THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2978, 12 April 1911, Page 68

THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

By Pasquin

Tuesday, April 11, 1911. The Allan Hamilton Dramatic Company were passengers by the Mokoia, which arrived at Port Chalmers this morning. Owing to the steamer not calling at the Bluff the company missed its opening night at Invercargill, which will now be played on Wednesday. Gore will be visited on Thursday, and the company will commence a Dunedin season at His Majesty's on Saturday. "Why Men Love Women" will be the opening bill, to be followed by a revival of "East Lynne," with Miss Francis Ross as Lady Isabel, and Mr Conway Wingfield as Archibald Carlyle. The Dunedin season concludes on the 22nd ; Oamaru will be played on April 24 and 25; Timaru 26 and 28, Ashburton 29, Christchurch May 1 to 5, Wellington May 7 to 16. An old friend is Mr Charles Wheeler, who was associated for many years with Mr Bland Holt and the late'Mr Max Maxwell . as stage manager of their respective companies, has returned to Dunedin as stage manager for Mr Allan Hamilton's Dramatic Company. Mr Max Maxwell, the well-known actormanager, whose death took place in Melbourne the other day, adopted that name for professional purposes. The proper name of the lamented actor was Mr Maximilian Franz Rumpff. Bv the way, the company which Mr Maxwell organised will continue to be known as Maxwell's Dramatic Company, and will undertake a New Zealand tour at the end of the year. Mr G. D. PoHus will act as business manager in Mrs Maxwell's interests. Some time ago reference was made in this column to the probability of seeing that successful comic opera "The Arcadians" in New Zealand this year. I am now in a position to state that it is definitely decided to despatch the complete "Arcadian" Company to New Zealand, commencing in Dunedin on June 27, the season extending to July 4. Wellington will be visited on July 6 to July 20; Christchurch July 22 to August 4; Palmorston North, August 7 to 9; Wanganui, August 10 and 11; Auckland, August 14 to September 2. Mr Leo De Chateau, who is at present in Dunedin as touring: manager for Allan Hamilton's Dramatic Company, -will act in a similar capacity for " The Arcadians" under the management of Messrs Clarke and Moynell. Recently W. S. Percy paid a visit to the

West Coast to say farewell to his friends there before leaving for England. He had a lousing reception " in Greymouth,." and before lie left a presentation was (made him by Mr Tom Pollard. At the ceremony Percy blossomed out as an orator, and in a lengthy speech, after paying a tribute to the teaching he had received from Mr Pollard, gave the public an insight into hie intentions, winding up by saying that he might even return to New Zealand after a few years at the head of his own company. "No. 13 has not been a bad friend to me," said Hugh J. Ward, in the course of. >an interview at Wellington the other day. "My room in Auckland was, No. 13 when I was first approached by Mr J. C. Williamson to play under the management of tiie firm. I commenced the present tour of New Zealand on March 13, and will conclude it at Invercairgill on May 13, and it was the thirteenth day of the month when it was filially decided that. I should become a. member of the firm of J. C. Williamson, Ltd." Dear "Pasquin,"—Just a line to let you know we are still sailing merrily along. Business exceeds ever our most sanguine expectations, the show goes with a swing; but, more than all else, we have made a fine reputation in New Zealand, our "return visits" invariably resulting in packed houses. We have just received a magni ficent set of "Organ Chimes" from America. The makers declare them to be the finest set ever turned out of their factory. We leave for Nelson, thence to Westport, Greymouth, etc., playing the latter centre Easter dates.—Yours sincerely, Belie Cbome. Picton, April 5. Mr George Stephenson, the well-known New Zealand theatrical manager, has completed arrangements for a tour' df the Dominion of his most recent English attraction—the Wanderers' Musical Comedy Costume Company, with whom is associated the brilliant society entertainer, Miss Phyllis Hopwood Foldi. The tour commences at Wellington on Saturday next, the 15th instant.Mr ■ George Marlow's Dramatic Company commenced its tour of New Zealand at Auckland on MaTch 27. The combination will appear in Wellington during the Easter season, at Dumedin during the winter show week, and at Christchurch from May 6 to 20. The principal attraction is "The Bad Girl of the Family," a piece which, after running for over 12 months at the Aldwych Theatre, London, was purchased for production in Australia, and which, since its first presentation, has drawn capacity houses in every town in the Commonwealth in which it has been presented. • ■■'. Kyrle Bellew, with. his plan, just announced, of* touring the world in a floating theatre, proved to a delighted people that the imagination and pluck and romance of the older days of the stage have not yet passed. away. On August 15 next he expects to leave London on an 8000-ton vessel, on board which will be two theatrical companies, one. for musical comedy and one for drama. Supplied with provisions and l necessaries, they will set sail for unknown —or very, little known —lands, wherever enough English is spoken to warrant a.stop. Their itinerary will include New Zealand and some of the more important of the Pacific Islands. The Sheffield Choir, which is touring Canada, has finished its initial season in Montreal, . and after touring the States is due in New Zealand on June 26 (Coronation Week). The choir is bringing the nucleus of an orchestra, which will be supplemented by some of the best players in New' Zealand. So far the following players have been engaged bo tour New Zealand by Mr Hugo Gbrlitz, representative for Dr Harriss: —Mr Herbert Bloy, of Wellington (as leader); Mr H. Tombs, of Wellington (leader of second violins); Mr Tombs, of Hastings (viola); Mr Frank Johnston ('cellist) and Mrs Johnston ('cellist), ~6f Wellington; Miss Symons (second violin), of Hastings'; Mr Maurice Cohen (viola), of Palmerston North; Miss Doris M'lntyre (violin), of Christchurch; Miss Croucher (violin), of Palmerston North! Mr D. Sinclair - (clarionet), of Wellington; Mr L. Blitz (double bass), of Auckland; and Mr Dave Kenney (third horn). "When I arrived in London," said Mr Williamson to a press respresentative after returning from his recent tour, " one of my first visits' was to Sir Herbert Beerbphm. Tree to discuss his promised * visit to Australia. I found that he had completed his arrangements, even to the letting of his theatre to Charles Beecham far a season of grand opera. But the latter, after losing £BO,OOO on the venture this year,' thought it time to stop, and think. As Sir Herbert was too good a sportsman to hold him to his lease, his tour of Australia has had to be postponed. An attraction I secured', which will come later, is Maurjice Maeterlinck's fantlasy, ' The Blue Bird.' I ''tried' very hard to get Bernhardt to fulfil the engagement that for various reasons had to be postponed a couple of years ago. She is in America at the present time, doing enormous business, and my idea was that she could sail from Vancouver, traverse the whole of Australasia, in a sort of farewell triumphal tour, with the same company and the same production as she took to New York. But at Naples I had a telegram that the company were objecting to .the long journey and the loss of time, which prepared me for a cable at Port Said that Bernhardt had finally decided that the Australian tour was impossible this year." The Harem skirt, the appearance of which in public has caused such a sensation in England, America, and on the Continent, is to make its appearance at His Majesty's on Saturday next, when Miss Nettie Bupdahl and Miss Muriel Dale will appear in the much-discussed bifurcated garments in the first act of "Why Men Love Women." A Melbourne exchange says: "Those who looked for an exhibition of something _ outrageous or unbecoming were disappointed, while those who have for years been making war on the trailing skirt as a disseminator of disease no doubt found in the harem costume a rational substitute for their bete noir." " Why Men Love Women "is to be produced by Mr Allan Hamilton's new dramatic company by arrangement with Messrs Clarke and Meynell, who hold the Hole Australasian—rights of this popular tilay. The- company is headed by that cultured and accomplished actress Miss Frances Ross, who has not been seen in New Zealand for many yeans, and Mr Conway Wingfiold, a young English actor of note. They are to be % supported'by many prominent players, including Miss Clara Stephenson, Miss Muriel Dale, Mies

Nettie Bundahl, Miss Elsie Burton, Mr Hilliard Vox, Mr Ronald Riley, Mr Fred Cambourne, Mr Castle Morris, and Mr diaries Wheeler.

Mr Ben Fuller, who has recently returned from one of his periodical visits to Australia, has completed arrangements with Mr Hairy Rickards far a succession of that manager's " star " acts to play on the Fuller circuit, and also to book tours for Mr Rickards's companies to the principal centres in the Dominion. One of the greatest attractions that Mr Rickards has ever' imported from England, Barnold's Dogs (including the celebrated "Drunken Dan"), will come to New Zealand immediately, and will tour the Fuller circuit. Alexander Prince, a remarkable player on the concertina, whose playing has been made familiar by phonograph records, will also play at the Fuller houses this month. Mr Fuller has also arranged with the management of Brennan's Enterprises for a supply of the leading artists from that firm's vaudeville theatres. For the Fuller picture houses, Mr Ben, Fuller has secured the exclusive rights in New Zealand for all of Charles Spencer's biograph productions. Mr Fuller is of opinion that Spencer's Australian productions —scenic, dramatic, comic, and industrial—are equally as good as those sent from England, the Continent, and America. Mr Spencer has a number of leading. Australian actors engaged in. producing tabloid dramas and comedies, and these will be seen in New Zealand at the Fuller picture houses. Whilst in Sydney, Mr Fuller was approached by a syndicate, which offered to build in the Commonwealth a chain of theatres for his firm, but Mr Fuller could not see his way to fall in with the proposition, as the firm had sufficient to do at present in catering for the New Zealand public with vaudeville and moving pieures. Owing to the good seasonsi in Australia there is a .boom in theatrical investments in Australia, which, he thinks, is duo to thei limited avenues bf investment. Some of these schemes, however,, were being too much exported arid over-capitalised, and Mr Fuller thinks that the _ only outcome of some of them will be liquidation, and that not altogether voluntary. Caruso has signed a contract for three performances in the Imperial Opera House, Vienna, at fifteen thousand crowns, or £625 each. 'The terms of the contract are very unusual, making concessions which would hardly be granted to any other singer. One of these permits the. tenor to smoke until the curtain rises, although smoking is strictly prohibited in every part of the house. A- fireman will be specially detailed to stand behind Caruso to throw the unconsumed end .of his cigarette into a basin of water. Whilst Caruso is on the stage nobody may be behind the scenes, or at the side, who is not actually engaged there, not even members of the opera. Since the singer was struck by a falling curtain at Munich some time ago special precautions have been taken far his safety. He is always accompanied by his doctor, prompter, secretary, impresario, and conductor. All these persons must be allowed to escort him from the dressing-room to the stage and back again.