THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2210, 9 July 1896, Page 39

THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

By Pasquin.

Tuesdat, July 7. " .' * The Alf. Lawton Novelty Company, was greeted by a luge and enthusiastic audience at the City Hall on Monday night, when the opening performance of the season was given. The . combination, without doubt, is a capital pne of the ■ variety type, and judging by the bill presented for the delectation of its patrons on the opening nigh* the entertainments that will be provided daring the season will prove very popular, i With the* exception of Miss Ida Holbein and Mr James Mconey, th» members are all strangers to Dunedin playgoers ;' but, nevertheless, they were accorded a. cordial reception, and their efforts were rewarded with frequent and appreciative applause. - * * . The circus has been fairly well patronised during tho week, and those who have attended appear "Co thoroughly enjoy the performance. The equestrian feats receive warm recognition. The b&lanoiag act on the wire rope by Ka'damo is done with ease and gr&ce, and Little' Ethel repeats her clever performance on the trapeze, and olio gives her no less clever contortion acb. Tumbling, gymnastics, and the introduction of the performing animals complete the programme • . • The RoEcius Amateur Dramatic Society will feoe the footlights again next month with the production at the Princess Theatre of Tom Taylor's spirited drama, " The Tickefc-of -LeaveMaD,"in which piece patrons of the City Htll during tha Kennedy-Deering Company's regime will doubtless remember the late Mr J. J. Kennedy in the part of Hawkshaw, the detective. The part of Sam Willoughby, the irrepressible garctn, is to be . undertaken by a girl, a young lady of 13 summers, hailing from C±versham, •who carried off from 20 competitors »fc the Juvenile Industrial Exhibition last year the dßver medal for elocution. The drama will be staged ueder tho direction of Mr Barrio Marschel, and with all the incidental music, song, and dance. * . ' Davis's Fantasfciques are doing good business at Auckland, with our. old friend Henry Q. Parker as manager. . s * . > Messrs Williamson and Musgrove have written to' the various , theatre proprietors r tbrtughoab New Zeiland warning them. as' to allowing unauthorised versions of " Trilby" to bo played therein. ' ' . ' Tke Hastings Court had quite an operatic appearance on the morning of the 25th nit. As the local .Standard puts it, "the whole male - utrtugth of the company aesembled to afford moral support to' one of their members. Mr W. Percy, who bad fallen foul »f the law by riding his bicycle without a light on the night of the preceding Stturday. They beguiled the tedium of waiting for their worships by recounting yarns of some fellows who got five years for cidiig without lights and others who were let off lightly with 18 month*' hard labour, and each and all of- the faithful band hoped the magistrates would take a lenient view of the case and let their comrade off with something under two years. On the arrival of Meiers Btilby and M'Leod, J.P.s, Mr Peroy was ohargsd with the offence and pleaded guilty, stating that the night in question was bright moonlight, that he was riding slowly, and that he was unacquainted with the by-laws of the < borough. After 'consultation the magistrates decided to impose a fine of 10s and 7s costs, which being immediately paid the young gentleman left amidst the general rejoioiDgs of his friends. ,It was not on account of ' Uncle Tom' having to study his defence that Pollard's performance was postponed the previous evenV»g." • . • The Sydney Daily Telegraph reports that two men were caught in the act of making shorthand and loßghand notes of "Trilby" at) the Lyceum. One was writing the dialogue in Pitman's • shorthands the- -other- -taking notes. in a round, bold hand of the lay-oat of the scenes.* They were sitting in the front stalls, and,. while busy at their work were remarked by Mr Williamson from the all-commanding, vantage point of the managerial box. At the end of the first aot both' reporters were officially called' upon to deliver before sfcanafog, »nd their notebooks, were taken from them. These were aubse* fluently-submitted to '« member of thtf Daily Telegraph staff, who identified (he shorthand notes as a report «f the dialogue of the play. Messrs WillUmson and Musgrove are carefully greeting their rights io "Trilby," «ad 111

Williamson has obtained evidence which will probably enable him to take proceedings i against a prospective producer of it who had nob proposed to pay any fees for his privileges. * . * Smb. Bernbardt and the famous American actress, Fanny Davenport, have been commanding considerable amount of space in the Boston papers on account of their differences of opinion in regard to the performance of " Gismonda." Mies Davenport, who has been playing it at the Boston, expressed herself in regard to Bernhardt's debt to. Siti'dou, and the French actress retorted in sarcastic vein. Finally, Miss Davenport took a box at the Tremont Theatre, ai)d saw the play, accompanied by her husband and members of her company. Whether Bernhardb knew that she was in the audience or not was not told, but certain ib is that stio played the part as ib had never Men done before, and carried the house by storm. As a result of the netvous strain, however, she fainted on the stage at the conclusion of the third aob at the evening performance, and there was some doubt as to whether the piece could be finished or not, bat pluckily she went on and played out'tho engagement; without interruption. Dubo was in tha town, and she, too, went to sco Bernhardfc play Qismonda. She led in the applause.