THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2425, 5 September 1900, Page 55

THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

By Pasqtttn. TUESDAY, Septembet 4. The War by Biograph unfolds its hundreds of genuine war films to an expectant publ.c at the Garrison Hall on Friday evening next. Every kinematograph, wajcograph, picturegraph, or biograph that has come along to this city has unfolded to us "genuine" (more 01 less — a good c^ ea l l ess ) war ms > but remains for Messrs Wylde and Freedman, who have secured the Australasian rights from the British Biograph Company,, to exhibit these war pictures, to maks all other graphs pale into flickering nothingness. The Biograph entertainment will be of more than usual interest, inasmuch as each representation will be an absolutely genuine lecord of the incidents represented. The films used are the only ones in existence, having been taken by special permission ot the Imperial authorities for the London Biograpb Company for the Palace Theatre, London, at a eoti, of £6000 per week, and afterwards forwarded to Messrs Wyld and Freedman, who possess the sole rights for Australasia. Each picture is 26ft square. Upwards of 40 representations are shown, each of which is of- extraordinary interest by reason of their genuineness and sharp detail. The entertainment hus attracted tremendous audiences throughout Australia .

Miss Barlow, a .late member of Walter Bentley's Christian Company, is at present "resting" in Dunedin. Mr J. A. Montgomery, ■ the energ-etio advance of the Henry Company, has been posting the town with "Charley's Aunt" all the week. The season opens at the Princess Theatre on Saturday night. Ben Fuller has given Fred Bluett an 18months' engagement with the various. Fuller companies in New Zealand. Some little while back Fred B-luett came to this colony as a member of a company run by Miss Ada Juneen. The show got on the rocks in Dunedin, and stranded Fred Bluett, Billy WatIvins, and a few others. The few others wentunder; Bluett and Watkins stuck to the business, and came out on top.

A dearth of pros, on Poverty Point since the 3?uller-Dix variety boom in New Zealand. May it long continue is. the earnest prayer ol the man with the thirst.

Messrs Bonamici and Frank de Jong are the first entrepreneurs to take out a company to South Africa since the capture of Pretoria. Everything points to a golden harvest being reaped by these energetic managers. Chinko, the boy juggler, is creating a great sensation at Home by his uncopyable act of juggling with eight full-size billiard balls. The art of juggling is not to be despised when an hour and -x-half's work per week yields £1000 per annum. Miss Jennie Pollock, who was such a success as an amateui actress in Auckland, has joined Bland Holt's company in Sydney. "Will Percy, of Pollard's Opera Company, sends me a clever watercolour sketch ot the Mapourika ashore on Mabel Island. Many and -sincere thanks for same,. Perc. , and may it -never fade. Sketching is Will. Percy's one very particular dissipation—he is a sketch drunk.

Mr Robert Brough is j"roducln.e; Walter "Friths new comedy, "The Man of Eorty/^in •Melbourne to fair busjnes-s. Mr Brouga himself impersonates the chief character, Mr Lee Fanshawe, M.P.

The Ada Delroy Company has returned from China lo Queensland,' and is to open in Sydney in November. Tho friends of 2iTr George Ward, who has teen connected with, the Dunedin Princess Theatre for over a quarter of a century, will regret to hear of the comparatively sudden _ death of his son George William Ward, assistant reader in the Government Printing Office at Hobart. Young George was brought xip in Dunedin, learning his trade of compositor in the Witness office. He wa-> a bright and genial young fcPow, was very clever with brush and pencil, a good musician, and, withal, of a studious nature. He lias been in the Government service for over fifteen years, and was a general favourite among his fellow-employees. His death was quite unexpected, and he leaves a widow and f ovir young .children to mourn their loss.

Signor Sleffani, the musical tutor of Florence Schmidt, interviewed on his return to Sydney, said he "did not know whether Miss Schmidt was likely to persevere in her musical ambition. Jfor reasons which have more relation to morals than tc music Miss Schmidt, as a high-principled Australian girl, may find the surroundings of the Continental operatic stage more repellant than attractive. It is a test demanding great virtue as the support of honest merifc.an.fi high id.eals. . To phrase the matter less bluntly would be affectation. The concert platform, particularly, in England, is clean and wholesome. That "is why I think Miss -Schmidt will make it her choice. Do not for a moment imagine that I am making a sweeping charge against the operatic stage. Nothing of the kind is in my thoughts. What I fctud just now with respect to the clangers which, as a rule, bes>et the path of a young woman, who, without rich oi powerful friends, seeks to succeed in the field of opera on "the Continent, was a passing reference to a condition of things the exißloncs of which is un-

fortunately too well known, both 'inside and outside the profession. ' To put the matter "straight" : a clever Australian girl, who went to Europe to study, nnd has succeeded well, Viroto to the Bulletin long ago that even if a woman was beautiful and sang like a bird it wps next to impossible for 'her to get a really good show on the lyric stage unleps she consented to become the mistress of an entrepreneur. — Bulletin.

Ugo Biondi, who calls himself the "Oneman Italian Opera," is to be with us on Monday at the Tivob: He is a young Florentine, not yet Sve-and- twenty, and speaks most oi the Continental languages. In his Protean erteitainment, which has been a gieat success at New York, Baltimore, Boston, >San o , Francihco, and other citips ol the State?, Biondi introduces a drama, in which he plays five characters, and afterwards impersonates 10 of the principal composers oE the century, from Verdi to Straus. The chief char.ioterlstic of his peiformance'is his lightning-like rapidity of change, and he is equally happj- in such different characters as a waiter, p prima donna, or a policeman. He prides himself on his presentation of Albert Chevalier, in his pearly-decorated coat, pinging "Knocked 'cm in the old Kent road." This, Fboukl be a very popular item at the Tholi, for the Romeo ol the barrow was a special favourite there.— The Eia.

Mi?s Fanny Robiua, who has been abroad for five years as one of the Five Julians, has left that troupe and is about to by hersslf again. Her voice has greatly improved, and she will open at one of the London halls shortly. Australian organists will not appreciate M. Wiegand's candid criticism : "Non ; de Australians will not make organistev— dey do not persevere. "When I way six years old, I play'de organe in a church. Den play, play, play ! — ever- day six hours, eight hours — practise, practise ! For 10, 15 year& — every day six hours. But lc« Australians dey practise two-thiee year? ; den dey say, 'Oh, we know enough ; no more !' Nevair. persevere. Do you know, it is a strange thing— l can plways tell Ingleesh and Australian oi ganiste from Continental organiste — just by hear-a dem play. Continental organi&tc — La, ta. ta, ta ! — like dat — every note cler.r. Ingieesb organiste — tararararar !! — &o ! like stirring thick soup. Poor Best ! he v, as good Ingleesh organiste — fine technique ; but "'no emotion, no emotion, no soul — too cold. It did what-a you call 'break-him-up' to play on de Melbourne Town Eall organe — «o hard of touch! After do concert he fainu ; and a young lady, ver' nice young lady, pour-a water on his face. She pay. 'Are you-a better? Are you-a better?' And he open- his eyes and say, 'No, I am Bett !' Ha, ha, ha, ha! Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho ! ■ Ho, ho !" Several years " \o a young man was teaching a Staid school class in a bush hamlet- in Victoria, and tho conviction forced itself on him that, he must give up teaching that class or commit suicide. He had realised that he was no teacher ; also, like every other sensible man, that the children knew ever so much more than he knew. This sense of inferiority appealed to him with double force, because Donald jMacdonald was then, as now, an unaffecteo lover of Nature and all her work* ; and it came keenly home to him whilst he war endeavouring to impart the uninteresting principles of multiplication that these frecklefaced little bushies had private information about rare specimens of magpies and a- sure knowledge, of the haunts of many infects, fishes, and plants. It was impossible, therefore, for this man to remain in so uncongenial o puisuit, nnd he cast about for some other mean? oi livelihood. "What -was to be done? He was young, stalwart, and courageous, but thep-3 gifts, outside a novel, are not in themselves capital ; and his appetite was methodical to the point of irritation. It was obvious that something must be done quickly — at least, obvious to JMacdonald — for, as he says in his quiet way, "no influential deputation of citizens waited on me to implore me to begin journalism," and he rufhecl to that weapon which is so much mightier than the sword when you must have dinner. lie sat himself down and wrote an article for a great Melbourne newspaper. That was the beginning of Donald Macdonald as a writer. Tho editor was a man of discernment, and he at once saw that hero was a rare hand at work. He printed the article, and invited Macdouald to call and see him. Macdonald pet out lull of hope and fear, wearing a very experienced felt hat, and his trousers strapped round his knees ; and in this guise he stood before the editorial presence, right under the electric light, and was unashamed. The editor, who was as courageous as he was intelligent, withstood tliio shock to a lifetime of conventions, and hurriedly engaged Macdonald on the spot. Macdonald retired, took one swift glance round Collins street, saw that felt hats and knee straps were not in fashion, and discarded them: Thenceforth he began to write. All the world knows that Macdonald was shut up in Ladysmith during the siege. We have all read his graphic letters, and as many of us as possible will hear his lectures. To what purpose, therefore, is it to question him about hia experiences, especially as he cannot be got to ppcak of them in private. He will talk of any subject tinder the sun but himself. It is better to relate what is, known of the man than to poke questions at him as if he wcie a rare specimen of natural history in a cage. "How did you first learn 'to write, Mr Muedouald?" fays the hopeless one. "I haven't learnt yet,'' is the quiet answer. And this is characteristic of the man. Would that "stars" in other walks were as modest !