THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2258, 10 June 1897, Page 39

THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

Br Pasquin.

Tuesday, June *■""-*--.. * . * Danedin's theatrical Record Reign attractions will include the clever and exceedingly popular conjurer Carl Hertz, who is at present working his way southwards from Auckland, " farewelling" in all the principal centres .with his accustomed success. Indeed his farewell seasons have proved in the north even greater ' successes than the originals, and speak well for the success of the forthcoming season of three nights during tbe Record Reign .festivities, which will permit of many of our country readers viewing the wonders of this clever artist and his really admirable cinematograph, whioh will, as an additional attraction, produce the latest pictures of her Majesty the Queen, whioh recently evoked so much enthusiasm in the north. Carl Hertz appears at Ashburton on Monday night next, at Timaru on Tuesday, and at Invercargill on Thursday and Friday. Mr Edwin Geach, his manager, arrives in Dunedin at the latter end of the week to conclude necessary arrangements. * . * The Perriers started'a successful tour on Saturday night at Kaitangata. The house was one of the biggest seen there, the gallery being rushed early in the evening. ' Phyllis was greeted with repeated bursts of laughter, especially over her Scotch and Irish character bits, and Mr Perrier introduced a new dummy ventriloquist act amid Bhouts of laughter. To-night the combination open at Lawrence, to-morrow they visit Milton, and on Thursday they finish the tour at Mosgiel. * . ' The excellent pictorial and musical entertainment provided by Mr John Fuller at the Garrison Hall again drew a capital house on Saturday evening. * . * At the Church of England Schoolroom at Port Chalmers, on the Ist inst., there was a pleasant gathering to give a send-off to Miss Lizzie Wignall, who leaves by the Talune for Sydney to prosecute her studies in singing, with a view to subsequently continuing them in England. During the evening Mr E. G Allen, M.H.R., presented Miss Wignall with a handsomely-furnished dressing case, suitably inscribed. Miss Wign&ll goes to Sydney as a pupil of Mr Burnt- Walker, who was favour- ,• ably impressed with her capabilities during his residence in Dunedin. * . ' Among the new plays which Maggie Moore has brought from the old lands are " The Prodigal Father," a musical comedy farce ; " The Paupor," a comedy drama, and a version of Thomas Hardy 'b " Tess of the D'Urbsrvilles." Miss Moore does net know yet whether she will appear first in Melbourne or Sydney. - * . * Mr Harry Rickards, 20 years ago the popular siDger of " Cerulea was beautiful " and other delectable ditties, now tbe wealthy proprietor of two music halls and theatres in Melbourne and Sydney, is on a visit to England. —Weekly Bun. ' . * Mr George Musgrove, says a London paper, representing in London the Australian > firm of Williamson and Musgrove, is of opinion ' that a popular play loses nothing by good acting. Having secured the Australian rights of "A Night Out," he hastetait-ed tbe services of Mr Harry Paulton and Miss Alma Stanley, at ' salaries aggregating £100 weekly. • . • Many of the London cafe's have theatrophones connecting them with a dozen of the ■ leading theatres and music halls. A dial and \ pointer indicate the particular show on circuit, and by putting 6d " ia the slot" any customer may hear the vocal or instrumental efforts of his favourite comic opera or hall artiste on the stage a mile away. * . * Mr Wilson Barrett appears to be that rare bird, the author who can correctly appraise his own work. Not even £30,000 would persuade him to part with all rights in the " Sign j of the Cross," but for a much smaller sum he I allowed his interest in " The Daughters of Babylon "to go. The former play, it is said, has already yielded £60,000 odd, whereas it is doubtful whether a twentieth part of that amount will ever be returned by "The Daughters of Babylon " • . • To the cultured playgoer, Mr Pinero's new piece, " The Princess and* the Butterfly," produced at the St. James's Theatre, will, According to a Home critic, afford an evening of unalloyed delight. It is beautifully written, admirably acted, and sumptuously mounted. It submit* the problem of a m«n and woman who having attained the age of 40— he a bache- ; lor, she the widow of a wealthy noble, whoso companiou and nurse she was during the 20 years of married life. First, this interesting couple think of abandoning themselves to misanthropy. Then they discuss marriage — with each other ; and finally they seek happiness, ! which we have Mr Pinero's assurance they find, though here the play stops. A few weeks since, says a writer in a London paper, I mentioned how great was the der.rth of theatres in London, and how fabulous prices were beiDg offered at the present juncture in view of the golden harvest impending. In further proof hereof, let me instance the cisc of the Lyric, which has been let at a weekly rental of £300, exclusive of certaiu rights whose monetary equivalent is said to be an additional £50 per week. • . *Mr Beerbohm Tree was much impressed during his recent visit to Paris by Jean Richepin's play, "Le Chemine&u " — in five acts of versa — v/hich has proved a great attraction to tbe Odeon. In this Mr Tree would figure as % picturesque vagabond, something like Ouida's Tricotrin. This wandering fellow has » son in more respectable circumstances, who becomes the lover of a charming girl,- but is rejected by her people because of the mystery surrounding his birth. Then the vagabond appears on the scene, settles everything, and resumes his wandering life. • . • The worship of Paderewski by his female devotees in America is breaking out in a new direction, the course of * which pointß to the lunatic asylum. The great pianist recently ' found it necessary to visit a dentist in Boston, for music cannot cute the toothache, and the gifted Pole was suffering from that excruciating malady to a degree that threatened to make him buld in a fortnight. Leaving his' eye-tooth with - the dentist he returned to his hotel, and expressed the joy and gratitude that filled his soul by playing the Diano until finger paralysis set in and be could thump no more. Hearing of this thrilling event, the music-loving ladies of Boston besieged the dentist's house and besought him to part with the precious molar. The highest bid was made by x wealthy young

widow, who secured the prize after a fierce competition with her enthusiastic sisters and had it set in 18-carat gold. Faderewski's tooth now dangles as a ch»rm from her watch chain — & think of beauty and a joy for ever. • . ' Mr Charles Wyndham, when he is studying a part, often soliloquises. He finds it is a great help in committing his lines to memory to repeat them out loud to himself. Upon one occasion he was walking in Hampstead Wood, shrieking out at the top of his voice some very incriminating words from a murder scene. All of « sudden a policeman, who had l^en watching him with some suspicion, unexpectedly sprang from behind a tree, and, seizing him by the collar, announced his intention of carrying him off to the police station. * . * Laughter rang loud at the Globe on the first night of " The Mao Haggis," a three-act farce written by Mr Jerome K. Jerome and Mr Eden Phillpotts. In the foyer one heard favourable , comparisons with " Charley's Aunt," and though, perhaps, personally I (writes " The Peripatetic Pagan ") was hardly so much amused as most of my companions, V I fully expect to chronicle its anniversary performance. The plot is as follows : — Mr Jameu Grant, a psaoeful resident in a flat in Batfcergea, is pursued by the love of Eweretfca, a cyclisb whose bicycle he has pumped. Just as he is going to China t© escape her he learns he has become head of the Clan MaeHaggis. Behold him next a* » Highland chieftain pursued by bagpipes, affianced in ignorance to a lassie, and drawn into deadly duels with the hereditary foes "of hia tribe. Peace is at last found by his being diacovered not to be the lawful chief, and the pursuing damsel marries the sinister Scot who dispossesses poor Grant. • . ' Professor Melville has originated a startling feature which will combine the ever-popnlar trapeze performance with fcight-rope balancing and an entire novelty called tbe globe feat. A metal sphere about 3f fc iv diameter will be rolled into the circus ring. It will be immediately surrounded by half a dozen clowns, who will amuse themselves rolling ifc about Suddenly the ball will become obstinate and refuse to budge, despite tho kicks and shoves of the harlequins. They will step away as if afraid of the unc&nny thing, and it will then begin rolling of its own volition. No motive power will be discernible, but the huge ball will roll along the ground until it comes to an inclined plane, with tracks rising 30ffc or 40ft in the air, from the top of which a tight wire runs to one of the centre poles of the tent. The ball will not stop at the foot of the inclined plane, but will slowly roll to tho top. Then one of the clownß will climb up the inclined plane, fasten a trapeze bar to an axle running through the centre of the ball, and owing himself on to the bar. Immediately the ball will begin revolving, and start out on the slender wire, high above the ground. Hanging to the traoeze bar several feet below, the clown will perform various tricks while the globe traverses the wire from 6nd to end. Ifc is ! the down below the sphere that makes the feat possible. He lowers the centre of gravity, and places the ball in what a scientist calls "stable equilibrium." The motive power for the ball is furnished by the real performer, Melville. Standing in a bent position inside tbe globe, whioh is mads of two hollow hemispherea that fasten together : securely by a I loflfc inside, he causes it to move by stepping forward much as an equilibrist makes a ball move by walking on top of it.