WELLINGTON WING WHISPERS

Otago Witness, Issue 2326, 29 September 1898, Page 39

WELLINGTON WING WHISPERS

By P. RoJiPTBa. September 23. Dear Pasquin, — Another quiet week. But things will boom next week, the Pollards opening tho Opera House on Monday, and the following Saturday Harmslon's Circus will be with us. Hoop-la ! ! Colonel Charles B. Hicks, — who has forgotten the curly snow-locked oldster?— arrived . in town last Sunday from 'Totherside with Agent Cameron, who, like the kurnel, is a gent theatrical. This time both agents are ahead of Harmston's Gigantic Circus, which is to open its New Zealand season in this city : week after next. At a fee of two guineas per [ night Harmstons have secured a site on the | Rec. The Harmstons have been on lour for I eight consecutive years, having visited Java, [ Straits Settlements, Sumatra, Siam, China, | Japan, Manila, Singapore, Burmah, India (at I Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras), and Cylon. I The circus returned to Australia last December. The members of tho company are all new to the colonies, and the circus embraces a fine menagerie. Tho management make a ! fealure of providing for the comfort of the i audience. i What memories are conjured up by tho rei ference in this local in Tuesday's Post ! "Mr Fitzgerald, to whom a benefit is to be given i on Thursday night, has worked very hard for ! tha workers of Wellington. He was agent for Davy's Brightlights when they made tho record run of 120 consecutive nights in Wellington. The young ventriloquist Mr Sheldon Kindley will assist at the entertainment." Sa.v. Bis {the BusyoKrapher !) where be Davy's

Bright Peepers now? The show last night was *" so-and-ao and such-and-such." Fred Duval has to fill in a term of 14- odd days and nights in this Wellington wilderness, so to pass away a few of his days and nights he is amiably inclined to talk Pollard ; in fact, he is a whole granary of Pollard — stalls, pit, or-chestra. His yield is more than a grain to the hour of chaff, my oat(h)s, and whether he gives you wheat in the ear or barley-sugar, it's all good stuff — and yields full pits and stalls for Fred. As an instance, for instance, he tells me that we are to have nine full meals of Pollard, commencing next Monday, the bills of fare being the tasty dishes yclept " The Gay Parisienne " and " The French Maid." Mr Pollard has secured from Messrs Williamson and Musgrove the sole New Zealand rights of the two pieces, as well as all the original scenery, wardrobe, and effects, so that they will be staged here on the same scale of completeness as in Melbourne and Sydney. In order to make both productions as perfect as possible, Mr Pollard has the assistance of tho charming young soubrette and dancev Misa Gertie Campion, who will be seen in "The Gay Parisienne" as Mdlle. Julie Bon Bon, a character for which she received tho greatest nraise from the Australian critics. The piece will be produced under the stage management of Mr J. B. Watson, who superintended the first production of this comedy at the Duke of York's Theatre, London. He •was brought out by the " Firm " to stage this piece and "The French Maid" in Australia, and is " lent" to Mr Pollard for a few weeks to produce both pieces here. M. Poussard, whose death was recently announced, visited the colony with Madame Burton's Concert Company several years ago. M. Poussard, in the early days, toured part of the colony in company with M. Douay, a gifted 'cellist. The latter, who was considered to be one of the best players of his day, died in a lunatic asylumn not long after his return from Europe. [ " The Lad that Comes at E'en" is the title i of a new song written and composed by Violinist and Scotch Bard John M'Glashan, of this city. The lassie sings : When faither seta him doon tae rest ayont the ingle lowe, I see the bairnies all lo bed, while mither spins tho tow; And then I steal towards the door, and thro' the hedge sac green I look for him I lo'e sac dear — the lad that comes at e'en. I hear him sing some auld Scotch song as he conies roon the ben', An:! when he's crossing ower the brig his lichtsome step I ken; It gars my heart beat loud — in fact brings tears into my een For joy to think that he's sac near — the lad that comes at c'en There is another verse telling what the lad whispered in her ear — the same old worldwide tale, and the whole story is told to an accompaniment of fiueh sweet sounds and tuneful melody that sung by any lassie fair is waranted to bring to herself the ever-welcome " lad that comes at e'en." I gather this item from the Wairarapa Star's theatrical writer : — " Mr L. J. Lohr, the popular theatrical manager, who has concluded arrangements with Dante to pilot him through Australia, has arrived in Napier. The celebrated conjurer from Napier goes on to Gisborne and Auckland, and thence to Sydney. During his visit to New Zealand Mr Lohr will protect the rights of ' What Happened to Jones,' a farcical comedy of the most hilarious order, which has proved an enormous success at the Strand Theatre, London, with an old favourite in the person of Mr Charles Arnold in the name part. Latest advices slate that Mr Arnold's venture is likely to eclipse the success of " Charley's Aunt,' for as a provoker of merriment it is said lo be even superior to that famous farce. Six companies are already playing the piece in America, and the advance booking _in London is enormous." The news in this item would lead one to suppose that Dante is not coming back to Wellington. I haven't heard from the North whether this is so.