THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3015, 27 December 1911, Page 68

THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

By Pasquu*.

Tuesday, December 26. The season's greetings to my readers and theatrical friends the world over, and hearty reciprocation of the good wishes of Mr Bert Rovle (Wellington), Mr and Mrs Chas. Knight (Sydney), Mr Allan Hamilton (Sydney), Mr Harold Asbton (Sydney), Mr Edwin Geach (Sydney), Mr and Mrs Farrell (Auckland), Mr Edward Laurie and Miss May Beatty (London), Miss Florence Baines (England), Miss Marguerite Le Roy (England), Mr George Stephenson (Queensland), Mr and Mrs Muller (His Majesty's, Perth), Mr and Mrs Fred Duncan (Auckland), Mr and Mrs Marcus (Adelaide), municipal staff (Invercargill), Mr G. L. Petersen (Wirth's Circus), Mr and Mrs Barrington Waters (Dunedin), " Call-boy" (Dunedin), Mr Leo De Chateau, Mr A. Linley (Wellington),

"Lorgnette," Charles Berkeley (Auckland), J. Cathro (Sydney). At the termination of the West Australian season in Perth Mr H. B. Irving and his entire company will embark by the Pilbarn, chartered specially for the purpose by the J. C. Williamson management, for Adelaide, where they will join a special train for Sydney to catch the Saturday boat for Wellington. It is an enormous undertaking to send a company of over 60 artists with four plays. From Perth to open in Auckland the company will have to travel not less than 4000 miles on sea and land.

"The Chocolate Soldier" Opera Company, which commenced a New Zealand tour at Auckland, is due in Dunedin earlier than anticipated. "Mr Charles Berkeley, the touring manager, writing from Auckland, says4 —"We open in Dunedin on January 24, and you can prepare not only for a big treat in genuine comic opera, but a great surprise in your own Amy Murphy, who plays the leading role."

Signer Vito Dammacco, one of the artists in the Melba Grand Opera Company, died from lymphadenoma on December 6, at thle Melbourne Hospital, where he had been a patient for nearly a month. Signer Dammaoco. who was 28 years of age, had gained considerable fame in Italy, and was one of the leading basses in the Melba Opera Company. He possessed a charming personality, and his quiet, unassuming manners greatly endeared him to all the members of the company. He leaves a widow and one child.

Mr Harold Carr, who is well known through these parts, returned to Dunedin from Australia by the Ulimaroa last week to herald the firennan Vaudeville Company on its Maoriland tour. The organisation—the first of the Brennan ventures in New Zealand—commences a season at His Majesty's, in this city, on Thursday, December 28. All the artists are now to New Zealand, and several from England and the Continent will be making their first appearance in Australasia.

The Dunedin season of -Williamson's Dramatic Company will conclude this (Wednesday) evening,. when "A Fool There Was" will be staged for the last time. The company depart on Thursday for Invercargill, playing three nights, and sail from the Bluff for Melbourne, via Hobart, on New Year's Day. The members of the Dunedin Amateur Operatic Company, who recently took part in "Dorothy," are looking forward to their visit to Invercargill, where they have been engaged to produce Collier's opera on January 1,2, and 3. Satisfactory terms have been arranged on both sides, and as the tour will be something in the„ nature of a holiday, it is being approached with light hearts and gay. The visit to Dunedin of Williamson's Dramatio Company, producing " The Speckled Band" and "Alias Jimmy Valentine," is approaching, due at His Majesty's Theatre on January 11. The company is heralded by Mr Win. Desmond, the American actor, whose fine work we were privileged to see hist year in " The Lion and the Mouse" and "The Third Degree." Mr Harold Ashton will be in charge, and Mr Leo De Chateau comes as touring representative.

An esteemed correspondent in Melbourne drops a line to the effect that " Eve.rywoman," Miss Hilda Spong in the loading role, was produced at the Royal on Saturday with great success. The New Zealand tour commences at Auckland at Easter; Dunedin will be visited in May. The New Zealand tour of Mr Joseph •Blascheck, the London society entertainer, commences in Ghristchurch on January 6, and extends to January 13. Dunedin dates are January 20 to 26, at the Garrison Hall. Than follow Invercargill, on 27th, 29th, and 30th; Balclutha, 31st; Gore, February 1; Milton, February 2; then Wellington and the north.

Owing to the members of the Rickards Vaudeville Company having to return to Sydney before the date arranged for tn burial of the remains of the late Mr Harry Rickards, the company will not visit Dunedin. The New Zealand (our concluded at G'hristchurch last week, and the company is now on its way back to Sydney. The principal theatrical attractions in th<centres during the festive season are: "The Chocolate Soldisr" Opera Company, to be followed by H. B. Irving Dramatic Company, at Auckland; Williamson's Dramatic Company, to be followed by " The , Chocolate Soldier," at Wellington; Mis® ' Marie Baines's Comedy Company at Christchurch; "A Fool There Was," Brennan's Vaudeville Company, and Wirth's Circus at Dunedin. At the Auckland Musical Competitions the chief piano event, in which the first prize was an Allison grandette piano, i valued at £l4O, was won by Misg E. M'Laren, of Dunedin. Miss Q. Foster and j Miss M. Mitchell, both of Dunedin, tied for second place, and Mr Baxter Buckley, ' who won the chief piano solo at the New I Zealand competitions held in Wellington I recently, was next in order of merit. The test numbers were Beethoven's " Grand Sonata" and the Chopin "Waltz, Op. 64, No. 1." The result was a surprise, as

the and critics all favoured Mr Buckley's performances.

Wirth Bros.' famous circus commences a, Dunedin season on the Oval this (Tuesday) evening, too late to receive a review in this issue. It is claimed that the, present show surpasses anything of the kind previously seen here. The circus has been thoroughly augmented, no less than 33 artists being engaged from all parts of the world. The seven Flying J or dans, double company of aerialists; 11 Bastiens, equestaacrobats; Kitchen, Foy, andLe Van, aerial novelty gymnasts; Harry Barge and Co., of six comedians; novel motor car comedy act, etc.; Herr and Fraulein Schmidt, Polar boar educators; Alf Tack, the upsidedown phenomenon; and the beautiful Adelia Sisters and George, superhuman performers on a single silver thread. The menagerie has been added to by the purchase of 11 performing Polar bears—the largest, most costly, and unique collection in existence. Born and b ed under tihe weird beams of the Aurora Borealis eternal winters most tremendous terrors, heretofore considered ferocious and untamable, these 11 white-robed Titans of the awful Arotio wilds have been tamed and educated, performing together with three North American grizzly bears, two American bisons, N and two Russian boar hounds. Sir Conan Doyle, the author of "The Speckled Band," which J. C. Williamson's Dramatic Company is to present in the principal cities of the Dominion, is the most popular writer of the day, and he bids fair to become one of the greatest dramatists. The son of am artist, whose brother was Richard Doyle of "Punch," it is not surprising, although he took his Edinburgh M.D.. to find him later on adopting literature. His novels and short stories are read all over the world, but he first flashed across the dramatic horizon when the late Sir Henry Irving produced "A Story of Waterloo." True to life, this oneact tabloid marked the arrival of a new virile dramatist. This has been borne out by his subsequent works, "The Fire of Fate," "Sherlock Holmes," "The House of Temperly," and "The Speckled Band," stamping Sir Conan Doyle ae an author who has the gift of characterisation, crisp dialogue, and telling situations. Madame Melba tells an amusing story about Mr Oscar Hammerstein, whose beautiful London Opera House bids fair to rival Covent Garden: —"He is a great personality," says the diva. "I always quote him as the only man who made me do what I did not want to. It was like this: When he was starting his rival opera house in New York, he called on me in Paris. I refused to see him. Well, he julst trotted away, called on my good friend, Maurice Gran, and returned with a letter, urging mo to do all I could. In the end I put him in the way of engaging De Cisneros. Gillibert, Renaud. and several other famous singers. This didn't satisfy him at all. 'Melba is going to open my new opera house, I. Hammerstein, say it,' became his favourite form of saying good-bye, in return for all my trouble and good nature. 'Certainly not, I used to reply. Then he would vary this 'declaration of war' by adding, 'Yes, Melba will sing for 1000 dollars a night' ; then at the next visit '2OOO dollars a night.' But I reallv didn't want to be bothered. Then, the day he Left for New York, the eocentric fellow ran all round my reception room, peppering it with little bundles of paper. 'What are you doing now, you very silly person?' I exclaimed. Hammerstein vanished with a smile. Yes, he left 100,000 francs in paper behind him, and I bad to send it round for separate deposit at my bankers, explaining it was not my property. The next thing was a cablegram: 'Come for 3000 I dollars a night.' Sure enough I opened the Hammerstein season. This is the indefatigable man of talent who is now endeavouring to conquer London on American lines." It is now possible for an actress, or actor, whose name is quite unknown to the public (says a London paper), to' make as much as £2600 a year by acting for the cinematograph companies. Miss Florence Lawrence, a very clever living picture artist, whose faoo is known in every picture theatre in the world, though her name is not, draws a salary of £SO a week. She started as a "show girl," and did not make her name, on the legitimate stage. Now she is paid at the rate of £2600 a year for acting to the cinematograph camera. Other moving picture artists may draw salaries year in and year out ranging from £2O to £4O a week. Mr M'Govan, an Australian, who gets £25 a week, was a boundary rider. It was through bis horsemanship that got into the moving picture business, and he soon proved himself to be a very cleyer actor. Acting for the cinematograph is a much better paid profession than acting on the stage, for there are no long resting periods. The moving picture people have contracts for two or three years, and they have no wardrobes to keep up, since, technical reasons, the cinematograph firms provide the clothes thev are photographed in. Some of the bijr organisations have as many as three companies following the sun round the world Thev hire people from the localities thev are in, but the permanent people who travel number anything from 18 to 70,

drawing from £lO up to £SO a week, though not many get the latter figure. The supers get £1 a day, but are employed irregularly. They follow the sun round the world because you must have the right climatio conditions, so they go to the country where they can stay for two or three months in sunshine. The pictures are taken at daybreak, when the light is best for •photography. In Great Britain there are 3000 picture theatres, with an average ssating capacity of 450, and these theatres are filled three times a day. This means 4,050,000 people a day, who see the actors' and actresses' faces. Few men lived such a varied life as did Mr Harold Kyrle. Bellew, who died suddenly a few weeks ago in Sa't Lake City—merchant, seamr.H, slhipbroker, lectuirer, waxwork showman, gold digger, journalist, and actor. Born at Presoot. Lancashire, in 1855, the son of the Rev. J. C. M. Bellew, the celebrated preacher, his first adventure was in India in 1857, the year of the Mutiny, when his father was a chaplain at" Calcutta. When the Mutiny broke out the Bellews were at a hill station near Darjeerling, from which they were rescued by British troops. But manf more adventures were to befall Mr Bellew before he became the ideal stage-lover and the fashionable favourite of the London stage. He was originally intended for the army, but, to-use his own words, he "somehow drifted on board the training ship Conway." After some years of a sailor's life, during which he had many exciting adventures, he went to Australia, where he tried gold digging, lecturing, and journalism. Of his ups and downs in those days he wrote: "I was sometimes working as a miner, sometimes on a station, often as a sundowner begging my way from station to station, bushing, looking after sheep, a hewer of wood, and a drawer of water. One day luck came. I painted a big white lion, for a pub'.ichouse sign and got £lO for it; then ensued an epidemic of white lions, and for a time I lived on the fat of the land." Mr Bellew worked his way back to England as third mate, and landed in London with £8 in his pocket. The day after his arrival he saw an advertisement in which Mr Charles Barrington wanted a light comedian to act with Miss Helen Barry in "Clancarty." He went to the Adelphi Theatre, cutting off the gilt buttons of his uniform and replacing them with plain ones. Mr Barrington did not ask him. if he had been oh the stage. "Where have you come from?" he inquired. "Australia," was the reply. "Pretty hard work there, isn't it? Change their bill pretty often? ■ Lots of •cynerienoe, oh?" queried Mr Barrington. "Heaps: every kind," said Mr Bellew with pprfect truth. He was engaged at a sa'a y of £2 a week, and 10 days later he began his stage career as Lord Woodstock in "Clancarty" at Brighton. He soon leaped into fame rs a romantic actor, as he had passion, intensity, and picturesqueness to help him in giving life to the heroes of Shakespeare, Lytton, Sheridan, and Dumas. Mr Bellew's association with Mrs Brown Potter, for which he will be chiefly remembered, began at the Gaiety Theatre in 1887 in "Civil War." Later they went into partnership, and toured twice all over the world. The American stage hass seen much more of Mr Bellew than the English for many years past.