THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2318, 4 August 1898, Page 39

THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

By Pasquin.

Tuesday, August 2.

Much interest is being evinced respecting Mrs Collet Dobson's benefit performance tomorrow night, as apart from that lady's conceded gifts as an artistic and skilled actress, tho cast embraces the only lady lawyer in the Australasian colonies and several ladies whose relatives have been intimately connected with amateur theatricals in Dunedin for years past. Given a fine night, looking at the unprecedented booking up to date it is almost safe to predict a bumper house, suburban residents are reminded that the curtain falls in ample time for the last trams. Mr Albert Lucas, the well-known dramatic artist, >vho went to Australia some little lime a~o t) organise a company for Dunedin, was a passenger from Sydney by the Tarawera, bringing his company with him. Miss Hardie, who is well spoken of in Sydney, is the leading lady, and among other members of the company is Miss Gladys Hughes, a child actress, who has obtained favourable notice on the other side. The Hardie-Lucas Company will open their Dunedin season on Saturday night, and it is their intention to produce such strong; plays as "The Middleman," "The Profligate, "The New Magdalen," "The Silver King, and others. . The Ada Juneen Company brought their Dunedin season to a close at the Princess Theatre on Saturday night, when, despite the extremely inclement weather, there was a numerous attendance. The performance was tendered to Miss Juneen as a benefit one, and accordingly the beneficiary was singled out for an especially cordial round of applause when she made her appearance. Although the weather was very wintry on Saturday night, there was a fairly good attendance at the Garrison Hall, where the Fullers gave another of their popular myrioramic entertainments. The views shown consisted principally of a series illustrative of Japan, and appeared to be much admired by the audience. The concert portion of the programme was also greatly appreciated, most of the vocal selections being encored. During the evening Mr John Fuller announced that the season _ of the company would close on "Wednesday night, but that a matinee for the benefit of children woiild be given next Saturday afternoon.

Mi* Harry Jcwett, according to an exchange, is 'making strides in his profession in America. He is in the east of Wilton Lackayes new play, " Charles O'Malley," which was produced at the Lafayette Squaro Theatre. Washington, last month. Mi&s Edith Crane, formerly of the Trilby Company, is also playing a leading part in the sa.ne piece.

Miss Flora Graupner, who was for several years a prominent member of the " Royal Comics," is now staying with some relatives in Geimtfhy.

Tho Broughs arc said to have cleared over £3000 during their Easter tour.

Mrs G. W. Collier, who, under her stage name of Miss Lizzie Bushe, will be remembered by many of the playgoers of the sixties, died suddenly at Melbourne last month. Her grandson heard 'a gurgling sound in her bedroom, and on entering found Mrs Collier lying across her bed and unable to speak, and bhe expired shortly afterwards. Death is believed to have been due to disease of the heart. The deceased lady was born in 1842, and in 1857 became a member of the late William Koskins Company, which appeared at the Theatre Royal, Ballarat. The late Charles Matthews, on his arrival in Melbourne, was so impressed with Mrs Collier's versatility as an actress that he engaged her to play with him throughout Australia and New Zealand. In 3862 the deceased married the late G. W. Collier, a wellltnown colonial actor, by whom she had two daughters, both of whom are living. Deceased finally retired from the stage in 1869, and lived privately. Australian playgoers (says Sydney Morning Herald) will be sorry to learn thai Miss Olga Nelhersole. while travelling up from Folkestone on May 12 on the London, Chatham, and Dover line, sustained at Herne HLI a severe shock to the spine from Hie colliding of the carriage in which she was seated with the next carriage by the snapping of a coupling iron. She is seriously ill, and her medical adviser considers that Home time must elapße bofore she will be able to leave her bed." Later advices report Miss Neihersole to be progressing rapidly towards recovery. Mis 5 Lucy Bowes, a well-known Sydney contralto, has returned to Australia after a course at the Royal Academy of Music, where, besides passing the musical examinations with credit, she won the medal, for elocution. The young contralto then entered Mr Henry Neville's dramatic school for a lime, after which she made her stage debut in the excollent parfc of the drummer Palalout, in "The Old Guard," with Horace Lingard's Comic Opera Company. She adopted the stage name of Hope Sydney, and toured the United Kingdom with several companies, so that she has enjoyed a yery useful stage experience. Madame Sarah Bernhardt is feeling the J>ffect of the operation recently performed Vn hei\ and her acting haß seemed to show

fatigue, or, at least, lassitude, as if she were not yet fully recovered from her recent illness. She intends at once resuming M. Rostand's "gospel." "La Samaritaine," the most arduous role in her repertory.

" The Circus Girl " has enjoyed a run of a year and a-half at the Gaiety Theatre, London, during which period 497 performances have been given. " The Runaway Girl," a story of Winifred Grey's escape from a Corsican convent to join a party of strolling minstrells, is the new piece. Mispes Ellalinp Terriss, Ethel Haydon, Grace Palolta, Messrs Harry Monkhouse, F. Kaye, Louis Bradfield, and Willie Warde aie amongst the principal?.

Is this the "beginning of the end?" The Times, writing of the last Pafcti con.-eil. says: "It is a pity that Ihe audience at Madame Patti's concert at the Albert Hall last Thursday was not larger— in fact, by no means so large as usual, for rarely in rece* t years has Madame Patti sung so exquisitely. ; . . The start was slightly disappointing, but once settled down, Madame Patti sang superbly, the air by Handel being galvanised into new life by the skill of the singer.'' No wonder, says "Crotchet." in the Tnsmanian Mail, they are beginning to tallc of "Patti coming to Australia." The .following advertisement appears in tho London Era of June 12: — "Mr Harry Power, Australian Comedian, Resting. Actress, Central London Throat Hospital, Gray's In'i road, W. 0.," while in the body of the pope- the following paragraph appeal s: — "Mr Harry Power, a comedian well known throughout the Australian colonies, whore in time past 113 has supported many visiting stai's, is, we regret to learn, an in-patient at the Central London Throat Hospital, Gray's livi road. Mr Power was lately a prominent member of Mr Frank Bateman's ' From Scotland Yard ' Company." Harry Power, if noi a Dunedin native, was educated and bt ought up in this city, where he started his professional career. His friends heie will regre l " to here of his illness, which, I trust,. rar.y not be of a sei'ioiis nature.

'Mr " Dorrington," who will be remembered as a member of the Brough and Boueicaull Comedy Company, has left ihe stage and gone into the South African mounted police. He is a son of Mr and Mrs W. H. Kendal.

To those who consider Miss Kate Vauglun merely a famous dancer and charming burlesque actress, says the "Peripatetic Pagan." in Modern Society, a -\ isit to the Parkhursb Theatre, HolJoway, would afford ample proof tint she is now a brilliant comedy actress. In Gar-rick's version of Wj'cher ley's " Country Girl" she plays Peggy in delightful fashion ; her unflagging vivacity was joined to a keen and even exquisite sense of humour. Is there not enough affection for old Englisn comedy and for Miss Kate Vaughau to ma'-fo a West-end season profitable?

Signora Duse first appeared on the stas'e at the very early age of three, and she made li3r first great success before she was 15. No less than 10,000 people, fradulently or through error, put non-current coins imo tho automatic cases for opera glasses in Paris theatres. This is rather a remarkable statistic, culled from a Government statement.

Madame Antonio Terry, better known as Sybil Sanderson, and who was married but a month or two ago, is suffering from paialysis of the lower limbs, the result of a long and serious illness. She and her husband went to Nice on their honeymoon, and iL is thve that the diva fell ill. The invalid will return to Paris as soon as fche i,s able to bear the journey.

A number of new suburban theatres have been built in London during the past two or three years, and the London County Council regulations for the safety of the public have ensured that they are all provided with the most approved fire-extinguishing apparatus, and also with fireproof curtains, enabling the auditorium to be entirely shut oft from the stage in case of fire. These cur tains at the Broadway (Deplford), Brixton, Shakespeare (Battersea), Grand (Fulham), and Metropole (Camberwell) theatres have all been contracted by Messrs Merryweathei of London, and this firm has just completed the largest fire curtain in the world at Drury Lane. This latter Ls of steel and asbestos, and weighs several tons; but is so arranged that one man can raise or lower it easily. Accidents, such as the steel wire suspension ropes breaking or being burnt, are provided against by automatic gear, which will enable the curtain in such circumstances to be lowered steadily. An additional protection against smoke and flame is provided by a system of patent sprinklers carried across the proscenium opening, and on a fire oc curring these will drench the curtain and stage with water. The great catastrophe at the Ring Theatre will bo remembered by many, and it is for the authorities in colonial towns to see that their places of entertainment are secured against fire in a similai manner.

Tin graphophone, manufactured by the Columbia Phonograph Company, of Acw Yoik and Paris, and of which Messrs llayw.irtl and Garratt advertise themselves in these columns as sole agents for Otago ai.d Southland, can, we think, be described with advantage to those who have not had^ ihe oppcrlimity of dropping into the agents' establishment, in Princes street, to personally examine the instrument. The graphophone is a small instrument, of an extremely portable form, size, and weight, and can be lurd wit'i equal advantage in either a large hall or a small room. It is sold at two prices, Ihe dearer instrument, which costs about £10. bein^ both a recorder and reproducer of sounds. By fixing on a small easily-adjusted recording disc, which is fitted with a cutting point, any sounds, such as laughing, crying, talking whistling, singing, or those produced

by any instrument whatever, whether vocal or instrumental, these are preserved, and con be reproduced at ploasurq at any future period or any number of times. In the p'e-" eeive of a representative of this paper a ic-cot-d was made of a speech, and a whittled tune taken simultaneously, and they wore afterwards most faithfully reproduced, to the great amusement of those present. The records, which can be purchased .with the cylinder, or independently, as new ones come to hand, a-e on wax cylinders, and it is strange that though it requires the closest scrutiny to detoot the very faint lines of which the indentation's consist, yet the sapphire point en the reproducer follows them with unvarying faithfulness, and if the instrument is slopped in the midst of a partly-uttered sound, it cm bo depended upon to supply ihe omission befo*c going on with the rebt of the record. We learn that the machines are rapidly coming into favour, and are now widespread thioughout Otago and Southland, and this is not, surprising, seeing that by their aid the best efforts of tiie greatest musicians or orators, the funniest contribution of song, jest, and jig often heard from tho nigger minstrel troupe, or the patter of (he cleverest Yankee auctioneer can at pleasure be reproduced in the midst of the family circle.