THE GHOST WALK

Otago Witness, Issue 2669, 10 May 1905, Page 60

THE GHOST WALK

Miss Maflge Crichton. has given up her part in "Lady Madcap." Reported that a syndicate purposes building a new theatre in Sydney.

Edwin Geach returned to Melbourne on Sunday by the Warrimoo. Hilda Spong is playing in "Sherlock Holmes" at the Empire, New York. Miss Linda Raymond, so popular here in day* gen© by, is now m London. A daughter of Mr Harry Rickards was married the other day iv Sydney. Mi&s Jenixit Opie has joined Eickaxds's Cohb.pany at Melbourne Opera House, Wallace Brownlow is in the cast of "Boocr.ccio" at the Broadway, New York. The Brescians' Orchestra and West's Picture shi>w is at present in Invercargill. Circus proprietor Tom Fitzgerald has returned to Australia from the Far Easb. "The Broken Melody" Company had a splendid opening in Christchuroh last week. Andrew Mack will tour New Zealand on tha conclusion of his Australian engagements. The Tossing Austins were at latest engaged for a season at the Cirque Carree, Amsterdam. Mr A. Cowan will return to New Zealand shortly in the interests of Mr Edwin Gea.ch. Miss Fitzmaurice-Gill is touring New South' Wales provinces with Coulter's Drainatio Company. Mrs Henry Bracy ''Miss Clara Thompson) •will return to Australia with Miss Nanca O'Neil. The late Gereral Lew Wallace, \vnter of "Ben Ilur," has left property estimated at» £300,000. .. Caicedo, the wire perfoinier, was at the Colonial Music Hall, New York, when tho mail left. Stephenson's Company is rehearsing at Sydney Criterion a new musical comedy, "Miss Mischief." , , _. Tho much-talk ed-about musical comedy, "Tha Cingalee," went up at His Majesty's, Sydney, on Saturday. Paul Delano, -who is billed as ths "tattooed juggler," is appearing with Fuller's company; in Wellington. Walter Rivers is playing in Anderson's "Sinbad the Sailor" pantomime in the Victowan provinces. Edwin Lestei and his wife (Adelaide Henningham) have joined the Lang Company of "Travesty Stars." Truth, according to- the latest definition, is what one ballet girl says of another wnen she quarrels jvith her. Percy O'Brien, of "The Broken Melody" Company, sends a line of farewell prior to returning to Australia-. Bland 1 Holt opened his return season in Melbourne with the appropriately-named drani-a, "The Best' of Friends." Wirth Bros, have received news from. India

that seven elephants have been purchased »nd despatched for the firm.

Mt ■George Ji.ttsgrove has abandoned for the present his intention of sending the Nellie Stewart Company to Brisbane. Mr H. Vincent, who was- round this way as manager for "The Marriage of Kitty" Company, returns to England shortly. " Salary of comedian "Little Tich," now in Australia under Rickards's management, works out considerably over £200 per week.

93ireo> "star" turns at Sydney Tivoli are Kara, juggler, ala Cinquevalli ; Alice Pierce, impersonator; and the Magic Kettle.

Senry Irving is to make a "farewell" tour in the U.S.A. It will last 20 weeks, and ba under Ghas. Frohmsum's management. "When Harry Kickards made his first appearance in- Australia, he was billed by his manager as "the "greatest comic singer in the world." "Williamson's Bio-tableau terminated a Maorilaiid tour at Invercargill on Saturday, and left for Hobart by the "Warrimoio on Sunday.

, A season of grand opera is feays Melbourne — Dramatic News) being arranged for by Mr Geo. Musgrove, to start at "the Princess, Melbourne, early next year.

Mt Harry K. Chambers', brother of Mr Haddon Chambers, made Tni« debut as a, writer ' of plays in New YoTk last month with a play - entitled. "Abigail." Every seat' in tEe dress circle "has been "booked for the opening performance of "Sweet Nell" at Masterton. ' The season there commences on the 15th inst. Mis 3 Ethel'i^Buckley, formerly of the Ander-/ son forces, liae^dieojded to take trp^the pro^ - fession- again, and will -rejoin the Anderson. Dramatic" -Company in Sydney. A -new play "by Mr A. E. W, Maaon, tihenovelist, lias been jWiittein for. Miss Edna May, called "Maigony Strode." It is to be produced both in London and New York. Stephenson's Company nas been doing great "business with "The Skirt Dancer" at Sydney - Criterion. "The Cingalee" would probably give them a shock on Saturday night. Mr Andrew Mack, the Irish-American singing oomedian, began his Australian season at Hear Majesty's TOieatre, Melbourne, on Saturday, -with a production of "Tom Moore." New Zealander George Stephenson intends

d'uxing the present Sydney season staging- a

riew musical comedy, entitled "Bill Adams of Waterloo.-" Costumes and scenery are coming out by the India.

persons -were killed and mjueced -by the collapse of the Lyric Theatre at Santiago da Chili, wiiioh fell in with shocking suddenness during "the progress of a theatrical performance on March 18. Miss Nora MTCay, whose performances on Hhe violin when she visited New Zealand as

a member of the Amy Castles Concert Company are well remembered, has been studying *t Berlin for two years.

Charles Warner leaves London early in November next to revisit Australasia with his ocmtpany. He -will appear in a series of Shakespearean playe, opening in Melbourne with "Much Add About Nothing."

" - _MisS Cecilia Loftus liaß signed a contract to appear "twice .a .day at 'each 'of Proctor's two theatres in New York. ."She will -receive =6630 a -week, which, is the largest sum ever paid to - a, music-hall performer in the United States. - The song -of the chorus girl : "Little grains of powder, Little gobs ,of paint, ,Make -a girl's complexion -Look like what it ain't."

■Tie recent purcnase by Mr E. "Vickery of the Lyceum Theatre in Sydney and his dismantling it as a theatre leaves the two best theatres in- the city — Her Majesty's and tiie Uoyal — under "MV* J. C. control.

"Mir ."Clyde Fitch, the well-known American piayright, in. addressing the students of the Toronto University recently, said he believed that the average audience wished first of all to be entertained, and had an aversion to being bored by art.Mr Robert Brcugh, ihe well-known, actor, at present in Perth, who is suffering from hemorrhage of the lungs, is making good pro-* gresa towards recovery, but will be- unable to reappear eh the stage for a fortnight or three •weeks at the earliest.

Efforts are. being made in Berlin to raise a fund for the .preservation of -the house in which the great Bach was born. Towards the object it has been arranged to hold a concert, »t ■rcreicli four "unknown, church cantatas by t>h» composer will be performed.

33ie South African correspondent of an exchange «ays the GSotham 'Comedy Four have decided to change their title as soon as they return to England. Mr Harris, who is one of the original Gothams, says that in future his quartette will be known as the Casino <3omedy Four.

The members of the Steele-Payne Family of Bellringera have returned to Sydney, and will commence -an eight months' tour of Queensland send the Northern districts of New South Wales. Miss -Tansley, of Dannevirke, has joined the' company, which will "be away from New Zealand for about 18 months.

A popular clergyman recently delivered a. lecture to his parishioners assembled tupon t*he

interesting, subject of "Fools." There -was a "large audience, and the rush far seats -was very much, augmented by the form, in wMch the admission tickeis were printed. The inscription ran thus : "Lecture on 'Fools.' Admit one."

Conjurer : "My assistant will now guess without assistance how many hairs any gentleman preseart has on his head." Shock-headed Member of the Audience : "How many are there on name?" Assistant: "2,457,624." Conjurer:

"The gentleman may count his hairs if he likes, when he will see that ths number is exact."

Little man at the theatre, vainly trying to catch a glimpse over the shoulders of a big man in front of him, at length touches him on the shoulder. Big Man (turning round) : "Can't you see anything? Little Man (pathetically): "Can't see a streak of the stage." Big Man: "Why, then, I'M tell you what to do. You keep youT eye on me, and laugh, when I do." The New York World says that Sir Charles Wyndham and Miss Mary Moore, who left New York for England reoently, after a most successful theatrical engagement, are each of them richer by 40,000d0l as the result of a ISeal on the- Stock Exchange, in which they followed the advice given by Mr Jefferson Monroe Levy. The World adds lhat Miss Mary ' Moore last year made 150,000d0l in mining stocks, thanks to advice from the same gtntleman. Miss Tittell Brune is turning her attention steadily to Shakespearean roles. Juliet she has already made one of her Australian (Successes, and' during the present Melbourne eeason Portia will be. added, Mr J. C. ■Williamson having decided to produce "The Merchant of Venice" on the same elaborate scale as "Romeo and Juliet." Later on it is. intended to .do . "The. Taming of the Shrew," a comedy which, in the hands of Mr Oscar Asohe and Miss Lily Brayton (his wife), .TPas very well supported in London recently. Musical criticism from a N.S.W. backcountry paper: "Knowing as much about music as a stuffed monkey, we do not aspire to criticise the best vocal, instrumental, and mechanical aggregation of artistical genius that the curtain of our local theatre has ever lifted .upon. The house was choke-fuH, and at the

conclusion of the John Leminone Co. entertainment the public simply perspired music at every pore, and felt so pleased that it would have shaken hands with its worst enemy. Barraba City simply rose at the stage and clamoured for encores."

There are only seven of the Gilbert-and-Sullivan series of comic operas which are likely to please the present-day audiences — "Patience," "Pinafore," "The Pirates of Penzanoe," "lolanthe," "The Yeoman of the Guard," "The Mikado," and "The Gondoliers." Six of these Mx «J. C. Williamson's Company has already done, either in Australia or New Zealand, and the last — "The Gondoliers" — is now in preparation by it. It is not intended to go beyond the work of the two famous collaborators 1 , so that the hardest months of the repertoire company's work are now over. "The Darling of the. Gods" was acted in America the other day before an audience which stood throughout the whole performance. A new play-house was -opened in the Western City of Taeoma. Every "seat" in the house had been sold, but when the curtain went up there was not a seat to be seen, the freight car containing the several hundred chairs ordered by the manager having been delayed by a. snowstorm. The firs* man who presented: himself at the door expressed hia willingness to stand; and, with the exception of -a few people advanced in years, the rest followed suit, and stood throughout the performance.

It is a good many years since- Miss Minnie Palmer first introduced "My Sweetheart" to Britisli playgoers at the Princess Theatre, Glasgow, then undei the management of the popular Mr H. Cecil Beryl, of Brighton. Later on the piece came-to London, being first played at the Grand Theatre," Islington-, and aftei wards at the Strand, where it remained for a lengthy period, when Mr Charles Arnold was Tony, Mr Philip Ben Greet, Dudley Harcourt and Mt Graham Wentworth and others were in the cast. Miss Palmer recently reappeared in her successful creation of Tina at the Grand Theatre, Fulhamt, and, judging from the manner in •which she and "My Sweetheart" were received on the occasion, each, of them is still very welcome.

Marie Lloyd, just before she took ill, was getting JB6O a week from each of two ot three, and sometimes four, London music halls. When she came to Australia she got £120 a week and passages both ways from Rickards. Little Tich, when he left London, -was the most highly-paid male variety performer. His salary was £70 a. week, and he had a run of from two to four halls nightly. Albert- Chevalier in his day reoeived as much as £280 weekly at one theaire. The late Dan Leno was paid £250 a week during the last two or three years of his life, to appear in the Drury Lane Pantomime. After those mentioned, R. G. Knowles, Wilkie Bard, and George Robey are the most highly paid, except perhaps Cissie Loftus. who can command almost any salary she cares to ask for.

a Ballad of the gallery. 'Twas in the upper gallery, where little gods abide, I took my sea-t one evening, with Nellie by my side. Sweet youth was burs, and love was ours, and life was very fine, "When shyly and fondly she slipped her hand in

mine. The noisy boys behind us, around us, and before. TEey cheered and clapped and shouted and

stamped upon the floor. The play -was — I forget its name — 'twas some-

thing half divine. That jit the love-light in her eyes, and drew her hand to mine. The stage seemed miles and miles away, and we seemed all alone (Nellie was all the world to me, and she was all my own) She watched the swift unfolding of the dramatist's design; But I—lI — I read the story through her little hand

in mine. The hero won the heroine, in spite of scheme and plot; The villain, foiled, fell on his sword — and served him right. God wot! Things all turned out so happily, I took it for

a sign,—And knew it was a true one when she slipped her hand in mine. Oh, little girl, so far away in distance and in time, There are no plays like that one in this prosaic clime ; Hero they have, and heroine, and brave resounding line, — But never any pressure of a little hand in mine. — Frank Putnam, in New York Tribune.