STAGE GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2323, 8 September 1898, Page 47

STAGE GOSSIP.

(Specially Wbittkt fob tee Otago Wiiness.) Dear Pasquin, — Mr Alfred Woods will open his Maoriland tour at Auckland with " The Gates of Bondage,' September 3. As stated in th : s column some weeks back M-<ss Maud Williamson, leading lady, will make her Maoriland debut with the Woods Dramatic Company. The opening piece, "The Gates of Bondage," is a cleverly- written and powerful drama, and bears favourable comparison to " The Silver King," and other pieces in the repertoire are " The White Squadron," "Boys Together" (a four-act drama of liaddon Chambers and CV.myns Carr, first t>roduced at London Adelphi, August 26, 1896)" * Hands Across the Spa," "Th-> False ProUigal," Sydney Gnmdy'a "■ Arabian Nights, and "the iXev. Mr Walters's great Biblical play, ' Joseph o£ Canaan," over the refusal of which by the Licenser of Plays xhfre has been considerable argument. The pieef was first produced in Sydney, Monday, August 21, 1895, when it had a most successful run. Of the 18 members of Mr Alfred Woods's company, only four, I think, have previously toured Maoriland — Messrs Wood, Seagrave, Bocthman and Blake. The others are entirely new to the Maoriland stage, and of the reper-toi-e five pieces have not been previously staged in this colony. Other members of the company ar? Messrs Fitzgerald, Beaumont, De Chateaux, Wilson Mason, and Ciiaiies Woods, Miss Ethel Grey, Miss Muriel Nation, and Miss Nina Burns. The company left Sydney for Auckland on the 24th. Mr John A. Sullivan (brother of " Bill " — thero are four brothers m a front-of-the-house capacity), now with Pollard's Opera Company, is well known in South Australian amateur drpmatic circles. He has played as an s?maleur : Middlowick in "Our ßoys" Parish „ ... "Weak Woman" Ge"r(re Dalla&on ... „ ... " A Bed of Roses" Fied Bellamy ... " Three Hats." Mr Sullivan, before joining the Pollard Opera Company in August 12 months back, managed for six years tho well-known watchmaking and jewellexy business of Jd. F. Castle at Mount G-ambier, S.A. Miss Annie Mitchell (one of the SullivanPolJard family) is now a member of Melbourne St. Patrick's Cathedral. Miss Mitchell, who has a splendid mezzo-sox>rano voice, is a pupil of Herr Schmitt and Madame Lucy Chambers. She was specially engaged by Messrs Williamson and Musgrove to sing introduced solo 3 during Madame Bernhardt's and Mrs Brown Potter's seasons. Miss Mitchell will very likely visit this colony shortly with a concert company. The clog-dancing match between Miss Bella Perrnan and Miss Minnie Hay for £50 aside and the championship of England was decided at London Pavilion recently. According to the Ei ■, Misa Perman, who opened the ball, showed heiself to be woith of the title of Australian champion, putting a deal of variety into hexstops, and showing some wonderful execution. At the conclusion of her arduous danea she was the recipient of \ cry hearty applau.se. Then came Miss Ray. She was in no hurry, and set her own time with great determination. She scarcely commenced well, but soon getting into li3r stride, her work became close and intricate, and her time was marvellously accurate. Her darcjng was a revelation to many of the older exponents in the hall. When she had acknowledged the plaudits with which her efforts were received, Dan Leno came forwaid and stated that it was the unanimous opinion of the trio of judges that Miss Ray had won. Tins is what Thos. P. Hudson (of Hudson's Sui prise Pr.ily) thinks of the defeat of the Australian champion. " I saw Minnie Ray and Bella Perman dancp, and in my opinion Miss Perman won easily. 1 have to thank Fred W. Duval for a copy of the Chorus and Dramatic Index of 1883, cci lairing tho cast of the first colonial production of Yon Suppe's " Fatinitza." Lou BeresforJ, high pedestal skate dancer, well known through South Africa and the East, mado his Aistralui delmfc at Sydney Tivoh on tho 20th. Florence Schmidt the Sydney soprano, farewell ■? (it a comnlinientary concert at Sjdncy Town Hall on the 27th. Rojal Comics replaced ' The Gondoliers" with a four-night revival of "The Yeoman of the Guard" at Sydney Her Majesty's on the 20 th Lily Mowbray is now with Hearj's Dramatic

Ccmrany at Sydney Royal Standard, also H. M. Douglas, C. South, and Kathleen Raleigh. The Maggie Moore-H. R. Roberts Company oi cued a, &eveii-mghts' season at Newcastle j Victoria Theatre on the 20th ; Brisbane, Rock- I hampton, Townsville, and Charters Towers fol- i lo r in that order. Back to Sydney, opening j at the Royal, November 5, in "' The Prodigal Father." John Hollingshead's " Chronicles of the Gaiety Theatre, recently published in London, cor' tains portraits of Sir Henry Irving, John L. Toole, Alfred Wigan, Charles Mathews, Samuel Phelps, Sam Emery, Arthur Cecil, Edward Teiry, E. W. Royce, Sarah Bernhardt, Kate Vi.Kghan, Nellie Farren, Mrs Kendal, line 1 other celebrated artists who have appeared at the Gaiety Theatre. The Craggs Family are clorag a rather novel pet at London Empire. The scene represents a mountain gorge m the Tyiol. Pinnacles of rock of various heights stand around, and from tho toi^ of these, with chanioi'j-like agility, the Craggs, attired as Tyrolesc mountaineers, leap, both to the ground and to the shoulders of their companions. A rather painful incident took place at the Wellington Opera House at a matinee recently. Just as little Eva was dying the mscliinist, Mr Alcv. Asbton received a telegram from Auric-, i land to the effect that his 18 months old daughter was dying. Some hours later a second wire happily explained that a mistoke had occuried, and although the little one was very ill, the case was not so bad as the iirst wire made out. I am pleased to state that Mr Ashton' S child has since much improved. A feature at London Empire are a number of well-trained cockatoos, one riding a bicycle along a wire. The Australian artist Ada Colley, and Wilton and Stack, two bar performers who came out under engagement to Rickards, are also at the Empire. Fred Beckwith, the father ol English swimmers and the well-known Becksmilh family, died, recently in Lond.on. Williamson, Garner, snd Musgrove's Royal Comic Opera Company, during its 14 years' existence, have played all the Gilbert and Sullivan operas with the exception of " Ruddigore" and '" Utopia Limited," in addition to a score of suc'i vivacious pieces as " Pepita " and " The Old Guard," and &uch really fine works fvorn a musical standpoint as "Ma Mie Rosette" and "La Cigale." The lioyal Comic Opera Company was not finally disbanded -until after the Queensland tour late in 1896, but as far as Sydney was concerned no more was seen of it after the " Mis?? Decima" season, which terminated in Sydney in March of that year. In this way opera-goers have been confined for twice 12 months to nrasical comedy, so that the opportunity of witnessing pieces cast in more definite artistic form was eagerly welcomed on Saturday, 13th. The house, which included his Excellency the Governor and sviite, was in the | most hilariously enthusiastic mood, and all the old principals of the company — M. Leon Caron (who resumed his old place as conductor), Mr George- Lauri, Mrs lienry J3racy, and Mr Howard Vernon — were singled out for especial j waimth of reception. In the composition of the ne v cast it was found thot the prestige of tho I Royal Comic Opera Company had been amply sustained in the engagement ol" the new tenor i and the baritone. In spite of the fact that "The Gondoliers" gave less opportunity for vocal distinction than many other ox^eras of the series, Mr Chailes Keiminghaxn and Mr William Paull delighted the audience both as j singers and actors, and tiieir presence lent fresh j interest to the performance. On the other hand i the absence of a prim a donna of commanding ' trJont such as Miss j\ellie Stewart, who was j gci erally supported by such competent go- - prano singers as Miss Florence Young and Miss May Pollard, mado itself felt as the evening , wore on. Latterly the soprano roles had not been so well lendeied as in the days of Miss Lei ora TJrahara and Miss Nellie Stewart, and it was hoped that in the reorganisation of the ccrnpany that point wo aid not be overlooked. Tho new singer of the company engaged by Mv George Mutgrovo is, howe/cr, u«mistakabl; T a light contralto. Tt should be added that Mip^ Dorothy Vane, the artist referred to, | readily won her way on Saturday, and in sou- j bicttc roles will surely become a favourite. '■ Sue," Edgar Pemberton's adaptation — with tli3 novelist— of Bret Harte's "Judgment of Bolinas Plain, was recently clone at London j Garrick. Pemberton, now critic of a leading j Bniiiinghatn paper, besides his m?ny plays, | has written biographies of Sothern, Tom j Robertson, and Hare, a series of papers his- | torical of the Birmingham stage, and a record j of Charles Dickens's theatrical exploits. " Sue" w is originally produced at Hoyt's Theatre, New York, September 8, '96, when the title role, as in the London production, was played by Miss Avnie RusseU. Geraldme Oliffe, one time with Brougli and B' ucicault, is playing with. Chailes Warner in " How London Lives." London Era refers to the Wellington people as Tasmanians! Mr William Haviland, not unknown here, who is now in South Africa with Haviland and Lawrence's Shakespearian Companj r , intends visiting A-.i^tralia uiiricr Charles Kolloway'a mansgemtut, ocening m December. Pollard Eros. Liliputian Opera Company is plnyirg " to imneiise business '' at Johannesburg Their performance of Dorothy "is commendable. Hairy L. Hail is still stage xnanagei\ M- Alf Wyburd, after successfully towing the Edwarde's Gaity Company through Cape Colony, has settled in Johannesburg . '" Thompson's Dead" ia still being played in Loi don by that clever team Brown, Newland, and Le Clerc. William Randall (better known as Billy Randall), father of the English musichall profes- j sion, died recently in London. He and his wife were amongst the first and cleverest duolog ie sketch artists. The burlesque on " Formosa," in which they played every principal character in about 25 minutes — being a precursoi of the Fregoli business — took London by stovm. The beat-remembered of Randall's fovourite songs will be ' That's what I said to Jemima." " Poor old Fiddler Sam," " My pal Ginger," and ' The Hole in the Shutter." His last appearance was 12 months back at London Tivo.i, when both he and Mrs F. R. Phillips I (at other of the stars of the fifties) contributed | to au entertainment on behalf of the Jubilee nurses' fund. | " Sporting Life," a four-act drama by Cecil ' Raleigh and Seymour Hicks, produced in Lon- ] don last year, is to receive its first Australian ' production by Bland Holt's Company during ' tho present Sydney season. ! Tenor John Lindsay, who will bu«inessraaiiage the Mann land tour of Alfred Woods's Dramatic, will cinq the solos in the religious scenes in " Joseph of Canaan " — an important and essential feature in the production of the ■ Ro r . Walter's great Biblical play. Heniy's Dramatic Company, which opens a tour of this colony at Auckland in October, I started on its ninty-fifth week at Sydney Royal Standard on the 20th. The decision in the recent challenge clog f dancing contest between Bella Peran and , Mir.aiu Ray doesn't seem to have pleased Aus- J trahans m (and out of) London. Bis always considered the little Australian lady equal to j anything iv clogs the smoky village could pro- | duci- But Dan Lcno, one of the referees in the ; recent contest, who holds the cliampionshixD * bolt, ought to know, you know. Of course Miss lliy being a very popular favourite at the present time — when there is such a boom in clog i daucing in London, may have affected the dcci- '. siori By the way, Dan Leno's champion belt is gomg begging in London, where it is adver- | ti%ed for sale. Mcllle. Lange was not Maud Beatty's first female character. Miss iSeatty had previously I>layed Manola, the strong woman (played by

Amy Brooks in 1885) in Offenbach's three-act opera " Princess of Trebizonde." The statement made by an Australian paper that " the Pollard Opera, Company now in South Africa is the original company having that name" is entirely jnciivect. The original Pollards are in Maoiilauct, raiu hive iiiti, finished four-weeks' season at Wellington Opera House. Ton (Sullivan) Pollard bps always been with the Pollards ever since he played first violin in the " Pollard's Liliputian Opera Company ' orchestra over 10 years ago. When the members got rather big to be called lihputians, Torn Pollard (by which name he was known with the Liliputians) organised " Pollard's Opera Company " in Melbourne in June 1891, since which time they have been continuously and successfully touring Australasia. — Yovirs truly, Bis.