THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2862, 20 January 1909, Page 76

THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

TUESDAY, Jnmuuy 19. 1908 i Tl" 1 conun? of tlr* cicu- Mr Geo!?o Pc tci^n, rrp' clouting Wuih Big-.' Big Phovv d'Oi-iJC-^] in fio.n ; ;e --ourli on Thura''ay ].i c t to id'k one". a:,J other tilings. LJcoigo Petcr^-sn hai <t funtl of information coi.e-'.-ming hits oLow, I'i.d, like Bainuai'a of

old, "it's the greatest 6how on earth." I Well, Wirth 8103. have ne\er d.'sappoLnted us, and we may accept th-o word of their representative that something extia special is to be placed before the circ\is-loving public of t.his Scotch city. The trump of the elephant will b© loud in the land next week, when Wirth Bros.' big chcufi unfolds its tents on the Chal. 1.1 addition to an extcntue menagerie of caged animals, the show on this occasion I includes a. £1000 giraffe and a small herd lof elephants. One of the numerous gtar acts of ths oireas piorver is that of the Sidney Brothers, death-dsf j ing, deathderiding cychttvS, who Icon the loop in* midair and dica with Death. The Dune<lin season of the circus commences on January 30, and exitcnds until Saturday, February b. The advance courier of the nnicli-heralded Maskelyne and Devant's ilhysion show. Mr J. M' Dor, aid to wit, called in on Monday to extend the good hand of friendship after an absence- extending over a jear or two. Tho ex-repieeentative of the Black Family of Musicians is lookin.g well, and [ Time sits kindly on his brow. Evidently ! advancing a "success" is the secret of ! perennial youth. To be serious, Maskelyne ' and Devant's Illusion Company, of which I we ba\e heard &o much, is due to comI mence a e&ason in Dunedin on S>aiturd'ay, j January 30— the same opening night as j tlie circus. Thai's umfortMiate, but as the , shows are quite distinct there' will be bu-iness for bobh. By the way, in last w&ek's notes the fact ' was mentioned that there was some little trouble about the theati'e in which MaikeK'ne and Devant were to play. 1 untlsir-tand now there' is more than that. rlheier lheie is th~e quest-on of a contract providing for a clear field and no opposition, such being the terms under which the Matekelytio and Decant managemrnt bcoked ! dates at His Majesty's. What legal standing there i= in it I am not prepared to say. I The pre=«nt position is that the Tittell j Biune Diamatic Company will be in [ occuparry of the Princess during Maskelyne } and Devant's season a-t His Majesty's. Ifc was suggested latt week, as be ns a. better arrangement than the pres-ent, that the two companies should exchange theatres, the Tit tell Bruiie Company going to His Majesty's and Matkelyne and Devant to tjie Printei-s. Piivate advice received from a member of the Bland Holt Company in Chn-tchiwch is to tho offset that, though ,-e»eroly shaken ,mj badly bruivd as the result of the sensational motor-car accident on the j stage of the Municipal Theatre, Oamaiu, lavt week, Bland Holt was rapidly recoiering, a.n<l in a few <lays •will have j forgotten the incident. I The Miases Amy a-nd Dulcie Muiphy, ot I this city, who joined the J. C. Williamson ; Musical Comedy Company, and who were i reported to be makwig good p> ogress in their profession, have re-signed from the company. Mr Barrie Marschel need not go away from home to be appreciated, for his successful coaching of pupils for the stage is w-sll known here. Apropos, I notice that <it the recent Christehur-oh musical and litoiary competitions two of Mr Mai^chel'fi ■ pupik won the gold mcdai->m c dai-> in tlie class for ' comediettas. By special request, Mr and I Ml 3 Mar^ohel appealed at rhe final concert of the competitions to illustrate how a. I ccine'liena. should Le pla^cd. j I notice some little oorre s po IKicr.ro going on in tl&e Southland pro-o toncenung the ((iiofction of the holding capacity of the Invorcargill Thoatro. Tti:t=, 1 take it, ha-9 been aroused in confquerce cf tb.e recent phon->mcnal season of Bk^l Holt. One correspondent complains that the theatie . i. j rot large enough. I would like this cor-rp.-<p&ndcnl to bear in mind that the Inveri carp ill <s.eason of Mr Bland Holt was an oxteptiona.l one, and that whereas the holding capacity of tho theatre was tested during that sca^Oii, the majoi ity of tiK\d!Ral maiiawh find the biulf'mg c/u!te laipe ci.ough for tlieir locjiiiromento. Truth to tell, the Inverc lrsiill Thpatre is in too n any in-.f ancu-, too L.130 for many corapani^ Tho Municip.'il Theatio in" Inver-<.n-gill i« one of the best in tlie Dominion — J Lav r - been in )h^->i all, — and the citizens ihould !)0 pro'id of it. 1 In Idsi wcek'i is^ue 'here appeared the I cabled account of the 'u:f'<lo of Au^1 ti-aia.~ia'b co.moc!ian_ Mr Geoi"\e Lauri, and , .in account of hia care c. In iiln 1-^1 -^ notes |l am able to give a f.-\y li,r-f particulars lof what led up to th a tragedy. For ' soim lnonti.s Mr Laiui h^d bcc-11 living in r^tn-ement, with intcr\al s of tiavel, ill th^> h(,pe of recovery from a cfmp'aint Ijol f^ved to be incipient softening of the brain. Ju^t h rj foie noon on Tuc^daj', J^nuary 5, the favourite comedian in a fit of dop' - o=-ion cub h.s tiircat with a razor. Ths <-u-o:<1j cccurrcd at La Cornithe, a private ho: si at Bety View, near Manly,

where Mr Lauri had been staying with his wife for soms weeks. Mrs Lauri heard a ety from the verandah, and on rushing out found her husband with his throat cut, and a blocd-stained razor on the ground, by his side. Hie last words -were, ''I have done it. I am tired of life." When, in Auckland some two y.ears ago it was evident that the continuous strain of a strenuous life was beginning to tell, and. Mr Lauri took a well-earned rest at Waihelre Island. On rejoining the company all wont well for a time, until a. gradual Joss of memory uaa noticeable, and a long- • soa v©3'age was undertaken. In theatrical c.icles for nearly a rear paJ: it had become generally known and supposed that Mr Lauri would ne\er leturn to the stage. Profound attraction and melancholy were ebaken off icpeatcdly, only to return, suggc^tirg incipient brain trouble. Hl3 last app?ara'-;co wa< at Her Majesty's. Sydney, in April of last year, a>t a complirrie-ntary benefit after his trip to Colombo. Ke subsequently wont to America, and returned to Sydney eorr.e time ago. About a month prior to the death of the lats lamented comedian the following appeared in these columns:— "On the- Malama, which reached Sydney ficm Vancouver, Geocge Lauii returned to Australia. The gay comedian went away ill and broken, and he hus come back but httlo recovered. Neura-.thcnia, the moot ins.dious and deadly of nervous complaints, has overwhelmed him, and no relief ha^ corns so far. Mr-, Ueorge Lauri — better known as Miss Mai-ietra Na~h — is at-sicluoua in her atten + ion to her busband. But the man who a short t.ime ago used to mako all Australia laugh is now so reduced in nervous energy that he cries like a child o-\er the simplest things. Unless the unexpected happens it w ill be necessary to organise a benefit for the comedian. The public of Australia cannot desert its favourites in their hours of adversity." The latest enterprise of Wm. Anderson is the engagement of two of the most popular Aascrahan artists — Walter Baker and Frances Koss, — who for many years proved the backbone of Bland Holt'e .■elebrated organisation. They will make their reappeaiance at the King's Theatre on, Saturday, Jariuaiy 23, in a now and original drama entitled "Sailor Jack," written by Walter Baker himself. They; will be supported by a t,tror^ company, including :— Messrs' LVlwin Campbell,' Edmund Duggan, Tivian Edwards, Hilliard Vox, Bert Bailey, Edwin Ltster, Misses Fanny Eirie, Kate (^a.r, Maggie Knight, a);d others. The piece has never been seen in Melbourne before, and it remains to be seen whthcr Mr Baker is as good an author a* he i*s an actor. By what can be gathered by rehearsals '"Sailor Jack"' possesses many powerful situations, and' necessitates many decidedly picturesque, scenes. Though by an Australian thi story of ihe piece is laid in England, and the incidents thoroughly justify the. heroic title of the work. Great preparations are being made for its production, and the reapsarance of the two favourite stars should arose considerable interest. birth's big circus, which commences a New Zealand tour at Invercargill on Wednesday, January 26, armes at the Bluft fiom Hobart by ne\:t week'o Melbourne steamer. After a tno-nisht aeason at Invercargill Gore will be visited on the 28th, Balclutha on the 29th. and a week's season, in Dunedin, commencing on January 30. Then follows Oamaiu, February 8; Waimate, Febrvary 9; Timaru, February 10 and 11: Temuka, Febiuaiy 12: A-nbiirton, February 13 : and Chrisrchurch. Fcbi-uary 15 to ZO. The North Island will then bo visited, the circus being taken c\er the Main Trunk Jine to Auckland, playin"en route to the northern city. ° A re=pon-ible coi respondent in Palmersion North forwards tho folowins interesting item: — A happening probably unequalled in tho theatrical annals of Palmer&tcn took place tho other day. The> whole of J. C. Williflm-on's nia,nagers andf touring maiugeis the exception o£ Mr Harold A«hton, weie in, Palmerston. Tlie Williamson management have playing and to come at early date four of the hiscsoib attractions in Australasia Mi:>s Tittell Brune, at the Opera House: Mi-.s Ada Cro'-slov. who oivea a concert) on the 21«t : the Kolkor Titheradfre. Company, who follow almost immediately; am!{ l^tpr the Mu-iral C'omedv Company wifh '■The Red Mill" and "Prime of Pilsen." Mr Richaid Sto wart, actinor for the Brune Company ; Mr John Fane!!, managing for Mi=<i Croisley : Air Bert Rovle, arranging for the Kolker Company: and Mr Charles Berkeley, in ad\ace ->f "The Red Mill" Company. That pr-'neo of niGralpr^. Cinquevalli. wn7"se last vis-tl ;<;; <; =till of vi\it] momorv, will dofinitelv commencp a Xsw Zealand tour at Dunedin on April 10. He will be supported by a company under the management of Mr Harry Riclcuvls. Fiom piivaie advices recehed from th«