WELLINGTON WING WHISPERS

Otago Witness, Issue 2239, 28 January 1897, Page 43

WELLINGTON WING WHISPERS

BY P. PvOMPTEB. I January 22. 1 Dear Pasquin,— Still Tom Pollard',n Opera Company hold the boards successfully at the Opera Housa, and their reward is very good. " Boccaccio," which we haven't seen since the Dunning Company were round these parts, has been au all the week, and it has been put on and is played most lavishly and excellently. Mr Pollard may be enterprising, but he couldn't bo so were it not for the willingness of his hardworking company They finish up on Saturday, and then are off on the tour announced in my notes of last week. To-day Mrs Brown-Potter and Mr Kyrle Bellew arrive from Auckland with the Firm's strong dramatic company, and on Monday open for a 12-nieht season in the Opera House, when we are

j promised no l'-ss than 10 plays during the season. | I The .seaiou will commence with Satdou's famout work " La Tosca," a tragedy in five sets-, and one I which in Mrs Potter^nd Mi Bellew finds its only ! exponents in the English limcuage. It will be followed by Alex. Dumas's filti last work, the sparkling comedy " Fraucillon," which was presented to Mrs* Potter by iho author after having seen hei <; play Marguerite Guantier in " Camille, his most famous play. I enclose a list of players in the company, and you will notice some of your familiars, buca as Me3srs J. F. Cathcart, Oily Deering, W. J. Montgomery, Cyril Keightley, C. JR. Berkeley, Orlando Daly, F. Silvn, F. Middleton. Mrs Walter Hill, Misses Linda Raymond, Polly Emery, Mapgie Ford, Lena Brascb, Bertha Caldwell, Nellie Gibson, Inez Fortescue, and i other*. | Plucky little Probaaco has worked his way up from your parts with his circus, and yesterday he opened a short season in this city prior t6 doing the Wairarapa. Those old favourites the Loon. Family are a host in themselves, and the latest ' addition in Captain Happy Jack button and his ' wife, who \vo3 a slack-wire walker in Fitzgerald* show. I trust Probasco will ktsep on doing good biz. his tent last night being full to overflowing. The Opera House has been secured from the 4th to the 17th March by Mr Charles F. M'Carthy, the well-known American comedian, now playing in Sydney. He was last in Australia early in the eighties with Mr Rickey as a partner, and holds ' the record for a benefit in Sydney, achieved la 18S1. After leaving Australia he wont to England, and thence to America, where he became famous in comedy, particularly in Irish parts. ] He wag brought out on his present tour by Mr "Garner. The principal play in his Australian repertoire is " Lady ,Bl»raey," with which he" I began his Beaton at the Sydney Lyceum, and in which he plays the iole of Nancy O'Neill, a character something after the - style of the " Widow O'Brien," but more refined. The tup- - porting company in Australia comprises Mr and Mrs Scot Inglis, Messrs "raukM. Clark, Robert Inman, Harry Hodsou, Richard Stewart, jun., Ralph Robertr, Carden Wilson, Syd. Deane, \ Misses Hayrie Ireland and Alice May. i The subject was the cinematograph. Jim : And I wot do you say it is. Bill ? Bill : A kinemato- I graph. Jim : Ob, any fool knows that ; but wot kin' o' inatagraph ? Bill's reply was hardly audible, but a bystander insists that tLia time it was " sinny." A variety entertainment was given iv the concert hall at the Exhibition last Tuesday by our local amateurs, the Huia Minstiel Troupe, and a very good company they are. Ttfßir skit on " Hinemoa " was highly diverting. " They termed it the ' Finale Anieraoa,' with celebrated 'Rathar' chorus and haka. Our talented 'decomposer,' M.1.G., 11. J. Fra3or." Characters : Pipi> Raweri, A. C. Mason ; Aniumoa, F. R. Dunue ; Tutanuko Hobepa, W. Leathaui ; clown, J. 'iepney. The singing throughout the evening was above the average, and Mr Dunne made lots of fun with his expostulation. Messrs Twiss, Widdop, and M'Kenzie uvc all-right singers, and the whole show was real good. The Al All Star Minstrels have been doing fair biz at the Criterion throughout the week. They appear at the Exhibition to-night. Says our Times : " The theatrical reporter of the Hawke's Bay Herald still iusifita that the late Mr Charles Wilmot did appear in Napier about a year ago, and he states that Mr Reg Rede [not Reade, *b stated by the Herald], who i* well known to Wellington playgoers, and Miss Lizzie Lawrence appeared with Mr Wilmot in ' Crutch and Toothpick.' The actor who appeared in Napier in Crunch and Toothpick." wwar,'s r ,' as we have already stated, Mr Frank M. Willmott, a totally, different person, who could scarcely be' compared with .Mr Charles Wilmot as an actor. At the time Mr F. M. Willmott was appearing in Napier, Mr Charles Wilmot was in London."' Friend Geach, treasurer for the colonial tour of Frank Thornton, whom Lohr (bl«sa you !) is managing, in a private Tetter gives the corn for tiug intimation that we may see the' funny man and his pieces about the end of the year. Oh, Lohr ! oh, Lohr ! The little list for the tour comprises "The Strange Adventures of Miss Brown" (which has a lot of really funny biz in its make-up, Frank bein» Miss B. and in petticoats), " The JSookmaker," " Charley's Aunt," " The Innocents Abroad," ' The Private Secretary," "Sweet Lavender," and "Mamma." Thornton opened his tour to big biz over t'otherside in Melbourne. The Carrick Family of Musicians, from Christchurch, have given three most successful concerts at the Exhibition. They return home to-day. One of the West Coast critics is a literary marvel. In his critique of Ovide Musin's last concert in Greymouth he gets off these brilliant sentences :—": — " Of course Maestre Ovide Musin -with, his violin held the audience spell bound. He undoubtedly posies&es a majestic power that, iv the higher flights, fairly enthrals his audience^ They are completely taken possession of. The ! first part of the programme was an unparalleled succets, the fourth and fifth items being remarkable successes. Ovide Musin's 'Ah Summer Day ' [which was A. F. Hill's, but that's a mere detail] was a gem to be remembered, while the intea uiezzio (sic)— [just listen here, please]— from Covularia Rusticana (Mascogvi)— [oh, shade of Mascagni !] was a revelation of brilliant execution and diiplay of harmony. It is unnecessary to say t more than that the second part was equally successful. At any rate it was not the fault of the performers if 'twas not so. The duet on the two violins was a treat rarely seen (sic). The finale was a finish ! that is only seen by . the moat artistic companies." It is apparent from this brilliant .finish that it was the Horse Reporter' who was sent to do the concert.

For his plucky conduct in stopping Mr Martin Kennedy's horse and .trap, and probably saving the life of his daughter, at Wellington recently, Constable Poland has been presented by Mr Kennedy with * oheque for £5 ss. The constable has also been awarded £5 from the police reward fund for bis oouraseotw *ot«