STAGE GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2779, 19 June 1907, Page 68

STAGE GOSSIP.

Miss Jennie Ople has gone into vaudevil'* in America . . The Ada Delroy Company is touring New South Wales. The Hellers and Mr George Callender ars> in Scotland. . West's Pictures are still doing good business in Sydney. Mr J. C. Willimson and his wiie have departed for a trip to England. " The Chinaman Bushranger" is the title of a new drama staged in Australia! Charles Holloway Company recently produced "The Coal King" in Sydney. There is talk of a new theatre for melodrama in a populous Melbouiine suburb. The Four Bianos were at the Orpheum Theatre Kansas City, on the 16th Ap T il. Mr Herbert Flemming visits England in July to form a new company for Australia Madame Carenno has placed her three daughters at school in Melbourne for three months. , , ■ , , Miss Maxine Elliott has abandoned her proposed season in New York and gone to London. . „ Miss Maud Faning, Bister of comedian Charlie Faning, is appearing in vaudeville in Sydney. . M'Kisson and Kearns have again doubled , up, and are appearing at the National Amphitheatre, Sydney. Vasco, the Mad Musician, and Alexander and Bertie, were at the Colonial Theatre, New. York, when the mail left. Mr Kyrle Bellow lias achieved a fresh sutfcess in New York with, a new play called " A Morri«gc of Reaeon." Grace Palotta: "French, Hungarian, and Italian, and born in Vienna; I have til those nationalities in my veins." Fred Graham and Miss Nellie Dent, after a lengthy absence, have made their reappear* ance at the Melbourne Opera House. Mr E. G. Knowles, after an absence of two jeaia from the West End, ha 8 made a, wal»

come re-appearance- after his tour of the wprld. The New Zealand tour of 'Mass Marie Hall commences on July 4 at Wellington under the direction of J. and N. Tait, of Melbourne. The -Quealys, who are now doing &« Fuller New Zealand circuit, have made themselves very^popu4mr with Christchurch audiences. Mr Fred Hobbs, the- New Zealand baritone, is playing as Fo Hop in "San Toy," at Glasgow, where he is highly praised for his performance. "Mr Clarence Brune, % husband of the wellknown actress, is to' open tht) Melbourne Bijou Theatre in ' June with a revival of 'Trilby." Madame Ada Crossley lias bought a fine house in St. John's Wood, London, and intends making it a hospitable cenire for Australian friends. . Mies May Beatty is still appearing in the provinces in England. . She has had a splendid offer from America, but has decided to •tay in England. -Alec. "Middleton, after his v prolonged stay in' the East, is enjoying a well-earned holiday in Melbourne* the while looking about for novelties for India. ■ s Miss Olive Lenton. the clever soubrette, one time member of Pollard's, and latterly of J. C. Williamson's Comic Opera Company, ha 3 arrived in London. ■ Miss Rose Hamilton is appearing at London Metropolitan in a new topical Chinese number, "Chdggy -Wiggy," in which she has made "a distinct success. The Albani Company's tour will occupy 10 monthsy and-- extend through Australasia., Tasmania, New Zealand, China. India, Persia. Egypt, and Mediterranean ports. If is expected that Mme. Albani's farewell Australian season will include no fewer than 60 concerts. The famous soprano carries an unusually large and strong company. "Albani takes special pride in her faculty of discovering budding genius. She is now "bringing out" Haydn Wood, a violinist, who 2tts scored heavily with the British critics. Charles Waldron has accepted a threeyears' engagement as leading man with David JSelasco, one' of the principal anti-trust theatrical managers in the United States. ' Miss Myrtle Meggy, the solo pianiste with Mme. Albani's company, is a native of Sydney and but 18. She is the daughter of a Tasmanian journalist, and possesses both brains and beauty. Will Stevens, the well-known comedian, belonging to the Fuller circuit, is at present in a hospital in Auckland, suffering badly from rheumatism. A benefit is to be arranged for him. "Been to the theatre this week?"— " Yes"' "What did you seeV" — "A black velvet bow, some tortoise shell combs, a couple of plumes, a chiffon and a stuffed bird about the size of a hen. Mr Ernest Toy, the Queensland violinist, who has been residing in London, left for Australia recently. After making a tour of the colonies Mr Toy intends to settle in Melbourne, and teach. Mr George- Bnller will represent Allan Hamilton during 1 the "Maud Hildyard" and "Hpme, Sweet Home" tours of New Zealand, while Mr Hamilton devotes his time to his other ventures in Australia. Joseph. Jefferson made' his first London appearance as Rip van Winkle at the Adeiphi on September 4, 1865. His next London appearance in that part was at the Princess's, on October 30, 1875. Mrs Harrington Waters, the New Zealand pianist, left London recently on her return to that colony. Mrs Waters has spent nearly 12 months in Germany, and has improved greatly as an executant., Ai the Theatre Royal, Hobart, Mr Allan Hamilton is running vaudeville, with Apollo Belvidere, Charles Pope, the Vivians, Hammon, and Wyatt, Bert Sharp, and the Phillip Sisters as the chief attractions. Miss Carrie Moore's reappearance at London Appollo, in the part of Honour in "Tom Jones," has been most? successful. Her singing of "The green ribbon," in the third act, is the hit of the whole performance. It is claimed that the pictorial printing to be used on the "Home, Sweet Home" tour will be the finest ever seen in this country. Allan Hamilton says it is more suitable for walls of a drawing room than street hoardings. Mr William Anderson has booked by cable the Musical Aslibys, who will, arrive at Perth iv time to open there with the vaudeville combination he is now organising. The combination is at present touring in the East. The 1.0. G.T. Dramatic Club will produce Mr E. Trenwith's play, '" The Mock Trial of John Barleycorn" at -the Wakari Hall, Kaikorai, in a fortnight's time, after which N.E. Valley, Caversham, and Mosgiel will be exploited. cEdwin Geach, during his recent sojourn in Melbourne, contracted influenza, and suffered rather severely, the aWer effects being very unpleasant. A trip to Tcowoon*ba was taken, and word is now io hand that the genial Edwin is almost himself cgain. An Adelaide appreciation: Denis Carney. comedian, is at the Tivoli Theatre. If Dawson and Bluett were dead Carney would h» ch*mpion funny man of the Commonwealth, more especially as he has some original dances which are quaintly humorous. Miss Celia Ghiloni spent her earliest years at Williamstowu, «. seaside suburb of Melbourne. Miss. Ghiloni, as her stage name implies, is of Italian parentage. She sang ballads with vaudeville shows before migrating to the comic opera stage. • It is said that '"Human Hearts" was written in an American ga<cl while the author was languishing under a false accusation. "Languishing" is the ocJy melodramatic word in the dictionary — excepting "pining" — which applies to such a pitiable case. Mr Richard Stewart, who ha 9 been managing Mr J. C. Williamson's interests in New Zealand for some time past, has received instructions from headquarters to proceed to Australia to take up the management of the "Mother Goose" Pantomime Company. Mrs Bland Holt, accompanied by Miss Lucy Coppin, leaves on the 6th July for Sydney, and on the Bth «nll leave by the steamer irom that port for Vancouver. A stay will be made at Toronto, crossing the American continent. Mrs Holt and Miss Coppin return via Colombo. Mißs Maud HUdyatd, who has been engaged by Meynell and Gunn for an Australian .tour, is a dramatio actießS whose powers border upon. th« tragic. She was specially engaged for the "Darling of the Gods" by Beerbohm Tree, who described her acting as "truly. remarkab!e." "Home, Sweet Home," the domestic drama which Allan Hamilton will -send round Now Zealand in October next, will be interpreted by a very strong cast of characters. Mr George V. Carey, Mr Robert Inman, Little Baby Watson, and e-evearal other popular people are already engaged ' for the production. After, their Wellington season, Mr Harry ItickardVs vaudeville company will visit Masterton (July 29, 30), Napier (July 31, August 1 and 2), Hastings (August 3), Palmerston North (sth and 6th), Wanganui (7th and Bth), 2fow PJxmovth. (Jitthl and thence i<o Auckland.

where they open at His Majesty's Theatre on Monday, August 12. Mr J. C. "Williamson, before leaving for England, decided that the pantomime to be produced in Sydney at Christmas should be •' Blue Bell of Fairyland, ' one of Mr Seymour Hicks' s recent successes, the music for which was written by Walter Slaughter. A pantomime, will also be produced in Mcl : bourne. Appearing at fehe Opera House, Melbourne, are: — Lorenz, Svengali Trio, Fred. H. Graham, Miss Nellie Dent, Carlton (comedy card conjurer), V. L. Granville (character actor), Gracie Grabame, Olive Sinclair (soprano), Sam La- Mert, Jac£ "Willis, Fred, Bluett, Gibson Girls, Irving Sales, Adrian Amedio, Fanny Powers, and Leonard Nelson. II was quite an Australian night, at the London Hippodrome recently, when Messrs Harry Jackson and P^eter M'Laren, the two doughty tree-felling champions, made their debut in London. A typical bush picture has been made, with bark hut foliage, and a dozen or more "Bills" and "Jims" singing a joyous ditty of the back-blocks. The lightning performances of the axemen on the massive trunks were a pronounced success. Walter Howard, author of "The Midnight Wedding," which has been so successful in Australia, has written a new play for Messrs Meynell and Gunn, who have secured Mr H«a> court Beatty as leading man. This firm are no; limiting themselves to drama, as they have secured the Australian rights of the new musical comedy, "Miss Hook of Holland, as well as "The Belle of Mayfair," by Leslie Stuart, the composer of "Florodora." Some interesting facts as to Melbourne's weekly bill for amusements are supplied in an article in the Argus. With all the theatres open — and both the Princess's and Bijou will shortly be added to the list of "live" houses — the weakly receipts amount to about £4000, while another £1000 is added for extra amusements. During the recent remarkable run of "Mother Goose" the average weekly attendance was 15,000. Miss Ellen Beach Yaw, an artiste with a voice of phenomenal range, has just been married to Mr Vere Goldthwaite, a young Boston lawyer. The romance dates back nine years, when Miss Taw was held up by a wash-out, which temporarily stopped traffic on the Southern Pacific Tailroad in Arizona. She sang to an admiring crowd of cowboys, who clustered round the train. Mr Goldthwaite was one of them. "How are you getting along?" asked a travelling man of an acquaintance who had gone on the stage. "Oh, I have met with a share of success. I played Hamlet for the first time." "Did you get through all tight?" "Yes, except that I happened to stumble and fall into Ophelia's gTave." "That muat have been embarrassing." "It was ; but I wouldn't have minded it if the audience hadn't seemed so disappointed when I got Qut." Mr Harry Rickards's vaudeville company has just terminated what is stated to be absolutely the bsst week s ousiness ever done in a New Zealand theatre at 3s, 2s, and Is. During the winter show week in Dunedin His Majesty's Theatre was packed nightly at early doors, and it is estimated that a sufficient number of people were turned away at each performance to comfortably fill an ordinary-sized theatre." Her native city, Bristol, gave Madame Clara Butt a truly royal farewell there at the end of April last. According to advices received by Messrs J. and N. Tait, the function was a bril'iant one in every sense of the word, and double and treble encores were demanded from the great contralto — until, indeed, Mr Kenn«rley RumfCTd asked for the indulgence of the audience, as nis wife, though ate would like to sing again, was very tired, and naturally so after no less liban seven solos, besides duets. Miss Marie Lehr, who has recently made a success in London, was born and brought up in the atmosphere of the theatre, her father being Mr L. J. Lohr, for years one of the best-known managers in Australia, while her mother is professionally known to moat Australians as "Mips Kate Bishop," so -long with George Rignold, and to whose artistic sense and sound experience is due in large measure her daughter's early success. Miss Marie, -who was born in Sydney, is still in her teens. (Mies Mabel Morgan, it seems, is now the rising star of the " Mother Goose" pantomime. At half an hour's notice see took Miss Florence Young's part when that hardworking singer took ill in Sydney, and made a hit. Next evening (Miss Young having recovered and returned to her place). Miss Morgan was walking modestly on to t?ke her accustomed part of Eric, when Miss Ghiloni fell ill. In four minutes Miss Morgan had effected a lightning change, and appeared as the Fairy Queen. Report says that Mr Beaumont Smith, an Adelaide journalist, and Mr A. H. Davis (" Steele Rudd") have written a drama on the lines of "On Our Selection," and that the rights have been provisionally purchased by Mr J. C. Williamson. It is understood that he pays £100 for the option of acceptance, and that should he decide to produce the play, the authors will receive ?. royaity ranging from £1 to £5, according to the importance of the town where it is performed.