STAGE GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2782, 10 July 1907, Page 68

STAGE GOSSIP.

Fitzgerald's Circus, wlwn I«* h«ard front, was in Colombo. _ .- Julius Knig** Co. is doing excellent boaineas in the north. _ . . «_ Mr J. W. Winfcon is off to America -for * season of 25 w«eks. . Montgomery's Entertainers «re touring «n» Southland districts. Mrs Brown-Potter has l«ft England for a tour in South Africa. . Miss Gracie Eaumett was at Haxnmersteur, New York, on, M»y 4 . RickardVs Vaudeville Co. hay© finuSMd • successful season in Chrijto&uich. Bland Holt has reivived "Tht> Breakup of tho Drought" in Melbourne Boy»L Andrew Mack commenced * Melboorn* season with "Tom Moore." cm Saturday last. The Four "Rosebuds, well known to New ' Zealand, are appearing at Sydney Tivoli. "Human Hearts' Co., at present m Chnstchurch, is dne in Dunedin this, monih. Allan Hamilton sends * dramatic company to Tasmania tad New Zealadd-in October. I Mr Bernard Sba.w cao&aaee in * -Londnn 1 paper that fee- mmfcee £6000 out of * sing!* Mr Allan Hamilton has terminated hit ' vaudeville season at the Theatre Boyaf, Hobart. „ Billy M'Clain, who appeared at local Alnanf . br» in the big boom times, was at latest Xf. 1 Biadfox*

"Under the Meynell-Gunn management, Ha;--court Beatty opens a brief season in Sydney x in August. Charles Waldron has signed on with David Belasco, the American dramatist and manager, for -fturee years. Th« Cr»ggs and the Lea Frasettee were at the Hackney Empire Theatre -when, the last mail left London. . Mr G. Guxrn, of Messrs Mieynell and Gtmn, ~hAi B*ll#d for London in search, of attractions for Australia and New Zealand. • First Actor (in tragic whisper) : "Are we quite alone?" Second Actor (glancing grimly at small audience): "Almost." Miss Emelie Melville, once a prime opera "bouff* favourite in Australia, is playing in "The Darling of the Gods" in New York. The young ladies who fell into the' lions' den at the Apollo, Paris, recently, have quite recovered from their startling experience. "Motiier Goose" established a new record for Geelong and it Adelaide. Nearly 2000 seats were booked for the first performance. Mr Hugh Ward and Afiss Carrie Moore are booked for principal parts in "Jack and Jill" at the .Prince's- Theatre, Bristol, 1907-8. Harry Riokards's Co. did great busin«ss in Christchuroh, co much so, indeed, that the management was summoned for overcrowding. Mr Kyrle Bellew is on a- visit ta London from New York, where he has achieved a number of dramatic successes during recent years. According to Miss Jennie Maynard, th« •ctzess,- the Princess's TbeaAr© in Melbourne is as fine a theatre as any in the West End of liondon. . • ' ( „'..' Mr Carter Pickford and his wife (Miss Gordon' Lee), of the Brough-Flemmipg Company, are at present on their way to England. ■ A clever band of trained juve.ni.les constitute tiie chief feature of the melodrama "For Her Children's Sake," at the Bijou Theatre, - Melbourne. A hundred prominent actresses applied for the position of Lady Godiva in the famous Coventry Pageant. Several asked £500 for their, services. The Australian Vaudeville Association, by permission of William Anderson, tendered Richard Gocdall a benefit recently at tbe Sydney Criterion. Mr John F, Sheridan, supported by a strong'' company of 'musical comedy artists, is now touring- the Commonwealth prior to his departure.for England. The Great Thuiarton, who was to have toured New Zealand under the management of Mr Edwin Geaoh, but went to India instead, was at last advice in London. , The death is announced at Home of Miss Sophie Van Biene- (sister of Van Biene, of "Broken Melody" fame), a well-known actress at the Amsterdam Theatre. .It is expected that Jhe new theatre in Christchurch will be opened at the end of October. Workmen are engaged oil the fittings and furnishings at present. Miss Jennie Opie, the Australian contralto, -who was a great favourite for many years with music-hall audiences, is touring the United States on- a vaudeville circuit. Mr Ben Fuller expresses himself in thorough accord with the objects and. aspirations of the society formed in Sydney and Melbourne - for the protection of "vaudeville artists. Mr Mark Hambourg . is now in South ~ Africa, * where he has been, engaged for a - tour extending -until the end of October, during which he will play at 33 concerts. Shakespeare wrote the bald truth when he stated "All the weald's a stage, and all the men and women merely actors." Wte. are sadly in need of a few good stage-managers. . The first woman to be granted a cab license in Chicago was an actress — Miss Mollie Mack. This occurred Tecently, arid she has taken lier stand in" front of the Colonial Theatre. Mies Nellie Moxtyre ie at preheat in Seattle, ■where she has made a big success with Mr Nat Goodwin, and ibos been offered a r-e- , engagement at an increased salary* in October next. Mi«s Mildred Jones,' a member of Madame Albani's company, is an inmate of a private foospit* l , ~and her condition is said to be very serious. A severe internal chill ijs the cause -of her illness. To make a play a success, audienoes must ba willing to give as well as to receive, and not allow their intelligence to be obfuscated 4>y a heavy dinner, remarks Mr Martin Harvey in a London paper. "Auto-Atlas,'- 1 a handsome, well-set-up German athlete, is creating a sensation at the London Hippodrome in raising a motor car filled with passengers by his teeth while handbalancing on two upright Boles. Mrs Bland Holt, of the Melbourne Theatre Royal, intends to take a trip to Europe next month, remaining away for seven or eight months. She will go to Sydney shortly, and leave there for London on July 8. The Australasian rights of "The Merry "Widow" have been secured by Mr J. C. Williamson, and the piece will' be played by the Roy«l Comic Opera Company. "The Widow" Las just been successfully produced at Daly's Theatre, London. So great was tfa» cruet at th* fixet performance of "The Blue Moon" that some of us (says the critic of the Australasian) were only able to ccc one wing and part" of the savage. What />ccurred on, the O.P. side must Be matter for further notice. * The death was recently announced of Mr John Guest, who years ago was famous, as tbo composer of tbe dong "Only o, face at ike Window," which was in th» repertoire- of Sims Beeves, and which was also sung in various dramas by Mme. Celeste, Mrs Stirling, and ~ *Mra Keeley. For many a year Nordic* has been able to command a nigfait fee of £200 in America, and now she scarcely ever appears under HSOdo!, or, roughly, f 23o_» performance. Her ornttal earnings arc said to amount to- at least £14,000, an income which ehe earns in about two irtonthis of actual singing. To the London Hippodrome recently came Mr Frederick Lindsey. a young Australian, who has had an adventurous career the world over, especially, in South Africa during the war. Mr Ldndsey is a perfectly wonderful exponent of the Australian stockwhip, a fearful weapon, with a thong 24ft in length. Tbe death is announced: at Home of Miss If A. Victor, at the «ge of 76. The deceased came of an old theatrical stock, and she had supported Macready, Philps, Charles Kean, Helen Faucit, and others. Miss Victor played Prince Arthur in Macready's revival of "King John," si Dxury Lane, during October, 1842. NA new pair of comic juggterß, Jarvis and Campbell, have appeared at the Opera House, Melbourne. One of them juggles ; - the other "comics." Catching instantly the dramatic atmosphere of the hoar, he masquerades as a . bushranger, who, with a gun-, compels every- ! one to put up- his bands. When he aims at , the clock it puts up .ite hands, too ! - j In connection with Mr Seymour Hicks's .-Theatre in London (where "Brewster's Millions" has proved an immense success), a private motor 'bus now picks up holders of reserved seats and sets them down at the theatre free of cost, and after the performance the ticket-holders are driven home. The 'bus is to serve a fresh district every night. La Milo is appearing at the Empire Theatre, Bradford, and- recently the members of the Corporation Licensing Committee, who in some instances were accompanied by tJheit wives, witnessed the first performance. The committee afterwards mitt and minifl a r«w- ,

' ''ution that they had observed no breach at the regulations governing the license of the theatre. A Melbourne appreciation: Miss Amy Murphy, as Blue Moon, ~ proved herself the ' possessor of an excellent voice of good quality, which she used most artistically. There was just a trace ' of nervousness in her manner, due, no doubt, to the unaccustomed surroundings. Her success in her first song, "Little blue moon," was instantaneous, and she I maintained it all through. ■ Mr Harry Richards s latest "star" turn ! at the Sydney Tivoli is provided by Mr V. L. i Granville, who made his fixst appearance in ' Australia in a, series of impersonations (in : costume) of characters from famous plays. Mr Gcanville opetned with tihe "agony speech" of Wilfred Denver in the "Silver King," followed thia with Nero in "The Sign of th« Cross," and wound up as Sverga'.i in "Trilby." When Mr Myles Clifton, one of Mr J. C. ; Williamson's new comedians, left South ' Africa, a Johannesburg paper perpetrated this farewell: — "The thought our kindly spirit ryles, That we are soon to lose our Myles ; We cannot stop him with our wyles. Let's hope that Fortune smyles on Myles In these far distent Austral Iyles." "Strongheart, ' the Red Indian play, produced ait the Aldwydh Theatre, London, luas scored successfully. The play deals with the [ colour question. Stfrongheart is an Indian i chigf at college, and "mucli liked. In addij tion to mental - talents he possesses those I athletic. Friendly with a fellow student white, he fells in love wiitih his sister. Stern , opposition is against such 'a. marriage, and tie question ie, is the lady's love strong ,' enough to- oast caste and; kindred aside to follow her dusky sweetheart ? - The question is solved by the Indian's tribe calling him back and the lovers part. r ,-