THEATRICAL & MUSICAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1897, 12 June 1890, Page 32

THEATRICAL & MUSICAL NOTES.

Contributions from the Profeision chronicling their movements and doing's are iuvited. All communications to bo addressed to " P«.squin," Otago Witness Ollice. The Hugos are at present at Wagga Wagga, and are drawing well as usual. Charles Hugo, who is just recovering from a nasty accident which he met with at Braidwood, and which laid him up for a week, was to take a benefit on the 22nd ult. At the time the laat mail left England, Fred Miliiß, Bert Ward, and George Olutsam had just commenced a month's engagement at the Trocadero. They had juat finished a tour of Scotland. Young Ward writes in glowing terms of the splendid buildings in Aberdeen, that city seeming to impress them more than any in Scotland. He was, however, very much disgusted with the state of the streets, tho total absence of crossing sweepers being a marked feature of the city. Melbourne Punch gives a biographical notice in a recent issue of Mr Manfred Rose, who is at present acting as manager for the Dampier company, Mr Rose's connection with New Zealand is thus referred to :— Rose has in his time played many parts, and whether as a monologue entertainer, exposer of spiritualism, or theatrical manager, he has generally managed to "coma out on top" as tho saying is. He has been connected with the stage since 73 and has invariably proved the right man in the right place. His first histrionic effort was at the Theatre R-oyal, Hobart, at which placa the late lamented Miss Blanche Stammers and Mr Arthur Garner were playing. Rose was cast as Young Mr Simpson in ." Nan the Good for Nothing." Thirsting for novelty he strode on the stage, but instead of addressing the performers he walked deliberately " down centre" and talked to the audience. His success was so great that he didn't want to play any more parts for a month or co. Rose's thoughts then turned towards the news papers, and in conjunction with the Advertiser, Dunedin, we next hear of him, where he put in a term with Mr Thomaa Bracken, the latter gentleman afterwards blossoming into a fullfladged member of Parliamet, Up to the timo of oar going to press Rosa had not entered Parliament ; still there's no knowing what a man may coma to in Australia. Resolving to again beard the lion in his den, Robo went back to the stage, taking the Queen's Theatre, Dunedin, where things progressed so favourably that he organised a strong crowd, and plunged out in Bearch of fame and fortune, visiting every nook and corner of New Zealand. He then opened the new theatre at Wellington, after which he started overland up through Wairarapa to Wanganui, and everywhere on the West Coast. . . . Manfred, though he can hardly be called a linguist, speaks Maori, and since he has been at the Alexandra he is continually adding to his store of Chinese. Our representative had a good mind to try Rose in tha Maori tongue, but time would not permit. He tells a story, and a true one, too, of how on one occasion, he gave an entertainment in a Maori township, under the distinguished patronage of the celebrated King TeWhiti, and after using a deal of persuasion and ooaxing he induced the dusky monarch to participate in the seance, the king entering the dark cabinet. No sooner had he done so than he raised Sheol on a scale of the most original splendour. The Maori townspeople had so far approaohed civilisation that they flooked in, deadheed fashion, " on the never," a seething, surging mass. The performer remonstrated and held audience with the king. His Majesty, turning to his followers, addressed them (in their native language, of course), and the crowd after the Bhow "antied" up their admission fee like Britons, or, rather, like Britons very often don't. On another joyous occasion the Maories swarmed into a town, marched around, planted their flaga and formally took possession of the place. What did Rose do — did he pack his valise and get? No, siree, there was too much of the showman about him for that. He opened up, gave his show, and finally stalked off with wealth galore after doing excellent business. This is some years ago, and since then the popular manager has been connected with some of the largest and moat profitable theatrical speculations going. Apropos of Mr Thornton of "Private Secretary " fame, Borne interesting particulars are given by an exchange about Hawtrey, the author of " The Private Secretary. " • ' Charles Hawfcrey belongs to the family of Hawtreys which has given so many canons and masters to Eton, His father is the proprietor of a school for very youthful aristocrats called Little Eton. The son was not a promising boy, and was, a few years ago, little likely ever to be able to earn his living. To amuse his idleness, he tried his hands at adapting a German farce, but no manager would accept it. Finding it accidently lying about, his father read it, and putting it down said, * Charlie, I'll give you £200 to produce this farce with.' Armed with hiß father's cheque, he found no difficulty about a theatre and a company. The play was none other than 'The Private Secretary ' ; and from firßt to laßt he made about £120.000 by it — marrying during its run a beautiful young lady with £1500 a year fortune. This great theatrical success was followed by very • lean years ' indeed. Froat followed frost at the Globe. The Hawtreyß had, besides, a pretty fancy in racing and rouge-et-noir, and thinga were looking very blue indaed. Just then Hawfcrey, at the Globe, received ' Tho Arabian Nights ' from Sydney Grundy, It had been knooking about from manager to manager for nine years ; he produced it ; it was a huge success, and the Hawtreys were in fortune again."

"The Red Husaar" is to be translated into French and produced at one of the Paris theatres. We are turning the tables with a vengeance. Formerly comic opera waa always imported from abroad. Now we not only manufacture the article but export it, on an increasing scale. Mr and Mrs Kendal, the English artist*, who (says the Baltimore Sun of March 26) have boen playing an engagement in the principal cities of this country this season, eeem to have met with decided financial success. A London dispatch says they remitted 100,000dol last week for investment as a result of their efforts on this side of the water.^ And they will gather in considerable additional before the season concludes.

"As You Like It " has caught on wonderfully at the St. James 1 , and Mrs Langtry's Rosalind, good from the first, may now be pronounced the best wo have seen for 10 years, Anyone who pays a visit to the Alhambra, and is in time fcosea? the ballet of " Asmodeus," will be struck by the immense improvement in dancing during the last few years, particularly among the coryphees. Formerly all that wan expected from a ballet girl waa that aha should be ablo to move hor legs more or less gracaf ully, and more or leßS — generally loss— in time to the music. Now, however, not only does sue dance with grace, bo far as lega are concerned, but pbe ha^i actually acquirod the knowledge thai, the movements of the body and arms are almost, if not quite, as important in good dancing as those of the legs ; and in many cases that knowledge baa bloasomed into per-

formance. We oannot expeot the ordinary ballet girl to approach within measurable distance of such admirable performers as Miss Sylvia Grey and Miss Letty Lind ; still, they have already learned much, and a ballet no longer inflicts tortures upon those spectators who know what dancing should be. To read T. W. Robertson's plays h to invite a pityiDg wonder at the facility of one's own emotions in the artificial light of the theatre. Written down on paper, " Caste " laoks pathos and " Sohool " has little wit ; yet when Esther Eccles refuses to let her baby bo taken away, we have Been men and women weeping around üb, and havo (if we were fit for much) wanted to weep with them. And all she says is, " You forget that I am a mother. Do you dare to offer to buy my child— his breathing image ; his living memory — with money ? (Crosses to door R., and throws it open.) There is the door — go I " This is human nature, but not literature. But with Shakespeare, and Moliere, and Goldsmith, for that mattor, it is a diff eront story. — The Speaker

London has a resident population of nearly 1600 professional orohestral instrumentalists. Of this total nearly 700 are violinists.

Italian editors are having a hard time translating Buffalo Bill's name. One of them worked over it for a whole afternoou, and then announced it in the sporting extra as " Oompas?nie Americana di Gulielmo Bufalo Oci identale Selvaggio " (the troupe of William Buffalo Savage West). Another, more concise in style, hit it aB "Suo Capo c Gulielmo il Bufalo" (its chief is William the Buffalo).

In regard to the Arabella Goddard benefit (says " Gharubino ") it ia impossible not to place Borne importance upon tho letter issued by her sou, Mr Henry Daviaon. The fact waß well known that tho children of the late musical critic of the Times were left moro or loss amply provided for, and it was not clear for what reason a public appeal was made on behalf of Madame Arabella Goddard. Mr Henry Davison, however, declares, "My mother's relatives are both able and willing to help her. The testimonial waa started without their knowledge and proceeded with against their wishes." Madame Goddard's children are therefore exculpated from any suspicion of nqglect in the matter. They wero perfectly willing to help their mother iv her illnosß, Somo of Madame Goddard's friends, however, proferred to raise a testimonial instead, and tuoao who likod to subscribe were, of couree, quito at liberty to do bo. The subscription, apart from the proceeds of the concert and a private fund raised by Mrs Roche, now, I believe, exceeds £600.

Mr John Gill, who for 20 years has occupied the post of secretary to the Royal Academy of Music, has just resigned that post. Mr Gill ijj, and long has been, immensely popular in musical circles, and the practical assistance he gave many years ago in reorganising the Academy, and fixing it on its present basis, can never be forgotten. In tho course of a speech made afc a private dinner given to him before leaving London for Australia, Sir Charles Hall^ gave a highly interesting account of the difficulties which he had to surmount while engaged in establishing his famous Manchester orchestra. When he first went to Manchester there were only 24 players in tha town capable of taking part in orchestral concerts. He wanted 40 more performers, but they declined to settle in Manchester during the winter unless £150 each were guaranteed them, which was accordingly done. The enterprise has since gradually extended, bo that at the present time the Manchester band consists of 101 players, and co3ta £7168.a year, which sum is guaranteed by the concert subscriptions before each season in Manchester starts

Shakespeare has made a conquest of the people of St. Petersburg. At one of the principal theatres Signor Rossi is delighting large audiences by his noble representation of Hamlet. Needless to add that it is an Italian version he is appearing in ; while at another house the Saxe-Meningen Company is augmenting its already great reputation by a series of performances which it is said have never been equalled as regards the mise en scene. The Dowag er Marchioness of Downshire has written the libretto, and Lady Arthur Hill has composed the music ; of a two-act operetta, called " The Ferry Girl," which will be performed during the season

Mr DOyly Oarte haa returned to London, having settled the trouble concerning the faulty production of "The Gondoliers" in New York. The work has now baen given by other companies in America with a far greater success than at first, and Mr Oarte, on leaving New York, also expressed a hope that Sir Arthur Sullivan's new serious opera would eventually be produced in the States by one of his companies.

Henry Irving, who has more than once been accused of not giving contemporary Eaglish playwrights a fair show, apparently means to have his reproach in that reapeot taken away, At any rate it is said that he will open his next season at the Lyceum with a new piece by Herman Merivale.

The New York World prints an alleged interview with Sir Arthur Sullivan, Apart from certain expressions of opinion which, if ever uttered in the form published were probably never intended for print, Sir Arthur is alleged to have said that he and Mr Gilbert had sold their rights in the American production of " The Gondoliers " to Mr DOyly Oarte for a fixed sum, and that the author and composer participate only after the receipts attain a certain figure. He also said that he would begin a new opera as soon as Mr Gilbert returns from India, but that in future "we shall not take the trouble to secure an American copyright." Perhaps, however, on second thoughts, (he two Savoy partners will change their minds. " Clarissa " atthe Vaudeville ia now preceded by a little one-act piece with tho title of " Meadow Sweet," by a lady author (Miss Prevoat) who calls herself "Terra Cotta." It is a simple affair and rather amateurish, but decidedly pretty. Meadow Sweet is the nickname of Margery Meadows, a farmer'a niece, engaged to his son John, who has gone to London as a bank clerk. He returns home with all the manners of a cockney cad, professes contempt for his former rural associations, and jilts his betrothed. Two town friends, Fred and Julia Topliff, have accompanied him on his visit, and he makes love to Julia, who rejects him in withering terms. Fred meanwhile is enchanted with rustic Margery, who smiles upon him, and the curtain falls upon the total discomfiture of John.