THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2808, 8 January 1908, Page 68

THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

Bx Pasqjdin.

Tuesday, January 7, 1908.

The season's greetings from Mr Edwin Geach, of the Wllloughby-Ward, Frank Thornton, and other companies; Mr Claude Whaite, o£ the Herbert Flemming Comedy Company j and Jameson are heartily recipi-ocated. The successful season of "Brewsters Millions " Oomedy Company concluded at His Majesty's on Saturday night, and on .Monday the members of the combination took train for Timaru, where one performance was given prior to the company s appearance in Christchurch. The season in Dunedin was. eminently satisfactory from & financial viewpoint, v and the "Brewster's Millions " Company depart with pleasant recollections of their visit to this city.

Mr Hugo Gorlitz, the' well-known concert manager, who has ibeen associated with many of the world's stars, writes drawing my attention to the fact that the statement that Padereweki, "the world-renowned pianist, is making his • fourth tour of America is incorrect. Paderewski is making his seventh topr. Mr Gorlitz managed four tours for the famous pianist prioscto his joining , other attractions. Miss Nellie Calvin, who played Peggy in -' Breweter's Millions " at His Majesty's Theatre last week, is the wife of Mr Roland Staveley, well known in this city, where he graduated as an actor with the new defunct Rosoius Dramatic Society.

Mr John Fuller, jun., is back a#ain, duly installed in his old position as manager of the firm's interests at the Princess Theatre. The young 'manager has brought back with him from his tour of the world some new ideas in" theatre management, and these will be for the benefit of patrons of vaudeville. It is the intention of the management to erect two boxes, one on each side of the dress circle, for distinguished visitors.

Mr Allan Hamilton's new dramatic company, which has had a successful tour through New Zealand, and which will opeo a season of seven nights on Saturday next at His Majesty's Theatre, Dunedin, is very highly spoken of by the press of the northern parts of the Dominion. "Home, Sweet Home,"- a new drama by Frank Lindo-j which forms the piece selected for the opening night, is of all-absorbing interest, in which the story ie allowed to develop naturally without the resources of the funny man and trie bloodshed of melodrama oi to-day. In the scenic and other effects it is_ said that no detail has T>een spared to ensure a correct presentation of this play, which has given Mr Alfred Clint and his assistants ample scope for an'opportunity- of his talent as a seenio _artißt Amongst the company are Mr Robert Inman, Mr George B-- Bryant (late of " The &gnaw Man" Company), Mr Harold Carr (late of Mr Bland Holt's Company), Mr S. A. Fitzgerald, Mr Augustus Neville, Mr Herbert Shaw", Mr E. M. Beresford, Mr Stuart Clyde, Mr Arthur Blakeley, and Mesdames Hilda Fraser, 'Beatrice Usher, Fanny Brrie, Kadijah Cooper, and Little Baby Watson. Mr A. Moss, of this city, who is one of the firm interested in the successful Pollard Juvenile Opera Company, was to have joined the company in Auckland last week, but has postponed- his visit indefinitely. By the way, glowing reports continue tx> come

to hand concerning the company and the business being done by the popular combination. 2t Bluebell in Fairyland " is -still the reigning attraction. Other pieces are in rehearsal.

Fuller's "Vaudeville Company have, been participating right royally in th© joys of the festive season, and big business has been the portion of the popular company at the Princess Theatre. Consistent with their policy of quick changes, fresh artists are arriving each week. On Monday evening six new artists made their first appear ance, including the Banvard brothers, sensational acrobats (acknowledged the best team ever presented by the Fuller management) : Claude Over and Dulcimer Marvel and Franklin and Franklin, comedy artists. All the old favourites continue to delight Princess audiences. Picture post-card from the Black Family of Musicians dated Melbourne, December 24-, 1907 : " Her© at present having a. month's holiday. All the members of the family are well, and enjoying their wellearned rest doing the theatres, concerts, Melba, etc., and having a good time generally. They join me in -wishing you the eomplim-ente of the season. — John Black." •

Mr M. Marcus, at present in Dunedin in connection with Mr Allan Hamilton's Dra matic Company, has received news from Mr P. A. Howells, the well-known -Australian concert entrepreneur, of the formation of an Adelaide syndicate -for the purpose of introducing 1 to Australian and New Zealand audiences the very latest of best musical attractions. The first venture to be introduced under the auspices of this syndicate will be the "Aquaviva Delia Fonti'Vßand, of 55 picked musicians. This band is said to be one of the oldest organisations In Italy, and at an international band, contest held at Turin, Italy, obtained the champion prize against 200 of the most selebrated bands extant. In consequence of this succeSs the conductor was knighted by the King of Italy. The Australian season will commence about the latter part of March, and ' the band will visit the Dominion in July or August.

Programme to hand, and acknowledged with thanks, from Miss Beatty and Mr Edward Lauri, who were at latest appearing at the Royal Canterbury Theatre of Varieties in "In Her Boudoir." An English appreciation: Quite one of the brightest and best sketches that have been produced lately is " In Her Boudoir," a musical, protean trifle, composed of the best ingredients of opera, oomedy, and farce. Miss May Beatty, the Australian prima donna, plays two roles — viz.,'' a prima donna and a theatrical interviewer, Mr Edward Lauri going one better with three, a professor of music, a page, and a prima dorma — Miss Maudie- Niccol, a maid.

Mr Alexander verne, business manager for Richard Lesleigh and Garter the Magician, advises from Toowoomba thai the New Zealand tour -will commence at Invercargill on January 20, Dunedin. being visited on January 25, with a tour df the principal towns of both islands to follow. The company is now touring Queensland, Brisbane for the holidays. Business s has been excellent

Mr H. JEDayword, -who was associated with that successful venture of West's Pictures and the'Breseians through New . Zealand, _ is now touring Maskelyne and CJooke's Mysteries through Australasia.. Mr Hayward, writing from Tasmania, advises- that the show .opens in Sydney a fortnight before Easter, and ■will visit Dunedin in due course.

Mr and Mrs Albert Mallinson, who are now famous in Europe^— the one as England's foremost song-writer, and the other as an inspired interpreter of modern Lieder — have a special claim on the interest of New Zealanders. It was during a trip to Milford Sound some years ago that they became -engaged to be married. Three weeks later the wedding took place 1 at All Saints' Church, Dunedin. Their joint career in Europe has been a brilliant once. Mr Mailinson's songs are sung' by Melba, Orossley, Sobrino. itirkby, Dunn, Koenen, John Coates, Dr Lierhammei, Charles Saundera, Muriel Foster, Parkjna, and many others. , On a programme I have just received from Mr Edward Lauri appears the following regulations of the London County Council : (a) The public may leave at the end of the performance by all exits and entrance doors, which must ai/ that time be open, (b) All gangways, passages, and staircases must be kept entirely free from chairs or other obstructions, (c) The safety curtain is lowered about the middle of_the performance to ensure its being in proper working order. Mr Bert Gilbert has a tale to tell of some hot water that he found himself in on one occasion through championing the cause of theatrical management in Australia. During his last visit to AuetraHa he was very much impressed by the efficiency displayed by members of the profession generally, as are all visiting artists of whatever character and country. One evening in Birmingham he entertained _ a number of people at an hotel there with his opinions on the subject. During his discourse he waxed eloquent, and informed the assembled company that from the principals to the chorus girls and from the stage manager to the carpenter everybody was thoroughly up in what was required of them, so that a chorus girl could take a principal part if called' upon, and that the stage hands were all masters of the carpentering trade. A. reporter happened to be in that little gathering, and next day Mr Gilbert's opinions appeared In print._ thereby calling- down the wrath of the Birmingham i-esidentfl uppn hie devoted" head. But he'still held to his opinions in spite of all. Miss Irene Dillon has been trying without success to demonstrate again an extraordinary incident that happened the other day while she was rehearsing a dance which follows immediately upon _ her ' song. •' Wouldn't you like to learn to love me? " While engaged in some clever back kicking which forms part of the da^e she accidentally grazed the 1 ! skin of her temple with the heel of her boot, having thrown her head rather far back and curled her foot light over it. .One would think that the ieat" could -be accomplished only by- a tortionist, to which distinction Miss Dillon laye no olaim. A wire to hand states that Mark Hamx bourg 1 , the famous pianist, - will make a tour of Australia and New Zealand under the direotion of Messrs J. and N, Tait who have guaranteed him £10,000 for the tour.

Therg is a rather curious coincidence conn&fted with the lagt occasion upon which Mr Beth Gilbert and Mr Harry Phyclora appeared together in the same pantomime. In th£ firaj; place ify? prpductwlj was another ,verekjn of "Mother poose. ' an 4 & Siq (Second, xb apparently, ng4 &s 3U£k

attractiveness for the public as did the Hickory Wood effort in which Mr'Phydora first "made good" in Australia. At any rate it ran throughout the year in the English provinces just as its prototype on this side of the world kept going from December, 1906, to November, 1907. The final Australian season of Mr Andrew Mack began at Perth on Boxing Night, and as the first play to be staged was the evergreen "Tom Moore" it is perhaps needless to add that the performance was a complete success, and that Mr Mack received a welcome that a king or a champion cricketer might envy. The railway station scene which keeps every " Humpty-Dumpty " audience in a simmer of merriment is Mr Bert Gilbert's own particular specialty — the latest thing wherewith he maintained his high popularity with the English public. He introduced it to them for the first time at the London Coliseum, and it "took" at onee — so much so that Mr Gilbert was immediately bombarded with offers from other managers anxious for a. finger in the pie. After his first season, the English provinces claimed him for a time. The turn went just as uproariously there as in London, and when he returned to the_ metropolis it was to an embarassment of riches. Ultimately, he completed arrangements with two of the leading music halls, each giving two shows a night, to appear as a"headliner " with the turn. This meant 24 performances a week for Mr Gilbert and Mr Bert Barton, who' worked with him, and "just to keep them from getting into mischief " they had three matinees to negotiate weekly. "After that,- 3 ' says Mr Gilbert, "it's just heaven to get back to a country where they only expect to see you eight times a week, Mr G. S.~ Titheradge is coming back to . Australia this year, under engagement to Mr J. C. Williamson, and every playgoer in the country will be unfeignedly glad to welcome him back. Mr Titheradge has ■ long been a most highly-esteemed actor on I this side of the world, and even "his absence has in no wise dimmed the recollection of the excellent work he did. Since his de- ; parture he has been engaged in several ' important companies in England and ' America — those headed by Margaret ArK glin, Mrs Patrick Campbell, and the Sothern-Marlowe combination among the number. . ' The concert given by Madame Clara Butt in Sydney on Saturday, December 28, was one of the biggest of the tour, and though the music lovers of the Harbour City have heard her oftener than has any other city in the Commonwealth, there was an increase rather than a diminuation in the keenness they displayed in booking -seats, and the enthusiasm of their, greeting and appreciation of their idol's efforts. With that concert Madame Butt's first tour of Australia comes to a conclusion. , It has been a memorable one in all respects. Some idear of the boom may be gauged from the fact that though it was her original intention to give only. 25 concerts throughout Australia and New Zealand, no less than 31 have) been already given, and the Dominion has not yet been touched. . When her tour there and her farewell visit' to the different Australian capitals is completed,. Messrs J. and- N. Tait estimate that 61 concerts will stand to" her credit by the time she I leaves again for England on April 28. This total, which according to present indica-' tions is likely to be exceeded, is an absolute record. No musical artist who has hitherto made the trip to Australasia has ever approached the same figures," and certainly no artist has ever attracted such audiences, and the financial result of the tour is easily ahead of any other. Madame Clara Butt leaves for New Zealand to-day (January 8), and will commence her long anticipated tour of the Dominion on Tuesday week (January 14), at Auckland. Dear Pasquin, — Just a line to wish you all the compliments of the season, and ■prpsperity in the new year. We opened here Boxing Night to good business. I am negotiating for theatres in New Zealand, and intend visiting- you after our Tasmanian tour. We open in Hobart for the carnival week the end of January Kindest regards- to all.— Yours respeotfully, Geobge Callendek, the Midget Globe Trotter, The Hellers. Zeehan, Tasmania, December 23, 1907. in a discussion on theatre Tents recently our old friend, Mr Michael Joseph, now business manager for Mr William Anderson at Perth, told this interesting story:— "The theatres here are cheaper than in any other part of Australasia. Let me give you a few instances : The rent for His Majesty's Theatre in Perth, which accommodates more people than- any theatre in the Commonwealth, ie from £20 to , £40 a week less than the terms fixed ,for some of the principal theatres in the other States. Some of the rents are as follows : — Theatre Royal, Adelaide, £100 a week without lighting; Theatre Royal, Melbourne, £105 without lighting; Princess's Theatre, Melbourne, £150 (rent and lighting) ; Opera House, Welington, N.Z., £80 without lighting, £21 for lighting; His Majesty's Theatre, Auckland, £80 without lighting; and the^ Opera House, Auckland, £70 without lighting. For the use of the new municipal theatre in Invercargill, N.Z. — the .population of the town is only 7000 people' — one has to pay the best part of £80, for rent, lighting, etc. To -be more exact, the population is estimated at nearly 7300. Take, again, the Opera House, Palmerston North, New Zealand. Here the population is10,239, and the charge for this theatre is JB2O a night,, including lighting. At Wanganui, Cnristchurch, Dunedin, Napier, and New Plymouth there are > fairly good theatres, but in' each 'case the rental is very large. The population of " Christohurch is only 67,000; that of Wanganui, 8000; New Plymouth, 5000; and Napier, 9000. In the larger of these- towns the rents run from £80 to £90 a week, and in all the smaller centres from £40 to £50. Against all this we have His Majesty's Theatre in Perth— the largest in Australia— with a rental of only £80, and with a lighting cost of under £lb. Dear Pasquin,— We have just returned from- the West Coast after a phenomenally successful holiday season. At Greymouth we had c record Christmas season, despite the many counter attractions. The Grey River Argus said of our first performance : | "It is many years since- Greymouth /was visited by 6uefi a talented combination of high-grade artists; their entertainment was a rare treat.'' - At Westport, also, we met ! with; a great reception, and the News, commenting on our performance, eaidt "The programme w^s bright and "interesting, and every item was enthusiastically encored, spme doubly, tome trebly and again encor&l, It js raufoyptepiy the best company • Q( Qiife^tbefr hjg fsse vfeited tfefetjtfrfe*-

' "We are about to commence our North Island tour at Masterton, and we hop© to repeat our former successes. — Yours truly* '*The MacCallums," 6ociety entertainers, instrumentalists, and vocalists. Wellington, January 3. i A telegram to the Melbourne Age states that just as Wirths' Circus was about to leave Dimboola for Nhill an unfortunate accident occurred. Through some mistake the truck containing seven of the most valuable trick stallions was wrongly shunted, and overturned on the main track. The roof had bo be cut - out to liberate the ponies. One, however, was killed, having its neck broken. The accident provided an opportunity for giving evidence of the great usefulness of elephants. A passenge." train was due, and it was necessary to clear the line. The elephants were untruoked",, and, chains being passed over the truck, they at once righted it, and with the aid of sleegere it was drawn back on to the rails again. This operation occupied only 15 minutes. With railway jnen and a «bcomotive it could not nave been done under several hours.' Mr Reynolds Denniston and Mr Herbert Bentley, of the Julius KnighS Company, experienced a dramatic , thrill at "Chatsworth," Potts Point, .on Sunday, December Ib (says th c Sydney -Referee). A boat capsized close by the sea-wall of the iouse, and four men suddenly found themselves struggling. in the. water. The actor* rushed vainly to and, fro trying r to find, a -boat, and shouted to the adjacent boats for assistance. It occurred to them to rush around to Mo Ramaciotti's house and get his motor launch, but they found that their manager was_ enjoying his customary trip dowu Middle Harbour. At last they~ianaged to attract attention to the drowning men, who j were then rescued. ' A conference of professional musicians, to be held in Wellington on January 22 and 23, has been arranged by the Wellington oociety of Musicians, in ' redfilment o£ a_ promise made when it opposed the Musicians Bill into Parliament during las.t session. The conference will open with a discussion on the advisablenees or otherwise of obtaining legislation, to -be followed, if necessary, by a consideration o£ \ the lines on which a bill 'should be framed!: Bo far, societies in Auckland, Napier; Qamaru, Wellington, Dunedin, and Inver--cargill have decided to send .representatives, and invitations have been se^t to.a number? of prominent musicians in ibe Dominion: who are. not connected with, any society. Tfc is expected ,' that the conference will be largely attended," and will be thoroughly representative. The Australian love for America -and! things American got a hard blow (says a 1 marked copy of a Minneapolis paper just to hand). Rochester and River} Aus- , tralian singers at the Unique, have become so x completely infatuated 'with 'the country that they have decided Jo remain Here. Thflyi came to- Minneapolis^ fully prepared' "to . "love" the town," for little Sam Rowley, Be of the "big voice," had written them tha^; it was. "the "greatest town, Jbe most beautiful town, and filled with the best people on the earth." Rochester and Rivers came.. , Every word- Sam had- uttered -was true, and^ ' kodak in hand, they sought. Mixmehaha, Harriet, Calhoun, Loring. Parfcj and -even "snapped"- views of "residencev'n.ot' to men' tion "the" department - stores.- "They finally ' decided to buy a lot or two. It was while discussing^ this .they heard- a rap- at the door. On opening ;t; t they- discovered -a email lass of 12 who had. returned their laundry. Rochester's enthusiasm over; Minneapolis had resulted in his .presenting three passes as a "tip" on" the return of the laundry because it tad been 'done so well. "What is it?" asked Rochester kindly. The girl began to drag a boy from behind the door. His mouth was wide- open and his vacant eyes were stretched to the limit: "Maw an' us went las' night, and sh6 sent me **ound to see if you might get Sammy on the stage. He's silly, an' can't work." Miss Grace Warner, who visited Australia with her father, Mr Ohae. Warner, some years ago, was the victim of a' ddub*e misfortune lately. On returning the theatre to her hotel at Dudley, and driving in an open carriage, the vehicle collided with a telegraph pole, and she was thrown, out and rendered unconscious. After an hourshe regained consciousness, and it was found that she had suffered ao serious injury beyond shock. On reaching her Aotef, however, she was greeted with the news that a fire had taken place during the evening in her private sitting-xoom, which had been almost entirely burnt out. Where does the term ."deadhead" originate? is a question often «sked, but rarely answered.- More than 60 years ago all ttie principal avenues of the city ' of Delaware converged to a toll gate at the entrance toL the' Elmwood road. The cemetery having been laid out long before 'the. construction of the plank road beyond the toll gate, funerals were allowed to pass toll free through .the, latter. One day, as, Dr Price, -a well-known physician, stopped to pay, hie toll, he observed to the gatekeeper, "Considering the benevolent character of ihe profession to which I have the honou* to belong, I think you ought to Jet me pass toll free." "No, no, doctor," the man replied; "we can' afford fchat j you send too many deadheads through here as it is. The- story travelled, and the term deadhead became fixed. Its application to the non-paying theatregoer may be easily under> slood. Another authority oredits Macreadyv the old-time actor, with having originated the term. It was in 1841, on the occasion 1 of a benefit to him at Drury Lane Theatre, and a friend who was " behind the scenes," an ordinary thing in these days, remarked". "You should make a good thing out of this, Mao. There must be close upon 1800 people here." "There may be 1800 here, but counting the heads, I should aay fulls 100 of them are dead — haven't pan! fo* admission." Thereafter all non-payers *& Drury Lane were designated by the known name. Yet $. third origin is giveny Phelps, also a well-known actor, being rajr ported to have said on one occasion r ' Th§i most applause -comes- from the folks whd don't pay— the deadheads/ Whichever of the three is correct, and it doesn't mattes which, the deadhead ■ still- lives • - and 1 flourishes in the land that gave nni -birth. A day or two before she ieffc England 1 , Madame Clara Butt received th© following letter from a New Zealand -ladytrr "Dear Mactam, — I ami writing- to ex? press to you my deep." erawtuxja tha.f you liitere i^>t drowned , ©ft the oeoasloti of you* boating accident! Jh thi Thames not long- ago." Your escape is afi event trhifiir gives Me co-image to -write w> yoit-ft thing I have, been intending to d<?> (or a. long time past A yea*, or tw6 «-g<? I Xfitti «& intejTiett ifftib jpu^ iq, the cour*«

of which you stated that you -were very fond of monkeys. Now, madam, ever since I read that interview I have been quite sure that we must be related, for my mother was also passionately fond of monkeys. I have tried in vain to trace .the name of Butt in our family, but although my - second cousin married a Mr Budd, I cannot find the name of Butt anywhere in our family tree. The fact that you were married in Brjstol is another j>roof that I am right, for'my mother once lived there. I hope one day to hear you sing, "but whether I do so or not I feel it an honour that you should be connected ■with our family. — Believe- me, dearest madam, your affectionate relation." Now she" is wondering whether her self-con-stituted relation will still further urge her claims when she arrives in the Dominion. Madame Melba'e concert in the Exhibition Hall on Saturday 'night, December 21, will be long_ remembered as one .of the . wonders of Melbourne. It is estimated that there were 10,000 perteons present, the prices being half a guinea, ss, and half a crown. A platform * was erected in the south transept, as when the Duke of York ~ opened the Federal Parliament, and a huge sounding board overhung it. The spaces ■under - the galleries were covered with several inches of sawdust, so that there was no disturbance from the trampling of feet. The spectacle from the organ gallery was ' most impressive : in the centre the brilliantlylighted platform, ' and stretching away to the entrance a dense mass of heads and - faces filling up the whole range of vision. - ' Madame Melba 6ang "Ah fors c lvi," -; Tosti's " Good-bye," thfe, mad scene from "Lucia di Lammermoof," -with a brilliant ■ flute obbligato by John Lemmone, *' Coming through the rye," and "Le saran •rose," the last number being repeated. - / Herr Slapoffski directed a full orchestra.