THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2736, 22 August 1906, Page 60

THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

Br Pas«cix. TUESDAY, August 21. 1906. Mr Jas. MacMahon, the well-known theatrical manager, arrived in Wellington from Sydney last \yeek. After spending a few days in Wellington he proceeds to Auckland to arrange for the opening of a dramatic season there. Mr J. C. Williamson, the theatre manager, states that his chorus girls in future wilKbe prohibited from marrying till their contracts end. During the last two years Mr Williamson has lost 30 of his best choristers throug-Ji marnaye. Opera companies had almost become matrimonial agencies. Future contracts would be for a year, and not the season only. Mr Percy Davies, representing the Savieri Dramatic Company, has arrived in town to make arrangements for a season in the Princess Theatre. Mr Ouyler Hastings, the American actor, who has "been spending a holiday -n Australia, was a passenger from San Frairieco by the mail steamer Sierra, which pa.s;ed through Auckland last week. Edward Miles, England's oldest ac«or, who died the other day, aged 92, took to the boards in 1834. He retired in his eighty-second year. Peter Savieri, the comedian, who has toured New Zealand, both ends and the middle, with Wm.' Anderson. Miss Fhzmaurice Gill, and MacMahon Bros.' Dramatic Companies, is now out on the road with- a combination of his own. He reports having got together a very compact show, and has so far met with a fair measure of success. Mit.s Betbertoii Glover is the leading lady of Ihp company, which also includes Mr J. D. Williams, a young character actor, who was recently ill rough these parts with one of Win. Anderson's dramatic companies. The combination is working its way south to Dunedin. and will probably play a short season in this city on its way '"farthest south." Mr R. T. Tregaski, the advance representative for the Steele-Payne company of vocalists, musicians, bell-ringers, arrived in Dunedin by the Waikare on Tuesday to arrange the preliminaries for the opening of the Now Zealand tour, which is to commence in this city. The Princess Theatre, which has been closed for some two or three weeks, will be reopened again this Wednesday evening, when Val Vouaden, the society entertainer, commences a short season of four nights. The stage of the Zealandia Hall, Invercargill, is undergoing extensive alterations, with a view to making it large enough to stage sensational melodramas and other plays requiring much stage room. The proscenium when finished will be 30ft wide, and the stage will extend back a similar distance. A new gridiron for scenery and four extensive dressing rooms and ladies' and gentlemen's cloakrooms will be among the improvements to be effected. Mr Les Wharton, the clever coon impersonator, made his reappearance at the Al hambra Theatre on Saturday evening, and met with a splendid reception. Mr George Fuller Golden, who vi«ited New Zealand some months ago with one of Mr Harry Riekardb's companies, was given a benefit at the New York Theatre on June 17. There was a crowded house, standing room beiug at a premium long before the curtain rose. The leading vaudeville talent in New York took part in the entertainment.- Mr Golden was summoned just before tho end of the programme, and prosontod on hohalf of the White Rat-- ofwhich the beticiiciary was formerly the president, with a largo floral piece and a check for 500dol. Mr Golden was overcome for a few minuio*.. but linally recovered himself and thaukod his. friends in a neat speech, in which ho said lie would devote his lime to regaining hi-, health with a view to returning to tho <=tup:o. The rocoipt=. including premiums paid for boxe- and -.cat<amounted to 4000dol. Mi-s Grace Palotta. of whoso charm wo have hoard so nmch, to an Adelaide intor\iewor: ''I was hero originally 10 voar«. apo, and Lam not as-hamod of it. Harri Monlvhouse and C 'hades Uylov have gono to tlio ftioat beyond. Tho oilier pimupal im-m-bors of tlio Gaiety Company were Louis Bradfield, FrocJ Kayo (>ou remember him — •Take away that toa'). Maud Hob->on. Decima Mooro. ami Florence Lloyd. _ I am very glad and proud to bo back in At^traha for tlio third tiino. I think T hold a unique record in that rospoct. I was tho youngest member of tho Gaiety Company—tho one tlu-y all looked after. Some dcoi'jlo think it is 20 years ajro «inco I was hero. Thoy say. 'To think jou wero hero with Xelhe Fa iron, and how young >ou Icok '' Of course Nellie Farron was a long while before my time. It is. my birthday to-day."' After we had shaken hands and sairl " Many happy return 1 - of the day,'' almotit simultaneously Mi«s Palotta wont on to remark: '"You know in our profession it is not o matter of year*— it is rather, how you please your aurhonce, and bow old you look and feel. If you say you are 29 years of a^e tlio people think you must be 35. and if you say 35 tlioy tack on another 10 voars. Your yoars don't count, but it i« imperative that you must look bright and happy. To the individual ovorv age has its fascination. I enjoy myself just as- much now a* I did when I was 18 — in fact, more so, and I have grown a little wiser.*' 1 Bidding farewell to Sydney, Mr Wm.

Collier, the American actor, in a humorous speech, said: "As you are aware, we passed through earthquake, fire, and water in the great disaster in San Francisco, where we arrived just in time to lose all we had ; and then, after all that, we had to pass through Melbourne to get to Sydney, which was almost as bad !"' The Collier season in the southern capital was by no means . the success that was expected. A3 far as the United States and Canada are concerned the projected vaudeville trust has been formed, 25 managements from Maine to San Francisco having fallen inio line. The trust will control over 100 big music halls, and obtain their talent through a central booking office. Tho trusfc claims, notwithstanding that it was originally formed for the purpose of keeping down artists' salaries, that the performers will benefit, as a circuit, providing for employment all the year round, has been arranged. One notable absentee from the trust is the ! firm of Klaw and Erlanger. ■which was the centre of the theatre trust formed a couplo jof years ago. This firm also deals in vau- | deville business, and was expected to coj operate, when some hitch occurred, and it dropped out. I It is more than probable that the Royal Comic Opera Company will be seen in a revival of that perennial favourite, "Tho Belle of New York," during their fortheomi ing season at Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne. If they do the musical comedy will have a singing oast, headed as it will be by Miss Florence Young, Miss Alma Bgrber, and Mr Reginald Roberts, such as it never had before, while the humorous element, will bo in particularly safe hands. Referring to the success of '" The Squaw Man" the other day. Mr Charles Waldron drew attention to tho fact that it had come to Australia without any London reputation to back it. and had scored a triumph strictly on its own merits. And according to his own personal knowledge there are several other plays of equal merit to be procured, which are just as sure of a favourable reception. '• Evidently,"' ho said. " Australian playg-oers ar€ . breakingaway from the habit of trusting to a London season, and are preferring to form their judgments for themselves.'' Sara Bernhardt has been giving her views on the effects of impassioned dramatic scenes on the emotions of the individual portraying them. "The true artiste ia part of the character (the ie interpreting," sho said. "Bufc to say that she is always a Camiile or a Sappho or a Cleopatra is ridiculous. Why would the portraying of impassioned roles completely affect the morals of an actress any more than the. portrayal of light and frivolo:is or cold and eaintly one 6 influence her ,n ihe <\posite direction? American women are brilliant, intellectual — but, ah ! ther-; you -oeo much in life. American women sacrifice everything for their intellects. I admire American women — they are superior in their view* and insight, but this excessive analysis, this delvijig into ;he very raison d'etre of our emotions, is destructive to genuine feeling." "Hamlet," with not a mak- actor iv the oast, ie a dramatic experiment passible only in America. It was tried last month by the Smith College, of Northampton, Massachusetts, and is said by a charitable press to have boon fairly successful. The star. Miss Elsie Koams, wae chosen by nor 1200 fellow-htudente to fill tho part of Hamlet, but th« honours fall to a Mis* Hazol (Joes, whose Ophelia was said to bo up m professional standard. The college i-iof »,?ors attempted to seem. 1 a modification cf tl c traditional costume*, but the 1200 (?i-'s cli - manded lo know tho reason why. and Miov becked down. Tho result was that the feiniuino Claudui.-. Hamlet, Pcloniu-), I«aerte>, and oven the grave-Jigger* all appeared "according to the dooI:." Most actors nowadays aro f >Ilowors of tho fresh air and exercise cult for keeping themselves fit. and Mr Charles Waldron is no exception to the rule. His favourite outdoor amusement is horseback riointr, and he has already provided h.mp^lf win a hack, upon which he has taken long journeys through the- Melbourne suburlw whenever he can spare tho time from the work of rehearsal at the theatre. On the artistic side Mr Waldron U a devout, lo^r of music, for hearing which he 10-=es no opportunity. Another stage favourite who is an enthusiast in exorcise is Mi.ss Tittell Brunt. Her aquatic feats are already well known to all Australiaiis, but latterly she hiis como out in a new light ac a bicycle rider. She acquired her machine a couple of months ago, while in the West, and with clurac'terintic thoroughness took keenly to the now amusement, so that already her cyclometer registers several hundred miles. While the Tittell Brune Co. are in Sydney th s month thoy will tako up tho work of lehoarsmg "Parsifal' in real earnest, under i l io »'vc of Mr J. C. Williamson, who in;cnd< to lia\e it produced tneie wii^n tlio company ret tun from their Nvw /(.'.iluncl tup. A London cablegram recently wa° to ♦ V cftect that iVidiui-id Ul-ii' cri tti, a \a.ijc\il!o aiti«t. sued Mr Harry Riekards foi ilainuj>e-> fo.- breach of contract, and a ■\o:-uict wa.s given foi plaintiff to the extent cf £500. The ca.se lias been pending in i ln- English court-, for four years while the actual fact which was its pi unary ( au-.i dates back -three years more— to the en iaf.<-iTiont by Mr Harry Riekards of the (ihn«oi"tti tmupo of acrobats, whoso spc<iiilty was- «i turn something s niiJar to thoM> of tho Fr«uiz and Floi enz families T ! i -y h ere then a. powerful vajJovijJe ii ' traition, as may be gauged from the. fact j that Mr Kickauls had to be content with ' .i.jto> two year- ahead of tho. signing of the agrromont. In th> interim, however, the perso'in'-l of tho troupe we* considoiably changed, and from tlio advico of <-o^eral people who had '(Cii Iho turn at a much lator t.n;e than Mr Rickard«=, tho latter thought it w i-e t(, cancel tlio engagement. J.e^al action (-.av-. tho Ago) was first taken soon after the opening of tho present Melbourne Opera House, where the first instalment of papers was served. From one <an so and another the culmination of the action wa- deferred fiom year to year — indeed, it was sot down for hearing at the iH'ginning of 1905, but Mr RickarcU could not face the winter months with fiafoty, aid another postponement was agreed upon, probanly both parties took advantage of Mr Riekards'* present visit to London to bring matters to finality. Apropos of the death of the late .T. T,. Toole, ■ a fa\ounte topio of con\crsation with the ailing is illne**, and Mr Joseph Hatbon talked a iot of the lt-markablo constitution of Toole. He declared (says a writer in M. A. P.) he would not be in the least surprised if his old friend struggled somehow from the dangers of his then critical state, and lived on for another year or two. Eight or ten wears ego, he said, Toolc's health was considered

by his friends to be in. so deplorable a condition that, much as they loved him and wished him to live, they would frequently be found agreeing among themselves that his death would be a merciful release from his sufferings. Irving, Edmund Routledge (the publisher), Frederick Mead (the cloth merchant of St.. Paul's Churchyard), Wilson Barrett, John Billington, and Clement Scott, as weU as certain old stage servants of the comedian connected with the staff at the now demolished theatre in King William street, would all gravely ehake their heads when their old comrade's sad physical plight was spoken of, as if they doubted whether it was kind to wish he might live on. They were all in the best of health then ; and Toote sent wreaths to all their graves!

As I wrote last week (continues the writer in M. A. P.), Toole was low-spirited in his retirement, nioro through the pressure of mohmchol? memories than through brooding over fiis sickness. Although he might not let an hour pass without making some humorous remark, or recalling some prank or other of hia days of practical joking, the meeting with him was always a tearful business on his eide. He liked to greet his old friends, and as a host he gave them hearty welcome, but the living associates of his active daye were certain in some way or mother to remind him of those who had fallen out of" the line, so that .the first few minutes spent, with him, after a long absence, were generally of a verymiserable kind. When Mr Joseph Hat.ton last saw him in hia bath ohair on the Brighton pier, he wept because the sight of the novelist, for whom Irving had a great liking, recalled to him at once the days when the three men" spent many a merry evening together in Irving's rooms in Grafton street. Alluding to the disappearance of most of the companions of his working career, he sighed to Mr Hatton: "You know. Joe, it's very, very sad. I'm always having to alter my will. I left oach of the dear boys a little bit, but they've all gone away without it!" .As marts th« beginning of tho theatrical year in London, a review of the season just then about to close was published in the Daily Mail early in .July. Mr James Waters, the writer of this interesting article, declares that "of all the many bad theatrical 6easons that have been experienced in recent years, none has been quite as bad' as that which is now in its last weeks." Putting aside the one-act plays, the ballets, and revuee, there were exactly 100 plays produced or revived since August 1 last year, and of these at the outside not more than 30 have paid, or will pay, their expenses. Among these 30 tho big winners could be counted on the fingers of one hand ; probably "His House in Order'" and "Captain Drew on Leave" cleared more money than any of tho others. What, however, is to be said of the 70 productions that failed to hit the public taste? Many of those cost their managers in losses from £5000 to £10,000 apiece; but tho business of the theatre has come to be regarded almost as a speculation, and hope carries along the sanguine providers of England's drama to another play or another season, when things may be better. The list of the short-lived new plays is unusually long. Six of these productions — viz., "Clarice," "The Jury of Fate." "A Gilded Fool," "The School for husbands," "The Lion and tho Mouse," and "Shore Acres," are by Americans : and four — viz., "The Conqueror." '"The Bond of Ninon," "The Lonely Millionaires," and "The Mac-leans of Bairncss," were written .by English ladioa ; while two— "The (Jay Lord vergy" ami "The Whirlwind " are by French "authors. "The Jury Df Fate, from the pen of Mr C. M. S. M'Lellan, the author of "Leah Kleschanan." ran foronly 28 peiformancefe at the Shaftcsbury. Since only the 6Uccesse3 amongst the plays produced in London arc brought later on to Australia— the playgoers if the world's metropolis thus acting as "tasters" for those of tho Commonwealth— none of the plays in this list will be seen in this part of the world. Curiously enough, Mr Waters says that it would be a great mistake to imagine that the biggest losses were made last year over those plays that were acknowledged failures very early in their careers. Although all of these cost their producers a good deal of money, still none of u hem put their managers as much out of pocket as did some playa that were kept going much longer. Four plays could be mentioned, each" having a hundred nights or more, that must have shown a total loss of £30.000. The only actresse, who^ ventured into management were Mi»s Fanny Brough, Miss Jessie Millward. Mrs Patrick Campbell, and Miss Lena Ashwell. Unfortunately, says Mr Waters, not one of them can be said to have made a financial success. Generally he considers it much better, however, for managers to risk the bad s,ea=ons than work in a theatrical trust, such as that of America. In this article, slNo, Mr Waters recommends the London managers to combine in order to stop the system of giving away free tickce. "Th*'re are to-day in London, be writes, "many thousands of regular theatregoers who never pay a bhiling for their seats. Thousand* of the-.e people ha\e no legitimate claim to get fico seat-, yet they find no difficulty in getting all they want.