WELLINGTON WING WHISPERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2761, 13 February 1907, Page 69

WELLINGTON WING WHISPERS.

Br P. Rompteh.

February 8

Dear Pasquin, — Another week of moneyspending temptations for citizens in the way of musical, dramatic, and vaudeville entertainments.

Madame Blanche Arral completed her season of operatic scenas at the Town Hall on Wednesday evening. Her first two recital were disappointingly patronised, despite the fact that she bad greatly delighted her patrons and had been enthusiastically noticed .by the press. For her final appearance the pi-ices were reduced to two shillings and one shilling, and the result was a large attendance. The accomplished Frenchwoman had a most sensationally enthusiastic finale given to her season. When she had finished the last song on her programme her audience, instead of drifting out hurriedly into tbe night, as Wellington people usually do after » concert, sat tight, and applauded vigorously with, an unmistakable " we-want-more" enthusiasm. Madame returned, smiling, and gave another song. But the house was still full of tbe Oliver Twist spirit, and Madame was so overcome with the joy and electrical enthusiasm of it »1I that the bioke down in

tbe middle of tbe " Marseillaise." Again ther« was a call for "just one more," and the cantatrice sang oui National Anthem. But even this decided close-the-concert hint did not terminate the proceedings, for the usually cold and stolid Wellingtomans jumped to their feet, waved their own or some other person's hat hilariously, and shouted vigorously for more. Without the slightest trace of weariness, but smiling with an outburst that was almost too much for her winsome face, Madame returned and sang "Auld lang syne, ' and then the men went home to dream of tbe prinia donna, and the women to talk about her frocks. Madame Arral, who ha 9 now gone to fulfil an engagement at Auckland, will \ery probably come back and give Wellington another opportunity to enthuse.

At the Opera House the Brough-Flemming-Day season opened last Monday night, immediately after the departure of the "Squaw Man" Company. The B.F.D. Company opened its season with a clever play, "Dr Wake's Patient, and in its interpretation one missed the acting qualities of the old Brougb combination; nor were our playgoers as enthusiastic as of yore. Mrs Brcugh gave us one of her cleverest sketches in the role of a querulously-dainty aristocrat ; Miss Day was a charming daughter; Mr Flemming wa3 a breezy, hearty, self-opinionated, and ultimately deeply repentant old farmer of the yeoman class; and Miss Bessie Major was his most excellent wife. There were others in the cast, but they do not call for special mention beyond Mr Gregan M'Mahon's study of a modern "Johnnie." Tbe part of Dr Wake was represented by Mr Pickford.

"Dr Wake' 3 Patient" has a good story, which is worked out in four p.cts. Lady Gerania, descendant of a hundred aristocrats, is thrown while out riding, and is slight'y injured. She is carried into Farmer Wake's house, and finds Mr Wake, jun., an eminent London physician, home for a holiday. The heart of each is touched by the love god's arrow, but the two are parted; before they discover each other's identity. That comes about in the next act, in Dr Wake's consulting room in London ; but then a fresli problem arises. Tbe lord agrees to Gerania's marriage with the hero, but just when the nuptials are in sight tho doctor's parents come vpon the scene, and the gaucherie of the pair affrights the Countess of St. Olbyn and her lord. Dr Wake goes home with his parents, and Gerania flies from her mansion to tbe farmhouse after him; but her lover persuades her to return to her people. At the moment of her going home again the agitated Earl arrives, and Farmer Wake has it out with him. The yeoman promises that he and his wife will vanish from their son's world if the Earl will only allow the young people to be happy. But tbe self-abnegation of the farmer penetrates the husk of selfishness of his lordship, and there is an all-round recognition of the good points of yeomanry and aristocracy. The curtain rings down with the sure and certain hope of marriage bells ringing in tbe immediate future. What might very fairly be termed tb© chief event* of tbe week has been the arrival of Mr James Cassius Williamson, whose last visit to the Empire City was about a quarter of a century ago, in the character, still fresh in -the memory of playgoers whose memory is aa green as 25 years ago, of Stoessel in "Struck Oil." As is now common knowledge, Mr Williamson "struck oi 1 " himself when he dug out that comedy from a, heap of manuscripts in California, and he is now renewing many old acquaintpnees in this colony. He was given tbe honour of a genuine welcome by the Mayor of Wellington, was interviewed by numerous newspaper men, dined by the Mayor and others, and went south yesterday. J.C.W. is being piloted round the colony by his well-tried representative, friend Harold Ashton. "P. Kompter" trusts that Mr Williamson will have a light royal time during bis stay in New Zealand. Fuller's Entertainers continue to run an interesting programme at the Theatre Royal. This week we have on the rosier tbe Bicknells the Hollos, Sbaw and Gilbert, the Herz Bios., Annie Cavendar, and some others. To-nigh f we are to bave p. farewell concert by Mis? Marie Narelle and her company. Mr Harold Gregson has been giving organ recitals in our Town Hall this week. From next Monday we are to bave a week 9 recitals by the Besses o' th' Barn Band in the Town" H«.ll. Mr J. D. Portus has had a very busy week preparing for the coming of this famous band". We pre to have six evening performances and -two matinees.