WELLINGTON WING WHISPERS

Otago Witness, Issue 2524, 30 July 1902, Page 57

WELLINGTON WING WHISPERS

Br F. KoxiTca.

Ju'.y 25. Dear Pjsquin, — Clifford Walker, fresh fiom reinvigorating llaspbeirylaud. renewed his populanly with the people of Wellington on Wednesday la3t by means of a lecital at the Opera Hoii'e. It v <i<s tv.o yor^ smce h<; had given ns Ins pre\:cus nionologue entert.ianmejt, but that addition to his age has but added to hi= style aiid to his reperlone. Wo who had the pleasure of listening to him were altogether delighted with tbe entertainment provided. He played upon the whole gamut of human feeling, from the gravity of "The Little Ciossing-s.vcepor's" song to the *ga'~ry of "The Ballynsoney Conver&azionp" , from tho liveliness oi the afW-cluuier musical sketch tn the seventy of "The Gfine of LiX' 1 "Up ard Bill" cupp l .-d th'- dr-.ma<ic element, th? frivo'ous wa« <'ii*. '."cd m disecur=e3 u->on "Babips" ar>d "!'",+- -i-Cakc, and "The Laoiea' Penny Paper" made a clever skit. Miss Medley, oi Wellington, contributed two piaiiOfor'e -010-. Last n;ght Mr Wflker gave another rectal, in which ScotJi Felections h«.d a prominent place. To-ntpht he is to give his final iecita' of the series, as ilr Walker must make way for

Ths Pol'arJ Opera Comuar-y, which opens its Eca«.on iii the Opeia House to-menow night with "The Messenger Boy." Such jouths aie usually credited with beuw "toa slow fgr anz-

thing," but I understand — and you know well — that Percy's messenger is moro, than "a bit swift." At anyrate, we are promised a season of hvelv entertainment. The coming of Victor Kelly (late of the World's Entertainers) has proved a strong attraction among the Gaiety Company at the Theatre Royal. He does some most amusing acrobatic business, and wins great applause nightly. Next Monday we are to have Carl Collier, banjoist, comedian, aud imitator. John Geiger, the violent violin manipulator, fn ishcs up at the Royal tc-mght. Lizzie Kirk has been putting on colour of lotc, and not a few patrons have complained of her blueness. The trouble with the vaudeville artist — when j the tendency is that way — is that if the sta^e , manager aLows them to give a hint they rapidly develop it irto v suggest:on. The World's Eiitertameis showed us that success cau be attained without a breach of refinement. I heard a inan-in-the-street critic on Liz'.e Kirk the other day. He said. "It's all \ erv well to give vis chaps such songs, but how can we take our girls''" And the fact remains that L.K. i^ clever enough to get on withoiit the blue element. Mrs MacDoi'ald. the enterprising theatrical agent of your city, is, 1 regret to learn, still in poor health. She has had to retire to ' Rotor ua for health-recruiting purposes. I trust sh-e may improve so as to thoroughly enjoy her trip" to the Inferno. H?r sister and partner, Mt* Smith, is about to start work fiom the north to the south to prepare the piograinmes for the Nellie Stewart tour and the Oeaeh-Willoughby Company's tour. Mis Mac Donald waits in Auckland for Nellie Stewart Company, which is due in the Queen j Cil> in. September nest. | Ben FvJ'cr, who had been spending some exaiUnp day* on tho hills with Frank Leon, a gun, a dog, and a ferret, dropped in for a yarn the ether day, and has gone south again. Apropos j Oh, do you remember the pcngui", Ben Fnl'er, ' Which the ferret brought out of the sand ( And do you remember "Oh, I'm g'vriu 1111 11' 1 Ben F-iller, ! Which you cried as you pulled back your ' hand ? " ; Whilst Frank Leon grinned — and so did the dog — As they looked at the Tasmania. is stare But the pup of the penguin said never a word As the creature was hauled from its lair! ■