AUSTRALIAN STAGE GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2302, 14 April 1898, Page 39

AUSTRALIAN STAGE GOSSIP.

(Specially Written for the Otago Witness.) Dear Pasquin,— Mrs Keely, the one-time celebrated London actress, has entered on her ninety-third year, and is still hale and hearty. She was born November 2, 1805. Her professional debut was as Rosina Sin the opera of that name at London Lj ceuin in 1825. In her time she acted with such l stars as Buckbtone, Charles Mathews the younger, ' Webster, Mr and Mrs Chas. Kean, Madame Vestris, and others. - Sydney show.", 2-4-S8 :— "Claudian" Her Majesty's "A Yorkshire Lass" .. Lyceum ■ "No Mercy" Royal Standard , Albani Concerts Town Ffpll • llarmston's Circus ... Belmore Park : Rickards's Varieties , Tivoii { Melbourne Shows 2-4-98 :~ | " Babies in the Wood " Princess " The Tree of Knowledge " Bijou | " When London Sleeps " Royal j " The Days of the Land Boom ... .Alexandra = Rickards's Varieties Opsra House I * Amy and Will G-ourlcsy, Alice Deorvvin, W. J. ; Montgomery, J. P. O'Neill, Edwin Kelly, and ■ Charles Holloway are at ihe Melbourne Royal. j A member of the Caii Hertz party writes to a : Melbourne fiiend as fol'ows : — "This is a dreadful ! couutry. It is now J3sdeg in the shade, and they say that's not hot ! But the heat's nol-the only misfortune ; the stink of the blackfellows is enpugh to knock you down — woise than the Yarra used to be ! The boss is doing splendid biz. He has got the audiences by the wool ; he can't go wrong, for he has the luck of a Chinaman. We are turning them away nightly. Played Lhree weeks in Bombay, ar>d could have played another three, but the plague was lading so badly we were glad to get away. They are dying ia hundreds daily at Bombay. It is terrible to walk out, for you sac nothing but corpses being I carried away. It is all right ia Calcutta; the plague has nob reached there yet, but the authorities are very particilar— they" examine you about GO miles along the line from Bombsy to Calcutta. i> r ext address, Hdiiskorg, G P.O. ! Sigaor Nicolin', the husband of Madame Patti, who died in January, made his first "hit" in London as Kdgardo, in " Lucia di Lamrnermoor," I in May 18' 6. At a tenor he was familiar to opera- ; lovers all over the world for many years, and be- ; enme acquainted with Madame Patti, then the 1 Marchioness de Caux in the early seventies. He { was married himself '(he had two sons and three , daughters), but his niamage was dissolved, and ! he and Madame Patti werp married in 188'}. ' Four new houses of amusement have been opened in Dublin since the beginning of ihe year. ; A few.items of interest about -the new and old i houses will he of interest. It is just 18 years since * tire Dublin Theatie Royal was burned down, and ! which was at that tune regarded as tbe finest ■ playhouse in Great Britain after Drury Lane. At ; the opening of. the new Royal in January 2300 i persons paid for. admission. The play was " The i Geisha." Before the. parfortoance began Mrs \ Mouillot (wife of one of the proprietors) read a ] prologue, written by Edward Hamilton, a local ; poet and humorist, which reminded the audience of the glories of the plice ; r.o mean glories either, says a chronicler, for during six decades of this century — that is to say, from 1821 to 1880— its boatds were trodden by almost every one of the i great dramatic aDd musical artists of the time. j The 1821 prologue wa? written by George Colemau ■ the young r. Id addition to the Ro3 r al a large | Theatre of Varieties, a Lyric Hall, and the I Empire Palace Theatre (where once stood the Star | Theatre of Varieties) have been opened this year. From convent to stage : Miss Edith Moiley, daughter of Charles Cartwright. Mr Charles W. Anson, son of the well-known actor, G. W Anson, leaves shortly for England with the intention of adopting the stage as a proj fession. I The youngest Australian touring manager is James Drumniond Tait, business-managing Amy Sherwiu's colonial tour. He is only 22. Miss Millie Richardson, now in Maoriland with ' Piofessor George Hsusmann's Lumigrapb. Company, will bs ruy subject of " Interviewettes " No. 4, which will appear next week. — Your truly, 1 overty Pcint, April 2. Bis.