WELLINGTON WING WHISPERS

Otago Witness, Issue 2569, 10 June 1903, Page 61

WELLINGTON WING WHISPERS

By P. Rourrn.

June 5. Dear Pasquin,— The city is given over to vaudeville just now, three such shows being on nightly. Rickards's Vaudeville Co., which, came to us ficm the couth, has been in possession of the Opera House all the week, and will continue in season here until the end of next weak The company 19 playing to good downstairs houses. Of course, M. Inaudi, the mental marvel, astonished us all with his great powers in dealing with figures. Personally, I admired him fccm afar, for I was weak in mental arithmetic when at school, much to the grief of my master, who had a passion for mental arithmetical exercises. M. Inaudi finishes his colonial tour to-night, as he leaves to-morrcrw for Sydney to. catch the Messageries Mamtimes steamer. He will have to rush across the European Continent in order to keep his engagement to appear at the Hipodrome in London A party of new people has just been sent across by Mr Rickards to strengthen the company now playing at the Opera House. And the company need's strengthening Mr Rickarda should know that a good thing gets good patronage over here, and as he has a good reputation as a provider of good thing s, he must play up to his leputation. It won't do to send a very fine combination along for one tour, and then trade upon that for the next tour by sending a mediocre company. There are a lot of weak spots in the company now playing with us. Mr G. W. Hunter is oae of the brightest spots of the combination, and he gets many lecalls here. Mr Hunter finishes his co'.onial tour next week, as he is booked for London, and catches the Sonoma to get Home via America. Miss Gracie Emmet t and her little company provicVs another flash of brightness with their playlets. Lost night Miss Emmet t and co. gave us "A Mercenary Missionary," pLajad.for the first time m Australasia. The comedietta went along with much "go," but had not the laughabihty of the piece it supeisedsd. To-morrow afternoon Seeley and West, musircl e*>uiedians and sketch artists, from London, who carry a big reputation, make their first appearar.ee in New Zealand.

Dixs Gaiety Co. is stdl in season at the Roy al.a 1 . There has besn no change in the rcster since last I wrote you.

The Choral Hal! is occupied by Ful'ei's Entertainers.

The other day, sa\s the Evening Post, somebody estimated that at that time there weie somewhere between 20 and 30 theatrical companies operating in various parts of the colony If that means anything, it means that we are a pleasure-loving community, and it also seems to indicate that the couitry generally is in a piosperov.s =tate, for amuseni3nt costs nionej, and un'ess there is mone> tc be niade hcie by ei'tertamers, they would seek it elsewlieie It would s eem, too, that we are to be well catered for for some considerable time to come, and that companies of ejtei-tainers will follow f.iif, on each other's heels. The Wellington Opera House bookings extend to next Christmas twehemonths, and include the following, coming along at the <;1030 of the season now being pkned by Mi Harrj Rickards's Company Mr Ctorpe Musgrcve's Dramatic Company, headed by Mi=s Nellie Stewart, from the 17th June to tho 3rd July, recitals by Mark and Boris Hpmbourg, which will particularly interest musical pcop!e, fiom the 4th to the Sth JuK . a company hent aions by Mr J C Williamson from -the lHh to the 25*h July, Wellington Amaieur Operatic Society in "Ruddigorc, from the 28th July to th» Eth August; an entcxtammpi.* urd^i the nusmces of the Wellington Boxing Association on the 6th arc! 7th Au^ii't , th« Sheridan Company from the Bth to 29th August , en oichestral concert on the 7th Bii<i B*h September, an Ame'ican company =ent forw^-id by Mr Fiod Duval from tlip 9th to tho 26th St-ntcnib"! . ii letuin season by tho Huwtre\ Comely Company from thq3Stli September to the ]i>'h Oetobpr. a loral booking for tho 12th nncl 13' h OctoI,pi . the Musics! Festwal from t he 23rd to the 29th October; further bookings by Mr J. C \\ llli^msou, from the 30th October to the 13th November, v.ad from the 28th November to the 12Lh Dectruber, the Anderson Dramatic Company from the 26th December to the 23rd January, 190J , and 1 oolticgs on behalf of Mr J. C. Williamson from the • 4th to Hie 17th February, 130-1. the 15th April to the Oth May. and from ths 26th December till the middle of January, 1905

Miss Beatrice Vartha, who is not nukio.-.n down your way, a clevei little pianist who has been teachinj; music in Wellington for sc-veial years, is off to America She i^ to be given a benefit in t7ie Sydney Street Schoolroc m on the 12lh inst

The Johr.EOnvillc Amateur Drama*. c C\'> <;ave a production of "The Tlppp Hjts a three-act faici-.a! comedy, at Pjnn.a, the other night. Wrek'v rohear3aLs are ih full c «ir,R for tho I] g musical festival to be held hprc toward? th.r end of the year. Mr Robe<-f Parker, the corducto*-, is very pic-a^od from the very start with the choir, which numbers o\er 250 voices