THE GHOST WALK.

Otago Witness, Issue 2667, 26 April 1905, Page 57

THE GHOST WALK.

Bland Holt's Co. re-opened' in Melbourne at Easter.

Jean do Lacey goes to join the Stepfaenson Musical Comedj Company. A letter at this office ior James Marion, comedian, late ot Fuller's Co.

Miss Daisy Harcourt is returning to Australia from her trip to America.

Gilbert and Sullivan Revival Opera Co. is doing splendid business in Auckland. Lon Davis, late- of Hawtrey'a Co., is still running a variety show at Cr&moorne Gardens.

The death is anounced of Mr Joseph Jefferson, the famous American actor, at tha age of 76 years. "Oianges! Who'll buy my oranges?" at Wellington Opera House on Easter Saturdaynight uaitil sold out. On Good Friday night at Auckland Williamson's Gilbert- and Sullivan Revival Co. gave a sacred conceit.

Miss Kate Howards, the actress, has departed for America, where she hopes to produce several new pieces.

At the termination of his engagement witil Harry Rickards a trip to America is contemplated by W. F. Hawtrey.

W. T. Hawtrey and Miss Winifred Austin are producing sketches under Harry Rickards'a management at Sydney Tivoli. Tho American tragedienne, Miss Tittell Brume, ia back again in Melbimrne, showing at the Princess in "Tlieodoi-a."

Rickards's Vaudeville Co., which is at present showing in the Canterbury Hall, Christchurch, visits Dunedin next week.

Harry Rickards contemplates importing Geo. Kobey, the London oorniqiie, to Australia. Eobey, it is said, asks JEIOO a, week.

" Old Heidelbwrg" was quite as well received in Chris+churoh as it was in Dunedin. The first night's takings amounted to £187.

Miss Frances Ross has recovered from her recent illness, and is once again back on tlia stag, with B.H.s Co. in Melbourne.

What time Wm. Anderson's Co. is serving up melodrama in the Auckland Opera House tho Fuller Co. goes out "on the road."

Mr C. J. Piddock, the baritone, who visited New Zealand with the "Fortune Teller" Company, is appearing at the Coliseum, London.

Stated at the annual meeting of shareholders of the Wellington Opera, House Co. that the future bookings for the theatre constituted a record. Mr Reuben Fax, whose Svengali in ''Trilby." i<3 well remembered here, is playing a Scotchf character, Posty, in the "Bonnie Briar Bush,'* on tour in England.

Country Youth (reading a Tjlll of the entertainment) : "Front seats, 2s; second seats. Is, third seats, 6cl ; programme, 2d." "I say, Jim, let's go in the programme."

Mr Coleridge Taylor, the negro composer, says that the ordinary coon songs are ''the worst kind of rot," and have little or nothing of real negro music about them.

The Lyceum Theatre in Sydney has heext. purchased by the Hon. E. Viokery for £24,000, on behalf of the Methodist Mission. The nani of the building will not be changed. Mr Einmnd Gwenn, lately with. Mr Cuylei? Hastings in Australia, was playing with Mr "Willie Edouin in a new farce by Mr L. Sterner, "Off the Ranks," at the Vaudeville.

AW. Stevens, who has been with tha Pollarcls ever since he was a small nipper. 13 renoited to be about to retire, along with, his wife (nee Claude Palmer), and settle down. The vet si an actor, George Coppiu, celebrated

liis eighty-sixth birthday at Melbourne on April 7, and received numerous messages of congratulation from all parts of the Commonwealth.

Reported that J. C. Williamson has bought land at Gembrook, in Gippsland, Victoria. A beautiful, spot in the heart of tho bush, tapped by Jh 1 * quaintest little mountain railway Imaginable.

Stage Mana-gei (interviewing children with the idea of engaging them for a new play; : "Has this child been on the stage?" Proud Mother: "No,; but he's been on an inquest, and he speaks up fine! "

Alfred Dampier, after a 12 weeks' season at the Theatre Royal, Adelaide, has since done the South Australia provinces, and, playing overland, opened in Ballarat on Easter Saturday with the "Bush King."

Of Miss Jessie Ramsay's appearance in "Tambour Major," in Melbourne, a critic says, "The Stella of Miss Ramsay was bright and sparkling in the da-mty, rather undevitalised "way of. modern musical comedy."

Many are the uses of music! If your want to boil your breakfast egg to a tune, put it in the saucepan, and *then play through the overture to "Figaro." When you have finished, the egg will also be done. Paaerewski is an enthusiastic patriot; and devotes a large part of his fortune to the relief of poor and expatriated Poles. He is reported to he now engaged upon a symphony entitled "The Year 1863," the year of the last Po'ish insurrection.

"I don't ask you to remove your hat, miss," plaintively spoke the little man in the seat behind the fair damsel, "but if you wall refrain ;from wobbling your head I will- take it as a favour. I am used to the high hat, but am not accustomed to the wobble."

Sir Henry Irving's health has so fax recovered tb&tr he Jbas sagncd an agreement withMr Charles Frohmsun to make an American tour, beginning in October next. He will play in. the United States for 20 weeks,, and this will be his farewell visit.

The Wellington Evening Post has the following: — A sensation was caused in the dress circle of the Opera House last night by an immaculately-clad young man, who is well known in smart society. He never disturbed the audience once throughout the evening.

It is. stated that Mr T. Molloy's new big theatre in "Perth is to be improved. The lighting arrangements are said to be bad, and will be remodelled. The- floors are of cement, and the stalls require "carpeting. It is reported that the seats are placed too close together for comfort. Mr Bland Holt, who has closed his Sydney season at the Theatre Royal, after appearing there oontinuotisly since April 2 of last year, opened at the Melbourne Theatre Eoyatt on April 22 in "The Be-st of Friends." Mr and Mrs Holt anticipate playing in Melbourne for a whale year.

"Lovers of the circus" (says Melbourne Sporting and Dramatic News) will regret to liear _of the death recently of the ■well-known ringmaster, M* P. Montgomery, and also of young Tyler, of Risley acrobatic fame, who were with Fitzgerald's for so many years." Both were well known in Tasmania. 'Theatre Manager: ''Mr Starr, you positively must quit letting your mind dwell so much on your bicycle." The Great Tragedian: "Eh! !Why?" Theatre Manager: "Perhaps yon are mot aware of it, but in the third act, -where yon should have cried, 'Ye gods, I am stabbed,' you shouted, 'I am punctured!' "

Mrs W. Bryant (Sophie Biarlette), one of the four chief dancers — known years ago as the Oxford Four — died lately in London. The fonr also- included Kate Vaughan and Alice Dunning. The last-named, says- "Jacques," was afterwards Mrs Hoi ace Lingard, and was one of the first Josephines in "H.M.S. Pinafore" in Australia.

A Scottish singer named Wilson, who was leing "trained for profession-al singing, sang a love song with exqurisite quality of voice, but with insufficient passion and expression. Es teacher told him. he must put more feeling into it, and sing as if he were really in love. "Ah, man," he replied, "hoo can I do that an* me a mairrit man?"

A wonderful "speabing" horse is -appearing ai London Lyceum. He hails iroxn Germany, and although he is only four years old, he knows much more than most horses do at 40. He is a chartered accountant at aiithmethic, adding up figures by taps with his feet-as skilfully and as accurately as a woman does sums "on her fingers. He also answers all sorts of questions put to him by the •iSience by nodcling his Head. Miss Lillah M'Carthy, the late Wilson Barrett's leading lady, who has not be&n seen in London fox considerably more than a year, when only a. brief glimpse of the talented actress was affosrdied, will have her real chance sino© the death of the late- eminent actor at the matinee of "Agatha^" at His Majesty's, when she will enact the part of liady Fancourt, the mother of the young lady ■who gives the title to the play.

Hex Benno Scherek has been so successful in his management of the Moody-Manners Op&ra Company m South Africa that he has now gone to London in search of further musical attractions for that country, commissioned try Messrs "Wneeler and Co. He is a.t present visiting at Leipzig, where- Mrs Scherek and his son are living. The latter, who is also a musician, is taking private lessons from the leading professors of the pianoforte, which is Hi 6 special study.

Lady Haldon is now appearing at the Tivoli Music Hall, in London,' in "A Sporting Duchess." This peeress has had a romantic career. She was Pauline Miska, a beautiful Viennese girl, on ike boards at Dru.ry Lane, when thY Hon. Captain Palk, son of the first Lord Haldon. married her. For a considerable nunibei of years the Hon. Captain and Mrs Palk resided in Sydney. They •went to London when Captain Palk came into the title of Lord Halclbn.

The will of the late Mrs Gilbert, the veteran American actress, Who died last December, has been filed for probate. Her personal- estate is - valuied: at £2000. The will -.directs the executors to see that the tesiatrix . is buried in Greenwood 1 Cemetery, next to her liusbancT and son. To the Players' Club Mrs Gilbert bequeath* a set of books, and the eilver loving cup presented to h-er on her seventy-eighth birthday. Also a silver set presented by her friends on the same anniversary.

A sensation was caused in Paris bj the sudd-en death gf M. Bianchini, tihe well-known designer of theatrical co3tum.es for the Grand Opera. M. Bianchini has been haunted by a fear of dying by poison ever since an attempt on his life was mad© in, this way by his former wife. At the Ambigu Theatre a. friend gave him. some sweets, one of whioh he ate. and -was immediately taken ill. He died two clays afterwards, fully convinced he had been poisoned, bul> a post mortem showed his death to be due to rupture of the aorta.

A Tatmanian appreciation: Submitting to the inevitable, the Diamond Duo, Lily and Charlotte — precise surnames do not matter — are leaving Bain's Company after a four months' season (to quote Frank Yorke, rather a long time to push a. face before the same audience). Hobart paitrons will be sorry to lose the dainty pair, their bird-like voices, and their musicianly talent. But, like the "swallows, they will probably come back again *s seasons revolve. They will be always welcome, both on and off the stage.

Sir Henry, Irving, who at the unveiling of the Qum memorial tablet at Buh the other clay had bomethmg to bay about a lanious predecessor in "Macbeth," and the most famous Falstaff of that day, might have remembered the story which puts Mr Quin's undoubted afcpeiity of utterance, upon occasion, for once in a pardonable light. At a supper, in tho^e parts, he so delighted the compa'iy tliat a. aohie and attenuated lord, who Has of it, was moved to remark " 'Tis a pity you're an actor, Mr Qviin! " "And what, pray," magnificent James inquired, "would your loidship have me be? A lord?"

An actor in an English company, how touring America, told a story the other day at one of the olubs in which his young son ''got back" at him. The boy, who is about 12 years of age, lacks ambition, and has to be diuven to liis books. One day his father, m order to shame him into some sort of diligence if possible, cited several instances where prominent men even in t&eir boyhood accomplished much. j? or example, look at out great actor, Irving," said he. ''As a boy of your age even he was striving toward the great end he has since attained. "And when he hnd reached your age, father, ' quickly replied the actor's son, with quiet meaning, "he was Sir Henry Irving." Regarding the story that Sydney Lyceum Theatre, bought by Mr Ebenezer Vickery during the past week fox £24,000, was to be concerted into a sort of Exeter Hall, and was to be opened in that chaaactei by General Bcoth on his next visit to Australia, Mr Vickery, on being interviewed, said : "A lot of things are running in my mind. A part may be used for some sort of amusements, and a part for social reform ; there is nothing at aul settled about it at present. The theatre originally cost £40,000 to build, the land £15,000.

Mr C. W. Wa'ker, the blind negro music hall comedian, with his charming coloured wife, Miss Ida May, has, say 3 the Era, arrived in London on a tour of the variety theatres. Mr Walker feared that if his blindness was known to music hall managers and the public, his sole means of livelihood would be cut off, and so for over a year he has danced and sang with his secret unguessed even. But for the first time those outside his circle of personal friends have been told the truth, and Mr Wal£er has been with sympathetic messages and congratulations on the skill with which in the past he ha 3 kept hia audiences "in the dark" as to his misfortune. "Walker and May will be remembered as having toured. New Zealand with one of Harry Rickards's Cos.