THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2250, 15 April 1897, Page 39

THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

Br Pasqdin. j Tuesday, April 13. • , • Carl Hertz, who makes his reappearance at ] the PrinceiS Theatre on Saturday evening next, presents to his patrons, as those who saw him five years ago will remember, an entertainment; which all classes of the community can thoroughly enjoy — hence his undoubted popularity. His ciuematographe is described by the northern press in glowiDg terms, as far away ' superior te anything yet seen here. A contemporary cays : — "The 'Prince of Walea's Dirby' was, of course, one of the principal attractioni, and everything that had been said of this scene was just at it was represented. ' The racecourse, the crowd, and the competing horses were all there almost life-»ize. The audience were enabled to watch, as 'twere, the whole race until Persimmon flashed past the post a winner. The excitement amongst the crowd following such a victory was capitally depicted." The box plan was opened on Monday at ihe Dresden, when there tras a big demand for seats. * . • Mr George Darrell performed * very graceful act at Invercargill oa Fri'iay night between the third and fourth acts of " Trilby." In a neat speech he returned thanks for the liberal patronage accorded his company during their brief stay in Invercargill He mentioned that he had written to an old friend of his, Mr George Kignold, now in Auckland, and who, be understood, had not intended including Invereargill in his New Zealand tour, advising him to play a. «ix nights' season here. He bespoke for Mrßignold more extensive patrouage than he had bf en accorded — not that he had the slightest reason to complaiD, but because Mr Riguold deserved better. The announcement was received with applause by the audience. • . • Among the passengers per Wakatipa from Melbourne on the 7th were Mr Perner and his -little daughter Phyllis, who has for the last year or two aitonished the Australians by her faculty of mimicry. At Mr Pt-rrior's invitation the -Wakatipu's passengers were given proof Of her abilities, and one of them writes ; " Although only eight years old, she sang the diffif.iilb 'Lost chord' in a way that would tax most adults ; she sang ' Mi % b 'Enery 'Awfcius,' and finished with a very neat htsp dance, but her crowning feat was au imitation of Maccabe." " . * Old Martin Simonsen's grand-daughter, j Frances Adler, ha 3 ju*t signed tor a 12 mouths' j engagement with " The Firm " toi" comic ! opera. | •. ' At the Christchurch Polic9 Court on Thursday Edwin Geach, agent for Carl Hertz, J was charged with overcrowding the Theatre Royal en the previous Tuesday night. A nominal penalty of 5s and costs wa^ inflicted, on the understanding that the offence would not be repeated. • . * The Duuediu Orchestral Society are making active preparations for the concerfi to be given on the occ»sion of thu op-ning of the n«w Agri.j cultural Hall duriDg the Record Reign rejoicings. Some new music has beea ordered from .London, including the score of the " Coronation Msrch." " . * Florence Schmidt, a RockhamD'on girl | and a 12 months' pupil of Siguor Bteffani, of SydDey, has suddenly* broke into notice. " Cleo," in tha Bulletin, sajs : — "Her singing was quite sensationally succestful for a first performance, and worked up her audience — au afternoon one, which is proverbially cold — into onthusUstn. Miss Schmidt's father was a Gey- j man, but his daughter displayed in her vocalisation the impulsive temperament of the artist, and made her success chiefly in the florid arias of the Italian rchooi ; her mother is Irish, and in the race struggle the Celtic has overpowered the Teutonic type. Steffani is immensely proud of his pupil, and considers "lier destined to be a great vocalist. ' There are plenty of good voices in the world,' he says, • but very few singers. Miss Pchmidt is oue of the few.' Her ambition bas always been musical. In Rockhampton she has appeared on concert platforms as a pianist, aud has preserved an enthusiasm for everything connected with music remarkable in a place where her only means of keeping enthusiasm aliva was by leading about her favourite sul'jeco. Her voics is a clear soprano, very pure and true, and, besides, she has the gift of style aud imparts a distinction to what she ib singing. One of her selections at her recital was the well-known tett piece, the • Shadow song,' through which ehe came triumphant." * . " Another very large audience assembled at the Garrison Hall on Saturday night on the occasion of the first change of programme being given in connection wifeh Mr Fuller's myriorama. The entertainment, like the one which preceded it, afforded the audieuce a great deal of enjoyment, which manifested itself in an unmistakable manner. • . • Various managements, more or leas new, have bad some b&d times in Sydxey of late, and no less than four have cried content since the holidays. The last to finish their seasons were Mr Bracy at the Lyceum and Mr Westmacotfc at the Royal. Mr Bracy's three week*' season of light opera — •• The Beggar Student " and " Nemesis " — deserved better luck than attended it. He started out with tha theory that the public was tiriDg of variety and spectacle and desired now to hear music, bright and light, well played. So he gob bright voices, a good singing chorus, and an extensive orchestra, and he gave them this ; but they did not respond. They showed that fchsy preferred the scenic splendour and the gorgeous dressing of "Matsa," the variety shows of Mr Rickards, or the comedy of Mr Thornton, who is cow in the eighth week of a phenomenally successful season- at the Criterion Theatre. His convincing portrait of the grateful bookmaker must be ranked amongst the few artistic successes of the p&ifc twelvemonth. Mr Thornton should, as usual, have a fat banking account at the end of hit present Australian season. As for Mr Westmacott's management, the f intomime did not draw as long as a pantomime should ; and at the Royal there was a succession of melodrama, carefully staged, with generally a very presentable cast, but the melodramas were nob of the best, and the public did not seem to take to tkem. The popularity of the big spectacle of "Matsa" no doubt had a good deal to do with the bad business in both cases, and especially in the case of the opera season, with which it came more directly into competition ; but there is also this other fact, that the preient is a doll period of the year so far as the drama ii concerned. Theatre-goers have got over their rush to the Christmas shows, and are economising. By Easter the pendulum will have »nung back, and business "will ba good all

round again. Tho number of cinematographs has probably been another factor in bad I theatrical business, for there ia always a limit | to the amusement fund of the public, which is ' subject to laws of average like everything el«e, | and is in the aggregate a definite quantity, and with many people a show is a ihow whatever j may be its nature, and iff they treat their j families to the cinematograph wad so use up j their individual amusement fund, they will not take them also to a theatre. At present there are only two theatres open in Sydney. ! • . ' " One day, when engaging a company for a tour," says Miss Emily Soldene in her reminiscences, " I saw a young lady who, I had been told, was a good artiste and a, fine mueioian. The young lady was decidedly pretty, charming iv manner, but fragile in appearance. I did not engage her, considering that she had not sufficient physique to sing every evening in a heavy repsrtoire. In acting on this opinion I missed a good artiste, but she found her opportunity a- little later ou. 'Madame Favrfrt' was being acted at the Strand. Miss Fanny Josephs was to play the part, but that fell through. My young lady ■was sent for. She sang and caught the towu. The ycuag lady was Miss Florence St. John." • . •To preserve her slimness, Madame Nordiea is continually sparring with a stout inflatable bag, which cannot resent any amount of punohing. Miss Emma Eames goes in for gymnastics. Auother well-known operatic singer, at present a statuesque creature, bub who has had distinct warnings of & possible calamity iv the shape of embonpoint, has taken to " bowling." In addition, all these women have regularly to undergo massage. •.♦ "Last Call" sends me the following notes : — Nat C. Goodwin received a rousing welcome home from Australia at Ford's Grand Opera House, Baltimore, where he presented his new play. " An American Cifc zen," to a large and fashionable audience. The play abounds in pathos and humour, which are artistically blended by Mr Goodwin ; and it is interesting in story as well as entertaining in dialogue. The supporting company is all that could be desired, including that beautiful woman and accomplished actress Maxine Elliott, William Ingenoll, Frazier Coulter, Clarence Handyside, Louis Payne. B. Woodthorpe, Arthur Hoops, Estelle Mortimer, aud Gertrude E'liott. Judging by the above and similar notices in the latest files of the Mirror, Nat Goodwin seems to be doing extremely well on his present tour. J. Aldrich Libbey is appearing iv *• A Milk White Pl»g." Charles Lauri has been engaged for five years for the Paris Palais Royal Theatre. Olga Nethersole has recovtred from her recent illneis. She intends taking all her present company to England. She will appear io. London uexb npriDg in "Denise" and "A Daughter of France." Sims Reeves ha« been declared banla-upt; in London. The debt due to the lietitioning creditor was £600. Geraldine Ulmar has been engaged by Whitney and Moore for their nexc operatic seasou. Blanche Walsh is appearing in melodrama in New York. The Trilby Company (Palmer and Brady'*) which vi*ited Australia's drawing well at the Murray Hill Theatre, New York. Louis N Parker, the Euglieh playwright, is lecturing in New York about Wagner. Julia Marlow and Robert Taber have been appearing with success at Wallack's, New York,' in " Romeo and Juliet." The cast of " A Stranger to New York," Hojt's new musicil farce, which is described as "A Trip to China Town, with the good points of the latter play magnified, contains Harry Connor, Nellie Butler, and Arbhor Pacie. Madame Melba cabled to America saying she would return in February, as her health was recovered. Albert Chevalier, of coster fame, intends touring America in comedy. Ds.n Lei.o is engaged for Hammersteen's Olympitv, New York. YVette Guilbert has returned to Europe. She intends to revisit America as au actress in emotional plays.