THE GHOST WALK

Otago Witness, Issue 2674, 14 June 1905, Page 60

THE GHOST WALK

) Actor Julius Knight is rapidly improving I in health. i M'Kisson, clever knock-about comedian, i 3 | in Hobart "resting." Hugh J. Ward has beon engaged for pantomime next Christinas. Miss Billee Howarde's Dramatic Company waa at latest in Adelaide. Miss Billee Barlow's husband (Mr Menziea Stuart) died in London last month. The performance of "Flovqdora " by the Royal Comics in Sydney the other day realised about £500. Leon Caron, for 17 years conductor of J. C. Williamson's oichestra, was only 55 years of age when he died. Theatricals on the convalescent list: Julius Knight, Rose Musgrove, Kara the Magician, and Pete Hughes. Miss Amy Murphy, of this city, is to sing the soprano music in the Wellington Choral Society's concerts. Royal Comics will produce "The Country Girl," "The Orchid," and "The Cmgalee" m tha Golden West. Miss Connie Denton, recently through these hospitable parts, has gone out to Manila, on professional business. Miss Jessie Maclachlan, the Scottish songstress, at her first conceit in Melbourne had t.n enthusiastic reception. Praise, indeed! W. S. Percy is spoken of as "the best artor wo have had on \he comic opera stage since Elton'si day." The opening production by the Stephenson Miisical Comedy Company at the Melboiime Princess will be "Bill Adams." G-asion Meryale will nbt go to Xew Zealand with the Williamson Dramatic Company, but will support Miss: Nance O'lCeil. Wni. Anderson's company ha 9 comnieiicedl a season m Adelaide, opening with the melodrama, "Saturday JvigLi in Lonctou." Rosier from Jim Bain to hand shows in big letters dancer Frank Leon as the "star 1 * turn at the Temperance Hall, Hobart. The will of the late William Rignold, who died in London recently, has been proved, ' and the gross estate has been sworn at £4196. Mr J. C. Williamson is sending out invitations "to meet Miss Tittell Brune" in the Wellington Town Hall next Thursday afternoon. Owing ta the continued illness o| Juli»3

Knight, the part oi Marcus, in "The Sign of~the Cross," was played by Harry Plimmer, of Wellington. The "Walls of Jericho" reached its 200 th performance in London recently. The piece ■will be produced here by the Brough-Flem-ming Company. Mass- Maud Amber and. Mr Winfield Blaka, of the American Travesty Stars, will join Mr J. I\ Sheridan for his forthcoming season at the Sydney Criterion. From New York is reported the death of Mr Dave Brakam, composer of "Maggi* Murphy's Home " "The Gallant Sixty-ninth,' and many other familiar songs.

"Bill .Adams, of Waterloo, ' George Stephenson's new piece, which was put up in Sydney the other evening, is said to be the best of the repertoire, and a sure money-maker.

Mr Pete Hughes, owing to indisposition, has jiofc been, allowed by his medical adviser to accompany the Van Bie»a Company, -which left ■Sydney for Brisbane on Friday night.

Miss Nellie Stewart's will be the first professional company to play in the new Opera House at Palmerston North. The pieces to be staged are "Sweet 2T«11" and "Old Heidelberg." The Scala, a beautiful new theatre in Tottenham street, is to be under the management cf Mr Forbes-Robertson. He intends to play "Hamlet," and his wife, Miss Gertrude Elliot, ■will play Ophelia. "Mr J. W. Hazlitt, Mr J. OT Williamson's principal dramatic stage manager, arrived in "Wellington -by the Warrimoo, to make arrangements for the opening of the Tittell Brune Company's season. * During her forthcoming tour in New Zealand Mis 3 Brune will add "Merely Mary Ann," and possibly one or two other pieces, to her repertoire, but "Leah Kleschna" will be. reserved for the Sydney season. 3£r Ben Wheeler, the prominent South African theatrical manager (says "Jacques"), mil visit Australia shortly. Mr Wheeler was ■well known in Tasmani 20 years ago as ths genial head of the Wheeler Family.

Through the kindness of Mr J. C. Williamsno a special matinee performance of "The Cingalee" will be given, in. Hex Majesty's Theatre^ Sydney, on June 10,. in aid of the Eoyal Alexandra Hospital for Sick Children.

"What ani I so mad about?" repeated the popular actress, with flashing eyes. "I only got three bouquets, that's -what! " "But," said the manager, "you surely didn't expect more?" ' f Of course I did. I paid for five." About the hardest-worked woman in the theatrical line in Australia at present (says Critic) is Mrs Sanford, of the American Company at Melbourne Bijou. She does most of the business, as well as the stage-managing. Miss Mabel Lane has been compelled, on the advice of her medical adviser, to abandon her engagement for the New Zealand tour of Mr J. C. Williamson's Dramatic Company. Her place will be taken by Miss Loris Bingham, an artiste new to- New Zealand playgoers.

Hopeful. — "I suppose that you expect tha-i your new play will be a great hit?" said the friend. "I do-." answered the manager. "I got several disinterested people to look at it before T accepted it. Two of them saidi it was so jmnroper that they refused io read it tlrough."

Eobers Brough, the well-known actor, is latndly recovering from his recent illness, brought on by o\ ex-work. Mr Brough wili resumo his place in the casts of the BroughPlemniing Comedy Company during the return season in P«rth

May Moore Duprez, Burke, Moller, and Teller," Frank Harwood, Fat Clifford, Darn Crawley. and Will Van Allen (all recent E-ickards's importations) are earning their salaries in London at present. Harry Gray, the Australian Tich, is in Scotland.

The Ibson Family (four), instrumental musicians (cousins of the famous Jackson Miss Beryl Lytton, mezzo-soprano, "and Paul Kinko, equilibrist, arrived in Wellington by the Warrimoo to reinforce Mr Due's company at the Theatre Royal. Mt John Prcuse was the special soloist at the concert given in the Queen's Hall by Kubolik, the celebrated violinist, by whom Mr Prouse's services has been retained for the whole of a lengthened tour. Mr Prouse-, who was- in splendid voice, met with a most cordial reception.

Mr Harry Eickards, accompanied! by Mrs Kirkards and 1 Mrs Leate, left for England by the- steamer India. They go first to Paris, then to Berlin, and' will probably also' visit Home and oth^r parts of the Continent, aftierwards returning to London. Mr Eickards expects to be absent from. Australia for about six months.

The Brough-Fkmnaing Company re-opened at His- Majesty's, Perth, on Monday, May 29, in. "Beauty and the- Barge," Mr Robert Brcugh appearing as Captain Barley. For Thursday, June 1, "The "Walls of Jericho" was announced, Mr Flemming as Jack Frobisher, Mr Brough as Hankey Bannister, and Miss Beatrice Day as Lady Ai-ethea. The season consists of nine nightsu

The lessees of thfr new Waldorf Theatre, in London, are inaugurating an interesting experiment of grand opera at popular prices, •which will range from 10s 6d for a stall to Is for the gallery. Eleanora Duse, the great tragedian, has been engaged for alternate performances with Edouard Kes-ke, Calve, and ©ther celebrated artists.

3£ise Dora Taylor, who- is> filling an engagement v:ith Mr Harry Rickards at thff Tivoli Theatre, Sydney, has accepted an. ejigagement for Manila for 12 weeks, with 'Option of renewal. She will leave Sydney on Saturday next. Miss Taylor is accompanied by her mother, and they are likely to proceed to London on. the cor- ' elusion of the Manila.- tour.

In an unusually crowded Easter season in liondbn there were produced, among other new pieces and revivails, "Becket," by Sir Henry Irving; Mr Lewis Waller's "Eomeo and Juliet" ; "Her Own Way," by Mists Masine Elliot ; "Leah Kleschna," at the Kew Theatre ; "Chow," at the Criterion; "John Chilcote, •M.P.," at St. James's; a«. week of Shakespeare-, at His Majesty's; and "The Critic," at the Court Theatre.

The plans of Mr J. C. Williamson regarding the immediate future of the Knight-Jeff-ties Company have, of course, been unset by the serious illness of Mr Julius Knight, and are at present in a- somewhat unsettled state. "His Majesty's Servant, ' in which Mr Knight was to have played the fine part of Geoffrey Mohun, will, at anyrate, be postponed until he is in a fit state to make his reappearance ■with, the company. Miss Julia Davis, a New Zealand girl, and the sister of Miss Daisy Davis, of Pollard's Opera Company, is making excellent progress on the concert platform- a-t Home. Her stage name is Mdlle. Julia Caroli. A London, paper speaks highly of her successful appearance «t a ballad concert in St. George's Hall, where she- -sang several of Mme. Guy d'Hardelot's ■ongs. Her voice was praised for its purity Bnd fulness of tone, and her enunciation was »1» the subject of favourable comment. On the list c-f contributors to the funds ft! the Wellington Seamen's Rest appears the item, "Madame Pad-erewski, £2." When the "piano king" was in Wellington six or seven months ago, the secretary o-f the society WTota Swquesting him to give a recital at t^e rooms. PaJer«wski courteously replied that ihs terms ©f his contract with his impresario, Mr J. Etesajßflns, precluded Mm from giving anx e«-

' traneous recitals; "but," he added, "Madame Paderewski will be glad to contribute £2 to the society's funds," and the cheque arrived without delay. Mrs Lewis Wailer, according to the London Telegraph, has taken a decided stand in connection with the use of advertisement curtains between the acts of the play. At the Camden Theatre, where she has been playing "Zaza," she has refused to allow the curtain to be dropped, thus depriving the management of the needful means to flash their advertisements upon the friendly or hostile eyes of the spectators. Tbe lessee of the theatre, Mr Robert Arthur, retaliated m kind the following night. His motto was: JNo advertisements— no performance." Mdrne. Patti, who recently celebrated her 1 sixty-second birthday, may be said to have discovered the secret of eternal youth. 'I will be young as long as I live," she is said to have declared as a child, and few have kept a vow %vith more fidelity than ehe has. Perhaps the secret of her youthful appearance and unimpaired vitality is her love of fresh air and her careful dieting. In winter and summer she is always out for three hours daily, and the elements possess no terrors for her. Mdme. Adelina Patti is a great admirer of the Jewish people, and always wears what is known as a Messcussah, a Jewish medal, which bear 3 the Ten Commandments in Hebrew characters, and was given to her by Diaz de Saria.