AUSTRALIAN STAGE GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2083, 25 January 1894, Page 37

AUSTRALIAN STAGE GOSSIP.

(Special to the Otago Witness.)

Dear Pasquin, — That lawyer gentleman— not Marks — who was suffering some time back with a fit of Big Head, and wanted to see himself in opera, has returned to Sydney.

I met Cecil R. Sorrell (of the M'LeanNorman Dramatic Company) last week. He was passing through Sydney on his way to Adelaide to arrange for coming seasons in that city, Broken Hill, and Melbourne. He reports splendid business right through the country. The company arrived in Sydney on Wednesday, January 10, 1894. The principals include Miss Blanche Lewis (last through Maoriland with Bland Holt's company in 1889, when she played Minnie Doone and Laura Swaine in "Ruling Passion," Ethel Arden in "The Union Jack," Eunice and Bel Lorimer — her best character of the tour — in " New Babylon," and Rassamazy in M The Golden Ladder," a part played by Miss Virginia Vivienne in Holt's tour of '91), Miss Alice M.ay, little Ivy S(Ott», Meßßra Augustus Glover, Cyril Kneightley (of " Bail Up " fame), and Herbert Ashton. Tue company open at Adelaide Theatre Royal on January 20 in " Cinders," with Miss May in the name part. Mr Lachlan M 'Go wan joins the company for the present tour.

At Bellini's down-the-h&rbour concerts: Nellie Watson, Clara Roberts, Mabel Staunton, Arthur Farley (the basso), Goodhead, Rowley, and Murray, and the Imperial Orchestra of 15 performers. Broken Hill Theatre Royal was burned to the ground on Thursday, January 11. The building, which cost £2500, was insuied in two offices for £1750. Paddy M'Mahon was lessee, and the Bank of New South Wales owners. The last company to play in this theatre was Collet Dobson's Dramatic Company three weeks ago. A. L. Cunard was at one time a sub-lessee.

At Melbourne Princess pantomime "Red Riding Hood." The most striking item introduced into the three acts is tfie performance of Senor Juan Caicedo on the slack-wire rope. This astonishing acrobat goes through almost seemingly impossible feats. He turns somersaults on the wire (which is only £in in diameter), alighting on his feet, runs and stands still on it with the utmost ease, and balances himself with and without a pole, as if be were walking in Collins street. He arouses the enthusiasm of the audience to a very high pitch. D'Orsay Ogden's Dramatic Company played Chrißtmas week at Newcastle with "Tempted" and "Nevada" to fair business. Carew Reynell, the business manager, deserves a word of praise for his untiring efforts.

Miss Jessie Middleton, recently returned from a four years' study of music at Leipsic, contemplates giving a concert in Sydney in a few months' time, and after that will probably go on a tour with Bessie Doyle. E. J. Lonnen, one of the best character song-and-dance artists that ever laid foot in Maoriland, has been interviewed by a correspondent of the actors' Bible— London Era. In the interview he tries to be funny — same old Ally-Sloper-penny-a-time kind of fun. It is all about / in general and myself iv particular. Lonnen is his real name. His father assumed that of Champion. Charles Mathers was engaged by his father to play small towns ; but the engagement was a frost. Teddy played a speaking part iv a panto, when five years old. He was also the baby in " East Lynne." "In fact," says Lonnen, "/ have played the whole round of juvenile parts. Ouce when HiaS Jennie Wilmore, a well - known burlesque actress, was a member of our company, we were playing • Fra Diavolo.' My father came "to me and said I must play Zerlina that night. / protested, but he insisted— there was no help for it, and so I was made up in a fair wig, and so on. 1 was at that time a slic, girlish-look-ing lad of about 13, with a good soprano voice, and I came through the ordeal easily. There were bets made in front aa to whether I was a boy or girl." Lonnen remembers at Barnstaple Fair — E. J. L. was a booth performer for some years — taking part in 12 performances daily — that is to say, he has played in 24 pieces, for each performance consisted of a farce and drama, engaged in 12 broadsword combats, sung between the pieces and danced in 12 seta of quadrilles

on the platform outside the booth, meantime exhorting the yokels to walk up. E. J. says booth actors are straight, respectable, and kindly people. Lonnen was a booth actor. At 20 he was with Barry Sullivan at the Ampitheatre, Liverpool. After an engagement with Edward Terry — during which he played Tootles in "Weak Woman"' and the Dougal Creature, Royce's old part iv, " Robbing Roy " — he made a hit *iv a Liverpool pantomime with Frank Emery. After getting a name as a burlesque actor ho went to London to play Tancred in " Falka." Then camo his engagement with the Gaiety Company. When tho transfer of " Dorothy " from the Gaiety to the Prince of Wales Theatre took place Mr Arthur Williams was engaged to continue his performance of I Lurcher, and the Prince of Wales management lent Lonnen to the Gaiety for the remainder of his engagement. • At Bondi Aquarium : Rose Gordon, L. James, Lionel Lambert, R. Fitzgerald, W. Neilson, T. C. Ambrose, C. Beetham, H. Leliot, R. Busch, and T. W. Rhodes. John Bennett, who is running the Ed. Farley Opera Company at Sydney Imperial Opera House, waß at one time lessee of the old Victoria Theatre. Walter Price is a native of Nelson, Maoriland. He was educated at Nelson College. He once followed the occupation of a draper's counter-jumper. Lives by his wits — the comedian. ! Gourlay and Walton closed their pantomime season at Sydney Royal on Friday, January 12. The Howe and Spong combination opens in" Sydney Theatre Royal to-morrow, Saturday, January 13, with Arthur Shirley's sensational drama "A Grip of Iron." The piece will be very strongly cast, included in the company being Miss Hilda Spong (lead), Mrs Irve Hayman, Miss Flora Hastings (of the Gourlay and Walton Musical Comedy Company), Walter Howe, Mr Irve Hayman, and Mr George Walton. Only three of the above go to Maoriland. Of the leading members Miss Hilda Spong, the star of the new company, made her first appearance upon any stage #ith the BroughBoucicault Comedy Company at Sydney Criterion Theatre in 1889. With the same company in May 1891 she played Alice Marshall in "The Butler," and in November of the same year Bella in Robertson's " School." In July 1892 Miss Spong scored heavily as Titania in the big Rignold production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in the Melbourne Princess Theatre, which secured for her a long engagement in Mr George Rignold's (Sydney) Her Majesty's Dramatic Company. Miss Spong was chosen by Messrs Williamson and Musgrove to support Mr Terry during his Australian tour. " Good old Jimmy " Cathcait (at present with the Dan Barry Dramatic Company), who will meet with a very hearty reception ; A. E. Greenaway, a member of Walter Bentley's company of 1892 ; Scot Inglis (then with Gourlay and Walton), Faberb, Miss Ida Gre^hain, and Miss Flora Anstead (round with the Holt Company of 1891, when she she played Mrs Peckaby in "The Golden Ladder " — a part played by Miss Carrie George in Holt's tour of '89), also join this company. Of the pieces to be played on tour one is a fouract drama written by Mark Melford (author-of "Turned Up," "The Pickpocket," &c.) entitled " FJying From Justice." This drama was produced at the Theatre Royal, Sydney, on July 13, 1891, with the following strong cast : — John Lacarsey George Rignold J. Haldane Gully William Rignold (a renowned criminal) Chas. Bearing (a student) A. E Greenaway Major Parkes H. R. Jewett (late of the army) Jim Kimber(a poacher) J. W. Hazlitt Pearley Tanner Joe Tolano Woodruff Stirling Whyte Adler ... ' H. Middleton Inspector Paddock J.W.Sweeney Pevitt (butler) George Dobbyn Llewellyn Frank Harcourt W^eler} larders { ± £ls£g Barker (constable) Arthur Rigby D. Pierce \ tw^Hvph / ~ Martindale D. Krunch/ detectives -^ F.Foster Sergeant Stoutt Chas. Burford Mildred Parkes Miss Watts Phillips (Major's daughter) Winnie Bradley Edith Bland (" Pride of the Dale ") Mrs Bearing Mabel Tracey (mother of Charles)

•' Harbour Lights " (by the Leitch-M'Mahon Company in 1889), "A Grip of Iron," •♦Stolen Kisses," "Saint and Sinners," also be in the repertoire. W. H. Seagrave, advance agent of the HoweSponge Company, will be with you next week. He was through Maorilaud as business manager with Bland Holt in 1889, playing Dr Theophilus Erasmus D wining in "The Ruling Passion," Ezra Laz&reck, of the Long Firm (a very good performance), in "New Babylon"; Mr John Grant and Captain Jackson of H.M.S. Holdfast in " The Golden Ladder." His last trip through your colony was in 1891, also wifcb Mr Holt, playiDg the Major in " London Day by Day," Patrick Desmond in " The Bells of Haslemere," and his old part in " The Golden Ladder," where in scene 2, " exterior of the mission house by moonlight" (a splendid scene), in the second act, " Daddy " used to fetch the house by storm. It is where the hero, Frank Thornhill (W. Howe), surrounded by enemieß and apparently in a very tight place, stands alone, accused and declared guilty of a cowardly crime, and is about to be taken away and shot by a French officer and his men. Just when things look hopeless, to the quick tap of a march on the drums an English naval captain (W. H. Seagrave) and his marines arrive on the scene. " Thornhill is my prisoner," says the Frenchman. "Is he? Then damme, &ir, come aboard my ship and take him ! " says the Englishman ; and it can be dimly imagined how the house takes such a climax.

A. L. Cunard (through Maoriland with Harvey's Minstrels in 1892) is now in Adelaide.

Sydney Alhambra Music Hall is advertised as vacantnow. Billy Barlow (of " Blue-tail fly" fame) is not showing at this hall ; and .another thing, never was, which may be news to a certain writer in in a North Island (Maoriland) paper. Perhaps he "had a letter" from Billy, and the latter was doing " a leetle bit of kid," to use a slang word, as that certain writer puts it (no Frinch, pleese). For tho benefit of that certain — in more ways than one — writer, I would inform him that Miss Cecily Staunton did not tour Maoriland with Gourlay and Walton.

I am quite sure no actor makes a good position and is capable of maintaining it who has not had his experience of roughing it. Genius is a fine thing no doubt ; but how are you to acquire versatility — how are you to acquire the technique of the stage, except by hard work and constant practice ? Look round the stage, and name a smgle actor who has reached the top of the tree without climbing. It often makes me cross when an understudy takes his principal's part. He may bo a clever mimic, and having had every opportunity to do so, he may succeed in making people think, as they often do, that the copy is every bit as good as the original. But what would the young chap — assuming, as I am assuming, that he is an inexperienced actor of the new school — have

been able to do with the part had there been no original for him to copy? I always feel that I should like to say, •• There you monkeyed Mr Arthur Roberts very well; to-night. To-morrow I shall want you to play Cassio "—and so on, through one of the old-fashioned " lines " of character. I think that would puzzle my gentleman, hey ?—? — E, J. Lonnon, iv London Era.

The clever Gardner Family of five musicians— John A., George (late conductor Adelaide Royal Orchestra), Fred, Andrew, and Miss Minnie— all soloists.

November 27, 1893, was the 50th anniversary of the first production in London of Balfe's favourite opera, " The Bohemian Girl." Two performances of this popular work were given on the above dabe— one by Sir Augustus Harris at Drury Lane, and one by the Carl Rosa Opera Company at the Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh. " The Greatest Entrepreneur in the World." — Raymond Blathwayt, the king of interviewers, on R. S. Smythe. Succi bhe faster is insane. Arthur Lawrence, for a long time a member of Brough and Boucicault's Comedy Company, is now supporting Minnie Madden Fiske in "Hester Crewe," under A. M. Palmer's management, in New York. When Barnum told Phcebe Carey that the skeleton and fat woman were married, she replied: — " I suppose they loved through thiok and thin." Looking at bhe curiosibies in the museum she became so absorbed in watching a large anaconda that she walked off the bop stair of a flight and fell. Barnum was just able bo catch her and save her from a severe bruising. " I am more lucky than the first woman who fell through bhe influence of a serpent," said Phcebe.

In a recent number of "Great Thoughts" may be seen an account of an evening at the Savage Club with Mr R. S. Smythe, " who perhaps more than any other man living has provided for the mirth, pleasure, and instruction of the two hemispheres." The much-tra-velled manager, who is such a familiar figure in every city in Australasia, is desoribed as "a short, broad-skouldered man, with a singularly humorous face, a laugh in his eye, and a neverfailing quaintness and dryness of expression, all of which things lend a peculiar fascination to his conversation." The interview is illustrated by an excellent likeness of Mr Smybhe, from a photograph by Morris, of Dunedin, whose portrait of "the man who found Emm Pasha " was declared by Mrs Stanley to be the best ever taken.

Miss Marietta Nash (Mrs George Lauri), who made her Sydney debut in the name part in "Jack the Giant Killer" at Sydney Her Majesty's, arrived in Australia from America with Mr Lauri for the production of " The Merry Monarch " at Melbourne Princess little over a year ago. Miss Nash appeared as Follow the Drum in " The Old Guard" at the same house, and is now seen in burlesque, the line of character with which she was identified in England. In tho United States she played Teddy iv " The Bunch of Keys," and made a hit as Cabby in " The Family Help" (Mr Lauri playing Finnigan Fluffy). These pieces and " Turned Up " formed a repertoire which lasbed a five years' engagemenb under Willie Edouin's management. Miss Nash is sprightly, and is said to have a reputation as a dancer.

I see Miss Kate Bishop is at present in Maoriland. One of her best characters was, I think, as Lillian Grant in "The Golden Ladder," with the Holt company at Sydney Royal in '91. Mrs Bland Holt played this part in the Maoriland tour in '89. Another of her characters was Violet Chester in " London Day by Day" (also played in Maoriland by Mrs Holt In 1891).— Yours truly, B. S. Poverty Point, January 12.