THE GHOST WALK

Otago Witness, Issue 2661, 15 March 1905, Page 64

THE GHOST WALK

Harry Baxter, -well known through N.Z., ig at Perth, W.A. Ballet girls are now kicking higher for higher wages. London's comedian, Little 'JLich, has opened at Sydney Tivoli. Fitzgerald Bros.' Circus crossed over the pond to Sydney last week. Profits of Barnum and Bailey last year are stated to have been £70,000. "The Cingalee" will succeed "The Orchid" by the Royal Comics in Sydney. Miss Billee Barlow was to have appeared at the Capetown Tivoli this month. The Pollards were- billed to produce "The Forty Thieves" panto, in Adelaide. Comedian Frank Leon and soubrette Lizzie Khk are at present in Western Australia. The great violinist, Kubelik, will make a tour of Australasia., beginning in September next. Grossi the Marvel is mystifying Auckland pations of the Opera House in the northern city. Miss Maud Jeffries (Mrs Nott-Osborne) retires into private life in about 12 months' time. " "The Duche,ss of Uantzic," a New York success, will probably be done in Australia this year. The clever dancing Bicknells will do a specialty turn with Bland Holt's Co. In Sydney The Knight-Jeffries Company, after present Melbourne season, open in Sydney Royal on April 15. The Wheelers, of Looping the Wheel fame, ' are going out on tlu. roads with a show of their own. Miss Amy Murphy and Mr Robert Foster, jvin., of this city, were singing in Wellington last week. i Rowley's Waxworks and Abornah the ' Giantess were at latest showing in the Federal ! Hall, Auckland. | Comedian Charles Faning is appearing at ! the Empire and Tivoli Theatres, Capetown, j South Africa. ! Gilbert and Sullivan's Opera Company pro- ! duced "Patience" at Wellington Opera House | on Thursday last. The Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company commence^ a New Zealand tour at Wellington on Thursday last. i Money was turned away at Sydney Lyceum during the run of by Musgrove's Dramatic Company/* The well-known actor. Sir Henry Irving, Is indisposed. He is advised to take two months' complete rest. The young American tragedienne Miss Tittell Brune, after a Westralian tour, reopens in Melbourne in "Theodora." MacMahon's Dramatic Co. is appearing in, Avickland Opera House producing George Darrell's "Sunny South." The Knight-Jeffries Company was at latest rehearsing "If I Were King" in Melbourne, with a view of an early production. Mr Lincoln, of the Bio-Tableau Company, left for the north last week to arrange for the big picture show in the northern centres. Miss Violet Elliott has been re-engaged for the London Alhambra in consequence of her recent successful appearances there. Messrs Fitzgerald, the Australian circus proprietors, have engaged the Herbert troupe of aerial gymnasts for an Australian tour. The booking of seats in theatre pits and galleries, advocated years ago by Sir Henry Irving, is becoming more and more a possibility. The salary of Little Tich, London's comedian, now under engagement to Harry .Riekards in Sydney, runs well over three figures. Mr J. C. Piddock, round New Zealand with Mr George Musgrove's Comic Opera Company, was at latest advices singing at the Coliseiim, London. The Swifts, who recently toured Xew Zealand under the Fuller banner, were at latest appearing with Ted Holland's Company at Brisbane. A son of Sir Henry Irving is shortly to appear in "Hamlet" in London. Sir Henry made one of the successes of his life in the part in 1874. Musgi - ove'3 New Zealand Dralnatic Company, with Miss Nellie Stewart at its head, commences a season at Dunedin Princess on Saturday evening. Fir.vt Comedian : "You say you are studying two new parts. Ain't you afraid of overstudy?" Second Comedian: "Sure not; you see, I'm an understudy." In his memoiis, published recently, the German actor Ludwig Barnay states that he has diet! no fewer than 1120 times, and has> been married 1721 times — on the stage, of ccmrse. Mr Frank Weathersby foiwards a marked programme of Mrs Langtry's season at Terry's (London) in "Mrs Deering's Divorce." Mr Frank Weathersby is stage manager for Mrs Langtry. After the pantomime at the Adela.ae Royal, Miss Tittell Brune will open in "Romeo and Juliet," about the middle of April, playing subsequently "L'Aiglon," "Theodora," "and "Camille." At the latter end of January, as the results of the strikes and revolutionary movements in St. Petersburg, only one theatre, the Mariinski, remained open out of the 12 houses in. the city. The latest Parisian farce at the Theatre dcs Noxiveautes, ''Gigolo," is described as immensely funny. It is a '"piece without a bedstead," that hitherto indispensable object in a French farce. Appearing at Sydney Tivoli are Fred B'uett, Miss Hilda Lane, Fanny Powers, the Mahera (Alice and Mike), Daisy Sylvester, Aithur, Al-

Bert, and Maggie Fraser, Ford and) Bentley, I and the? Collier sisters. The following music-hall artists_ are now on their way to Manila: — Harry Linden, Ida Berridge, Willie Clare, Phillips SisteTS, Driscoll Boys, Lottie Melton, Daisy Chard, Johnnie Stout, and) Leonard Nelson. An old circus performer in the person of Mr W. H. Cooke passed away in London laßt month. Mr Cooke was a clever and daring performer, who starred at Astley's Amphitheatre between 1855 and 1860. As for actresses who have appeared in the greatest number of parts, Miss Ellen Terry and Mrs Ken<3al run each other very close in this respect, having played hundreds of characters of every ctescription. The Singer (after the aria): "So glad you like it! And yet the managers won't give me a leading part." An Admirer: "It's a shame. Lots of women who can't sing half so^well as you are having their diamonds stolen." Little Tich when in Paris gave the whole of lus performance in French. The people of the gay city made a big fuss of him while there, and organised fetes in his honour. "Frig- season in Australia is limited to 12 weeks. A Sydney appreciation of W. S. Percy, in "The Orchid" : Mr W. S. Percy is a clever comedian, who is a. decided gain to the company, and his characteristically explosive Frenchman was one of the legitimately comic successes of the evening. Kolb and Dill, after a short rest in 'Frisco, if their plans: come about as laid, will join forces with Ben Dillon, formerly with tha Maher Company, and Barney Bernard is planning- to star at the head of the company, negoti&t'ons for which were pending when he lift for Australia. A record: of a- peculiar kind is held by Mr E. H. Sothern, the well-known American sctor. At a performance for the benefit 'of tiie New York Actors' Home, given at the Lyceum' Tieatre in that city a couple of yeaars ago, he appeared in ten different acts from ten different plays. The Latest London Stage has a. grate-ful acknowledgment in it from Mrs and Miss Spurr, the widow and daughter of the late Mel. B. Spurr, to Mr Herbert Flemming, "who has interested himself in the arrangement of deceased's affairs, the settlement of which, owing to Mt Spurr' s sudden demise in Australia, was extremely difficult." Sir Henry Irving, the eminent actor, is. we are informed by cable, suffering from a chill and from nervous prostration. The illness has been brought about by overwork, and the veteran tragedian, who has just entered on his sixty-ninth, year, has been ordered a, rest for two months. Mr Bland Holt's season in Sydney will terminate early in April. Mr Williamson has made an arrangement with Mr Bland Holt by which he takes over the remainder of his lease for the Theatre iioyal (about two years). with, a condition attached that Mr Bland Holt shall be allowed his own dates. The veteran actor, Mr Harry H. Howe, ■who was a member of Sir Henry Irving' s Xiycetun, Company for m»ny years, has a record or wMch he is justly proud. He can boast of having played every male character in "The Lady of Lyons.", all under one roof, too, that of tlie Hayxnarket Theatre. Mr George Matheson will take the Parkin aFoldesy Company as far as Adelaide, and vtiV return to Melbourne in time to leave for New Zealand^ on March 18. He will then take up the running with Mr Williamson's Bepertoire Company. Mr Harold Ashton will pilot the concert party in West Australia. The season of Little Tich, the famous English comedian, in Australia will cover but 12 weeks — Harry Rickards could not get him for any longer, his advance bookings being so heavy. Little Tich in stature is almost a dwarf; his make-up is weird, his sense of tumour very keen, and his songs and gag fine; but his dancing is his strong point. "Bert" Lennon's company, organised for a tour of Queensland and the East, will be known, says "Jacques," as "The Big Sensational, Musical, and Novelty Vaudeville Com■faination." Bob Bell, Arthur Bartlett, Mai Mailow, Rose Belmont, Walter Melrose, the Montez Sisters, Wai. Cottier, Bessie Blouee, and, of course, Lennon, Hyman, and Lennon comprise the party. Mr Andrew Mack, the Irish actor-singer, will open in Melbourne on the 15th with "Tom Moorft." Mr Mack is bringing with him a complete company of 20 people, which has supported him through his American season. His season in Australia will last for 20 weeks, ana during that period he will produce six plays entirely new to Australia. Mr Tree has extended his plan for a Shakespearian festival, to extend over a fortnight, giving three afternoon.,and three evening representations weekly. The plays promised are "Hamlet," "Richard II," "The Merry Wives of Windsor," "Twelfth Night," "Juliuf Csesar," "As You Like It," "Much Ado About JiTc-thing," "The Tempest/ and "Othello " or "Macbeth." Mr Herbert Flemming, on his arrival in " England (writes a London correspondent), found Mrs M. B. Spurr and her family in rather sad straits, owing to the affairs of the late Mr Spurr being left in confusion at his death. He promptly came to their aid. 3fr Spurr made money in Australia, but there is said to be much difficulty about the legal settlement of his affairs. Mr J. Nevin Tait, well known in dramatic circles, who was in Frankfort-on-Maine in January, writes that he has been trying to secure Kubelik for Australia and New Zo.aland, but the great virtuoso wants £10,000 before his violin will breathe sweetness into the antipodean atmosphere. He is » huge draw in Europe. Mr Tait mentions that Dolores is doing great things in Europe. A good many people are complaining of indistinctness of speech among the Berlin actors and actresses, and the German press is beginning tc take up the matter. On© of the best Berlin dramatic critics has given ut*terance to the opinion that German artistes. in their efforts to be natural, become careless in speech. This is confirmed) by others, and thfi evil has been growing steadily for some time. It is stated that Sir Henry Irving recently received an offer of £350 a week to play Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Story of Waterloo" on the music-hall stage. It is hardly necessary to add that though the music-hall has swallowed the Lyceum, it will not appropriate the late Lyceum's great actor-manager. "It is time I retired!" Sir Henry Irving is reported to have exclaimed when the proposition was made to him. A new.play, entitled "Adrea," by Mr David .Belasco and Mr John Luther Long, was produced for the first time on any stage at the Convention Hall, Washington, on Christmas night, with Mrs Leslie Carter in the title role. There are 35 characters in the piece. Amongst fche artistes who are supporting Mrs Carter are Miss Edith Crane, Miss Grace Noble, Mr Tyrone Power, and Mr Harry A. Roberts. A contemporary recently alluded to the immense number of bad performers in various companies in Australia, and wanted to know the reason. This is not very difficult to «xplain (says Melbourne Dramatic News). It is mainly on account of the wretched salaries paid by many managers. At the present time some really good performers may be

[ pointed out in Melbourne who have been offered the munificent salary of £1 per , week! On .iJoxing Day tho old Lyceum, London, was converted into a music hall, with two performances every evening. Built in 1772, the theatre has been twice rebuilt, has served as a lecture room, exhibition room, and waxworks gallery. As a playhouse it has p famous record, for, besides its 20 years' tenancy by Sir Henry Irving and Miss Ellen Terry, most leading actors have trodden its boards. Miss Nance O'Neii's second Australian tour will commence in June, and will extend over 14 weeks. The American star will bring several leading performers with her, and several new plays, the latter including a poetic tragedy, entitled "Judith," which, in main essentials, is the story of Judith as handed down in Biblical tradition. The author is Thomas Bailey Aldrich, and the play was recently produced in JN'ew York with much success. Rather a good story is told of a pretty young lady and a young man who were in the stalls of a London theatre recent'y. He had seen the play before, and was telling her all about it in a loud voice. "Did you never try listening to a play with your eyes shut?" he said, in the middle of Act ii. "It's so funny." "Young man," said a red-faced choleric gentleman just behind, "did you ever try listening to a play with your mouth shut ? It is so funny!" There has been trouble m San Francisco concerning the rights of the play in "Old Heide.berg." On learning that the Majestic Theatre management intended producing the Mansfield version, Messrs Belasco and Maysr, proprietors of the Alcazar Theatre, and sole owner of the right to the play, oa the Pacific Coast, decided to give an elaborate production of it. Eighteen of the best singers in San Francisco were engaged, and Mr John Craig was secured for the leading role. With regard to long runs, all the world knows that "Charley's Aunt," with a. record of 1466 consecutive performances, holds first place. Next conies '"Our Boys." with 1362, then the "Chinese Honeymoon" and "Xhe Private Secretary," with just over a thousand each. Plays remarkable for their short runs are not so well known. Mrs Brown Potter's withdrawal of "The Golden Light" after only three performances is a very recent instance. At the Avenue Theatre, London, a few seasons back, the burlesque "More Than Ever" achieved the distinction of a run of one con- " seeutive night only. Le Menestrel is responsible for the follow--ing interesting story of the war in the Far East: It appears that Major Sayasha, who took a distinguished part in the capture of 203-Metre Hill at Port Arthur, had met in America and become engaged to a young actress, Viola Gilette. She, however, had ac cepted an engagement for a five years' tour in Australia, and sq the lovers were separated The Mikado, hearing of this, sent a telegram to Miss Gilette's manager, and paid the sum required for he- release from her undertaking and for her travelling expenses to Japan. "So should valour in arms be crowned ! " j