THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2437, 28 November 1900, Page 54

THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

By Pasqtjjn. TUESDAY. November 27. Mr Charles Arnold's English Comedy Com- | jpany concluded a most successful season in | Dunedin on Friday night, when they repeated I " Why Smith Left Home." There was a i very largo attendance. When the comedy | was staged earlier in the week it also proved ' a strong attraction and a source of much j genuine mirth, and last night it was again. | welcomed with numerous demonstrations of approval. Mr Arnold and his company, who | have on this visit greatly increased tlieir former popularity with the patrons of the theatre in Dunedin, will leave for the north to-day, and play at Oamaru to-night. At the Steele-Payne Bellringers' popular concerts in the Agricultural Hall, commencing this evening, the popular basso, Mr Williams, wi!3 sing one of his latest successes, " The deep, cold sea," and Miss Maher will introduce the successful song, " Soldiers in the park." Mr Steele has just received the latest and most amusing animated pictures from England and Paris, to be shown by the electric biograph. These are their farewell appearances before their departure for South Africa. ■ Messrs Middleton and Lyons, agents for Wirth's Royal Circus and Menagerie, arrived at the Bluff from Melbourne on Monday morning to make arrangements for the company's New Zealand tour. The first performance will be given in Invercargill on December 12, and the Dunedin season will commence ab Christmas. A telegram for Mr Alf Boothman, caro j Woods Dramatic Company is in the bands oi i "Pasquin," Otago Witness. ! We reproduce on our illustrated pages in this issue a portrait of the late Mr Morris Simonstein (Jack Morris), whose death took place at the Ballarat Star Hotel, Melbourne, on Sunday, I4th ulr. Mr Morris was connected for some time with Fitzgerald Bros.* circus, and these popular managers have lost; a tip-top advance and a genial comrade. Poor Morris evidently knew his time had come, for he told some friends at the hotel that he was going upstairs to die, and went straightway to his room, took off his clpthes, and expired. The post mortem proved that he died of bronchitis and heart failure. Strange to say, the day before his death "Onlooker" called on him at his hotel and finding him out left a card "wishing him all the joy and luck i this world could bring." I The Crane-Power Company had hardly j such a good time in Dunedin as far as a. successful season goes. " Royal Dii -vorce," "Sign of the Cross," and \ "Trilby"' Duuedin theatre-goers were I familiar with, and owing to the high prices ruling not anxious to see again, preferring to pay the prices for something they had not seen. "Tess" only drew fairly, and did not hit Dunedin playgoers as was expected. "The Only Way" was- powerful and spirited, but too sordid even for the Dunedin public, who are supposed to take their pleasures sadly. "The King's Musketeer" was the best performance of the season, andhad it been the initial one would have been responsible for a bigger treasury. The high prices no doubt had a good deal to do with the indifferent season. Circle people used to paying 4s went to the stalls and paid 3s rather than ss, and 2s 6d stall patrons got on their hind legs at the 3s— paid Is and went ! into the pit. Pittites paid Is and stayed where they were. , Donald Macdonald and "Banjo" Paterson met publically on the Garrison Hall stage on. Saturday night last. Both were anxious to meet each othei, and when Macdonald came on, he was heaird to say from the front, midst the enthusiastic applause, "How do you do, old man? Wish to heaven I was going off* the stage and you were coming on." Strange to say, neither Macdonald nor "Banjo" like the glare of the footlights. Pollard's Opera Company will say good-bye to New Zealand on December 3, opening in Sydney on Boxing Night under the joint management of Mr J. C. Williamson and Mr Tom Pollard. The company is at present appearing at Auckland, where business is very big. Fred Duval, who has been the only advance of Pollard's Opera Company for nine years, is reported to -have accepted an engagement from Percy Dix to act as general manager for his companies playing the chief towns of New Zealand. Does this mean the disrating o£ Hustler Alee Anderson? Mr Dan Fitzgerald has received a cable from. Karl Hagenbeck, of Hamburg, stating that the giraffe recently purchased by Mr Tom Fitzgerald has died. Ac the giraffe is very scarce, this is a serious loss to the Brothers Fitz. The animal cost £2000. Running a circus is not all a beer garden. The Broughs left Australia for India per Oruba a fortnight ago. Tom Fitzgerald, who has been touring the world in search of novelties for Fitz. Bros.' circus, has arrived in Melbourne after spending a month in South Africa. Mr Fitzgerald strongly advises Australians to avoid South Africa foi six months at least. During his torn* he engaged 20 new performers, and also secured a hippopotamus intended for Adelaide "Zoo." Mr Charles Arnold informed me that the six-nights' Dunedin season of "What Happened to J_ones" piut £140 more into fch«

treasury than a- similar ran of "Charley's Aunt" in this city. Still "Jones" will have to keep going at top to beat trie aunt from Brazil where the nuts coxae from. Another phenomenal voice for 'Ome. Miss Katie Connell, a young New Zealand soprano, is about to proceed to Etirope for further vocal instruction. Miss Connell's voice is very rich, powerful, and flexible. The young lady has been trained at the Wellington Convent. Miss Nance O'Neil leaves Sydney for New Zealand next month, opening in Auckland on Boxing Night. Harry Cogill, as the head of a musical comedy company playing "A Stranger in New York" and "A Trip to Chinatown," contemplates a tour through New ' Zealand. Ben Fuller is negotiating for the purchase of the Chjial Hall; Wellington. The two White. Men" in {he 'theatrical profession — Messrs L. J. Lohr and Al Edwin Geach— were in town last week. Mr Lohr, has ,gone ahead of Mr Charles Arnold and — Mr'- Edwior 'Geach south and over to Australia with war correspondent Donald Macdonald. Goodbye to the best of good fellows. Come back soon. Edwin (Al) Geach sends me a splendid photograph of his cheery, auburn self, with his own little autograph. Nothing in the world would -induce me to part, with _the pic-, ture or- the shake of the' hand as" he said. Good-bye, and good luck," prior to li'is leaving for Australia. Ben Fuller-Burton dropped in yesterday afternoon; looking more than fre3h after his month's honeymoon trip. He informs me that the Firm's shows throughout the island are doing remarkably good biz. During Christmas and New Year weeks Ben is going to pilot the Flying Jordans down the West Coast. The Jordans, who will be assisted by a very strong company, will perform in .a tent purchased by Mr Fuller. Ben will manage the circus. Percy Dixs Gaiety Company at the Alhambra under the management of the genial Alec Anderson, is drawing in its share of Dunedin shekels. Little Eileen Boyd, with her big voice, and Frank Yorke, with his big voice, are responsible for a host of the shillings and sixpences dropped into the treasury. The Leslie Bros., musical artists of a good deal more than ordinary ability, are the popular favourites at this house . of amusement. The- Devella Sisters are still boxing under Marquis of Queensbury rules. Miss Rose Andrews, Miss ' Mabel Maie, Miss Annetta Bodin, Miss Cissie Whitef ord, Miss Ethel Clifford, Miss Marie -Boy ton, Mr Sam Gale, Mr Jack Steele, and Mr Bob Hall are domg "their share of a splendid programme. Tonight will see the first appearance of the Leonard Family of Acrobats. Judgment reserved. .. , , Dear Pasquin,— You will wonder, no doubt, ■what has become ofa number .of Henry's Dra- ' matic Company, who severed their connection with that management in Wellington nearly six months ago. Well, we, the Adeiphi Dramatic Company, have been on tour and are now permanently settled m wanganui, and. we are now in our sixth week of management of the old theatre here. We show two nights a week; and give our patrons a ,new piece weekly. Our opening bill was "It is Never too Late to Mend," then fol-io-wed in weekly order, "The Vagabond .King," "Arrah-na-Pogue," "A Pair of Spectacles," "The Lancashire Lass," "Held by the Enemy," "Secrets of the Police," and next ■ week up goes "British Born." Our productions are worthy of any Australian theatre, and Mi Neville Thornton, "the old veteran,'' paints new scenery for each, piece. There are 12 people (all told) in the combination, and we have been favoured with capital houses. Last week's houses were the largest since our opening in "Too Late to Mend," on ■which occasion we turned them away. Enclosed find programme. Charlie Naylor was tendered a benefit at the Opera House, and we played the first act of "Too Late to Mend." ■On the 4th of next month, Mr Chas. Voss, the well-knqwn manager of the Opera House here, will be given a monster benefit by the townspeople, and, by permission of Messrs Williamson and Musgrov«, we stage "Written in Sand." Voss contemplates a trip to Europe, and has been granted six months' leave of absence. The Blind, Deaf, and Dumb Company play here to-night. The weather has been very much against show business, for it has rained nearly every day for the last four months. However, this does not seem to interfere with our receipts. Our scenic effects are one of the principal features of the performances, and it would be hard to find an artist better than Neville Thornton to suit us. It was rather a daring venture to try a stock company in N a town the size of Wanganui, but we have proved, that it can be done. — Yours, sincerely, Andrew Hodge. Wanganui, November 22, 1900. [Pleased to hear from you. Hope present success continues. Write again. — PASQtrijr.] It would be interesting to attempt to forecast the point at which stage realism is to stop. A performance of "Carmen" with a real Jbull-fight ,in the fourth act ha? taken place at Bayonne. The bull was butchered amid universal acclamation, and , the subsequent death of Carmen parsed unnoticed. A London paper announces the re-appearance of a Japanese troupe of tragedians who made a big" hit in the city and then went to Paris. They are to produce a new tragedy called. "Goga, or the Two Brotherr." Some one who saw the play in Paris wrote +hat thp slow incision of the knife and the deliberate drawing of it laterally across the body till the sash is soaked with the blood is one of the most realistically ghastly, effects ever seen on any stage, so that somebody ought to be satisfied. Dominguin, the bull-fighter who figured in the realistic performance of "Carmen," died at Barcelona on a recent Sunday from a wound received in the combat. A bull gored him .' severely, the horn penetrating" his body to a considerable depth. Mr Leonard" Rayne sends the Echo the programme of a very eventful performance in Capetown, when he. and Ms company played "A Royal Divorce" to the largest house ever known in that city. The audience was photographed by flashlight, with General BadenPowell in the middle of the stalls. The general went round to Mr Rayr>p'= dressir"-l-oom and spent half an hour with him and Mrs Rayne jocularly remarked to his visitor that he would be fined 2s 6d for keeping the stage waiting, he having arrived 15 minutes late, and subsequently received the following letter: — "Deai Mr Rayne, — May I write you a line to express to yourself and to Mrs Rayne the thanks of my party of last night, for the pleasure we 'derived from your artistic performance of "A Royal Divorce"?" Believe me, yours very 'truly, R. S. Baden-Powell. P.S.— I send 'herewith 2s 6d fine for keeping the stage waiting,— R. 8.-P. Groote Schuur, Rondebosch, near Capetown, September 15, 1900." Mr Rayne has so far beaten all his previous takingsat the Opera House by nearly £500 on the first week. Mr Dear Pasquin, — I don't think that I wrote to you before -leaving Sydney. If t «-id it was in, a great rußb, and it has slipped

my memory. In the first place, I have to thank you very sincerely for sending me the copies of the Witness. I appreciate them very much, and also the kind thought in forwarding them. Of course you see every paper that is published almost, so it would be no use me sending you papers from this side. However, should it be in my power to do anything in any way for you, you have only to say the word. We had a most successful season in Sydney, and finished up very big indeed with one week of "The War of Wealth." The last night was a great send off. Our trip over by boat'was a very long and tedious one, — it took us 7^ hours, and when the usua] time is from 40 to 48 hours you can understand how miserable it was. Opened here on the 3rd inst. to a tremendous house with "The Absent-minded Beggar." The piece has kept up with its popularity, and large houses are the regular thing. Things have been very busy owing to the Cup, and you will have heard the attendance on that day at the racecourse beat all previous records. The 'weather was perfect every day. There is plenty of-'opposition in Melbourne — Musgrove's Grand Opera, Williamson's Opera Company, Rickards' s usual show, Fitzgerald's Circus, Wirth's pireus, concerts, etc. Nothing very startling here; things have quietened down now till Christmas. We have a big season to do here, and plenty of new attractions,- among them "With Flying Colours," "Hearts are Trumps," "The Great Ruby," "The Price of Peace," and others. Harry Norman, if he knew I were writing, would, I know, send you his kind wishes. The company is just the same, bar -Miss Gill, who retired, and is replaced by Miss Florence Seymour ; all are well and jolly. Good-bye, with every best wish, for good luck in every respect. — Yours faithfully, Charles Wheeleh. P.S. — Heard by the last American mail that Beanie Galletly had accepted an engagement to play in "Floradora." A good engagement, I believe. She is keeping in excellent health, and ought to do well. Theatre Royal, Melbourne, November 15. [Regards to company; Write again.—Pasquin.] "The official duties," says TJgo Biondi— who speaks most excellent English, though three years ago he had none — "were irksome to me. I did not like the rules which compelled me to attend and work when my thoughts were far awoy. That was my fault, of course. Some good friends, after having seen me as an amateur, strongly advised me to go on the regular stage, and so, after considering all points, I threw up my appointment, and with £3 in my 'pocket, and a few odds an 4 ends of clothing, I left Florence without saying good-bye to my father. I knew his objection to the stage was deep-rotted and prejudiced. Both my parents hated the stage in those days. They have different' views now. You must know, too, that father sent a detective to discover me ana take me back. ' Seek Ugo Biondi,' he said. But I changed my family name for the time and shav,ed off my moustache, so that I was not easily found. But the detective was a good chap, arid when he did light upon me he paw my performance, -and for the time became a dramatic critic. He advised my father to let me go my way, as it was the best. So I resumed my own name and played "everything everywhere in Italy. It was in 1893 that I began to play on what you call the legitimate boards. But, oh ! the salary was very small. In Italy, unless you are at the top of the tree or on the way there, an actor cannot earn much money. It is music and the opera that all seem to want most. How did I take to the ' quick change ' work? Well,- I canot exactly say, except that I was always a quick study and a quick dresser. I could dress in what English people say is 'no time.' Then I could sing a little, and I could change my voice, and so I thought to some extent I would 'change my profession."