollity was their strong point. Why? Tugging at the oar, to say nothing of its monotony as a regnlar occupation, should be productive of cricks in the back aud rheumatics. How is it that these ferrymen, then, are all so cock-a-whoop f Charon, who plied on the Styx, is tho only staid customer I can remember of them all, and he erred ou the Bide of melancholy.

The Hans of this play is if anything gayer than he of Twickenham. He is a Swiss Canadian, ** fetching " in appearance, and there is emphatically danger to any fair one crossing in his barge. However, his morals are distinctly good, and he flings not his amorous glances around lightly. He fixes upon an heiress, Gladys Farwell (Miss Alice Norton), and paralyses her with his matchless figure and his nice singing voice. So presently this haughty society baauty and the picturesquely clad young boatman hug each other, and it seems as though a brighter radiance was going to sparkle on the burnished dove, aud all was to be love and sunshine hereafter.

But an angry father looms in the distance, and drifting nearer explodes. The haughty Gladys goes to her picturesque' Canadian penniless, and io. act 2 we find the old, old story of poverty entering and love scuttling away over the back yard fence. The festive Hans larks about with the "leetle kiddies," as he calls them, instead of keeping an eye to business, and there is a matrimonial row royal in consequence. Then Hans in an access of penitence collects the " kiddies'" toys and is proceeding to burn them in ignorance of the fact that it has entered into the guileless heart of a little child to stow his powder flask away by the hearthstone. There is a report as of the Woolwich infant and Hans falls blinded, having learned only the instant before that his wife had left him with " another "—" — young Darrell Vincent (Mr Stewart) to wit. There Has been some very pretty business between Mr Arnold and the youngsters in these two acts, and in act 3 there is an equally attractive passage, in which Mr Arnold's fine dog Lion plays a part. He leads his blind master to the side of Gladys prostrate in the snow, and following ,upon that Hans' eyesight is restored, and there is a reconciliation and curtain. The plot is slender, but the piece does not depend for its success only upon the plot. The musical element is introduced, and Mr Arnold sings charming little songs to and with his pet children and " jodels " like a Tyrolean. He is an unaffected, pleasant actor, and quickly makes himself a favourite. The clever babies, too — little May Hannan (called Baby Coquette) and Master F. Gardiner — make a distinct and visible impression upon the susceptibilities of the ladies.

Some old acquaintances are with this company, notably Mr W. H. Leake, who used to cry "My God! my partner! Dead!" with such splendid dramatic effect ; Miss Jessie Grey (Mrs J; L. Hall) ; Miss Alice Norton, who was here with " Harbour Lights " ; and Mr Phil. Stuart, last in Dunedin with Carrie Swain.

There is a weather-worn mariner with a flavour of brine in his whiskers and an echo of rum in his voice, which Mr Leake plays well, and Miss Grey is a vigorous young American female of the " darn my boots t^pe," who makes plenty of running throughout the piece, and helps things, to jog along considerably. Mr Stuart is a wicked libertine who insists — idiotically insists — on putting to sea in a rotten craft and becomes food for crayfish, and Miss Norton plays Gladys passing well. This company finish their short season here on Thursday evening, and their next stopping place is Oamaru.. • The Mohawk Minstrels, a company who have done well, I understand, in Wellington and Auckland, open in Dunedin on Saturday next for a short season. Miss Colbourne Baoer (Mrs A. J. C. Baber) arrived here by the Mararoa, and proposes to give one or two concerts in Dunedin, her native place. It has been decided in Wellington to hold a musical festival in the spring on the model of the English provincial festival, with a picked band and chorus of 200. Mr Parker has been chosen director. A guarantee list is in circulalation, the expense being estimated at £150. Mr Cowen's agreement with the Melbourne Exhibition authorities binds him to conduct at least nine concerts a week, symphonic, choral, or miscellaneous. He will have an orchestra of 80 players led by Mr Max Klein (who sailed from London before him), and a chorus of about 300. The inaugural ode written by Mr Cowen for the opening ceremony will be first heaM in England at the Hereford Musical Festival in September.

Maurice Barrymore's absurd accusation that Sardou had stolen the material for " La Tosca " from his (Barrymore's) " Nadjezder " broke down latterly in tho law courts. Sardou, in his affidavit, expressed hie belief that Barrymore had copied Shakespeare, and the judge facetiously observed that the French dramatist must be mistaken in this, and that Shakespeare must have copied Barrymore.

T do not know if I mentioned before that Mr DOyly Carte was married two or three months ago to Miss Helen Cowper-Black, professionally known as Helen Lenoir, who travelled the colonies as his representative not long ago. Sir Arthur Sullivan was the bridegroom's best man.

Mr Bonton M'Guckin has returned to England from America, and is going to stay there ; so the statement as to his engageement for the Amy Sherwin Opera Company was evidently the veriest canard. M'Guckin is now the English tenor — almost the only operatic tenor in the

(front rank since the death of Joseph Maas-*-and it may be depended upon that he is just a little ■ expensive.

I It is a very happy idea that sometimes practised by a dramatist in France ot appealing to the people— or the mob if you wish to call them so. Zola has done it in the case of bis mining drama "Germinal." Not being satisfied with the unfavourable criticism it received on all hands, he>sked the managers of the Ohatelet to give a free performance of the drama so that the "plebs" could express their opinion. It may easily be guessed what kind of a crowd this free show drew in a city where the love of the theatre is so strong. It was made up of all classes, from the shopkeeper who prefers to deadhead whenever he can to the poor devil who knew not where to lay his head when the performance was over. The crowd was entiraly made up of boys and men, for the most courageous woman did not care to run the risk of being crushed to death ; and it began to form in line before noon, and gradually increased up to 6 o'clock in the evening, when the mass was so great round the theatre that 3CO policemen were required to keep order. Before the doors were opened the neighbouring shops suffered severely from the bands of the mob, and, when at last it was allowed to enter the theatre it rushed in like a great wave carrying everything movable before it. The men yelled and crowded over each other, rushing on to the seats and into the aisles, overflowing the lobbies and waiting rooms. It was with great difficulty that the surplus numbers were driven back. Once in its piece, however, the mob calmed down and waited patiently for the curtain to rise. There were none of those cries that the gallery gods like so well to launch while waiting for beginning. When the cnrtain rose there was a breathless silence, which was immediately followed by loud applause at the first scene. At each tirade and each new scene the enthusiasm was renewed. Still Zola probably did not take very much by his move, for he could hardly expect a piece mounted so carefully and played so well would draw hisses from his invited guests. " Germinal," by the way, is in very diff c: ent shape to when it was tabooed by the then Premier, M. Goblet. A few situations too coarsely realistic even for description have disappeared.

Madame Jane Hading (whose real name is Trefouret) has gained a divorce from her husband, Victor Koning, manager of the Paris Gymnase.

The latest addition to the " Famous Women " series is the autobiography of Adelaide Ristori.

The San Francisco critics differ from their Eastern brethren and thiok Mrs Brown-Potter not a bad actress by any means.

Hill, the low comedian, who has just died suddenly in London, made perhaps his greatest success as Cattermole in " The Private Secretary."

The precocity of youth, especially American youth, is getting altogether beyond bounds. W. W. Jefferson, the nine-year-old son of Joseph Jefferson, the famous Rip, has become an editor. He has issued a paper called the Jack Knife, sin by 4in in size, and he says in his first editorial :—": — " The Jack Knife is open and ready for business. . . . Just as George Washington's little hatchet cut its way to fame, so we expect the Jaok Knife to carve us a respectable and honourable name in journalism. . . . So we pull off our cap to you and say, " Here we are ! how are you ? " You see smart as he is young Jefferson cannot keep George Washington's hatchet out of his discourse any more than any other American boy.

The Institution for Aged Opera-singers, endowed out of the fortune of £200,000 left for that purpose by Rossini, is now built, and it is hoped that it will be furnished and ready for its inmates by October 1; it is situate at the Pont dv Jour, Paris. The ground floor contains the offices, the dining hall, reception salons, and so forth, and the upper floors are devoted to private rooms, each gentleman or lady having a a separate apartment which will form a sort of combination sleeping and living room. At the rear is a large pleasure garden. The Foundation Rossini is reserved exclusively for aged singers or musicians of either sex, who must 'be of French or Italian nationality — Germans, Englishmen, and others being excluded.

The " supers " at the Grand Opera, Paris, were kept under surveillance for a whole evening recently by a large force of police mustered upo > the stage. No one knew what was the matter at the time, but it transpired afterwards that some wag had sent an auonymou.3 letter to the management warning them that some anarchists intended to smuggle themselves in among the supers and throw explosive bombs into the orchestra.

Another veteran of the footlights baa passed away in Mrs W. G. Noah, aged 80, and formerly a popular American actress. She made her first appearance at Pitts burgh in 1826 as Mary Meek in " No Song, No Supper."

The following is a choice anecdote, and may be believed or not, according to the taste of the reader : — " Mrs Langtry reached Austin City in her special car, and, knowing the deep interest felt by the citizens of Austin in the welfare of the distinguished actress and beautiful woman, the Statesman's reporter called on her immediately after her arrival. He was met at the door of the car by Mr Bnrnsides, her manager, and a cool stare. " Hand that to the Lily," said the reporter, with the utmost sangfroid and a quiet, musical voice. Burnsides wilted, and, gasping, incontiuently fell over into the coalbox in a profound swoon, and a very stiff collar. His face attracted attention, and the reporter, observing a lady somewhat en dishabille, whatever that is, coming down the aisle of the luxuriously furnished car, hastened to meet her.

" Mrs Langtry, it affords me profound pleasure to meet you on this auspicious occasion, and in behalf of the citizens of the capital of this great State, with its matchless plains, its towering mountains, its babbling brooks, and its laughing rills, its great fields of waving grain and flowering cotton, its cattle on a thousand hills, its heel flies, its Legislature, its bursting treasury and starving school-teachers, I welcome you. As I gaze upon that form of thine, and as my eagle eye seeks the depths of your own pale blue orbs and fascinatingly linger upon your raven tresses and their brown paper curlegigs, I recognise you."

' "I'm— l'm"—

11 Don't mention it, madame. I would recognise you anywhere on earth or elsewhere. That beauteous form, those resplendent eyes, that pretty face, which I have rapturously gazed upon in the cigarette boxes at the tobaccb stores and on the soap wrappers in the quiet of my own kitchen on wash days, has impressed you on my mind. Oa behalf of the citizens of Austin I repeat it, madam, I recognise you." " I'm—, I'm—"

" I see you are confused, but don't mention it. If I was en dishabille I assure you I would have a much more profuse Jcoaf usion. While giving me great pleasure to call on you, I assure you my confusion will come to-morrow night, after the wife of my bosom has read that I, solitary and alone, called on you. Until the storm blows over, madame, and she regains her wonted composure, my domicile at night, will be tho hay loft, where one of my many children will surreptitiously convey to me my frugal

meals. If I had the language I would convey to you, Mrs Langtxy, in the most' approved style of oratory the profound — "

" Bat I'm not Mrs LaDgtry. I'm her maid. Mrs Langtry is at the Driskill. I wanted to tell you this at first, but you wouldn't let me." Two pets of the public are to be married shortly — Miss Winifred Emery to Mr Cyril Maude, and Miss Phyllis Broughton to Viscount Dangan.

The long-promised adaptation of Mr Rider j Haggard's " She" is to be produced at the Gaiety by Miss Sophie Eyre. Mr Fergus Hume's " Mystery of a Hansom Cab" has had a sale, according to the publisher, Mr Trischler, of over 373,000. The profits of book and play must amount to something handsome. - > ' A shocking story comes from America relating to the death of Mr Fred Marsden, the dramatist.* This gentleman (writes the correspondent of an Australian paper) was the author of " Kerry Gow " and a number of star pieces written for Lotta and other -well-known artists. He was an eccentric clever man, only 45 or thereabouts, and he leaves behind him for his widow and daughter a handsome competence in his interest in the stage rights of his plays. < His daughter was his only child, just over 20. The other day he discovered that she had been dishonoured by more than one of his " friends," actors who were guests at' his house. The revelation drove him mad, and he killed himself. I knew him as a generous genial host, inclined to be odd in his manners, but devoted to his daughter ; he was a member of the Lotos Club of New York, and was popular in Bohemian circles.