WELLINGTON WING WHISPERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2370, 3 August 1899, Page 46

WELLINGTON WING WHISPERS.

By P. Rowte*.

ENGAGEMENTS.

' OPEKA HOUSE. Jubilee Singers, August 14 to 19. E. Reynolds, Dunedin (on behalf of visiting company), August 28 to September 8. •Williamson and Musgrove, November 3 to 16.. Bland Holt, November 28 to December 20. Pollard Opera Company, December 26 to January 22, 1900. July 28. Dear Pasquin, — The Pollards have departed, and politics died with last Tuesday's by-elec-tion — therefore we are left hopelessly unamused again. There is a great big gap in front of us if something unexpected doesn't happen between now and November next, when the genial Bland comes to us. It will be seen by a par further down in these notes that our Opera House people are making an effort to fill that interregnum. May they succeed. They have tried sometimes before, and generally failed. But there's nothing, they apparently believe, like trying Robert Bruce's suggestion — try, try, etc. When I mentioned above that we were hopelessly unamused, I didn't mean any reflection upon the ability of the Farming-Rivers Company, which has been doing good biz at the Exchange Hall during the week. But the Hall accommodates but a few folk at a time, and tho lucky dogs who are getting in through the doors are having the laugh all to- themselves. The company has caught on properly, and have been "turnin' 'em away" some 'nights. The members are, besides tho principals, Miss George, Devoe, Miss Ivy Akerston, Harry Carleton, and Ted Sutton. ' A strong little

team, at present pulling Wtllingtanians for all • the Exchange Hall" is worth. They are -travel-, ling south. - That injunction judgment give to The Fiita. on Monday against "the Wellington poor wan- \ dering ones who put <m " The Sign of the Cross " at Masterton recently is an empty one, after all. The Firm ca»'t get oaf costs 'out of • the defendants — I suppose th«y didn't expect to — and I fancy it would bs hard to find some members of the company now. Sir Robert Stout, Chief Justice, heard the case, and in his j decision, he .granted an injunction with .£ls 15b costs, such costs to include total costs of all the interim proceedings and to "be the total costs of the action. Plaintiffs are also to have— (1) The expenses of three witnesses, the fees paid to the court,' but excluding the fees of any proceedings in connection with " The Royal Divorce " and interim proceedings that' failedj 1 and (2) the cost of service of "the writ and. interim injunction oh the defendants. Mr "WilforS appeared as counsel for The Firm, and Mr Young for the defendants. In his judgment, his Honor said that the 'fact that the agent of Williamson and Musgrove r was not registered until the 13th April was of no moment, as this was an action by the registered owners, and supplying a copy of the play to the' Registrar at the time of ' application to register was not compulsory. It was sufficient to -give certain particulars, and there was' no evidence to show .that sufficient , particulars imcl .not Tjeen given. ,In his Honoris opinion, there was no validity in the objections . and defence .of: the -defendants. In his address at the annual meeting of the "Wellington Opera- House Company some months " ag6, the -chairman of directors (Mr W. JH. J. Barber) announced that the incoming "year promised to be-, a: very -good -one for- the company.' But the bright-prospects in view when Mr 'Barber made his statement have been altogether altered -by the cancellation of the dates -Written in by "Mr Brough and other companies, and -there is now, bo' far as our Opera. House is ccncemed, practically .Tip bookings until Tfcveu- . ber. With a "view -of providing entertainment during the "vacant period, the directors -of the Opera House Company have decided to venture -upon theatrical enterprises of their -own, and to-morrow Mr. Barber is to leave for Australia for the purpose of getting together suitable companies to occupy the Opera Houao, and possibly I arrange for tours of the colony. It jb thought that there is talent in Sydney and Mc l bourne awaiting 'opportunity, and New Zealand will be offered as a country well worth visiting during the next three -months. Though the playgoer has pot been having a good time with vs — except in the opportunity given him of saving his money — the concertlover has had many charming programmes of/ered to win his fauoy and transport him for the period of two hours nightiy. On Monday last tho Dutoh JJie-der-teufe-s gave a good time to a mighty small audience in the Choral Hall; on Tuesday the Brady Family gave a. bad time to a ■worse audience in the same hall; on Wednesday Harry Hooper — not unknown to the profession in all parts of Australasia — gave a fine J?jip with local talent in the Opera House, the siugerß being Misses Sheen and Maginnity and Messrs Mozar and Stebbing. with Clarice Brtibazon at the piano and Miss Elsie Hennah violin, the intention being to give regular proeivrmmes of an operatic and concertical nature ; and last night our Orchestral- Socieiv gave one of th« most delightful and popular concerts ithas been my pleasure to attend. It was given in '-the Choral Hall, and so pleased is the society withfthe acoustic properties of the hall mat -I am given to understand it will henceforth appear only therein, which is a naßty jar for the- Opera House people. I. have always had a weaka'esa for the oharm--ing Marie (or Jennie, I'm not sure which) Sheen, who has been impressing her operatic personality and her voice upon us Wellingtonians for some little time — which sets one •wondering when she i 6 going to take -seriously I ♦ and continuously to the stage. She sings and acts well, and at one time it was naid that Tom Pollard intended .strengthening his forces by adding thereto the girl from Featherston. Miss Sheen frequently comes down from the windy village to the windy city for our entertainment, and I saw her last at the Opera House on Wednesday at the Pop, in which she played & large part on the programme, and in some of the words of ■' La. Poupee." "she was charming." If I vere a spring poet, I -would put a "towel round my head, wander round the room, and get something like this off my chest : — j Oh, Marie (or Jennie) — your name I forget Your presence is blushful, yet I'll not regret i That presence so comely, you're smiling so arch (Then turn tot your back, noi tell me to march.) Your village, is far, or I'd -walk there and back, To wait at your gate for a smile. But, alack ! My waiting were vain, and you're off me. I ween I've bo chance, I opine, with Featherston's Sheen! It -was a case of Sheen, shine, shone! in a new fetching gown, and even the typewriter «ays "Emg off! " , ■