AUSTRALIAN STAGE GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2199, 23 April 1896, Page 37

AUSTRALIAN STAGE GOSSIP.

(Specially Written for the Otago Witness.) Dear Pasqu in. —Tenor C M. Leutnane has rejoined the lioyal Comic Opera Compauy. Mr Leumane was thiough Maouland iv 189J, when he played : Geoffrey Wilder ... in "Dorothy" Hilarion ... ,„ v ... " Princess laa" Colonel Fairfax ... v "The Yeonian of the Guard " ■ Nanki-Poo v ... "The Mikado" Archibald Grosvenor v ~ "Patience* The Perman trio— Will, Bslla, and Percy— have gone to Londing. Hudson's Surprise Party, with whom they went to India, is returning to Aus- j traha. Harry Shine is also reported to have gone 'Ome. Should Kickards send a company to Adelaide, a tour through Maoriland will follow. Down South a writer represents Dick Deadeye as being in " Patience " 1 Millie Herberte scores at Sydney Tivoli with "The drummer's letter." "Th"? Importance of Being Earnest" (played through Maoriland early this year) was staged in Sydney for the first time by the Brough-Boucicault Company at the Criterion, Saturday, April 1L lv anticipation of his farewell benefit at the Princess's Theatre on Thursday, Mr Boucicault has been intervied by a Melbourne contemporaiy. He meulions that since October 18S6, he aud his partner have staged about ICO plays, of which the most profitable have been "Niobs," "The Ainaz^s, Tanqueray," "Dr Bill," " Caste," "Dandy Dick* and "The Village Priest." Mr Boucicault considers " Caste" tbecompany'sfinest all-round performance, and " Ebbsmith " their finest literary play, excluding, of course, standard pieces. Being asked, " Would you call ' Mrs libbsmith a bad problem play?" the actoruianager replied, " Most certainly, from a theatrical point of view. Of course, as a literary work I think ib Ss of the best; it is ua-

doubtodly Pinero's masterpiece. It has no comparison with 'Mrs Tauqueray'.from a theatrical managerial point of view, but for depth of thought, for analysis of character, for fine literary workmanship, and as showing the motives that sw-ty humanity generally, I thiuk it is far superior," Mr Boucicault has found little |rood acting material among young Australians, though the relative proportion of olev«r actors to the population may po»sibly be as high as in the old country. Though it is .«n indiscreet thing to say, ho fears the acoent of nn Australian-born youth or girl is a bar to their succeos as^playors, and, in any caEe, thefield for gaining experience is very limited. Mr Boucicault concluded w>th the words : " I would like to say that I think Australia is going to bef the voice-producing country of the future. When I went to Londo.i recently nothing struck m« " more thau the difference between the chorusts of the E-glish comic opera and musical comedy companies and those associated with the Messrs Williamson and Musgroves companies out here ; the voices here were so much fresher aud purer in tone ; and the aaine opinion, is held by such competent musical judges as Mr Cowen, the late Mr Alfred Cellier, and Mr Hamilton Clarkot who h<ve had opportunities for studying the voices of the two countries." Miss Palmer is amongst " Players of the Present Period (second series), the Era \lmanack for this year. It was on Februaiy 9, 1869, Miss rainier became Mrs Bandmaan and accompanied her husband, to -Australia, where she played a repertory of Shakespearian heioines, afterwards going to America.

During the Carl Fosa season in London Miss Alice Esty has won successes as Elizabeth (Tannhauser), Elsa, Margherita, and Jeannie Deans. Tha I'igaro quotes Mephisto as Mr Alec. Marsh's best impersonation -he also Appeared in "Tannhauser/ " Jeannie Deans," and other works. — remarking that he sings the music "exlteinaly well,' whilst the Era commends .him for singing with ' great expi ession " as Lothario (" Mignon "),' to which bit 'gave more individuality than is customary on the Italian stage." Mr Robert Cunningham made his debut in this opera as Wilhelm, and we read : " This gentlemau is an Australian, and has a pleasant tenor voice, and no lack of ability as an actor. In his singing of Farewell, Slignon,' greater finish of style would have added to tha effect, but, generally, Mr Cunningham's Wilhelm may be described as an artutic a»d agreeable performance."

" Djin Djiu," the Japanese Bogie man, or the great Shogun, who lost his son, and the little Princess who found him, a fairytale of old Japan, by Bert. Royle and J. O. Williamson, -the pantomime which established an Australian record for financial and artistic success at Melbourne Priucets at Christmas, was given its first Sydney representation at the Lyceum, 28th. Flora Graupner, Florence Young, Stella JCfid*ile. Daisy M"wbi»y, Frank Sceats, Charles M. Berkerley, Fr< I. England, Sydney Braoy, J. Costello, Billy E]jton, Gus.^ Gregory, and Edward Farley are included in the cast.

Mons. Marius, tht volatile Frenchman who created in London so many rdles in the English versions of French opera bouffe, and who visited the colonies with Mrs Bernard Beece in 1892, and j who died in South Africa recently, though he played well various parti notably that of Michonuet in." Adrienne Lecouvreur" — it wis as •tage manager that he did the most valuable service. M Marius started his cat eer,aß"a " s>uper "'" ' at the Folies Dramatiques, Paris, in " Chilpe"ric " ; and when the London- stage manager visited Paris 1 to post himself in the stage, busines* of the opera, he offered young Maurius, who had been educated in Engla»d, tbe part of Landry for the. Lyceum production. • This was in 1870, but in June of the «ame- year the gallant fellow returns to Paris, which he defended as a private soldier in' the corp3 of the 7th Chasseurs a Pied. Here hid career was nearly cut short. H« was captured during the Conimune riots at the barricade of the Rue de Charonne, and was ordered out to be shot. His life was saved by the commanding officer, who had beeu a ticj&et speculator outside the Folies Dr«matique|. The anecdote was related by M. Marius during his stay in Sydnoy, and he used to imitate the action of the officer as he held a light to the prisoner's face, the start of recognition, the hurried consultation, and the impertmbable voice which roared forth the order, " Marius, the actor, may go." " And Marius went," was the speaker's way of rounding off the story. On returning to London M. Marius appeared as Martel in Emily Soldene's production of " Genevieve de Brabant," and then from 1873 until 1881 he was attached W the Strand Theatre, where he waa seen as Favart, De Merrimac, and in scores of other characters. Then he leased the Avenue Theatre and produced many pieces, including " Les Manteaux Noire," with Mr Henry Bracy as Don Louis, Mr Fred Leslie as Don Jose, and Miss Florence St. John (whom he had married) as Girola. One of his last achievements before visiting Australia was the production of "Miss Decima " in London. M. Marius was a genial as well as a, talented man, and was affectionately known in theatrical circles as " Mons."

Miss Marie Mater, the Victorian soprano, sang at the opening of the new theatre at Burnlem. Miss Elster is now touring the English provinces with the Neilson English Opera Company. Miss May Granville lat»t week played Lady Isabel in "East Lynne" with D'ursay Ogden's company at Sydney Music Hull. In "Sydney Under the Gaslight" little Kllen O^den received a lot of praise for her playing 6f a blind girl. Bland Holt, ia the bill of " One of the Best," has devised a brand new and magnificent line. Each manager has his peculiar phrase. Messrs Brough and Boucicault's company do riot play a piece— they " interpret " it ; neither does Mr Goodman ever make on their behalf an extract from the papers — always an " excerpt ;" Messrs Williamson and Mußgrove are not malingers or entrepreneurs, but "the directors." Mr Harry Rickards's artists invariably return " to the scene of their former triumphs." Mr Bland Holt has in good time devised his special line, which sets forth that the "illustrative and pictorial details " are to be attended to by the excellent Mr Spong. This mains thai Mr Smino has naiof-m] the

scenery. But it is very excellent good as a strik« ing line for a bill. Miss Amy M'Neill, on- of she "Players of the Period " in this year's Era Almanack, now a wellknown English actres-J, was born at Dunedin, Maoriland, but went to England with her parents wheu she Was no more than two years old. Sh* was educated at Ipswich (in a convent), and subsequently 'at Luresnes, near Paris. Her earliest experience of the stage was acquired with the Camdcn Dramatic Club, which used to perform at the old King's Cross Theatre. In XSB2 Miss M'Neill bacame a mombur of a touring company, under the direction of Mr Dane Clarke and Mr Jarvto Widdicombe, making her first profeisional appearance at Rochester. It was her curious fate to be cast for old women. Some of the parts played by Mi*s M'Neill are :— Madge Malt by ..,, in '. "New Babylon" Mrs Lulworth ..( » ... ' ... "Human Nature" Marita "Birnes of N«vr York" Celia it "As You Like lb" Charmian ... » "Anthony an i Cleopatra" Rachel Vioary ... h ... " Rachel's Messenger" About the end of 1880 the death of her mother withdtew her from the stage for sevan mo- tht. _ " The Land of the Moa " Cjmpany-spent £40 on timber over their " great 1 ' chasm leap, which was given away as a gift on the last night as an inducement to bring the people in to aae the show, as were the horam used in th» aforesaid jump. One hone that actually went across tht 22ft spaci was i aflfled for a fiver and bought back for £:l, and alao given away on the last night amongst the (ifts. - Referee. T Nellie Lyndhurst,. "the only lady four-horse rider," who wsw through Maoriland with Fitzgerald Bros ' circus in '94, with whom she used to do a clever Mexican hurdle act, is jtow wits Wirth's circus at Honolulu. Harold Can- is playing leads on tour with George Darrdl. Wirth's Circus.!* at latest at Honolulu. The American "Trilby" Company arrived froix San Francisco on the 2*d. " There is nothing in Nature mote tender," t duet, sung by May Pollard and Court ice Pounds, is the only one catchy piece of music in "Miss Decinia." Miss Rolland Watts-Philtips, that well-known clever actress, is playing leads with Mr E. Holloway in Brisbane, where they opened 4th. Ida Holbein, Jim Mooney, Ohailes Norwood, Sthel Clifford, May Arlano, the Mahers (Alice and Mike) are with the Oogills at Sydney Open* , House.— Yours truly, Bis. Poverty Point, April 4, '96.