THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2516, 4 June 1902, Page 56

THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

By Pasquix. TUESDAY, June 3,

Miss Edith Leech, of this city, who left with the Wilson-Barrett Co. for Australia, has been engaged by Mr J. C Williamson to play contralto parts in several of Gilbert and Sullivan's operas which J. C. W. intends reviving shortly. Miss Maud Hewson, an ex-Dunedin contralto vocalist, at piesent with Rickaids'a Company in Sydney, returns to New Zealand in three weeks' time. Miss Hewgon, who has been engaged tc a young Wellington dentist for some time, intends marrying the young Wellingtonian immediately on her arrival. Congratulations both.

The Alhambra Gaiety Company re-open the Dowling btreet playhouse to-night with a strong bill. Cunning, the magician, is the star. The report is too late for this issue.

Harry Baxter and Amy Vaughan, of many shows, have joined Van Burg's Dramatic Company in Christchurch. George Geiger, billed as "America's phenomenal musician and greatost trick violinist on the face of the earth," appeared with Dixs Christchurch Gaiety show in Christchurch on Monday. Surely "the greatest trick violinist on tho face of the earth" is worth the. admission money !

Dixs Touring Gaiety Company is once again on the road in the North Island. On Friday and Saturday of last week they showed in Hastings, and on Monday and Tuesday nights of present week in Napier. Pope and Sayle3 and the Juvenile Dartos top the bill ; Sivroni and "Silvini, Howard Sisters, Belle Ray, May Lewiu, and' Chas. Howard occupying positions between tho top and the price? — 3s, 2s. and Is — admission money. Harry P. Muller advances the company Mrs Will Percy (Miss Jessie Ramsay) will make her reappearance with the Pollard Opera Company during present Dunedin season when that company put on "The Geieha." In the Japanese production Mi c s Ramsay will play O Mimosa San, formerly played by Miss May Beatly and Miss Florence Perry respectively. The well-known Black Family of Musicians have just returned to town after a successful three weeks' season in the North Otago district.

After their tour in "Wept and South Australia, Mr Williamson's Musical Comedy Company, Leaded by Misses Lillian Digge3, Rose Musgrove, Messrs Wallace- Brownlow and F. Graham, will visit New Zealand.

Two Parisian actresses threaten to take proceedings against a Paris publisher who has dared to print the dates of their respective births in an annual of celebrities of the stage, and one- of them claims £400 damages. One has to be very careful nowadays. An actress's age does not always dit« ftflxa. th« time sh» was torn.

On Monday evening the students of the University, who occupied the 'front seate in the stalls' of th© Princess Theatre, greeted Percy with a Maori haka thusly: — Ka mate, ka, mate, Ka ora, ka ora, Ka mate, ka mate, Ka ora, k» ora. Tenu te Tangat*, puhnru hum Nana nei iwhaka-whiti te ra, Hu-pane, kaupane, Hupane, kaupane, Whiti, te ra. "When Percy made his re-appearance in "Florodora" the students again assembled to do him honotir, and greeted him with: 'Varsity, 'Varsity, Haka cheer, Percy is married, We're glad he's nere. He is the man — the comical man Who made the people laugh — hi-hi, i Ho-ho! Ho-ho! Ha-ha! Ha-ha! ' Percy and Ramsay. Hurrah ! Hunali ! The boxing kangaroo connected with Fitzgerald Bros.' Circus was found dead in its ;age upon arrival at Manila on May 19. The kangaroo was valued at £100. In conjunction with Messrs .George Ed1 wardes and Mr Charles Frohman^ Mr Williamson has arranged for Miss Edna May and Mr George Huntley, a well-known English comedian, to visit Australia- during, the year and appear in two new musical pieces — "Kitty Grey" and "Three Little Maids. Ac an instance of the effects of the drought ,in the country districts of New South Wales, the proprietor of a well-known travelling variety show states that instead of paying for admission with money, the larmers and the men are doing so with hides. The approaching return to New Zealand of Mr Alfred Hill will not only leave vacant? the conductorship of the Sydney Liedertafcl, but also the office of choirmaster at the Great Synagogue. Herr Raimund Pcchatsch has succeeded to this position. Albert Whelan is a complete success in London, where he is playing at all the syndicate halls. Miss Olga Nethersole, who has not been seen in London for some time, is about to reappear at the Adelphi, in an adaptation of Daudet's 'Sappho," the piece which gamed her such a. lively experience in America. At the last London census returns there were 2234 actors and 2900 actresfecs in the "Little Village." Mr Neil M'Cay (a pupil of Sbriglia). who it singing at the Palace Theatre, Sydney, will ;onclude his year's Australian engagement with Mr J. C. Williamson in August, and purposes returning to Europe (via America) immediately afterwards. | Arnold Denham some time ago recovered ; judgment against John -Fuller and Sons for £21 on a claim for £200 for alleged infringement of copyrfght by their production of "The Kelly Gang," which he claimed as his play. The judgment was recently sxistained on appeal to the Full Court, costs being allowed to Denham. _ _ , A Theatrical Managers' Association, including all the principal Australian levees, has been formed as an "Industrial Union" consequent on the Arbitration Act. .Tt.i 9 said to be going to consider the possibility of substituting a grand piano for the orchestras now employed in dramatic produc- ! tions in view of the Professional Musicians' f Association haling managers before the Arbitration Court on the orchestral pay quesiion. The musical comedy which Mr Musgrove's company presented at Melbourne Princess on Saturday, May 24, has a title which smacks of the "Arabian Nights," but is in that respect misleading. "The Thirty Thieves," by Messrs E. Jones and W. H. Risque, is quite a modern bit of humour. The principalse, nearly all of whom ire newcomers here, are Messrs J.- C. Piddock. Foster Courtcnay, Charles Van Dyne, W. R. • Shirley, Edward Lauri (brother of the Melbourne favourite). Miss Clara Wisdom. May Bcatty. Bertha Nilseon, Gertrude Norenberg. Stella Libert, and Josephine Stanton. A\i=tin Melford, on© of the English aetora , brought lo Australia by J. C. Williamson for "Bon Hur," and at present supporting Mi.-s Janet Waldorf, was for 10 years leajing man with Wilson Barrett, with whom he journeyed to America many tiniep. He j i=: noteworthy as never having had a "rest" during his professional career. j In the production of "A Royal Divorce" • at Her Maiesrv's Theatre. Melbourne, on j Saturday, May 31. Mr H. H. Vincent played Narjoleon. Mira Janet Waldorf Josephine, and Mies Maekay the haughty Austrian. j The fir°t anniversary of the d^ath of Mr j D'Oyley Carte was marked in London by the unveiling of a memorial window in the Chanel Royal. Savoy, by Sir Henry Irving. Sir Henry's few words finished — "He was an undaunted toiler, a "staunch comrade, and a simple gentleman " Mr J. L. Toole claims the credit of having been the first to put Sir Henry Irving on the road to fame. The two actors first met at Edinburgh 45 years ago. when they were struggling and hard-worked members of country companies, and when the palefaced, earnest youth of 19 found a lifelong friend in tho older, but still uijknown, actor of 25. It was Mr Too-e who first procured Irving a London en^agpment. The effect of epidemics is nearly always magnified from a distance. Phe plaprue spare, it appears, according to the Era, has frightened Mrs Patrick Campbell off her projected Australian toui. During the nego« tiations, it is said, she received a cable message stating that the plague was raging here, and so she decided to return to England! from America. Another difficulty in the way of Mrs Campbell'? visit to Australia was that, owing to the destruction of Her Majesty's Theatre, suitable arrangements could not be made with regard to the theatres luring this year at all events : and it was the original intention of the English actres3 to open in Melbourne early this month. "The Mariners of England" roplared "The Favourite" at the Theatre Royal, Melbourne, on Saturday night. Geach. Willoughby, "Jones." "Smirh." "Wright," and Co. have moved aloncr. bag and baggage, to Adelaide, via Broken Hill. Chas. Holloway has been giving them "Death or Glory Boys" in Launceston. Tho critic's name has been taken off the door ! Pom Edwards and Daisy Chard are v.iia Ban Fuller's show at the Empire Theatre. Launceston. Also M'Kisson and Kearns, Charlie Faning. Georgio Devoe. Happy St. Georges, and several others well known in New Zealand. Tim Bain has returned to Sydney after a lengthy tour in Queensland. His proposed two-year-old trip to America has not yefc eventuated. The 6ft artist Edith Bland with tho Z[t stride, last in Moaland with Bland Holt, is ! drammering away in the English provinces.

show in Adelaide, after providing 100 consecutive weeks of vaudeville entertainment. He has come to the conclusion that Adelaide will not stand variety week in week out all the year" round.

Boy Bain, the six-year-old performer whom Will Percy took under his wing when Pollards were here 10 months back, has returned a much-improved youngster.

Ex-Dunedin tenor Phil Newbury has postponed his departure for England, and is giving successful "shilling pops" in Sydney. The death is announced on May 17 of Bydney Moss, well known in Australian musical circles.

Mr Val Vousden has arrived in New Zealand, and will tour the Dix circuit. GaTlando, the clay moddeler, and Weston and Yost follow.

The Broughs are at present in Adelaide. Young Dunedin amateur Donald M'Lean joined the company in that city. The Marvellous Craggs have let{ for London.

The new Gaiety Theatre which is being erected in London will cost between £60,000 and £70,000.

'Cellist Jean Gerardy is due in Sydney on July 24. Barrie Marschel goes out on the road with a compact draniatio show next -week. The Goldfields is hia present destination. Will Percy, the popular comedian of Pollard's Opera Company, has by sheer hard work and strict attention to duty earned the respect and admiration of all with whom toe ihas come in contact. "Pere," as he is popularly called, has played many parts in his day and generation. It may not be out of place here and now to enumerate them: Dr Bierly, "Gaiety Girl"; Steipan, "Fatinitza"; Admiral Hawser. "French Maid" ; August© Pompier, "Gay Parisienne" ; Hilarious, "La Poupee"; Wun Hi, "The Geisha " ; Pasha, in " Casino Girl " ; .Tweedlepunch, "Florodora" ; Hassan, "Rose of Persia" ; The Boss, "Australia" ; Marquis De Montefiore, "Maritana"; KarL Yon Pomperniek. "Belle of New York" ; Captain Crosstree, "Saucy Sue"} Duke of Plazatoro, Antonio, and the Inquisitor, in "The Gondoliers" ; Sir Joseph, Captain Corcoran, and Deadoye in "H.M.S. Pinafore" ; Prince Laurent and Roeco, ii? "La Mascotte" ; Pirate King and Major-General, in "The Pirates" ; Pooh Bah, Mikado" ; Bunthome and Colonel Calverly, "Patience" ; Sergeant Gerard, "Little Duke" ; Abanazar, "Aladdin"; The Baillie, "Les Cloches"; Captain Headzoff, "Prince Bulbo" ; Duke dcs Ifs, "Olivette" ; Monthabor, "Tambour Major" ; Ali Baba, "Forty Thieves" ; Charles Favart, "Madame Favart" : Colonel "Yon Shillin, "The Merry Wai?"; Uncle Tom, "Uncle Tom' 6 Cabin" ; Don Bolero, "GirofleGirofla" ; Derrick Yon Slous, "Rip Van Winkle"; Arthur, "Falka"; Lambertuccio, "Boccaccio" ; Larrvandiere, "Madame Angot"; Captain Coddington, "In Town"; Simon, "Erminie" ; Prince Caeimir, "Princess of Trebizonde" ; Trocadero. "Paul Jones"; Tom Wallaby, "Djin Djin" : The Beadle, "Nell Gwynne" ; Don Jose, "Black Cloaks" ; Squire Bgan, "Handy Andy" ; Fred Blazes, "An Adamless Eden." A scheme for founding a home for grand opera in England is now on foot, aud the promoters are hopeful that the King may grant a site in St. James's Park, just opposite the Duke of York steps, at the bottom of Waterloo Place. A sum of £400,000 will be required to carry out the scheme — £200,000 for the building, £100,000 to furnish, build a store house for the scenery, and mount a number of the be3t operas, and the remaining £100,000 will be put into a sinking fund. The building is to be similar to the fine Opera House at Frankfort, Germany,

One of the cleverest impersonations of its kind which is at present being -given at a London theatre is (says the Era) Mr Edward Sass's embodiment of Dixon, the circus proprietor, in "The New Clown," at the Comedy Theatre. Mr Sas3 in this capital creation shows the result of the ripe experience which he has had since he made his first appearance at Swindon in 1878. As •ictor and as manager he has equally distinguished himself, and his visits to Australia and South Africa have made him as popular in those two great continents as he is in his native land. We are glad to see *him once more in a part in which his sound xnd skilful method has good and sufficient scope. Besides giving his admirable exposition of the role of Dixon, Mr Sass is seen to very great advantage as the burglar in Mr Frederick Fenn's one-act play, "Judged by Appearances," which precede* the comedy.

The leading man with Mr George MusgTOve's English Dramatic Company is Mr Harcourt Beatty, who is making hia first visit to Australia, though he has been to South Africa, Canada, and the United States. Sir Beatty was in the -original production of "The Royal Divorce."

Included in the repertoire of Mr George MusgroTe's Dramatic Company, which is to open in Sydney next month, is "The Sorrows of Satan," an amalgamation of characters and incidents from "Margaret Poster," by George Augustas Sala, and "The Sorrows of Satan," by Marie Corelli. According to an account given by an English artist in America they do some operatic things queerly over yonder. ''Aida" was to be played on the last nigh* of a certain company in Philadelphia, and the proceedings began with in orchestral strike for salary, the musicians finally -walking out of the theatre. In this strait the management resolved to give the opera with piano accompaniment, nor did the authority swerve

supers except four followed the band. Then Amonasro gave up, but the hero and heroine remained faithful, even when, in the next ecane, Amneris cried off, t ne soprano and tenor gallantly finishing the opera unaided. There were six men at the stage door to see fair play. Mr Louis Arens, principal tenor at the German Opera in Prague, who has been selected by Mr Muegrove as the tenor for Madame Melba's concert tour in Australia, was the leading tenor in Mr Musgrove's last year's Grand Opera Company. His unqualified success in that venture led to the present engagement. Mr Arens fcolds the degree of Doctor of Music at the Imperial Conservatorium of Music, Moscow, and has been engaged by Frau Wagner for the Bayreuth festival of 1903. The pres3 at Prague speak very highly of his impersonation of his Toles, principal among which is that of Lohengrin. The great Mrs Siddons was once holding her audience spellbound by her marvellous rendering of Lady Macbeth'* great sleepwalking scene, when everybody — bar the stately Sarah — was sent into kicking fits by a potboy, who coolly walked on with a foaming jug of beer, held it up to the actress, and squeaked out: "Please, mum, th' bar was full, and I couldn't get served before !" How the -urchin got off the stage after Sarah opened fire on him remained a mystery until his dying day. Miss Castles was delighted with her experience of New Zealand, both climatically and from every other point of view. She expressed a not unnatural regret that her visit should bare been so hurried. "I feel I can't do myself justice in such a rush," she explained. "When lam well I can sing for ever, but one feels the long journeys and the bustle of travelling very much, and it tells on one's temperament." At the Christchurch Police Court on Wednesday, Phil Williams was charged, before Messrs J. Hay, E. Jones, and W. Hayward, Justices of the Peace, with creating a breach of the peace at the office of the Theatre Royal on the evening of May 27. The accused pleaded "Not guilty." Albert Clark, business manager for the World's Entertainers, stated that the accused went into the office at the Theatre Royal on the evening of May 27, and asked witness to pass him up into the dress circle. Witness replied that the house was full, and he could not give accused a seat. The latter said that he wanted to go upstairs, and he would go, even if he had to stand. Witness told him that he could not allow any more persona inside. Accused then asked for a, free pass for the following night, but his request was refused. He became abusive, using bad language, and declined to leave the office. Witness then said that he would go and get a constable to remove accused. Witness began to make for the door, but accused struck at him. He warded off the first blow, but the second and third caught him on the forehead and mouth. Accused then ran away, and was caught in Gloucester street by a constable. James Grove Rial, one of the proprietors of the World's Entertainers, stated that he was in the office at the time of the trouble, and saw what occurred. The accused had had some liquor, but was quite responsible for his actions. At this stage the accused asked rhat ho might be allowed to alter his plea to one o£ guilty. He had not a very olear recollection of what occurred at the theatre office, but hi supposed, after hearing the evidence, that he had committed a breach of the peace. The bench impo3ed a fine of £2 10a, and costs 7s, expressing the hope that it would be a warning to accused. No Parisian actress is considered to be in the swim nowadays until she has received the "baptism of the airs." In other words, the latest fashionable pastime for ladies of the French stage is ballooning. Each fair aeronaut, after her first journey to the clouds, treats her envying friends who have not yet been up in the skies to as vivid a piece of word painting as her eloquence can command. It is generally conceded among ladies who thirst for new sensations that a balloon trip is the most satisfying experience yet imagined. Available seats in aerial vessels are consequently at a premium. It will be remembered that M. Santos-Dumont last summer was overwhelmed with letters from fair enthusiasts who wanted to accompany him round the Eiffel Tower, and to marry him into the bargain. "Before Santos-Dumont was heard of, however, it was, as usual, Madame Sarah Bernhardt who, several years ago, eet the fashion fo» ballooning — as she has given the lead in other modes before. Besides amateur lady aeronauts, there is also in Paris quite a phala.ni of feminine navigators of the air who might be called professionals — Mesdames Besancon, Surcouf, and Mallet, among others, the wives of experienced captains of balloons, and Madame Lachambre, whose husband has constructed all M. San-tos-Dumont's airships.