WELLINGTON WING WHISPERS

Otago Witness, Issue 2325, 22 September 1898, Page 47

WELLINGTON WING WHISPERS

By P. Rompteo. 1 BOOKINGS. j OPERA. HOUSE. ' Pollard Opera Company, September 2G to ! October 5. , Piofessor Dante, October 21 to 28. Alfred Woods Dramatic Company, November 7 !', to 26. ! 1 Thespian Dramatic Club, November 28 to 30. ! Robert Henry Dramatic Company, December 3 I to 17. ' Williamson and Musgrave Company, December 26 to January 21. RECLAIMED LAND. Harmston's Circus, end of September. Bristol's American Circus, November 9 to 12. September 16» Dear Pasquin, — Another deadly dull week, and even Dunstan Dick's carnival at the Skating Rink was- shut down upon amusementlovers. There.' s only the House of Reps, left now — and all the seats therein are reserved. I The Marton Amateur Operatic Society is to perform "Les Cloches- de Corneyille" on the 4th and 6th October at Marton (just up- in the back parts of our province), and later on will ! stage the opera in Wanganui. i ITred Duval arrived in town once, again yesterday in advance of the Pollard Opera Company. The company appeared- at Wanganui last night, and will, play there for five nights, then go to Palmerston for three nights, opening in Wellington with "The G-ay Parisienne" i"on Monday, 26th hist. "The G-ay Parisienne" and "The French Maid" (as yet unperformed in New Zealand) will form the bill for the Wellington season, which will last nine nights. The company is stated to have had a most profitable season at Nelson and in the West Coasfr towns of thi3 island included in the present tour. " The>" G-ay P." has been played in Nelson, New Plymouth, Hawera, and Wanga- , nui r so that the members of the company should have settled into their parts by the time j they reach this city. Five years ago^ Mr Maughan Barnett, our pianist and organist, promised to give an organ recital in Christchurch Cathedra/1. He fulfilled his promise last Friday. The following programme was- gone through ixt the presence of a largo audience: — Choral Song, Wesley; Csnzona, Wolsienholrne ; Sonata No. 6, Mendelssohn; (a) In. Paradisum (Dubois), (k) Of- ' fertoice (Dubois); (a) Romance (Wagner), (b) Intro duction (Wagner) ; Berceuse, M. Barnett ; j Concerto No. 5, Handel; Angels of Jesus, Spinney; Offertoire in F, Wely. During a- chat j with Mj Baxnett on his return I asked him ! what ho thought of the Cathedral organ. He. | replied that his organ at St. John's Presby- * terian Church was the more comfortable of the j two to preside at, and thought the Wellington v instrument was as good as that of Christchurch. i You will remember that I have several times j made mention of Miss Adeline Watkins, the ' elocutionist. This lady has formed a company of arnatetirs under the title of the Thespian Dramatic Club, and has decided to give " The Amazons-" for a season in November in aid of the home for the aged and needy. Here is tho cast : — Lady Castlejordan .. „ .. Mrs Carte , Lady Neoline Belturbet I Miss Adeline Watkins: I Lady Thomasin Belturbet . . . . Miss E. Sharp j Lady Wilhelmina Belturbet . . Miss H. Izett "Sergeccut" Shuter .. .. Miss I. Welsh Vicount Barrington . . „ . . Mr Forrest ' Earl of Tweenwaye3 .. .. Mr J. M. Izett M. Andre de Grival Mr P. A. Savieri Re/. Minchin Sir G. Morgan i Fitton (gamekeeper) Mr J. J. Mead Ycuatt (a footman) . ., Dr Jenes ' Orts (a poacher) . . . . « . Mr Edmunds Proposition: The modern musical comedy is a hotch-potch of nonsense built to afford two ! and a-half hours' laughter. Argument : The head of The Firm has declared—" Well, if. they (the ' people — the- theatre-goers) won't have roast duck we must give them corned beef, that's all!" G-et your lips> into form ye brass bandists. There's a fellow coming round tho colonies ( with an ear to the formation, of an Australasian Brass Band for the Paris Exhibition of 1903 Miss Hatheuly, the harpist, who has been touring iho colony with Miss Celia. Dampier, the violinist, has returned to her home in Wanganui- Misa Hatherly is' the daughter of Dr H. Harry Rickards tells a Sydney Telegraph mm that he is going to toko himself, Ugo Ciondi r ami a 1 variety company through Maoriland at the end. of this year. The tour is to be a fly- : ing one, and only Dunedin, Christchurch, and Auckland will be treated to the show. Hear me- shriek — Where does Wellington come in? What have we done that wo should be- treated thus ? Why? why? why? 1 That! is my mournful cry! For I have seen his photos, and I Want to sec .Biondi. It. is moei Harryaing That Bdckards he should bring A mimic rare to Maoriland fair, and not Ist him get ofi for his take off a at Wellington. As- I said bofore — Why? It is reported from the north that Mr B. M. Curtis (lDrento know Sam'l o' Posen?) returns pretty soon to. the States, to bring- out to Australia a- comedy company. What's the matter with bringing round " Sam!l o' Posen." The newly-formed, Marton Choral Society has selected " The. Ancient Mariner " for its first production. Me L. Cohen has been appointed conductor. I gave you a sample- last week of the kind of stuff the critic of tha Wanganui Chronicle writes when he lets himself, go., Surely he must be armour-plated, for he has yet again used his sandpaper to the- following effect: — The Sunflower Minstrels gave one of their worldrenowned entertainments last evening, in the large Social Hall at Aramoho, to a. small but extremely select audience, which gradually became smaller as the entertainment wended its weary way along. The jokes (as might be expected from such a much-travelled company) were new and much appreciated by the discri? miiiating audience. " George Washington and

his little hatchet," was perhaps one of the best. The songs, we need hardly ssaty t were of the very latest, probably the best item being the- solo by Monsieur (we forget his other name), " Just before the battle, mother," which, however, was somewhat spoiled, by the chairman* who held the '"book," omitting to prompt in a loud enough tone to be heard. Finally, we congratulate tne company on their consummate cheek in attempting to perpetrate such a huge joke upqn a long-suffering public.