THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2604, 10 February 1904, Page 56

THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

By Pasqthx TUESDAY, February 9,

"Hamlet" (Christchurch).— Every actor »nd actress whose weekly salary is £6 or over i ontributes to the income tax. Miss Maud Beatty has gone to Perth *W A ) for six weeks, where she will appear *rit'h the Pollard Opera Company, who are |iv© to ope.i in the Westralian capital m a fortnight's time. Mis Alice Edgar, late of Tom Pollard s Co., has tailed from Soutn Africa for England. Several juvenile supers who were engaged by a certain co. foi a season in Wellington recently threatened to go out on strike owing to their salary having boen out down from Is to lOd per night. For the first time for many seasons, Fitzgerald's Circus got out of Wellington with jcanvas thoroughly intact. Previously playful Wellington gales have been responsible tfor much forcible language from the circus iands.

Edwin Geach says : Give Christchurch what Nt wants, and it is a gopd show town. But Yhe difficulty, added Edwin G., is to know jxactly what they do want.

A rising star remarked the other day : >ime was when I chased manag-erSj Now 'iiaus'icrs chase me.

Percy Denton's benefit, set down for Friday next, in the Garrison Hall, promises to be a big succe-ss. The Ashburton Borough Council has decided to oharge circuses and menageries a license fee of £5 for one day and £1 for each successive day of the performance. Edwin Geach arrived in Dunedin from the north on Friday evening last, en route, for Melbourne, and departed for the Australian side by the Monowai on Sunday. Not generally /known, that Miss Ada Duval, of Fuller's Co., was married in Christohucoh the other day to a gentleman connected with the building trade. Cards, cake, and congratulations !

Mr John Fuller, jun., has arrived in Wellington to supervise the alterations which are being made at His Majesty'e Theatre (late Ohoral Hall). The alterations rendered necessary to provide the exits ordered by the corporation involve an expenditure of from £200 to £300. The firm is also improving the interior of the house by th© erection of a dress circle at a cost of £500. The theatre is to be reopened about tho end of the present month by a new vaudeville company.

Th© Willoughby-Geach Co. will pass through Dunedin at the latter end of th© present week, en rout© for Melbourne. Manager Cowan enjoys a few days' holiday and proceeds by th© boat th© following week.

"Prompter": Dick Stewart, managing th© Cuyler Hastings Company, haa " absolutely no time " for th© croakers who decry Chriotohurch as a chow town. Says he : "I have no complaint agamet Christchuroh, an-d," adds the genial Richard as an afterthought, "this is my twenty-second trip through the colony." Diplomatic Richard I

Wm. Anderson, who has made melodrama famous throughout Australasia, is a notoriously bad eailor — a fact so well known to 'himself that he has never yet paid a visit to New Zealand. He has, however, at last determined to make the trip, and will leave Sydney at th© end of th© present month for Auckland, where he will join the company now appearing at Dunedin Princess.

Now that the Chris"?c':iurch City Council have refused to license the Theatre. Royal, Christehuroh, ther© sho-ild be a fair prospect of a start being made with the proposed new theatre.

Miss Eugenic Duggan (Mrs Wm. Anderson) returns to Sydney next month. Her position as leading lady with Anderson's Dramatic Company will be filled by an artist© from th© Australian, side not yet determined upon.

Maoriland is at present supporting nine dramatic co.s (including Williamson's "Light that Failed" Co.), four variety co.s, on© farce-comedy co., and three circuses. Ph.© "mosquito fleet" is not reckoned in with the above.

Len Monk, of the Hawtrey Comedy Co , who has been spending his holiday with his peopl© in Dunedin, left by tho Mo&raki last Thursday to join the co. in Sydney. Oily Decring was a pa,ssenger from Christchurch by the came steamer.

To hand from Tom Pollard's popular comedian, Will Percy, photograph of himeelf and Mrs Percy IMizs Jessi© Ramsay), taken at Kruger'e old residence in Pretoria, South Africa. Tno m tssive bronze lions presented to President Kruger by the lat© Barnpy Barnato are seen in tho foreground. This item is a reminiscence of a recent theatrical season in Wellington: — Th© City Council prosecuted in December last Cha3. B. Weetmacott, i.ianager of one of Mr Musgrove'e companies, for being "the lessee for th© time being" of the Opera Hous©, and for suffering pci^ons other than the licensee's employee's to sit in the passages, contrary to by-Jaw The- Stipendiary Magistrate convicted defendant, and fined him £3 with £2 13s costs. Defendant appealed, and the appeal was taken befor© the Chief Justice and Mr Justio Cooper. The Chief Justice said the by-law was a voiy pioper one, and should be stuct'y enforced — it tvas proper to keep th© escapes clear in case- of panio oi fire. As it was a quasi-pohce prosecution, and appellant could have stopped the overcrowding had h© wished, no coste would be allowed. Wirth Bros, of circus fame have apparently fallen on evil times m N©w Zealand. On© day last week they lost a valuable panther, and on Friday night a fire at the Newmarket stables, Wanganui, destroyed three horseo. At the Chfistchuroh O:ty Council on Monday night the By-laws Committee, reported that the Theatre Royal was not in a fit condition to b© licensed. The report was adopted, and it was decided to inform the lessee- that the license h?s expired and that no further performance will be permitted in the building until euoh structuial alterations are completed as practically mean th© rebuilding of th© whole thoatre. To all intents and purposes the resolution practically means that the city is without a theatre. The council also rc=olved to withdraw the license of th© Canterbury Hall until certain alterations to th© staircases ancl fire escapes are effected.

The leading actoi of a certain company playing in a South Island city was indisposed one morning last week. His partner, who was stopping at th© same Hotel, when he heard what was the matter, rang for the waiter, and sent up by that worthy a box of pills and a copy of the morning paper containing the opening night's notice of tho show, with th© request that th© invalid should first read the notice and then immediately swallo.v the pills! Mr Ji- S, Smyth©, Lh£ j»ncJi-travclled.

recently mot with, what might have been a very serious accident. He was hurrying -down the stairs of tha Otago Club to catch a cab, whon he missed his footing and fell headlong to th© bottom. Mr Smyth© was picked up in a dazed condition, but an examination showod that no bones were broken. His injuries, however, were sufficiently serious to keep him confined to his bed for several days. The much-travelled gentleman is now out ancl about again little the worio for his mishap.

Another marriage in the Pollard Oppra Company— the sixth in eight months — was to have taken place ?t Cr. no town on January 22nd, the contracting pprties being Miss Lena Ericson and George Young. Be-fore this epidemic set in I published a list of tho=e members of the Pollard Co. who had sung w duet " Htre at tho altar now we're kneeling," but so many lmrriagcs have taken place in Tom Pollard's Company since then, and so suift have thry followed, that I have lost control of tho matiimomal list — it has, in fact, got quilo beyond me. Som© wet holiday I may be trmpted.to take up the task of tracing the charmers who havo been showered with lice nnd confetti.

John Hercules, a strong- man, was ur> before the court on Tlmrs>day of last week charged with giving an exhibition of foats of strength in Don ling street, th n ) rby obstructing trailic. Mr Hanlon contended that ths part of the section under which the charge was laid prohibited the oxhib'tion of any object cr thing, ancl an exhibition of feats of strength could not be called an exhibition of any object or thing. His Worship concurred in thi3 view, and dismissed th© information.

An idea prevails in the north that Edwin Geach has temporarily retired from management, and that his business connection with Gecrg© Willoughby^- cc>ases after the New Zealand tour, which concludes at Timaru this week. As a matter of fact, the theatrical firm of Willoughby-Geach will continue to do business until June next, when the company disband in Adelaide.

Th© absence of a theatre here (says our Oamaru correspondent) is still a matter of discussion, and on Monday evening n meeting was held, whereat several gentlemen were appointed to canvass for support for a company in tease a theatre (which, it is anticipated, c'Hl be erected by the Borough Council) at a rental that will pay interest and establish a •■inking fund. Already encouraging promises ot support have been received, and if the couucil should agree or obtain permission from the ratepayers to erect a theatre, th© safety of th© venture from a financial point of view for a few years is likely to be> assured; that is, so far as th© council is concerned.

A crowded hou-.o marked tho re-opening of th© C4ood Hops Theatre on Saturday night, December 26, wi^ii .-.ea.sonable pantomime, when th© Royal Australian Comic Opera Company pre-ented "Djin Djin." The wealth of colour, rich costumes, humour, dancing and singing xoadc it a wholly delightful performance", particularly appropriate at this time of th© year. JMiss Nellis Wilson a? Prince Eucalyptus and Mr W. S. Percy -wore- the vital sparks of the piece. Mr Percy's clever exhibition of with Miss Rosie Evesson and his parody on Rudincff Viere particularly good. Little Mi.«s Ray Zeplin created quit© a sensation as Clwokee by her singing of her "Pooh!" song. Th© audience would appear to lu'\e been content to listen to and watch tho quaint, tiny damsel all night. This actrees, judging by her appearance, has not long abandoned the feeding bottle. Miss Alice Pollard as the Princess and Miss Je&si© Ramsay as her maid sang and acted charmingly, and Mr H. Quealy, as the elderly maiden sister of th© Daimio, was exceeding funny without being nnparclonably vulgar. Mi=s Agnes Smith, the airy Queen, ancl Mr Ralston, Djin Djin, were both heartily encored for their solo singing. The whole performance was marked by that life and "go' which scorns to characterise Australian playing and singing, as it docs those of the Americans, ancl the presentation was a huge success throughout. The mise-en-scone and the transformation effects were much admired.

"Girls who can ?ing, girls who can dance, daintily-clad girls who seem interested more in what they are doing on tb© stag© than in the Johnny rows of the orchestra chairs, ancl girls with sweetly-modulated voices," <=ays New York Life, "are distinctive features in the importation from London called 'Three Little Maid'?.' It is not unpatriotic to make. a comparison between the&e and the musical comedy girls who strut the American stage in expensive gowns, gorgaous in bod taste, and whose artistic ambition is limited to selecting the proper shade of peroxide ancl th© proper (or improper) person to pay for their broiled lobster. As an object lesson, Life would be glad to send to witness this performance, the American managers who priclo themselves on thf-ir ability to select and train young -women for musical comedy. Th^y, in their turn, might do a pubHo services by sending squads of their bleachpd chorus girls and pcroxided 'show ladies.' "

Hcttie Warden, weli known her© as the sister of Ben Fuller, writes interestingly from Manila under date December 29, 1903, whore ehe> has made something of r hit with a variety company: — "The chow her© is run on the London music-hall system — • small tables in the middle of the hall, with dross circle and boxes above and around. The audience ensconce themselves at these tables, and drink and smoke while the shov/ is soing on. Filipino boys act as waiters — ancl goc-J waiters they are to. Sometimes a man in the audience begins to talk too loud. He is promptly crushed, and if he makes him.=-elf objectionable, out he goes in th« grip of a policeman. Considering all things, the audie.nces are quiet and well behaved, and whatever renarks they may make to themselves, they rarely speak at the performers. One man. however, did insult Daisy Harcourt, but she took the law into her own hands, and dashed a glass of water in his face. Tho show is made ,upin three parts — half-circle, olio and variety. There are intervals ol 20 and 30 minutes' duration, so you can imagine it is late when the curtain falls. Midnight is considered a "very reasonable time to clcie the show. The manager appears to be making no end of money in drinks alone, and this, in addition to the money paid for admission, i^ bringing him in a nice income. _ There is no room for another show of this kind here. Th© other two theatres are too large, and for a stock company too far out of the town. Th© audiences are made up of American soldiers. No ladies visit the show at all except a few Filipino women now ancl again. Everything behind the stage is well conducted. No gentlemen are allowed behind the soenes, and notes for any of the company pass through the rnanag&r s hands first So you see wo aro vv-cll looked

after. I did Tlot feel at all strange when joining the- bhow. Daisy Harcourt, Jim Bell, and Ada Delroy were herp— old friends. By the way, Ada Dsdroy, Jim Bell, iSam Rowley, and Belle Ray have sailed for Thutoday Island, en route for Australia. They play a fortnight at Thursday Island, and then sail for the mainland, opening in Xe\i castle, where the-y intend to take up permanently. [The company has arrived in Sydney. — Pasquin.] The Gonzales Sisters arrived yesterday. They open next Sunday night. Each change of programme commences on Sunday. Johnny Cokman is hero, and is making a hit with his scarecrow danei 1 . I believe Jim Craydon and his wife are on their way out. Mr Craydon is taking Jim Ball's place as stage manager. Daisy Harcourt is a big favourite. I fancy she finLhps this week, and will probably go to America. It is the custom here for ladios to go out without their hats. I had not been here two days before I adopted the style, and found it veiy comfortable. It is also the custom to drive cveryvhoro one wishes to go. I have adopted that too! It isn't laziness, but ihe streets aie so nanow that only one can vialk on the footpaths at a time." I'm never that one. Tho races and baseball games take place on Sunday. Every day is alike hero. I do jni*s the Sn.day n.ght's rest. Board hero costs 2dol a, day."