THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2374, 31 August 1899, Page 47

THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

« Bt Pasqtjjn.

. TUESDAY, August 29. The Faning-Rivers Company gave another entertainment at the' Garrison Hall on Monday evening. A programme similar to those presented on the -preceding evenings was gone through, and those present manifested their appreciation of the efforts of the members of the company in a very cordial manner. The negro specialties of Mr Fanning again created a very great deal of merriment, while the descriptive songs of Mr Rivers were bo well rendered that several of them had to be repeated in response to emphatically demanded - encores. The singing and dancing of Miss Georgie Devoe also contributed not a little to the success of ! the entertainment, and, like the other mem- ' bers of the company, she had to supplement her items with additional ones before the de- , mands of those present were satisfied. The ' company will play for one night at Port ! Chalmers, opening there on Wednesday evening. Herr Albert Friedenthal, who is in the first rank of pianists, expects to be in Dunedin very shortly, when he will give one or two recitals. He was most favourably received in Australia, and at the Wellington. Opera House on Wednesday evening drew a crowded and enthusiastic audience. I The Steele-Fayne combination of Bellringers are at present in Auckland. j Mr Williamson, who returned to Sydney reoently, says, with respect to the report that absolutely no intention of withdrawing from ' ite is about to leave for Europe, that he has theatrical management in Australia. But ho thinks that after five years' hard work and constant train travelling, it would be judi- . cioub to take a trip away, not only lo preserve his health, but in order that he should j jteep quite up-to-date. His interests, in fact, he » *ays, will be larger next year than they have "been this, which is saying a good deal. " How \o succeed on the stage, is the subject of an :'nt«rview which Mr Williamson gave recently xo the Argus. His chief complaint against 7*)unfr Australians is not their lack of talent, but their indisposition to work. He very rightly says, that many a young man, and young men are more conspicuous in this re- I epect than young women, thinks he can at , onoe succeed on the stage, without the least ' preparation. Miss Florence Young, who has been for some time in South Africa, has returned to England, and was appearing with Messrs liockwood and Lovilly's Opera Company at ! the Prince's Theatre, Manchester, when the mail left. » Miss Amy Castles benefited to the extent of £475 by a series of concerts given in Adelaide. Norma Meredith, a star of the Aborn Opera Gompany, New York (says the Leader), gloried in long golden tresses, but she woke up the other morning and found herself cropped like a nun. She declares that a midnight marauder clipped her while she slept. She has the general sympathy of the company, and blame is falling on rival actresses. I learn from the Tasmanian Mail that Miss Nellie Archer, one of the young ladies ■who left Tasmania some months ago to pursue their musical studies in Europe, has been, received by Madame Melba at her country residence. In a letter just received here, Miss Archer says she sang before the famous songstress, and when she had finished Melba told her she had a magnificent voice, and that if she would follow her advice she would do her best to advance her interests. Subsequently Miss Archer interviewed Signor Pangani, a prominent voice authority, who informed her she had a. fortune in her throat. The young Tasmanian has been invited to visit Melba at her country house again. Miss Archer is ?v daughter of Mr Archer, secretary of the Tasmauian. Agricultural and Pastoral Society, and before phe left here made an impression at her benefit concert in the Albert Hall. Handeome monuments cover the remains of ""''rank Bates, "Johnny" Hall, Mrs George Jarrell, and others, which lie pretty close together in Melbourne general cemetery, but it ■7ould be hard to find the spot where lie tho ,tones of old "Billy" Hoskins. Years ago attention was called to the fact that the grave was unmarked, but nothing was done. By the rvay, the name on the gravestone of Fanny Mathcare that was is Francis Darrell Price, r he last being the real Surname of our friend George Darrell. —Bulletin. One of Sydney's most prominent actorS&anagers, and generally regarded as a clever ■i'an, waa weak enough the other day to julow himself to doubt the efficacy of news--p&per advertising. He advertised the fact jj\ a newspaper, and "also announced that anyone presenting: such advertisement at his fheatro door on the same evening would be admitted to the gallery free. At half-past 6

o'clock that evening a crowd had collected thaf extended from either side of the door halfway. -across the street, and by a quarter pasti-7- it had so increaseu that .the traffic was .temporarily suspended- Result: A packed ..gallery of deadaeads, more than half turned away, and a glorious triumph for advertising. The Afro-American Minstrels, introduced to the colonies by Mr M. B. Curtis will shortly |be in our midst. The leading artiste of tho | company are Mr Ernest Hogan, a naturally ', funny comedian : a man who is funny simply ; because he can't help it. He. works conscien- [ tiously and excels equally in songs, dances, and jig pantomime. He has the distinction of being an author, actor, and the composer of all the songs he sings. Mr Billy M'Glain. shares the honours of the company with Mr Hogan. These two artists are delightfully leg( bimate comedians, two of the best among the coloured race. Among the ladies of the company Miss Madah A. Hyer, very appropriately termed the Bronze Patti, shines brilliantly as a prima donna. With a good stage appearance, a wonderfully strong voice and a marvellous range, she is easily among the prima donnas of note, especially of those of her own race. Other artists in the combination are Misses Marion Blake and Siren Navarra, Master Blutch, and Messrs George Jones, Laurence Ohenault, and Robt. O. Logan. The American invasion of the London stage continues with unabated vigour, Clyde Fitch'B play, "The Cowboy and the Lady," being the latest novelty presented at the Duke of York's with a full American company. There were no very new features about the piece. It was a thing of ranches and revolvers, of strange oaths from white men, and Pidgin English fiom red. There was a lynching and a shooting, and a trial, and any amount of local colour. The virtue of playing well together is one of the features of American companies, and often enables them to win applause with : a scpuo which would fall flat in the hands of aa English company. Madame Patti is the most' perfect singer of Mozart in the world. She has the instinct of shapeliness. Never does she dwell on a note, or drag a phrase, in order to lay stress on her own personal accomplishment. Never does she emerge glaringly from the flowery chains with which that divine composer has sought tenderly to bind his interpreters and gambol licentiously in the way of too many famous singers. Her every ornament has meaning, her every turn has temperament in it, and she always knows how to make her ending beautiful. — R. S. Hichens. It is said that Madame Melba is filling in her spare time by writing a treatise on voice production and operatic singing. The work when completed is to be published in Englifih, French, and Italian simultaneously. Thero is a unique mueeuin in Paris in I which are gathered all objects relating to the | ballet, including everything from tattered skirts to valuable jewels. Collecting goes on : assiduously of all articles connected with celebrities of the dance. ! M. Jean deßeszke is still king of operatic tenors. As Lohengrin and as Tristan tins chivalric and imaginative singer has moved < in vent Garden' audiences to enthusiasm by his fervour, his rare idealisation of each character, his warm love-making, and by the matchless sweetness of his pure voice. Madame Sarah Bernhardt very much dislikes advertising notions being m any way mixed up with art. Playing recently at a certain town in Italy, she paid eighty francs ; a day rather than allow advertisements to ap- | pear on the drop scene at the theatre where | she was performing. Madame Melba, who is in great demand in London for " ai homes " and private concerts, has made the minimum fee for such engagements four hundred guineas. In the art of " making up " the face, Mr EC. Eeerbohm Tree is generally accounted the quickest. Frequently he will not commence — and with a heavy make-up; too — until the orchestra starts, and times his entrance co well that he will walk downstairs from his dressing room direct on to the stage.