AUSTRALIAN STAGE GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2111, 9 August 1894, Page 37

AUSTRALIAN STAGE GOSSIP.

(Special to the Otaoo Witness ) Deah Pasquin.— l have another old cast of " His Last Legs " for you this week— not quite as old perhaps at the ono I sent you last week, but for talont this is about equal. You remember that great tragic actress Miss Genevieve Ward — " Once known, I allow no one to fo-get me." — " Forget-me-Not," Act I. — and her premier company, which included the celebrated English actor Mr W. H. Vernon, that now clever "old-woman" actress Flora Anstead, Miss Bentley, Mr Edwards, and others. Old John Liddy (who died in Brisbane) was advance agent, Signor G. A. Agrati managed in Miss Ward's interests, and each production was under the superintendence of W. H. Veraon. One of their bills consisted of Charles Reade's exquisite two-act comedy " Nance Oldfield." Nance Oldfield Miss Genevieve Ward followed by tho sleep walking scene from "m" m Macbeth," and concluding with the following cant of "His Last Legs " O'Callaghan (" on his last legs ") W. H. Vernon Kivers A.R.Laurence Charles o. Fenton Dr Banks 11. W. Bennett John A. Darvill Richard Montgomery Mrs Montague Miss Nellie Veitch Julia Miv, Roland Watts-Phillips The above company played through Maoriland in ISBS. "Uncle Tom's Cabin" helps the ghost to walk regularly at Sydney Her Maiesty's. Marshall's and Bailey's Bijou Dramatic Company, Li strong, is now .travelling Victoria. Repertoire; "The Guvnor," " The Vagabond," " Our Girls," and " A Ring of Iron " (which Holloway's Company produced in Maoriland in '93). Jack Hall— son of the comedian John L. —is a member. Miss Fanny Thynne (Mrs Harry Marshall) receives flattering notices for her Ned in "The Vagabond." The company played to good business at Mudgee last week. Bananaland to follow. Madame Belle Colo and party open in Sydney about tho end of Aiigust. The Brough-Boucicault Company, at Brisbane, produced for the first timo in Australia "The Sportsman," a thros-act farce comedy, adapted by Mr W. Lestocq from tho "Monsieur Chasse" of M. Georges Feydeau. The hero of the play, says the Courier, is a gambler who stoops to dangerous deception to gratify his passion, and, once his excuse for absence from home is proved false, he becomes the suspect of a jealous wife. She leaves home, and as she throws herself on the protection of a former sweetheart, opportunities are given for piling up a series of complications which are the essence of life of all farcical comedies. The Leumane Opera Company now in South Australia includes Misses Tasma, Shorwin, M. Lewis, Hetty Patey, and Darbyshire, Messrs P. C. Joseph, Middleton, G. Sutton, and Edgar Allan. Dr Conan Doyle's hero, Sherlock Holmes, has been put into a "psychological drama" by a Mr Charles Rodgers. The piece was produced at Glasgow a month or two ago, and is said to havo considerable merit. By press clippings received I notice that the , Montague-Turner Company have taken to comio opera, and are playing Girofle-Girofla." i "Under the Gaslight" was staged at the Melbourne Royal on Saturday, July 21, by the Holloway Company. Maud Williamson was : rather mechanical as the heroine Laura. The be.st i piece of work in the show was Julie Merton's Old Judos, while Melville as Pyke, a New York , mystery, was thoroughly villainous. Wall , Rockley and Clarence Lyndon get in good turns i in the Dossers' Concert Hall scene. Cunard has a show in Noumea consisting of himself and wife, Professor Seguy, and Altro (who was through Maoriland about three years i ago with Lauton and Jensen's show). Garner's Company is up Newcastle way with "Jane." ; Albert Norman and Blanch Lewis are up Thursi day Island way playing " Cinders." The amusement season is drawing to a close, i and in another week New York will be alive with , tramp actors who gather hero on the Rialto, ■ which is in Union square, to make engagements for the coming year. One thousand eight hundred and ninty-four has not been a prosperous season either for the actors or managers. Many have been htranded on the road, and if it had not been for the actors' fund, which has disbursed many thou- , sands of dollars assisting those who were in dis- , tress, there would have been much suffering which, by the fund's aid, has been happily avoided. Sophie Harris (Paola in "La Mascotte," and Follesamours in "Olivette," or "Wife Or No Wife)", in Maoriland with W., G., and M.'s Royal Comic Opera Comic Company 1884, at ono time reported dead, h however alive and high kicking in Anderson's Extravaganza Company in the States. J. C. Williamson was her sponsor for the engagement, and Sophie is making a big "biff" with the American public. Brough and Boucicault are at Melbourne Princess. Gus Gregory and Walhalla reappeared with Gogill Brothers' Company at Melbourne Bijou on Saturday, July 28. Other artists include Daphne Perrier, Alf Holland, Amy Rowe, Lorrie St. George, Jack Matlock, Emmie Morrison, Flossio Forde, Ettie Williams, Pope and Sayles, Charles Cogill, Gray and Abbott sisters, Harry Cogill, George A. Jones, Clarence Lyndon, Les Tines, Allan Kerr. Isabel Webster (Mrs Will Perman), and Stella Esdaile. At Melbourne Alhambra Priss Verne, Daisy Chard, Alma Grey, Billy Speed, Wall Rockley, Frank Wyatt, Harry Bixter, John Wadley, Alice Davenport, Lillie Octavia, Joe Verner, and Proyo. Rignold's last revival of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was at Her Majesty's in September 1888. Then Mr Rignold took somo slight liberty with the original story, and, we consider, wisely cut some of the lugubrious passages, and adhered more particularly to the powerful dramatic incidents afforded by the escape of Eliza and her husband, George Harris, from the slave States to Canada, where they were joined by Uncle Tom, thus avoiding the tragic episode of Uncle Tom's death. In the present version Mr Rignold re-introduces the scene showing the death of Uncle Tom. Mr John Brunton has lllustrite 1 the acts with appropriate scenery, notabie.stagepicturesbeingthefrozen Ohio in Act I. " A Rocky Defile" in Act 11, "The Slave Market, in the fourth act, and " The Cotton Plantation." The fir-st uc, showing the escape of Eliza, was particularly ■\yell done by the actors engaged, and the large audience applauded vigorously. The conclusion uf the second act, where Geoige Harris stands atjbay, and, assisted by Van Tromp, topples Tom Loker over into the abyss, raised great applause, as it ever docs. The death of Little Eva was .shown in a manner more realistic than we have ever before .seen here. '1 he anguish of the father and old Uncle Tom, the group of sorrowing slaves kneeling at the bedside, the deatli of the child, and the effects revealing the descent of the angel?, proved solemn and impressive, the audience bieaking into demonstiative approval, and the curtain had to be twice raised, Again, the slave market at New Orleans was done full justice to. The interpretation, says Sydney R' feree, was distinctly good. Now take another criticism : — Take out half a dozen from the cast and the performers are at a very low temperature, and save .some scraps of pKntatioii tongs unaccompanied, the so-called " jubilee " music suffers severely George Turner's screechy falsetto Eets the audience giggling when they are supposed to be lachrymose at little Eva's approaching exclusion to the sweet by-and-bye, bomuwherc up in the Hie^, and thing* are almost as bad during the " Rock of Age-," tableau at the '. finish. As the^o apotheoses are very perfect l y proI duced, and in a way out of the usual, it is a bit of

mismanagement especially kickablo. Wo had hoped that after the firut night's anxiety had been got over all tho mistakes would have been rectified, but there they are just as fine and large. Three most amiable-looking dogs— half bred St. Bernards— wag their tails pleasantly, and turn glances of friendly greeting on as they recognise people in the stalls. These are supposed to be the I rierco bloodhounds hunting down the fugitive son of bondage, and the episode evokes a roar of derisive laughtor. Things arc generally so very realistic at Her Majesty's that we wonder at you, George — indeed we do, and why in the name of common sense and raised prices don't you got some singers who can sing? A shilling ad. would have brought you a stage full to pick from. Gus Bruno, Amurkan burnt cork comedian, made his Australian debut with Rickards's Tivoli Company on Saturday, July 2B. George H. Woods arrives in September. It is only a few weeks ago since the announcement was made of the marriage of Lillian Russell, the peerless queen of light opera, a>"d Signor Periguini, otherwiso known as Jack Chatterton. At the time I had my doubts as to whether if the marriage was likely to prove either pemiMient or happy. She had tried marriage twice before. Tho first was with Dave Braham, Harrigan's brother-in-law, and leader and author of all the Mulligan Guard music, and in fact all the music that has been used in Harrigan's Irish pieces for the past 20 years. She left Braham, and ran away to England with Teddy Solomons, a Jew, and also quite a nnuician. She found after a time that Teddy had an English wife, a daughter of the tribe of Judah. So she threw Teddy overboard and sued for a divorce. Braham sued for a divorce and got it when sho ran off with Teddy Solomons, which forbade her ever marrying again in the Stato of New York while Mr Braham lives. When sho procured divorce from Teddy Solomons, almost before the the ink was dry on the decree she had made arrangoments to marry Jack Chatterton, and she wanted to have the ceremony take place at her own house, but the decree of the court stood in the way, so, at tho last moment, the pair jumped into a carriage, drove over to New Jersey, the knot was tied, and they drove back to Miss llus.se l's home, and there bad a superb dinner and received the congratulations of their friends. Alas I alas ! the orange blossoms had scarcely faded from her queenly brow with number three, when she throws the faded wreath into the waste-basket and stands ready for number four ? Having tried the experiment three times, is she not satisfied that marriage is n failure ? Jack Ohattorton is, or he would not give her up. They did not exchange a word off tho stage for two weeks prior to the close of their engagement, and as Jack was supposed to bo her ardent lover in the piece in which they were playing," Girofle Giroila," itwasoxcrutiatingly funny to thcauclience who know the relations of thepartiesto see them making themost ardent love to each other, when they were ready to scratch each others' eyes out. Matters came to a climax on Saturday ni*ht, when the love duet was to bo sung which is one of the gems of tho opera, when Jack Cha tcrton sent word to his manager that he would not sing that love duet with Miss Russell. The manager was paralysed ; Miss Russell was furious. But it was no use. Jack would not sing, and there the matter ended. They part company this week never to meet. Jack has had all he wants, and Lillian has had enough for the present. So ends their dream. Royal Comic Opera Company open in Sydney Lyceum on Saturday, August 4, in Paul Jones." George Jones and Ettie Williams rejoined Sydney Tivoli on Saturday, July 28. "An Unequal Match" was originally produced in November 1857. The present cast of the Spong Company at Sydney Criterion in Tom Taylor's bright three-act comedy is as follows :— Harry Arncliffo A. G. Groenaway Blenkinsop Harry Lestcn fair Sowerby Honeywood W. Ilohnan Captain Chillingham A. Cochrano Boerhaave Botcherby C JTaberfc Tofts... R.Watson Grazebrook A. J. Ivimey HerrDummkopfc J. Staik Hester Grazebrook Hilda Spong MrsMontressor Fitzmaurice Gill LadyCurlewis Mara Renison Lady Honeywood Ina Laurence Miss Leech Ada Clinton Bessie Hibblethwaite Fanny Wiseman Gilbert's mythological comedy "Pygmalion and Galatea" was revived on Saturday, July 21. From an Adelaide paper :—" The footballers threw Jennie Lee a painted football at the Theatro Royal on Thursday night, and the little woman marked it just near the footlights. Then she tried to give Cambourne a free kick, but he mulled it. Lester, on the wing, was given a try, but tho company were not equal to football requirements, ami the curtain fell just as Jennie was trying to shark." The following is the list of characters in the Costume Football Match :— Female Characters : C. W. Cogill as Mdlle Bartho H. P. Cogill as Little Eva Martyn lLigan as Mrs Ally Sloper Irving Sayles as Blackvillc Belle A. G. Poulton as Aunt Eliza Sydney Deane as Red Riding Hood Eddie Simpson as Mrs Moriarty Wall Rockley as Coloured Woman Arthur Lissant as Aunt Crazy Or. Majeroui as ltcbecoa W. Hassan as Donkey Stannis Leslie as Washerwoman W. Ncilson as Penelope J. S Watson as Serpentine Dancer W. Rice as Rosutte (Ma Mie) G Francisco as Ophelia W. Beaumont as Nancy Lee Fred Young as A Donah It Rammage as Topsy U. Musgrovc (capt.) as Nan, the Good for Nothing. Male Characters : George Lauri as The Charity Boy Wallace Brownlow as Jack Tar John Gourlay as Obadiah Dingle Howard Vernon as Country Bumpkin Leon Caron as A Magician Dan Barry as Ally Sloper Will Whitburn as " Old Hobs " Charles Pope as Dandy Coloured Coon J. W. Sweeney as A fc'howman Dave Gardner as Coloured Cowboy George Jones as A Schoolmaster D. L. Dalziel as Gussie Fitzgerald Barney Levy as A Lieutenant H. Weinberg as The Man who broke the Bank at Monte Carlo F. Ingmire as A Brigand W. Ford as Dummy Clown Charles Beetham a3 Policeman Hany Young as "Crumpets" F. Gresham as Bill Sykes Thomas Perman as An Undertaker (capt.) Three bands— the Tramway, Bennett's, and Warnecke's — gave their services gratuitously. Richard Stewart was treasurer and Phil Greenwood and Thomas Kennedy joint hon. secretaries. — Yours truly, Fillis's Circm struck a snag in Brisbane, or rather, a gale struck the tent and carried tent, poles, and everything else some 30 yards One of the big ring poles was snapped clean in half. Damage, £300. Harry Cogill has purchased a new song, written and composed for him by Lance Lenton, entitled "Bright Australian girls." Thatcher, Primrose, and West's Minstrel Troupe, from Amurika, opens in Sydney in September. They will give an entirely new phase of the minstrelsy business, being a thoroughly wellorganised band of performers, who have for many years enjoyed a big reputation in the States.

They made a big hit in London when they visited that city some years ago. In 1891 Thatcher, "America's daddy of minstrelsy," was proprietor of no lobß than six different variety and minstrel companies then travelling in the United States, and P. and W. were at one time part proprietors of Barlow, Wilson (Billy, of the huge hole in his face, commonly called a mouth), Primrose, and West's (Minstrels. Should they give one of their day parades it will surpass anything yet seen in the colonies.

At the costume football match in Melbourne the takinga alone amounted to over £1000 What do you think ?

Frank Ireland is playing the lead in hia own comedy Mary's Cousin," instead of the secondary role with which he started. The little troupe are now doing tho South American Slope— going to small placeß where a show isn't seen once m a blue moon. "It pays," writes Frank, "and the big places don't."

Some. years ago Miss Ethel Arden, an English leading lady, with a small all-round push, did the same thing, and she made a pile and retired— as least I suppose so, not having heard of her for so long. T-,", C i. h ?!, r1 ??- " Turner waa originally a cornetist." Jiblet Gulhvan v a

Poverty Point July 28, 1894.