THE GHOST WALK

Otago Witness, Issue 2652, 11 January 1905, Page 60

THE GHOST WALK

Obit. : Madame Belle Cole. The Hellers purpose making another to??r of New Zealand. " The Marriage of Kitty Co. is at present showing in Brisbane. The American Travesty Stars have sailed from Syclney for America. Knight-Jeffries Co. is due in Dunedin (Hia Majesty's) on the 28th inst. George Darrell, of "Sunny South" fame, ia appearing on the West Coast. Xieno, whose real name was George Galvin, had bis life insured for £10,000., It is rported that the Pollard Opera Company may shortly revisit New Zealand. Sanford's American Players, now in Tasmania, may possibly revisit New Zealand. ' "The"- Best Must Win" will follow "Through the Divorce Court" at the Princess this week. •- Fitzgerald's Circus continues to do good business -in tne inland towns of the North Island. It is estimated that the late Dan Leno'a funeral was viewed by at least a quarter of a million people. Bland Holt is producing an Australianflavoured drama, entitled "A Desperate Game,"at Sydney Royal. Win. Anderson's "Sinbad the Sailor" pantomime, in the new Theatre Royal, Melbourne," has proved to be a big success. The Earl of Rosslyn has given up the stage for politics. He has been appointed private sf-"tetary to the Secretary for Scotland. *». «w play from the pen of Mr W. Pinero will be- produced at the St. James's Theatre, London, aboul the middle of next year. Included in. Sanford's Dramatic Co. at present in Tasmania are Mass Maud Lita; Miss Mary Bancroft, and Miss Elsie Austin. Mr Andrew ("Andy"; Hodge— who toured New Zealand with Henry's Dramatic Co., was at latest running a small panto, in Adelaide. Miss Tittell Brune, the American actress who is coining to New Zealand shortly with J. C. Williamson's Dramatic Co., has scored a big success in "L'Aiglon.* English theatres are as much superior to French theatres in comfort (says the Petit Parisien) as French plays are superioi to English plays in ingenuity. Mr P. Hughes has been engaged by Mr George Musgrove to travel with Mr Van Biene, whc will toui Australia next yeai with his play, "Broken Melodies." In Wellington 1 the Knight- Jeffries Co. are prodvioing "A Royal Divorce," with "The Sign of the Cross" and "The Silver King." to follow, and conclude the season. Mr George Dance is the principal organiser of touring companies in England. He operates 12, and has shares in 20 rnoae, of the 400 com-panies-touring in Great Britain. Madame Melba is reported to be suffering from bronchitis, and has been compelled to cancel her American engagements. The diva will spend the winter at South Carolina. The veteran of the Australian stage ia Edmund Holloway. who, although over 80 years of age, is still in harness as a member of Mr Alfred Dampier's company, at present playing at Adelaide Royal. Fred Grahaane was unfortunate enough to break a rib recently, and the last lehearsals and first performance of "Sinbad th© Sailor" were struggled through by the popular comedian with the greatest difficulty. Miss Eoyle, daughter of Mr Bert Royle, Mr J. C. Williamson's New Zealand representative, continues to make excellent progress with her musical studies in England. She will shortly go to the Continent to "finish." Among the artists disengaged in London \vheii the mail left were Kate Bishop. Sophie Harris, Alice de Winton. Lillah M'Ca-rthy, Susie Vaughan, Mrs Stanislaus Calhaem, Lionel Rignold. and T. Wygn\ Percival. A matinee was given at the Tivoli Theatre on December 21 to m'ovicle a Christinas- dinner for 1000 pooi peonle. The takings amounted to £47, and Mr Harry Rickarda intimated that he would make up the £100 by giving £53. Mr Roland Staveley, the handsome and deepvoiced member of the Tittell Brnne Company, has. says Sydney Newsletter, joined the ranks of the banedicts. having led to the altar one of the most charming of Sydney's society belles. M- WiHir.irj. Anderson's pantomime at iha P.ojal ile'to'irne is rl°=cribecl as a brilli??it success, and although it was past 12 before' the curtain "dropped on the opening Performance, the audience remained until the finish.

Owing 'o the death of his grandfather in Wellington. Mr Harry Plimmer did not appear on Friday ni^ht with the Williamson Dramatic Comwany. His t>art of Bruno Rocco was entuigted to Mi: L.e,qnar(| Willed who. ia said

to have given an excellent interpretation of the character. Further improvements are contemplated by the Messrs Fuller to J±is Majesty's Theatre, Wellington. It is proposed to place a verandah along the front, and to provide a room where refreshments may be obtained. The asbestos curtain, .ordered some time back by direction of the corporation authorities, has arrived, and will be erected shortly. The Messrs MacMahon's Dramatic Company organised for a tour of New Zealand, at the head of which is the well-known actor-author Mr George Darrell, will commence its Wellington season at the Opera House on thq 30th inst. The opening production will be Mr Dariell's own drama illustrative of Australian bush and mining life, "The Sunny South." The name part in "Everyman," taken by Mr Julius Knight, was at the original London production filled by a woman. " The morality play is to be- given at one or two matinee performances during the stay of the Knight-Jeffries' Company at each town they visit. The company will return to Melbourne after the New Zealand. season to give a series of revivals. " Mdlle. Antonio Dolores, the soprano, is meeting with continued _ .success in Berlin, "where she made her r first appearance about a. fortnight ago, and created a sensation. Mr John H. Tait, the well-known entrepreneur, wh©_was connected with the last Australian tone of Mdlle. Dolores, has received the following cable message from 'Berlin: — "Mdl'e. Dolores received an ovation, -and encored eight times." • - _ '^.- , Mr Stephen Phillips's latest play was origi-, naHy written axdtind the theme of "David, ?athsneba, and Uriah the BTittite, wx^ Biblical . names and surroundings. As the censor subseqirenlly'TefuseS" fo licence it, on. the ground that it ' traversed sacred history, the author changed the date and Venue to "the English restoration periodf ' Uriah became a^Puritan general; Baths-heba, "Miriam, his wife; and David, a cavalier lordling. A. Melbourne appreciation of a recently-im-ported principal boy : In Miss Elaine Ravensl>erg, Mr Wm. Anderson-has secured -a- trea--'sure. The young lady has a winning personality, and established herself as a firm favourite from, the minute she came on the-stage. She. Las a good voice, which she "knows how to use to-the most advantage, and-in.her many numbers scored a pronounced success, particur larly in a dude song, "The lily of the valley," in which, she was assisted by 12 masher coons •aid one little mite -dressed as the lily. Mr Maurice Barrymore, the once-celebrated American actor, is reported to be dying in a lunatic asylum. By the"~side of his bed is a pack of cards, and with these he builds a theatres and then, standing up, repeats for hours the lines of his pld parts. It was in "Captain Swift" that Barrymore made one ofhis greatest hits, and it is as Wilding that he thrills his fellow-patients, who crowd round the door of his cell and burst into tumultuous applause at the climax of the adventurer's suicide. At the age ~ of 75. Joseph Jefferson has just retired from the stage. . Two years hence, when -he will be 68, "Six Henry Irving will retire. But at 78 Salvini is still in harness, «nd about •to -undertake- another tour~ux-America with "Othello," "King Lear," and/'lngomar." Thequaint arrangement by which he plays in Italian and the company in English will be repeated. - _ Salvini cannot -speak our tongue, bu<r— he believes that,' even if he could, bis American audiences would rather .hear him in Italian, which .they ,do not understand. The Wellington season of the Knight-Jeffries' Company ,is proving- an undoubted success from a. managerial point of view. The company play there four weeks. Prior to the opening night no less- than 1462 seats were -booked for the seven nights of "Monsieur Beaucaire." • The -company, arjpear here,_on Saturday, the 28th inst., and during the limited season of 13 niefhfs no less than five plays wilL be staged — viz., "Monsieur Beaucaire."_ "Eternal City," "Royal- Divorce." "Sign of the Cross," "Silver King," and "Lady of Lyons." The announcement that Mr James Welch is to succeed the late Mr Dan Leno at-Drury Lane came as a great surprise, because it is rarely nowadays that an actor on the legitimate stage goes into pantomime. I feel convinced (says a. Home writer) that Mr Welch will be a decided acquisition at Old Drury. for he is a comedian with real creative genius. -His _assunxDtion of the title role in "The New Crown" is one of the funniest things I have seen for years — full of exquisite character. Mr Welch is a Livernool man. and. like/many other asoirants to histrionic feme, received his first Kft-from the late Mr Wilson Barrett, who had a great admiration for his talents.