WELLINGTON WING WHISPERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2104, 21 June 1894, Page 37

WELLINGTON WING WHISPERS.

By P. Rompteb. Wellington, June 16.

Dear Fasquik, — Quiet, very quiet. The "buz, buz !"' begins next Friday with the introduction of "Charley's Aunt." Monday night last was stormy, yet the Royal Variety Troupe beheld a good number of their ban-ackers in front of them when the Opera House curtain went up. It is one of oar numerous bands of amateur would-be variety artists, who meet in a gym. fo work off a weekly store of enthus., a,ncl like all such performances, the programme was patchy. The work of many and good rehearsals is knocked kitehigh when the footlights, limelights, and " human optics " glare upon the " talent" with all the magnifying power of such things in the minds of the nervous ones. Nearly all the participants clothe themselves for the benefit of the programme in fancy sanies and borrowed "clobber," and an amusing part of such productions is the unrehearsed express'ons of the fancy ones when, during, a pin-dvop silence, a shrill voice rises from way back in the pit, crying, "What O, Bill!" or "Hallo, Bob! you've b,ad you're 'air cut!" Bill looks as solemn as a dead oyster, whilst the rest of the circle snu'les ; and Bob, when his torn comes, looks as if he'd like to give a reply, and ho consequently comes near losing his cue. In the Royal Variety Tro.upe's affair, M. Emile Lazern intended no slight to h,i^ audience in giving sleight-of-hand hie., andF. Jones showed that he can juggle and shower more balls than Provo— but, he can't to,uch Mons. P. anywhere else in that line. His bia was the best thing in the show. Of the others, Leonard Brothers, tumbled and 'saulted and trapezed, E Read gave funny studies in black, I\. Allison sang, and so did Thor.ub.ill, Rjead, Kennan, and Paul, and the last two named formed a song and dance team,. A lively medley and also a tableau formed the tail-p'ece. B Duvalli, well known in his connection with circus and trapeze work, is to be given a bene8t next Wednesday in the Exchange Hall by a strong variety combination of local talent ! headed by E.D.s old chum, Roselle. Our Amateur Oporatic Society, whose last production wa,s, " The Monarch of Utopia," by Bridge and Jones, have, "The Mikado. in active rehearsal for early production. The principal characters in the opera are cast like this : — The Mikado ... Mr W. Ross Pooh-Bah Mr G. Parsons Ko-Ko ' - ... ' MrW.D. Lyon Nanki-Poo *. Mr G. H. Munt Pish-Tush MrA.E. Mabin, Katisha ... Miss Newton Pitti-Sing Miss Curtice Peep-Bo Miss Hand Yum- Yum (Undecided). The society gave a very successful season with " The Mikado " some years ago. The energetic manager of our Saturday " pops " is bringing out talent which has hitherto been hiding itself under the bushel' of private affairs This is owing to the all-powerful ".sufficient inducement" being offered, which bait few can resist, The consequence is the pops, are really popular, and are looked forward to by m,ony who like their tit-bit • programme as well as their tit-bit magazine and newspaper. Leila "Air-dare" went up from the Hutt in her balloon on Wednesday afternoon, but didn't rise to the occasion, and came down a bit quicker'n she went up. There were several iuutow escapes from accident, but not in the air.

Th,e Al Minstrels, who hold a couple of seanjees. per week on the boards of the Exchange Hall, brought out their wonderful midget — '.'General Mite"— on Monday. Whilst claiming to, b.e the smallest man in the world, he did not hesitate to fill tho interloc's chair, give a couple of sougfl, one of 'em being "Were I only tall enough," and naturally took a small part in a sketch. Miss Rosy Wilson, a i\cw dancer, grew rosy through a hearty reception ; J. F Smith showed what' a m,ighty m.an ia the smith when he takes, to weightJifting ; T. Woods danced on wood ; the audionoe couldn't stand Miss Levin leaving *era after singing, especially as. aha was shepherded, I mean cHiette,d,T>y Mias Shepherd, who sang "Twelve months ago to-night" (I don't know whether Miss 8, really was singing 12 months ago to-night, but she sang it, anyhow — I mean anyway, that is to say, she did sing it Monday). G H. Salisbury's "Good-bye" was the "sQldjer'B," nofe the BipgeA-'a.

Folks about town this week aro inquiring as to the quality of the new brand of cigars in the market, and they aro told they will find them to be of the best quality. Close examination proves the picture of the burning weed to be a " Charley's Aunt" bill.

Mr L. J. Lohr came up from tho south on Thursday, and is busy getting things fixed up for the Arnold- Thornton season, which opens here on Friday evening next. The latest gag in town is " Oh, Lohr ! Oh, Lohr !"

Another minstrel show in this district, indigenous to suburban gymnasiums, is called the Lower Hutt Tuis, and they are all he's, not only two, as the name infers Please don't miss the goke ! At to-night's v " pop" Mr J. Stuart-Allan, "artist and humourist," will recite two of his own humorous poems, which were published in the Bulletin. Mr J. E. Read will be heard as a, vocalist for the first time since his return from Otherside, and will also recite Hood's well-known poem, "Tho Dream of Eugene Aram, m the reciting of which he won the gold medal at the Wellington Exhibition. On Thursday, I understand, Miss Carrie Fischer and Messrs H. Linden and Walter Haybittle left for your city, where- they are engaged to give tho comedietta "Ruth's Secret" at your "pops." This piece was given by them at tho Skating Rink " pop " on Wednesday evening. The Post on tho production says : " Tho experiment cannot be regarded as a success, and this not from fault of the performers, but of their surroundings. In a city audience accustomed to stage accessories, tho performance of a comedietta on a bare platform in their midst would rcquiro tho genius of a Bornhardt to make it acceptable, and then it would be ' rough on tho genius.' " Tho Weslcyan Church at Masterton is running a scries of sixpenny "pops " very successfully. They are up to date in tho Wairarapa. A new theatre is projected in Wanganui, where one is badly wanted. It is proposed to form a company, with £5000 capital in £1 shares, the building to bo 100 ft by 66ft in size, and situated at tho corner of Wicksteed street. From Masterton again comes the information that the Theatro Royal is being converted (is that right ?) into shops This seems a natural sequence to 6d " pops " being run by a church. A balance sheet just published in connection with the recent three-nights' season of tho Ama'eur Dramatic Students shows that the total receipts for the three nights' performances amounted to £189 4s 6d, while tho expenses were £128 3s, leaving a credit balance of £61 Is to bo oqualiy divided amongst the institutions interested— the hospital, the sailors' rest, and the academy of fine arts.

Professor Montague, illusionist, who arrived from Australia by the Waihora the other day, will open his season at the Criterion Theatre on Monday evening, and thereafter will have entertainments on each afternoon and evening. His chief attraction is an illusion called "Galatea," in which a statue changes hefore the eyes of the audience into a living woman, who answers questions and then changes again to a grinning skeleton. There are also other illusions, and hesides these Mr Montague gives short seances of ventriloquism and conjuring. Small charges are made for admission. Australian papers speak highly of his capabilities as an entertainer, and I havo heard privately the professor is " real good."