THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2572, 1 July 1903, Page 66

THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

Bt. Pasquix.

TUESDAY, June 30. What a juvenile party the Mark Hambourg Concert Company is: Mark Hambourg 24, Boris 16, Mabel Batchelor 16, accompanist (F. Boyle) 16. The vetrean of the party is Flautist Lemmone, who carries his age, whatever it is, well. **• Trick cyclists Hill and Sylvainy, who came across to assist Rickards's Vaudeville Company, have been engaged by Percy Dix for a 10-nights' season at the Theatre Royal, Wellington. George Musgrove's turn to laugh. G.M., in relating the ignorance of certain New Zealanders as to tenor Edward Lloyd, stated that one gentleman asked if he was any relation to Marie Lloyd. Now, there's nothing unreasonably funny in that. The reason is obvious. But this is where the laugh comes in: A New Zealand Mail writer, in attempting to defend the ignorance of some persons as to the identity of Edward Lloyd, concludes his remarks: — *rThe Now Zealander who asked Mr Mus!'TOve whether Edwaid Lloyd was a brother of Marie Lloyd has bowlod some of us out, though. Who is Marie Lloyd?' 1 Mr (George Stephonson has reeened a from Mr Fred Du\al to the effect tljjttt he has secured three wry successful A norican comedies of the "Trip to Chinat ivn' 1 crrder — namely, "Mamma's New Hus-

band," "Brown's in Town." and "Where is Cobbe?" A specially-selected company has been engaged to interpret these plays, and a great future will be the ballet chorus.

Williamson's "San Toy" Company, which had concluded a season of musical comedy in Sydney, and were to have played in Launceston and Hobart, opening in the former town on June 27, struck Hobart in the midst of the smallpox scare. All the members of the company, which includes Blanche Wallace, Lillian Digges, Elsie Moore, Rose Musgrove, Fred Leslie, Crane, Graham, and 60 others, were vaccinated in Hobart, and left hurriedly for the mainland, abandoning their dates in Tasmania. Apropos of the production of "The Belle of New York" by the company which boasts Fred Leslie, Graham, Rose Musgrove. Blanche Wallace, Lillian Digges, Carrit Moore, and others, we in New Zealand did not see Oscar Girard as Ichabod Bronson (a jaky, high roller), but we did see the man who played Branson for a werk so like Girard that th« Australian press could not tell the difference. Tl -t actor was Albert Whelan. lollowing Whelan we saw Alf Stephens, of Pollard's, in Ichabod's pantaloons — the same which caused the river to overflow its banks ankl all the dogs to take hydrophobia. Then Fred Graham attempted the character, and we ceased to wonder why we thought so much of Tom Pollard's Company and Stephens's Bronson ; also Percy's Polite Lunatic.

At the Oity Police Court on Thursday morning last Mario Majeroni, a well-known theatrical, was charged with, on June 13, disposing of a bicycle by chinee — namely, the drawing of tickets. Ho was further charged with assisting in conducting a lottery by which a prize, to wit, a bicycle, was drawn for. Mr Hay appeared for the defendant, and on his application an adjournment was granted until next Thu r 'day.

Mr and Mrs Harry Rickard? md family left Sydney by the Oceaua for Europe on the 27th inst., where the vaudeville entrepreneur will visit Paris, London, and the English provinces, and then go to America, all in search of novelties. After a holiday of five or six weeks in London Mr Rickards will resume his search, and return via Paris, Berlin, and Vienna to Australia. Little Fanny Powers is being token to London by the Misee3 Rickards, and a few appearances will be arranged for her there.

' News received by private letter from Mr J. Carter-Edwards, who is still with Mr Wilson Barrett states that the actor-manager had a narrow escape from accidental poisoning lately through the blunder of a chemist, who gave him in one pill the quantity of aconite meant to be distributeel among 20. For a time Mr George Barrett, the nephew of the tragedian, believed he had actually -expired.

An amateur performance of "The Gay Parisienne," was given in Sydney recently. Gladys Boyd, sister of that clever mite, Eileen Boyd, through New Zealand under the Dix management, made a great success of Ruth, the slavey — a part made glorious aforetime by May Beatty. "Well'n 'ow a£e. ye?"

Ernest Brinkman, the beauteous one, whom I had lost sight of for some time, is about to join Jim Bain's Hobart Variety Company.

After a record run of "Djin Djin" to good business in Capetown, the Pollard Opera Company produced "The Gay Parisienne" to crowded houses.

The latest comedy sketch in London music halls bears the somewhat drawing title of "Tho Mustard Plaster." The plot turns on the visit of a married lady to a hotel, where she enters 'the room of a complete stranger and puts a plaster on his chest, under the impression that it is her husband. Strange how trivialities and old themes amuse the nublic.

■An expressman named Russell, engaged in shifting scenery for the Majeroni Dramatic Company at Oamaru on Wednesday, was killed by being jammed betwe-en two trjjcka at the railway siding.

Miss Nellie Stewart was last week presented with a unique ring by a gentleman recently returned from London, who (says "Lorgnette"), having witnessed the production of "Sweet Nell of O'.'d Drury" in the Metropolis, was much impressed by the bril- ; liant and artistic superiority of Miss Stewart's impersonation over that of Miss Julia Neilson'e. The ring, which takes the form of a wish-bone, or merry thought, is set in precious atones, and is supposed to be a harbinger of good luck, and Miss Stewart is so much impressed with the novelty that she has expressed her intention of continually wearing it as a mascotte. I Tho ring wilk be known as the Nellie I Stewart ring at the expressed desire of the talented artiste.

The great attraction which pleases playgoers in Brussels at the present time is the extraordinary iowness of the dresses of tho actrosses at some of the theatres and music halls. The sleeves over the shoulders are only very narrow strips of ribbon, leaving the spaces under the arms exposed in a manner which would be considered in this country far from delicate. Each Brussels artiste tries to outdo the other in this audacious exposure underneath the arms, and the audiences seem to enjoy this indecent exhibition of the armpita immensely. Belgian taste inclines to grcssnesa.

Will Percy, of Pollard's Opera Company, forwards a p-c-.tcard from Capetown, dated Juno 2, containing best wishes to all mquirine; friends in New Zealand. To hand a photograph of the Royal Aus-

tralian Onero Company (Pollard's) on board the s.s. Persic, bound to South Africa.

Batches of posters and programmes to hand from Maggie Moore ("Widow from Japan" and "Struck Oil"), J. C. Williamson (English Concert Party), Johnny Sheridan ("Lady Slavey" and "Trip to -Chicago"), William Anderson ("Man's Enemy").

The Black Family of Musicians are heading "farthest- north" this week, starting their 12-month campaign at Port Chalmers tonight, Tuesday, June 30, and working through both islands to Auckland.

New Zealanders will be pleased to learn that Maud Beatty, who was ill in London recently, has recovered, and at latest was touring the English provinces.

The traveli ng of the Musgrove Opera Company being over for some time (says Punoh), G. A. Salas, who piloted the company to Tasmania and Adelaide, has finished his engagement with Mr Musgrove. Mr George Musgrove was fined 40e and costs in Wellington on June 29 for blocking passac-e-3 at the Opera House and allowing people to sit on the steps.

Mr Jim Marion, a member of Dixs Gaiety Company, who was in contact with a smallpox patient at Launceston 10 days ago, and who arrived in Wellington subsequently and 1 put up at the Britannia Hotel, has been sent to Somee Island quarantine station as a suspect.

Jones Brothers, comedians, reappear on Saturday next with Ben Fuller's bright litt'o show at Dunedin Alhambra. Will Harvey, end man, makes a first appearance the same overling; while Bluett and Steele di.=ap*pear after -Saturday, and the place thereof and the patrons thereof will know them no more for some time

George Musgrove ha« taken a firm stand against the* "dead head" system prevailing at the Wellington Opera House. As a result, the directors of the Opera House, while maintaining their rights, have decided not to take advantage of them during the present season of the Musgrov3 Company. Hill and Slyvainy, trick cyclists, and Johnny Coleman and Lottie Lome, appear with P. R. Dixs Gaiety Company, Wellington, under arrangement with Harry Rickards.

Will Jameson, late Dix manager, and who piloted the Rickards VVaudeville Company from Dunedin northward, left the combination at Stratford, manager Marcus going ahead to Auckland

Elsie Moore, ol Williamson's Musical Comedy Company, had to remain in Sydney for a slight operation to her throat, and did not proceed to Hobart with tho rest of the company. Fortunate for Miss Moore, as the company ran into smallpox at Hobart, and every member had to be vaccinated.

Miss Minnie Cubitt, who left Australia with the Wilson Barrett Company, and married in South Africa, has settled down at Capetown. She sings at a great many concerts, and is a decided public favourite.

Old friends of the profession will regret to learn (say 9 Table Talk) that Miss Maggie Stewart, at one time a popular, actress on the Australian stage, is seriously ill, and faint hopes are entertained of her recovery.

Mr Allan Hamilton, for many yertrs with the Broughs, has taken up hi" quarters in Melbourne as manager for Mr Musgrove, in succession to Mr T. 'P. Hudson.

The Westminster Abbey Glee Party, which has just concluded a successful season in Adelaide, and is now in the West, will begin a. short series of concerts in Melbourne eprly in July.

Mr J. W. Winton, the popular ventriloquist, leaves for America shortly on private business, but while there intends to play a short season. He will return to Australia at the *nd of the year. Mr George Musprrove's Comedy Company, headed by Miss Nellio Stewart, will commence a season at the Theatre Royal, Sydney, on July 11. Further difficulty has occurred in the dramatio criticism department of the London Times. Since Mr Walkley's absurd exclusion from the Garrick on the fir«t night of Mr H. A. Jones'e new comedy, The Times resolved that it would accent no more free seats for its critic It wrote round to all the theatres notifying that, as this concession had been spoken of as a "courtesy," The Times would be glad, in future, to be sent two stalls for every first niq;ht, and would forward a couple of cheques for them. Mr Martin Harvey, of the Avenue, sent the stal l tickets duly, but. when the cheque reached him, returned it, saving they were not for sale. Thereupon Tho Times returned tho tickets, and once more its critic staved away. There lias been a slightly acrimonious nrwf-paper correspondence on the subject. Surely tho. best plan would be for Mr Walkley to put a guinea in his waistcoat pocket and present himself at the pay-window unannounced ; or else to send an unknown emissary to book him his «;eat3 in advance as one of the ordinary public.

"The Other Man's Business," which is to be played at a the Princes'? by th* Hawtrey Ovmpdy Company on Thursday night for the first time in Australasia, is a three-act farcical comedy by Messrs Elton and Pptlcy, which has done good business at Home, and hnv» had four succpssful provincial tours to its crpdit. The plot runs on unusual Hncp, and is reported to bo remarkably funny. There is, of course, the man that pppto into a mess, but it is said to be a m«<!^ transcending thosp. of all other farcical comedies, and the troubles of Dick Whortles in "The Lady of Ostend"' sink into insig nifiennco before those o? Mr Blojjgett, a dentist by choice, but a tobacconist by pro-f<""-ion, a role taken by Mr Grogan MacMahon Mr Oily Deering plays a part created by Mr G. .W. Anson, and enjoys the euphonious name of Rattleship. He is a testy old relative, rich, of course, and with a will yet to be made, and it is the anxiety to propitiate this important personage which lca<ls to the extraordinary complicationwhich natumllv occur in every self-respeet-incr farce Mr Eton (the son of tbo late William Eton, of hanpy memory) has a capital part, and figures as an irrepressible boy who has a precocious fondness for whisky, cisrars, and pretty "slaveys" (Miss Bancroft play- the fn=cinating flirtatious dorr.Pntio). Mr Hccrtrie has a fine character part, and MKs Winifred Austin appears as leading lady, Ms-s Afaxul Torrence, Miss Elsie Austin, Mr Leonard Stanley. and"Mr Sydney Redgrave being ako in the ca--t

Mr Gcorgo Dean, a well-known aotormanas" I r. made- his farewell appenrance on the Chrietohurch boards on Thur. c dav evening, when ho was tendered ? farc-w^U oomph'montary performance at the Oddfellows' Hill. Mr and Mr' De^in left for England on Friday. Tho Waxwork? and Vaudeville Comprmy. which has worked iteclf into popular favour under the management of Mr Dean, will Atill he carried on under tVio mnnaeenuMit of Mr James Pethpnok

D' Arc's Taudevil'p and Mnrionefto Company, fresh from Australia, planted itoelf in

Invercargill on Friday last. A tour of the northern towns follows.

Edwin Geach drops a line to say that all is lovely with the VVilloughby-Geach Company; also that the laugh-makers will be in Dunedin in October.

George Musgrov* states that there is a fair prospect of seeing "In Dahomey," at present being played by a eompamy of black actors and actresses at London Shafteebury, in the colony. A London criticism: — "The first surprise, unwarranted no doubt, was to find the orchestra white ; they had not even used burnt cork. The composer and conductor was white, too, or so nearly bo as to make no differc.no.?. The curtain wont up, and a crow.d was disclosed some only of whom were coloured, while a quartette were frankly Anglo-Saxon blondes. The only jet-black person among them was white in priva.to life ; the genuine people were quadroons, octoroons, and yet further removed. The story is not only weak and absurd, but it is not stuck to, and it is overlaid with childish detail, starting nowhere and leading to nothing."

Mr Richard Stewart, manager of Mr J. C. Williamson's Dramatio Company, dees mot consider (says "Jacques") that the Taemanian railway authorities are rendering that assistance to first-clasa theatrical companies which they deserve. He adds that this fact is likely to make manag-era of such companies think twice before they decide to come to the State. What he particularly complains about is tho heavy charges made for freight on the various theatrical accessories, which are an indispensable feature in the production of a good play. For his tours through New Z'.ala.nd and Tasmania Mr Williamscm has scenery and effects prepared epecially for the smaller theatres, his object being to give productions as representative as those which are enjoyed in Melbourne anu Sydney. If it be necessary to pay abnormal freights he might probably have to leave Tasmania out of his itinerary. Some time ago Mr Stewart proposed to Sir Joseph Ward, the Minister of Railways for New Zealand, that a sliding scale of freights , should be established in that colony for theatrical companies, accordimg to tbe number of people included. Thua in the past in Maoriland a party of six were entitled to precisely the same privileges as a company of 60 — a most unreasonable system. Mr Stewart's suggestion was that a company of 30 should be allowed one eightwheeled truck for luggage and accessories, and a company of 50 another half-truck, and so on. *Sir Joseph Ward could not see his way to agree to such a proposition, but as a result of Mr Stewart's representations he greatly reduced freights. Although the statement that Mdllo. Dolores was on her way to London has been very generally circulated in the Australian papers (writes the London correspondent of Che Australasian), tho different agents and managers hero profess to be in ignorance of any such intention on her part. The reai reason for this singer's lcng absence from England appears to be very imiperfectly understood in Australia. The jewels left by her mother, tbe great Trebelli, were of no 6peoial value, and she willed them to one of the big musical institutions in London merely to mark her gratitude^ for the generous recognition accorded her by the English musioail public. Mdlle. Dolores failed to hsmd'over the jewels, and a laweuit ensued, with the result that the coytrfc ordered her to do so. During the hearing of the case Mdlle. Dolores made come statements which, Tiprhtly or wrongly, were interpreted as casting a elur on hpr mother. This so incensed the governing body of the institution to whioh the bequest had been made that on Mdlle. still refusing to srive up the souvenirs, they applied for a writ of attachmemt for contempt of court, and it is because of this writ that Mdlle. Dolorefi remains away from Kn^rland. It is now under.-, toot! that ehe would willingly hand over the property in dispute if the contempt of court order were cancelled.