THEATRICAL AND MUNICAL NOTES. ',

Otago Witness, Volume 25, Issue 2321, 25 August 1898, Page 46

THEATRICAL AND MUNICAL NOTES. ',

By Pa^quin.

Tuesdat, August 23. Tho Constance Hardie Company completed ] their season here on Saturday. In the after- j noon " Little Lord Tauntleroy" was per- J formed to a fairly numerous audience, Little . Gladys Hughes in the title rolo acquitting herself with every credit. In the evening a benefit was tendered to Miss Hardie and Miss Gladys Hughes, a miscellaneous programme • being presented. This consisted of the comedietta "A Husband in Clover," in which Miss Hardie and Mr C. Hill appeared; Bongs and dances by Miss Gladys Hughes, Mr F. Gilbert, Mr G. Harpur, Miss Kdilh Leech, and Mr Sydney Clifford; and the second act of "Little Lord Fauntleroy." The company go north and open in Christchurch ii> a week's time. A large and puzzled house witnessed the concluding entertainment given at the Alhambra Theatre on the 17th by Professor Dante, who was in his best form, and kept his audience thoroughly amused as well as completely mystified. Mdlle. Edmunda also tcok a, share in the programme that contributed in no slight degree to its complete success. Professor Dante and the company which, under the management of Mr M. B. Cuvtis, is supporting him left for the south on Thursday, but on their way back north gave a couple of farewell performances at tho Prinoess Theatre on Mondiy and Tuesday night 3to capital houses. A considerable audience assembled at tli9 Garrison Hall on the 17th on the occasion of the fmal appearance of Mr John Fuller's Myriorama Company. E-ich member of the company was received with that cordial applause that has always been bestowed on them in Dunedin, where they have become such recognised favourites, and the views that were displayed by Mr Fuller's powerful lantern apparatus were much admired. The company left on Thursday for the north, and appear in several towns en route for Sydney, where they will probably arrive towards the close of the year. A numerous and appreciative audience greeted the firbt appearance of Mr Harry Crawford's All Star Novelty Comptu - ?t t'\o Alhambra Theatre on Saturday night. The members of the company are all well known to natrons of that place of entertainment, and are favourites with them, and the various items on the programme were all received very cordially. ' A Perth telegram in the Melbourne Argu3 says; —'' Just after the curtain had risen at , the Cremorne Theatre for ' The Middleman' | on the 9th inst., a man in the audience rose, ■ and shouted ' Captain Baldwin's a murderer. My name's Purdey.' No notice was taken of tho disturbance, but at the first interval the man attempted to cut his throat with a razor. He was taken to the hospital, where j an incised wound was found on the left side ( of his throat. The man had evidently been drinking. Ilis name was ascertained to be John Purdey." Sir Arthur Sullivan has been strongly advised by his medical attendant to give up all work for two months and go abroad. A lady Hamlet is not to be seen every day, but Mrs Bandmann-Palmer is now enacting the young Prince of Denmark at the Imperial Theatre, Westminster. Mr« BandmannPalmer has played it in England and in America some hundreds of times. There are precedents for bo doing, though Madame Sarah i Bernhardt's Hamlet has not yet been seen in England. The late Miss Marriott, whose j figure gave a peculiar significance to the soliloquy, " Oh, that this too, too solid flesh would melt," was even very popular in the character. Miss Lily Reid, under the name of Virginia," was among the attractions at the Alex- j I andra Palace last month, when her graceful I dancing proved one of.the most appreciated items on an excellent programme. Her father. Brigade-surgeon Reid, Lieutenant - colonel Victoria Military Forces, has lately been in very poor health. Mrs Patrick Campbell was born at Kensington. After several years' very successful playing as an amateur actress, she first took to the stage professionally with a, touring company. Before playing a now part, Sarah Beruhardt sedulo\isly reads every book, pamphlet, poem, or anecdote in any way relating to it that can be secured. If the character is historical she saturates her mind with the literature of the period. She rehearsed "Cleopatra" no fewer than 500 times before it was finally presented to the audience. A whole year was spent in preparing " CEdipe Roi," and there were over 100 rehearsals of "La Fille do Roland." It has been said, when playing Lorenzaccio, the scene where she practises with the fencing master baffles description, and her companion on the stage used to be really afraid. In addition to the usual rehearsals, for months Bhe practised this scene wilh her eon, who is a splendid swordsman. , Madame Modjeska, the great Polish actress, ' throws as much energy and enthusiasm into her Californian ranch as won her fame and fortune on the boards. She is a connoisseur ,of shorthorns; and her hives of bees, which' <-she superintends in person, number nearly

1000. When asked Jiow she could bury herself and her talents in such an obscure life, Bhe laughingly answered :—" That is not burial — it is Elysium ; for I am as happy as my cows, and as busy as my bees." Mr Henri Kowalski has decided to raake his future home in Paris and not in Sydney, the scene of many successes and many jears of hapvy exile. He has accepted a very excellent appointment in connection with one of the loading firms of Parisian music publishcrrf.

Sen or Sarasate wears on his watch chain a curious " charm," in the shape of a miniature violin of polished wood lying in a silver case. It is an exact copy of the Senor's own instrument, and is a beautiful specimen of miniature work.

Max Becrbohm of the Saturday Review begins his Career as a dramatic critic characteristically. Ho states that he knows nothing about plays and actors; does not like to go to the theatres; could never be called upon to write upon any subject of which he is more profoundly and wilfully ignorant. With these qualifications, an American paper opines that he ought to become a leading critic in London. But, adds the Yankee journal, ho would have no chance in New York; there are already too many critics of the Siime calibre here.