THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2467, 26 June 1901, Page 61

THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

Br Pasqvix. MONDAY, June 21. "Muldoon's Picnic" broke itself up after Tuesday night of last week, and is now laid aside in the Alhambra larder, to be used only when wanted. A« far as the Alhambra is concerned, I think it will be some time. M. Muldoon, the promoter and proprietor of the picnic, now fills a new role. Mrs Muldoon Dixon, or Mrs Dixon Muldoon, no longei f alls out of the donkej'-chaisc on to the AlhambiM. stage, and the noble quadruped himself quietly eats his head off in the Rink etables. The donkey was qttite a feature of the picnic when it— the picnic, not the donkey — was in full swing. However, the old order qhangeth and giveth, stage room to the n«*w. On Wednesday evening the programme at the Alhambra was very little different to that sandwiched in "Muldoon's> Picnic" of nights before. The faces were the same, and so were many of the items — perhaps a trifle less refreshing than the faces. Several chestnuts were brought out of their hiding places and fired off on a patient and long-suffering public. Outside the motherir> law joke and the horse backed at 10 to 1, and came camo in at a quarter to 4, the remainder of the programme was up to the Alhambra standard. Miss Connie Devereux's ballad was one of the refreshing it< m<3 on the programme, and was listened to and applauded by the more intelligpnt portion of the Alhambra audience. Bob Hall sang n coon song, introduced to us by Mr Harry Connor in "A Trip to Chinatown." ("When you ain't got no money — well, you».needn't come "round") with a great deal of success to himself and a little more to the audience. Hall's rendeiing of "When you ain't got no money" was as plea-ant to listen to as that of Harry Connor — le^s only the Chinatown Company's chorus. Olive Lenton'e " Rollins? bowling along" was sung in this clever little artiste's best style, and her skirt dance was sufficiently bewitching for the audience to redemand it. Olive responded with the last verse of the dance, a twirl of her bkirt, a shake of her foot, and sat down limp. Mr Frank CSark asked the audience if they "didn't hear dem golden bells." They had, many times and oft, but were quite prepared to hear them again. As an encore (the funny man always gets an encore — the audience look to him to do better next time — he generally does), Mr Frank Clark rendered a parody on "Say au revoir." A be-whiskyed individual sitting beside me knew it. and sang duet with Frank Clark, his whiskved breathing dashing past me at every lane. I disliked the parody ; I disliked Frank Clark for singing something my friend knew, and positively hated the be-whis-kyed one. George Dean sang "A lover's way" as if he knew aU about it. The audience were satsisfied that he did, and encored him accordingly. Les Thie'ree quartet "cor.torshedy and trick-cycles all they knew, and one miniature Le Thiere, mounted on a pedestal clog, danced very cleverly. Miss Maud Hewson was late on the bill, but when she did appear one forgot the lateness in listening to the contralto. Miss Hewson was in splendid voice, and sang "Alas ! those chimes" and "Daddy" very artistically. The members of the Roscius- Society have fallen out with their coach, and taken upon themselves the task of making actors and actresses of each other. One or two of the members wished to cast themselves for parts of which they knew as much as an asylum dog about the Duke's visit. The coach cast the part in the best interests of the club, but not in the best interest of one or two individual Roscius stars. The stars refused to shine in the parts allotted by the coach. The coach very wisely resigned. The Rosoius Society are now sailing over the sea of drama on their own.

The enterprise of Messrs Fuller and Dix has given New Zealanders an opportunity of seeing English, American, and Australian variety artists that, previous to these gentlemen's efforts to keep alight the "vaudeville lamp," they would in all probability never have had the pleasure of seeing behind the footlights in this colony. The great demand for "variety stars" has been the means of unearthing several Australasians of mort or less merit in that line, and some of these have made remarkably rapid progress on the road to popularity and success. Mr Leslie Wharton, whose photi appears in the illustrated portion of this issue, must be considered one of the latter. Less than eight months ago he joined Miss Kate Howard's Vaudeville Company, and with it toured North Queensland. Percy "St." John was the next manager under whose banner he proved his -worth as a "variety man." New Zealand became the scene of hie operations, and after a short season of four nights in Auckland, he was sent by the management to Dunedin. While in this town lie became yery popular with patrons of tkj»

Alhambra, and piior to his departure waa presented with -t handsome gold Maltese cross.

The Pollard Oferp Company, T am advised by one of its members, will ami c at the Bluff from their tour of Australia on July 26, commencing a New Zealand tour in Invercargill on July 2P. The peaoon in Invercargill will last only four nights when the company come through to Dunedin, opening in the Princess Theafro on August 3 with '"Florodora." The season will last five weeks. "Ferry, Jie Frog," who was through Dunedin as the frog star of Dixs Gaiety Company, has since launched out with a clever little company of his own, and appears to be doing: rattling business. Last night I received the following wire: — Vanganui, June 22. Dear Pasquin, — ! My company opened here last night to packed hoii=e. Packed ag.un to-night. Sold g\iarantee. FEREY. Temperance Hall, Melbourne, June 7. Dear Pasquin, — Just a few lines to lei you know how things arc ovei this side. Since my return I have been kept busy with concert work at the Austral Salon and pupils. Melbourne is: just now quite deserted by pios. as oveiyone available appsars to bo in harness. Two large companies have just left here. "White's Company includes Wilhums's Quirtettp, Fred Leslie, George Williamson, and the other company has gone to Manila, with Hiss Priscilla Yeina as star perfoiiner. Thanks to the courtesy o£ your Melbourne correspondent, '"Onlooker, ' I read 3 our paper e^ely week and am delighted to see that Mr Northcote (my late "impresario") is doing so well, for he deserves it. M'Kisaon, Kearns, and your old faxounte Ida Rosslyn are here with Rickards, and goirg big. I was chatting to Johnny Sheiidan ye&terday, prior to his departure for S.A. He j<- contemplating a visit to jN'.Z. in the near Intnre with "Trip to Chicago," winch he v, now playing at the Theatre 'Royal, Adelaide. Kind regards to all N.Z. friends and tell them that the passvord "Lfulidoo" i& much appreciated this side,— Yours very truly, LILLIE OCTAVIA. Sydney, N.'S.W., June 2, 1901. Dear Pa?quin, — Just a few hues to let you know of the success of my daughte. Eileen. After a most successful tour ot s-even weeks in Busbane, she has returned to Sydney to fulfil a long engagement with J. C. Williamson, at Her Majesty's Theatre, in "Florodora," and is specially engaged to play in their next production, ' The Casino Girl." The Sydney people think she ig msrve'.lous, and predict a vocderful future for her. She sang, danced, and whistled to a. crowded house, and was encored five times! Fancy a Sydney native having to go away fromi home to become famous! We have to thnnk P. R. Dix for niosl of it, because it v.-as in this company that she Teceived her first engagement at a salary of £0 per week. 1 suppose 3011 have heard that my daughter Marie Boyiou has lost her voice through the effects of a cold, but she is now 011 the high road to recovery, and will soon be able to fill her old position hi the musical world. She is making arrangements to undergo a series of studies under the able tuition, of Mr Bums Walker, who is well-knov^m in music circles in Dunedin. My other daughter, Gladys Beuth, is also &tuchirjg, and has had. many good offers, but I wish her voice to be perfect before she again appears on the stage. — I remain, yours sincerely, A. BOYD. Of the performance of Mr J. P. O'Neill in " The French Spy " an exchange says : Excellent relief was afforded by the comedy players, of whom Mr J. P. O'Neill, with his pleasant brogue, rollicking humour and pathos, was especially successful. M_ O'Neill received a hearty welcome from the audience." Mr J P. O'Xeill is a brother of Jimmy O'Neill, of this city. Alec Middleton. who lvi« just concluded a long and pleasant managerial engagement with Wii-th's Circus, has received instructions from Richard Pitrot, the principal of " Pitrot's American Globe-trotters," to arrange for their appearance in all the chief oities of Australia. The extracts and entr'actes prove that the show is full of attractive novelty specialties — Drawee, in his new juggling act ; Diana, the serpentine dancer ; Houdini, the "Handcuff King" (sounds, like a boss detective) ; the " Four Emperors of Music " ; and, whisper it quietly to our " golden youth,"' a troupe of Geisha girls left over from the Paris Exhibition. Already one can almost hear the frou frou of the kimono and the tinkling of the gamisen. Pitrot's instructions to friend Middleton are to engage the very best theatres available in each city. There is "a heap of dollars" behind the show. Hence expense is no object with the chief of the Globe-trotters. John Cosgrove, who is drawing £S a week from the Nance O'Neil Company, was before the Adelaide Court for a £9 debt. When asked why he could not pay, he wept and said he was saying money to pay off the expenses over his wife's funeral ! Thus the end of poor Flo. In connection with the season of the Pollard Opera Company, a veiy pleasant entertainment took place at Charters Towers on Tuesday, June 5. Miss May Beatty, the charming young actress, the day being the occasion of her twenty-first birthday, invited the members of the company to an afternoon tea, held in Melvin's Hall. Mis 3 Beatty, who is as popular with the members of the company as with the public, has been now 10 years with Mr Pollard, and the veteran marked the occasion happily by presenting her with a pair of heavy silver spoons, inscribed on each, in a spirit evidently of prophecy, being the words, "To ptart a home you require two spoons." Several other choice tributes of friendship were presented by the company, and Miss Beattr, expressing her thanks in a giaceful little speech, stated that she hoped to remain £jj member of the company for many mor;l years. The proceedings which were of a most enjoyable and Bohemian nature, were! marked at the close by a clever speech by Miss Nellie Rede, who ingenuously remarked! that her twenty-first birthday would be in two months' time. — [Pasquin's best wishes and sincere congratulations, May.]

Signor Hazon, the conductor of Mr J. C. Williamson's Italian Opera Company, says he loves all the ladies of the ballet, but he does not like them in the operas. Mr J. C*. W., however, left word that all the ladiea of the ballet were to Be kept in constant work.

A legal difficulty is likeTy to detain Mr 1 Wilson Barrett, the well-known dramatio author, actor and manager, in England beyond the date on which he should leave with the compa .y he has organised for an extended tour through Australia and New Zealand. The company was to open at Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, on August 3, but this it may be unable to do, because Mr Barrett is wanted by the Crown as witness against a man \vho # it is alleged, kae

forged his 'name. Mr Barrett did not institute the prosecution, but the Treasuryauthorities did, and the accused has been committed for trial at the Old Bailey, hence Mr Wilson Barrett's evidence in London is essential.

Mr Gus Franklin, father of Dainty Irene Franklin, died at Gouverneur Hospital, New York, recently from cancer in the throat. Both Mrs and Miss Franklin are in New Zealand, as well as the little dot who was born shortly after Mr Franklin left on hi 3 return to America. Mr J. C. Williamßon, according to the Era, has now added to his repertoire for Australia, by arrangement with Messrs Klaw and Erlanger, the famous semi-religious spectacular play, "Ben Hut," the great seen* of which is the chariot race in which trro chariots, with four horses each, drive round the arena at a terrific rare, causing the intensest excitement. Sir Arthur Sullivan's birthplace, which it would appear from the latest London files has now been settled, was in a lowly neighbourhood, a turning out of Lambeth walk. On the top of the tow of eight tenements is cut in the stone " Bolwell terrace, 1830,"' bo that it was built four years before the composer's birfch. No. 8 was let to Thomas Sullivan, his father, and the premises were rated at £20 a year. Sir Arthur Sullivan's second name, Seymour, was conferred upon him after birth registration. His father called the child Arthur, but his mother at baotism added the name of Seymour.

Madame Sarah Bernhardt has had more trouble in America with her favourite dog. Because the proprietor of the Hotel Touraine, Boston, would not allow her to have the Great Dane in the suite of rooms reserved for her, the actress moved to other quarters. The Touraine has a private kennel; and the proprietor .assured Madame Bernhardt her dog would receive the best of care outside the house. " Mais non. non, non ! " she cried. She must have the -dog in her rooms, or go. And so she went.

An Adelaide writer thus on Mr Georz© "Willoughby in " Why Smith Left Home " : tJpon the shoulders of Mr Georure Willouq;hby as John Smith falls the bulk of the responsibility of speeding the comedy successfully, and admirably does he carry out the task. Alert, resourceful, and mercurial, he invests the embarrassments of the newlymade husband with a true spirit of fun. his perplexity and bewilderment under the stress of unexDected developments in the shape of undesirable relatives, who, though other people's chickens, come to his home to roost; his contagious hilarity when by a masterniere of strategy he momentarily overcomes his natural enemy, his aunt-mother-in-law, his lumibrious expression and . limp figure when his pet schemes fail, each and every phase of this amusing character find skilful and laughter-provoking interpretation at the_ hands of this clever and versatile comedian. In facial expression, in facile and appropriate gesture, and in eloquent voice inflexion. Mr Willoughby's John Smith if a fine creation of eccentric character, and won. as it merited, the warmly-expressed admiration of the audierce.

We regret (says London Sportsman of May 15) to learn that Mr George Conquest, of the Surrey Theatre, died at his residence in Brixton at 2 o'clock yesterday morning. The immediate cause of death was exhaustion following an attack of heart complaint, with ■which Mr Conouest was suddenly seized last Wednesday. Mr Conquest had been sole leseee of the Surrey Theatre since 1886. For six years prior to that the deceased gentleman was -joint lessee with Mr Paul Meri^W, and was formerly connected with the old Grecian, fiurrey pantomimes have for years, been famous. The most successful of Mr Conquept's productions was "Sinbad the Sailor" in 1897. Mr Conquest himself was an. accomplished arrobat, and in the course of his career m^t with many severe accidents. His last rnblic -performance was given in 1894, •when he appeared at a matinee in aid of Mr Charles Cruikshank. In 1890 Mr Conciuest sustained a severe blow in the death of his ■wife, resultant from a carriage accident, and a year previously his daughter Daiey died at the early age of 16.