THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, 1 June 1910, Page 68

THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

By Pasquin. TUESDAY, May 31, 1910. A letter from a friend who has sounded the heights and depths and tasted the joys of the Star and the disappointments of the Understudy recalls the lines — A little while the favourite of the''gods. Their frantic plaudits every night attesting; Now frozen out — But, stay—my wisdom nods; Here is a way of putting it with less sting— , Thus should my pen. the dear girl s stale express— Tired of her purple surfeit of success, She's resting! A private csble from Melbourne is to the effect that Madame Carreno, the brilliant pianist, who is shortly to visit Dunedin, achieved an artistic success at the first concert in the Melbourne Town Hall on Saturday evening. Miss Nellie Bundle, one-time prom'sing amateur, and now professional with Marlow's Dramatic Company, received a cordial reception from her friends "in front" on making her first appearance at His Majesty's. Miss Bundle purposes, I understand, adopting the stage seriously. The lady starts off really well with a fine stage appearance, a musical voice, and some knowledge of the requirements of au actress. Gifted, too, with intelligence, she should not have cause to regret her choice of a profession. As briefly hinted last week, we are to have another pleasurable visit from Miss Grace Palotta, Miss Celia Ghiloni, Miss Ruby Baxter, and the other altogether lovable members of Hugh Ward's Comedy Company. It may be, but on© trusts not, that the coming visit will be the last, for some time of the popular Miss Ghiloni, whose acquaintance across the" footlights has long been so delightful. A favourite who will be greatly missed this tour is Miss Rose Musgrove,_who since hey last visit hasi left the stage for her charming bungalow in the Indian hills. By the mail to hand this week comes the information' that Miss Ma|rie _ Eaton, a clever Australian girl with a voice, who is favourably known in New Zealand, having toured with Williamson's New Comic Opera Company &vs' the Pantomime Company, has K«an "principal boy" in

"Aladdin" matinees in Sydney with Success. This appreciation shows how the management is justified in giving the young Adelaide girl, a chance:—"Miss Marie Eaton does the Aladdin .stunt, and does it well. Of course, the dark, slender lady is up against heavy odds; as Miss Lily Iris is by way of being a very lovely and successful panto, boy. Miss Eaton has a better voice, a-nd the loveliest, tenderest pair of logs, which tapei away in the most aesthetic way towards the ankles. If she had lived in earlier ages, those ankles would have been the toast of London. It does one's heart good to see' Australian girls playing good parts; and considering that they all shape so well in them, on© wonders why they don't do it permanently." This gives pause to remark, that from her earliest acquaintance with the profession Miss Eaton has been devoted to her work, and has prepared herself for the opportunities, when such presented themselves. I have a belief that Miss Eaton could, if she so willed, date her progress in the profession from the memorable evening in Dunedin when, in the crowded dress circle of the Princess Theatre, she sang the haunting refrain of a song with the late lamented John F. Sheridan's Company. Although the date for the visit of the Grand Opera Company to this city if yet some weeks off, great is the anticipation. If but half the people who have expressed their intention of "not missing an opera" fulfil their intentions the season will be a record one. Mr Charles Berkeley, the touring manager for the concern, will arrive in Dunedin at the latter end of June to make arrangements for the opening here on July 6. The season, is an all too brief one of six nights, during which we are to have no less than three operas —"Madame Butterfly," "La Boheme," and "Carmen." The general manager for George Marlow's Dramatic Company, at present at His Majesty's, returned to Dunedin from Christchurch to-day to be present at the extra rush on the box plan during the carnival. Mr Grant may be assured of another "record" during winter show week. Several factors operate to the success of decently-played and . well-mounted melodrama in this city. Primarily a large section of the public love that class of stage literature, and when they take theatrical pleasure of this nature it is always with full measure. The plays are distinctie of their class, not necessarily sensational, but replete with what some might tarm "human interest." They are reasonably well played, too, and mounted in good accord, while the prices are as popular as the plays. It is on the .cards that Mr Baxter Buckley, the talented pianist, who has been studying in England and the Continent, will be the star of a concert company which is being formed to tour New Zealand and the Commonwealth. Mr Walter Monk, the representative of Hugh J. Ward's Comedy Company, will arrive in Dunedin on June 5 to arrange preliminaries for the forthcoming tour of '' The Girl from Rector's," which commences at Invercargill on June 20. The Hamilton-Maxwell Dramatic Company, shortly to visit Dunedin, is a very strong one, and includes Miss Beatrice Hollow-ay, Miss Muriel Dale. Miss Mabel Russell, Miss Flo Petts, Miss -Nellie Strong, Queenie Williams, Vera Remee, and others, including a ballet, and of the gentlemen, Messrs Max Maxwell, Charles Brown, Godfrey Cass, John Bruce, Wallace R. Riley, . Richard Bellairs, Sydney de Vine, S. A Fitzgerald, Launcelot Vane, Charles Wheeler, and several others, numbering some thirty artists. Mr Wheeler is stage manager, a position he held for "many years under Bland Holt. Mr George Buller is manager, and Mr Walter Reid treasurer. Mr Hugh J. Ward's Company of ; Comedians, which is shortly to appear ' in New Zealand in the farcical comedy " The Girl from Rector's," has ' just concluded one of the most remarkable tours ever experienced throughout Australia, commencing last Boxing night iii Sydney, whore a 10-weeks' season was played, this being followed by ' a tour of Queensland, New South Wales, i Victoria, and South Australia. The star J production of this tour was a "Bachelor's | Honeymoon," of which we have many ! pleasant recollections. The unanimous opinion is that "The Girl from Rectors's" i is far and away ahead of anything ,-Mx Ward has previously staged here. " The popularity which the Grand Opera , Company has gained with audiences in Sydney was demonstrated by the large crowd of admirers and well-wishers who gathered at the wharf to say farewell to I the members of that organisation on the occasion of their departure in, the Ulimaroa for New Zealand. There was much hand shaking and bouquets of flowers were in abundance. Just as the boat was leaving Bel Sorel showered her friends on the wharf with loose violets. Autograph hunters were busy among the

principals, and succeeded, in gathering into their albums quite a sheaf of signatures. The strains of "Auld lang syne," sung by the company, mingled with " Say au revoir and not good-bye" by the ship's trumpeter, were to be heard as the boat swung out from her mooring and steered down the harbour. Calve, who is row touring Australia with such remarkable success, is the most conscientious of artists. No operatic part is ever essayed by her without the most fastidious preparation, and the story goes that when she first decided to attempt the roll of Carmen, she gave herself up' to the closest study of the character. She was not content to ponder upon Merimee's heroine in the comfortable sanctuary of a Parisian drawing-room, but forthwith set out for Carmen's country to watch, the habits and customs: of Carmen's people. Nor was Calve content to act the part without carefully studying the methods of the greatest actresses. It »vas said of her that she specially repaired to Naples to observe the great Eleonora Duse, for vhom the diva has always ■ professed the profoundest admiration. And those who have beheld Calve in Carmen might suspect that the songstress has acquired much of the manner of Duse—indeed, much of that eloquent play of the hands that has made the name of the Italian renowned. A newspaper man described Miss Grace Edmonds on her arrival in Sydney by the last Vancouver boat as "a jolly American girl," and aptly hit off the latest addition to J C. Williamson's new Comic Opera Company. She won't be 21 till the fall and it's spring in America now. Full of youthful enthusiasm, Miss Edmonds is certainly a jolly companion. Her mother is travelling with her and has always done so since her daughter began her stage career. That was at the age of 14, "We begin early in America," said Miss Edmonds. "I was in dramatic work first, my ambition being to become an emotional actress. Then I discovered —or, rather, it was discovered for me—that I had a voice, and I stepped right into the prima donna role in ''The Girl from Broadway.' Yes, I missed the chorus drudgery. Then I decided* to have my voice trained," and she did, under Clement© De Mecchi, who coaches grand opera artists. "The rest has all been easy." Miss Edmonds's Australian debut will be as Alic© Conder in "The Dollar Princess." "Vic," in the Bulletin: " This week's obituary includes Martin Forde, a humble comedian, esteemed' by a wide circle of friends, brother of John Forde and Anna. Forde. Martin's best achievement was as pantomime clown in the theatrical generation before last, with Jack as pantaloon. Anna Forde was Melbourne's most popular burlesque actress f or a year or two. She was the Octoroon introduced in the pantomime of ' Robinson Crusoe,' with Harwood as Crusoe. But Anna hated the spanglo and tinsel of the stage, and gladly retired into private life. Sturdy and worthy John Forde advanced from' pantomime to singing in Williamson, Garner, and Musgrovo's opera company, and will be remembered m the original Major Murgatroyd in 'Patience.'" —| Martin - and Anna. Forde will be pleasantly remembered by old theatregoers in Dunedin as members of the late Mr Louis Court's stock company at the old Princess Theatre. Anna Forde was a warm favourite, coming next, perhaps, to Julia Mathews. She had a nice pleasing voice, and was a fair actress. Supported by Jenny Nye, Mrs Catherine Howard, and others, pantomimes, burlesques, and extravaganzas (the forerunner of comic opera) were produced and acted as well in the sixties and early seventies and were quite as enjoyable as their sucessors of the present day. When "The Grand Duchess of Gei-olstein " was produced Anna Forde made a hit as the Grand Duchess. Martin Forde took- a leading part. By the way, the version produced was an adaptation from the German by a local pressman (Mr R. P. Whitworth). It was mounted and staged on a most elaborate scale, dresses and all being local productions, but the expense proved ruinous, as Dunedin was at the time undergoing a period of depression after the many gold rushes-. Mr Court had to close down the theatre and leave the Provincial Hotel, the Fordes and other members of a very caioable company having to look elsewhere for engagements.] Mr Hugh J. Ward and his company, including Miss Grace Palotta, will shortly return to Dunedin, producing a new farcical comedy, " The Girl from Rector's," by Paul M. Potter, author of "Trilby." " The Girl from Rector's." deals with the actions of a young society woman of Battle Creek, Michigan, wh6 is charitably inclined. She spends most of, her time in her own circle at home, but her a judge of the court of Shanghai, is a.way for such long periods that she decides to go to New York for recreation and rest. She is. attracted by the glaring lights of Rector's, and there she makes her headquarters. In the course of time she is

called " The Girl from Rector's," and on her next visit to Battle Creek she meet 9 at the home of a society friend many of those of the Rector's circle. She has been posing as the daughter of a Buffalo man, and -while "The Girl" in her way is endeavouring to explain her dual identity, complications arise which reveal a series of situations that keep the audience in a roar till the final curtain. Mr George Marlow advises that his new £40,000 theatre for melodrama in Sydney will bo known as "The Marlow." The new theatre will be built on the latest plans—in fact, wi'l be the first to be constructed under the most modern by-laws passed in Sydney, and will be the largest south of the line, according to the specifications. Good progress is being made with the construction.