THEATRICAL & MUSICAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2116, 13 September 1894, Page 36

THEATRICAL & MUSICAL NOTES.

Contribution* from tße Profession chronicling their inotMaenti »nd dolußi we invited. All commnnloatlons to b» addresifed tJ' ll Pksquin l "Otiifo Wltnesi Offloe. ,

Among the item* on the programme for Madame Belle Cole's opening concert at the { Garrison Hall, this (Thurgday) evening, is Sir A. Sullivan's " Lost Chord," with violin obbligafco by Mist Muvkens and organ accompaniment by Mr Jesse Titnson. The Auckland Star, referring to Madame's rendering of the famous song, says: — "We have heard it sung by Patey (whot ala«! will charm us no more with her organ-like tones), by Madame Autionette Sfcer- ! ling, and by many other artistes, and we fancy [we know how it ought to ba sung. Madame ! Belle Cole not only f atisfles but thoroughly disarms the most captious critic. The audience is charmed and gives vent to it by rapturously applauding the vocalist. Madame Belle Cole sings Sullivan's great composition in the original key of F, aud finds it easily within the compass of her voice." The box plan, we are informed, is filling up well. At the benefit given to MiS3 Annis Montague at Chmtchurch on JVid&y evening the Mayor, on behalf of the promoters, presented Miss Montague with a purse of sovereigns. She was further presented with an exceedingly; beautiful bouquet. Amongst the rare flowers of which this handsome floral tribuie was composed, .were bororiias, a yellow tea rose, an* many other fragrant flowers, which could hardly have been expected at this time ot the year. The bouquet was presented en th« stage by a little lady of seven summ-rs, and to it was a white streamer with the inscription : * — « To Miss Aimis Montague, with best wishes, from her musical friends in Christchurch. September 7, 189*."

The balloon ascent announced to be made by Miss Leila Adair on Saturday afternoon did not take place owing to the inclement nature of the weather^ which it was thought would not only interfere with the success of the attempt, hut' would be the means of keeping the public away. An exhibition will be given at the Caledonian ground by the electric light this (Thursday) evening.

The Ljttelton Times, referring to Madame 1 Belle Cole's concert on Saturday, says : — " Those who. braved the elements were rewarded by a musical treat auoh as ii seldom provided for Cbris'ichurch audience*. During; tbe evening the mayor presented Madame- Colo with. an exquisite bouquet oC flower*. from the committee which arranged the souvenir concert to Mis 9 Annis Montague." The- season in Dunedin, which opens in the Garriion Hall oa Thursday evening, is limited to. three nightr. Of Lhasa who accompany the great contralto), it may be mentioned that Mdlle. Murkens is a, composer as welL as a- violinist, and her works are highly spoken of. Mr Magrath* besides being a good singer, is a crack shot. Miss Gwen Davies is a sister, of the Welsh singer rapidly comiDg to the. front rank in London, and those who have heard Mr Jackson, the tenor, consider him one of the leading tenors in Australia.

The rehearsals in connection with. Signor R. Squarise's new opera "Fabian" are still being regularly held, and bh6 chorus is- now evincing a thorough acquaintance with the music. On Saturday the first orchestral rehearsal was held and was attended with success. The other arrangements for the production of the opera, such as the preparation of the costumee, &c.,are proceeding apace, and Signor Squarisa is sparing neither time nor expense in his efforts to carry out what he claims will be the beat amateur performance ever given here. Mr Briggs, of ChristchurchJ has just painted a stock of new scenery for the Invereargill Theatre KojaL Miss Bessie Doyle and party are making aa overland journey on horseback, from New Flymouth to Auckland.

" The Bauble Shop " is the latest production; of the Brarush-Boucicault Company at the Melbourne Princess, and as. we shall probably shortly have an opportunity of seeing it in this; colony a synopsis of. the plot should he o£ interest. The hero of the play is Lord Clivebrooke, M.P. (Mr Titheradgc), the leader of the House of Commons, who has accidentally seen and become attracted towards a pretty and ingenuous young girl, Jessie Keber by name (Miss Noble), well born and well bred, but sharing in the necessitous circumstances of hen father (Mr Renout), a man of genius, but a, dipsomaniac, in the employment of Stoach (Me, Brough), who sucks h\s brains, trades upon hia. infirmities, and makes money by hia inventiveness. In the flrat instance, Clivebrook, wha » . a bachelor o£ ¥), merely regards Jessie aa " th.c« . plaything of an idle hour, with whom.' ifc is, a pleasure to converse,, and whose gratitude foe hia friendship, is boundless;- hut preiently he finds himself deeply in love with, her., and, afjbee a crucial struggle between high principle? and low desire, the* former conquers, »nd" he tella, her that they muit never meet again. On al4 previous occasions he» fatker has been present when, thoyliave met, hut, this time Stoacbhas. artfully inydgleAhim. away, and then, breaks jo. , upon tbe interview, and informs Olivebrooke, 1 «*-»■■*■■*■( »-*- rr-" 1 ',,. II V,-< ,h.i./i. i i f ,m_, iVilr uTi ij/

"he cherishes a bitter animosity, that he will expose him in the House of Commons on the following evening, when it* leader is to move the second reading of a bill for the promotion of pnblic morals — a measure involving the existence of the Ministry. Clivebrooke, anxious te protect the reputation of Jessie, negotiates terms with his enemy. Stoach demands the resignation of his seat in the House and of the leadership of the party. Clivebrooke indignantly refuses to accede to so ignominious a compromise, and resolves to face the situation. He does so, and in the mesnwhile Stoach has been busy in tbe lobbies of the House and in the halfpenny press circulating the ptory of his' opponent's alleged liaison with the little girl in the toy warehouse ; and when a division is taken on the Government measure, all the members of the social purity and labour parties vote againstthe " aristocratic profligate," who is defeated and resigns. What remains ? Clivebrook does not he»itate for a moment. He will find in the happiness of private life a compensation for the loss of political power, and he offers his hand to Jessie His father, Lord Sarum (Mr Boucicault), a proud old peer, entreats her not to accept his son, and ehe refuses,. But, eventually, the old gentleman is so moved by the absolute disinterestedness, the sweetness, and transparent purity of the young girl — who is, as has been said, a lady by birth — that he consents to their union, and Lord Clivebrooke's cousin, Lady Kate Fenmll (Mrs Brough), who is one oE the leaders of society, announces" her intention of taking her up. So the play termir. ates in Jessie Keber becoming Lady Clivebrooke, grratly to the mortification of Stoach, wbo foresees that he will lose the invaluable cervices of her father, and that the depoae'd chief of the p&ty to which he is opposed will speedily regain his former pre-eminence, by the we ; ght of his ability and character and by the dissipation of the slander which occasioned hii fall. Although each act ends with as little regard to an effective climax as a French comedy, the principals were called before tbfe curtain every time it fell ; and at the close of the play the audience remained to cheer the company for the delightful entertainment they had afforded.

The foundation of "Izeyl" at once sugg'sts (says a writer in a Home paper) the New Testament story of John the Baptist, Mary Magdalene, and our Lord, but the French authors cannot be complimented on their delicacy of treatment, for in 'large measure the play is carnal and melodramatic, though undeniably effective in a theatrical sense. Whether as the beautiful oourte^an, arrayed in cosily robes, or as the dying woman, who has been subjected to the most horrible torture*', and left to perish in a lonely spot, Madame Bernhardt is witnessed to the greatest advantage, and the force of her genius was never better expressed than in the episode where she murders her paramour — recalling that in "La Tosca" — and the truly awful death scene. Let me add that the great French actress has much improved in appearance. She has put on flesh, and looks far more comely. The rest of the company is equal to its duties, and " Izeyl," though extremely painful, is & play to be seen. An interesting story is told of .Madame Albani, who, when a girl of 20, made her debut on the stage in Messina in "La Sonnambula," and at once made a brilliant success. At the first rehearsal, the young artist haviug sung a well-known air, the conductor stopped playing and, seizing her hands, said : "My child! you will have a great success; you will make a furore"— & prediction that was completely verified.

Miss Olga Nethersole has been on the stage just seven years. ' For the first 15 months she was on tour in the provinces, her London debut being m»de at the age of 19 at the Adelphi Theatre, in the late Henry Pettitt and S> dney Grundy's drama, "The Union Jack." Short as her career has been, tbe youDg actress has already had a most successful tour in Australia. On the stage her reputation h»s been won in wicked women's parts ; off the stage Miss Nethersole is all kindness and good nature, and it has always been a matter of complaint wifch her that ehe is not called upon to enact the riri uous heroine.

Mrs Ada Dow-Currier, an American actress, who was the director of the Julia Marlowe Company, and sued David Henderson, the Chicago manager, to recover damages of 50,000d0l for injuries that "he received at the Chicago Opera House in 1887, by the fall of one of the scenes, has secured a verdh t for 18,000dol. The injuries were received while *' Twelfth Night" was being performed at the Chicago Opera House, of which Mr Henderson is the "manager. Mrs Dow-Currier's skull was fractured by a piece of scenery, which fell during one of the performances. Her husband, MiThomas Currier, was stage manager at the time. Mr Henderson contended that Mrs DowCurrier should not have been on the stage when the scene was being changed. • Arthur Argiewicz, the nine-ye»r-old violinfst, is ta'ented outside his art. Languages are no difficulty to him ; besides his native Polish, he speaks '•Russian, German, and Italian with ease*. Strange to say, he exhibits no wish to master the English tongue. He is a thorough boy in his love of all outdoor sports, but his favourite indoor recreation is the game of chess.

Here is a very pretty idea, which reflects great credit upon its kindly originator (says the Pelican). In " Don Juan" Miss Millie Hylton sings a song called '! Down on my luck," and apparently in such winning fashion that coppers have been repeatedly thrown on to the stage. After she had collected a number of these, it pecurred to Don Juan that an excellent place for them would be Charing Cross Hospital, and so a money box was purchased, and into it all the coppers went. The box reposed in Miss Hylton's room at the theatre, and all her visi'ors there have had to pay toll, with the result that the box is now full, and contains, in addition to the primary pennies, several cheques, five-pound notes, and sovereigns. The contents will be sent to the hospital.