THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES,

Otago Witness, Issue 2309, 2 June 1898, Page 39

THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES,

Br Pasquin j

Tuesday, May 31. j The final evening performance of " Djin- j Djin " was given by the Pollard Opera Cem- ] p&ny at the Princess Theatre last night, there j being a large attendance. The opera proved j as pleasurable as on former occasions, and the it audience manifested their appreciation of the ! efforts "of the. performers by the heartiest f applause. . \ Mr Fred Duval left for Melbourne by the | Waikare in search of further novelties for the 5 popular Pollard Company. "Djin- Djin" was ' picked up by Mr Duval on the occasion of his last visit nearly a year ago. The Hellers played Timaru at Theatre Royal on Mouday and Queen's Birthday to packed •' biz." ; then Te*oiuka, with Ashburton follow- I ing ; finished on Saturday night togopd " biz." ! They open at the Theatre Royal, Christckurcb, ' on Monday for a week. ; Madame Amy Sherwin gave concerts in the ; Agricultural Hall on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights to crowded houses. j Dew Pa«quin, — A few lines as to how Mr i Hugh J. Emmett's tour is progressing may be j tfi. interest.to your readers. We played Pioton - on May 5, Blenheim 6 and 7. Nelson 10 and 11, ■ Westport 13 ' and 17, Deßnision 14- aad 16. \ Reef ton 19 aif.d 20 ; Ahaura-tc. follow 81, Hoki- ' tika 23 and 24, Kumara 25 and 26, Groytcoath 27 and 28. BusinesaJias been very good so far, and the eutertainnaenuS^catc'hes on at once with ] ,the'audience. We haveoeen favoured with very , 'fine weather, with the exception of one day in » "Nelson, when it rained incessantly all day aad j night, and eoiiFequently kept numbers from > ' going to. the theatre on our second night. We j shall probably play there on our way back tc Wellington, when we may safely look forward to a hearty welcome. Tbe weather is extremely cold, and this being cur first trip on the West Coast we are having some experiences, one of which we shall ney.er forget — namely, the ascent of ths mountain to Denixiston, s. \ ciimb of nearly 2000 ft. — Yours faithfully, i Ehnest Blackstone. i Wilton Power, the "heavy" of Bryant's j Musical Comedy Company, left the show in Lawrence and returned to Dunedin. Mr Power tells me that the goidfields are not happy hunting 'grounds for the travelling mummer. You will be glad to hear (remarks a writer in Table Talk) that little Flora Granpner is better again. It was feared she would have to return forthwith to Australia, as she was ailing seriously in England for some time after her arrival. She was one of the nicest girls on the operatic stage of Australia, and was universally liked. She never had an ill word to say about anyone in the theatre. She is at present in Germany visiting some wealthy relatives. Sir Henry Irving is among the first to make use of hypnotism in a character study. .Hi 3 part in a new Lyceum play, by Messrs Traill and Hichens is » doctor,, whose hypnotic power ■ discovers the perpetrator, of -a crime. Those who know say th»t it will rival the. weirdness of •' The Bells."; and ." Tlie Corsican Brothers." The -famous actor (remarks an exchange) is studying all sorts of books on thesubjeqt. Tbe late Mr Harwood's ready wit supplies many a good story. Here is. one given in a Melbourne paper : — An actress said to him one ' 'day at rehearsal, " Oh, Mr Harwood, I feel so ill that I'll have to get a doctor's certificate to say that I can't act." "A certificate isn't necessary," was the laconic reply, and the lady could not understand the sudden laughter. One of the funniest stories about the late Signor Nicolini, Madame Patti's husband, is told by Colonel Mapleson. " DuriDg the progress of the Chicago Festival," he says, "1 saw Signor Nicolini armed with what appeared to ba a theodolite, and accompanied by a gentleman who, I fancy, was a great geometrician, lookiDg intently and with a scientific air/ at

some wall posters, on which the letters composing Mttdame Patti's name seemed to him not quite oae-third larger than the letters .composing the name of Mdlle. Nevada. At last, abandoning all idea of scientific measurement, he procured a ladder and, boldly mounting the steps, ascertained by mcana of a foot rule that the letters which he had previously been observing from afar were indeed a trifle less tail than by contract they should have been." A funny little story of Sir Henry Irving is told by Mr Alfred Darbyshire, the Manchester theatrical- architect, in his book just published, "An Architect's Experiences." .When Henry Irving was playing Hamlet, a member of the stock company at the Manchester Theatre Royal, Mr Darbyshire, an excellent amateur actor himself, was l?olonius. " I remember,"' says Mr Darbyshire, " the weather was very hot, and after being consigned to oblivion, 1 was sitting on a table behind the tapestry -fanning myself, when to my Jrlamlet drew aside the tapestry, and repeating the wellloiown words, ' Thou rasli, intruding fool, I took thee for thy betters,' he gave an agonised' look, and, sotto voce, exclaimed, ' If >r goodness sake, get me a pint of stout! I'm. as dry as a limekiln.' This from the Prince of Denmark startled me, and for some little tim.9 I failed to Jake in the sHufttioaV'