THE GHOST WALK

Otago Witness, Issue 2649, 21 December 1904, Page 69

THE GHOST WALK

An amateur operatic society has been formed in Ash burton.

George iStephenson is negotiating for new pieces from England.

Culyer Hastings, the American actor, has sailed f^r London. Eugene Sandow is arranging- for another tour of Australasia

A, license was recently obtained to convert London Lyceum into a music nail. "The Golden Girl" is the latest addition to the list of "Girl" musical comedies.

Miss Nellie Kelburn has terminated her engagement with Fuller's Entertainers. Amateurs recently produced the musical comedy "The Runaway Girl" in Melbourne. 'Pollard's Opera Company open the new theatre at Perth with "The Forty Thieves."

Bl«ind-~Holt revived the famous old melodrama, :*TJie W°rld, the other day in Sydney.

Miss Nellie Stewart will make her reappearance in Sydney in "Pretty Peggy" at Christmas.

* Tire American Travesty Stars re-opened at Sydney Palace for a, short season on the 10th inst.

The New. York theatrical managers have risked £100,000 on this season's 40 new productions.. , Bert Flatt, of Flatt and Sutherland, is touring India with p*n American company of entertainers.

"Unofficially announced that G-eorge Grosjjmith, the entertainer, purposes retiring shortly. Grossi, the conjurer, at present showing on the Australian side, will shortly visit New Zealand.

Fuller's Entertainers produce an lap-to-date "version of "My Sweetheart" in Christchurch at Christmas.

Reported that May Pollard is to be principal girl in, the only pantomime to be produced in Melbourne.

A society of musicians has been formed in Dunedin, to be known as the Society of Musicians of Otago. A line from Sydney to say that Wirth's Circus, at present in Sydney, will be in New Zealand shortly. Oily Deering is coming to New Zealand as« a, member of the company formed by the MacMahons in. Australia.

Stated that Miss Beatrice Day will be a member of the proposed Brough Company, which is to tour Australia shortly." Playwright (explaining new play) : As the two burglars enter, the hall clock strikes one Manager: Which one?

Frank ft'leatherby, so long connected -with the business sddo of John F. SheWdan's company, has sailed for England. Frank Leon and Lizzie Kirk commence a season with P. R. Dix at the Theatre Royal, Wellington, on Boxing Night. Sanford's American players have conxiluded their six-months' season of melodrama in Sydney and moved to Tasmania.

Stated that Miss- Lily Hanbury is engaged to I>a married to* Mr Herbert Guedalla, a wellknown London chartered accountant.

Cynthift Brooke njid George Titheradge are likely (members of Robert Brough's company, vrliick strikes Australia at E-aster, 1905. The latest sensation in melodrama is that in a new piece called "The Coal King," in which is shown a scene oi entombed miners.

In the theatrical profession it's immaterial low often lovers quarrel, because they make up every night and twice on matinee days.

The Metropolitan Theatre of Varietios, Ltd., Jjondon, was recently fined JEIBO for keeping the hall for the performance of a- stage play. Val Yousden, the Irish entertainer, appeared cut Timaiu last evening in his unique entertainment "Two Honrs of Hearty Laughter."

Stephenson'3 Musical Comedy Company played Tiniaru to profitable business last week. The company left for Auckland last evening. Fitzgerald's Circus, which passed through Dunedin last week en route for the north, is doing the small towns of the North Island. George Darrell, of "Sunny South" fame, opens with «T dranxatio company at Greymouth at Christina's under Jas. MacMahon's management. • Ma-n (in theatre to woman in front) : Madame, 1 paid six shillings for this seat, and yaur Imt Woman (calmly) : That hat cost three pounds. . Mr H. R- Roberts, at present in London, turns shortly to America to re-open with Mrs Leslie Carter's new production at the Be^asco Theatre. . , , , „ T . Sir Augustus Harris bequeathed half his propetty, amounting to nearly £100,000. to Lady

Harris* and the other half to his daughter, Miss Florence Harris.

Mr Williamson has decided to call his new opera company, specially formed to revive Gilbert and Sullivan's operas, "The Williamson Repertoire Company." The Theatre Royal, Melbourne, which has been under alterations and repairs, will be ready for the opening of the Win. And'erson pantomime on Boxing Night.

Mr Harry Rickards has decided that Madame Marzella and her remarkable collection of trained [birds shall be! one of his attractions for his Christmas season in Sydney.

Reported that Mr Edward Faarley, the popular baritone, one time of Montague-Tur-ner Opera Company, is at present seriously ill in a private hospital in Auckland.

The New York Dramatic Mirror states that Mr Thomas Jefferson has succeeded his father in "Rip Van Winkle. He is making a tour of the Far West and Pacific Coast cities.

Maoroahon's Dramatic Company, headed by Mr George Darrell, will commence a six months' tour of the colony at Reefton on .Boxing Night with "The Sunny South." Sevcik, the teacher of Kubelik, Kocian, Miss Marie Hall, and other violinists, has been decorated by the Emporor of Austria ■with a .Knight's Cross ; of the Franz Josef Order. Mr Frank Fillis, of circus fame, has secured a plot of land in the centre of Johannesburg, on which he proposes to erect a hippodrome with seating accommodation for 3000 people. Miss O%a Nethersole will produce Mrs Craigie's play "T£ie Flute of Pan," at the Shaffceabury '.Theatre, London, and thus add another tojhe long list of actress managers. The leading turns at Sydney Tivoli at present include Madame Lydia Yeamans. Titus Historicus, the electric marvels, Salambos; Harry Atkinson, Carden Wilson, and others. The Musical Times has unearthed a collection of devotional music, m -which the hymn, "Come, let us join our 'cheerful' songs," is set to a chant concocted 'iioni the "Dead March" in "Saul!" The.proposal to bring Sousa's celebrated band to ' Australia has been deferred for the present, becaxts-e of the inability to get the whole of the prominent instrumentalists of the band to make the trip. Mr G. P. Huntley was interviewed on his return to London. About Australian cities the chief thing he notioed was the accent of the people, which he declared to be truly cockney. The record for a musical comedy run is held by "Christopher Columbus," with Miss May Yohe in the name part. It ran 470 nights, with an average of over £ 1000 for each performance. Mr. Frank Wilson, an English baritone of considerable note, has arrived in Sydney under engagement to Mr J. C. Williamson, and will take part in the season of Gilbert and Sullivan opera. Mr Mark* Hambourg, the noted pianist, will visit France, Germany, Austria, and Russia. One of his most interesting engagements is to play in Moscow, on the anniversary of the death of Rubenstein. Frank M. Clarke in the Gaiety Theatre, Melbourne, is doing good busines with a company which includes amongst others Miss Nancy Slapoffski, Alice Forbes, Blancho Layfield, Messrs Jones, Norris, and M'Kisson. Miss Ermnio Smith is singing "Egypt" with Frank Clarke's company at Melbourne Gaiety. Miss Dolly Castles made her debut in "Patience" at His Majesty's, Melbourne, the other day, and scored a distinct success. Madame Sarah Bernhardifc celebrated the sixtieth, anniversary of her birthday in Berlin on October 22. She received thousands of congratulations from all parts of the" world, and in the evening appeared at the Berliner Theatre.

Actress (angrily) : Did you write that oriticism which said that ins impersonation of the abar-doned wife was a miserable failure? Critic : Yes 1 ; you see, you looked so irresistibly beautiful that ifc was impossible to fancy that any man could abandon, you. As many as 143 meu'and 122 ladies applied for admission the other day to the Paris Conservatoire, but of the number only 32 ladies and 33 men had their names inscribed as competitors to be heard before the jury. There will ultimately be selected in all 22 pupils, iv the proportion of nine ladies and 13 men.

"That's th© best I can do for you," said the theatrical manager. "You've been idle all the season so far ; now will you stay idle the rest of the season or take this small part?" "I'll take it," replied the comedian; "in this case a small role is better than a whole loaf."

"Fine, wasn't it?" exclaimed Cithnan, after the trombone soloist had finished 4iis star performance; "that was really olever, eh?" "Oh, shucks, replied the country cousin, "he didn't fool me a little Wfc. That was one o' them trick horns. He didn't really swaller it." According to the Sydney Morning Herald, it is probable that the Armenian soprano, Miss Alexia Bassian, -will ma.ke lier debut in Sydney -with the new combination for GilbertSullivan opera. Miss ±sassian has appeared in grand opera with the Royal Carl Rosa -Company.

Mr Arthur Appleby, the Christchuroh tenor, is appearing in "Sergeant Brue," an entertaining musical comedy which has just celebrated its 150 th performance at the Prince of Wales's Theatre, in the West End, London. The title role of "Seargeant Brue" is played by Mr Willie Edouin. '

The present English provincial season is declared to b» extremeily dull. Plays that were London successes last season, or the previous one, have "been playing to very poor houses. Some provincial managers' say that the music hails get all the money there is about, which is not much.

Mr Allan Hamilton wishes it to be explained that the Broughs arc not returning "under engagement" to him, but by "arrangement with Lim"— -a very different thing. It has now been practically settled that Mr Herbert Flemming will be a partner with Mr Brough m the venture. The tour opens at Perth. The opera of "Carmen" was recently performed in the bull ring at Valencia (Spain). In the third act, when the bullfighter enters the axena to take part in the national' sport, and Carmen remains at the door in expectancy, a real bullfight was gone through, a Valencian toreador killing a bull by lamplight.

'Mr Williamson's Christmas shows: Melbourne, "The OTchid," at Her Majesty's, and "L'Aiglon" at the Prinoess; Sydney, GilbertSullivan opera at Her Majesty's; Bio-tableau at the Queen's Hail; Brisbane, either "The Marriage of Kitty" or "The Duke of Killiecrankie"; Wellington, the Knight-Jeffries Company.

Some of the artistes to appear in Anderson's T 'Sinbad" panto are Fred Graham, Bert Bradley, Oh&rles Bates (late of the Stine Evans Company), George Dean, Victor uougall, Walter Rivers, Florrie Barnes, Nina Rochester, Freda Mater, Lrennon, Hynian., and Lennon, Morris and Wilson, and Miss Elaine Ravenberg.

Quite a number of theatrical artists well known in Australia have been playing lately iv Glasgow at the same time, at different theatres. Among them were Miss Olga Nethersole and Mr George Titheradge, Miss Grace Noble and Mr David Glassford, Mr W. F. OJitheroe, and! Mr W. F. Grant, while Miss Alice May was at the music hall.

A certain society actor, who, at the close of the season, had amassed the sum of niue pounds ten Csay a London paper), sought a furnished flat in} St. James street., but was appalled' at the

rent demanded — four guineas a week. "Zounds, woman!" he cried, "have you no special terms for actors?" "That I have," replied the dame, warmly, "but I hope I'm too much of ,a lady to use them!"

The three best-known actors in Japan — Danjuro, Kikugoro, and Sadanji — have all died this year. Ichikawa Sadanji belonged to the old school of acting, and his principal roles were the heroes of classical romance. He rarely undertook female parts, which in Japan are essayed by male performers, but was a master of the swashbuckler style of performing. He was 63 years old. "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was recently _°taged at the Otero Theatre, Havana. The version was in six acts, and the title "La Cabana de Tom." There was neithar Topsy nor Eva in the cast, and the whip with which Uncle Tom was beaten was a toy one such as may be iDurchased for threepence in any city. A cake walk was also introduced, and the whole performance, says a correspondent, "was ludicrous to an extreme.

I Mv Walter Melville, the dramatist, whose ■works are principally produced in Australia, by Mr William Anderson, has excelled himself, from a sensational point of view, with his new drama, "The Girl Who Lost Her Character," recently produced at the Standard Theatre, Bisbopsgate. The play lasts for three hours and a-half, and the theatre, which seats about 3000 persons, is reported to be \packed nightly. Mr Frank Bertram, -who is touring in Scotland with "The Convict's Daughter," tells Ihe , following good story. In December he is producing a new play entitled "Hearts Adni and on his way to Glasgow he was usirg some labels for this play for the carriage windows. At Carlisle the porters were taking tickets, and enquired of ■two ladies. "Aie you two 'Hearts Adrift? " "No," was the answer, "we are two 'Convict's Daughters.' "

At the New York Lyceum a play by Clyde Fitch, named "Granny," was recently produced to mark the retirement from the stage of Mrs Gilberts, the oldest actress in America, who is now 83 years old, and has been on the stage for nearly 60 years in one city. This is her farewell engagement, and her reception was remarkable and touching. On the first night she was called before the curtain 25 times, and spoke an epilogue, written for her by Mr Fitch.

The Knight-Jeffries Company's season at His Majesty's, Auckland (says a northern writer), is proving most strikingly successful. The houses drawn during the five nights' run of "A Royal Divorce" were enormous, hundreds of people standing 'cut the performances night after night. An interesting fact is that the takings on the 7th inst. were the biggest ever recorded in the theatre's history. Hitherto the record had been held by the first night of its existence, when Mr J. C. Williamson's Musical Ccmedy Company opened it. This record was, however, eclipsed on Wednesday by about £12 monetary increase.