THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3035, 15 May 1912, Page 60

THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

By I'asquis.

Tuesday, May 14. _ Miss Carrie Moore, the Australian musical comedy actress, who is at present appearing under the Brennan-Fuller management at Wellington, will not visit Dunedin until June, when she will sing several of her latest London successes at the King's Theatre. 1 understand there is to be no increase in the prices during the Carrie Moore week, but that a booking fee will be charged.

The Dunedin season of Jansen the Great terminated at His Majesty's on Friday last, and on Saturday the mysterious one appeared at Ohristehurch. where the New Zea--land tour finishes on Friday. The company then passes through Dunedin by the Uhmaroa, en route to Hobart. The touring manager departed for Tasmania by the Melbourne boat on Sunday. Mr -John Ralston, who plays Passion (an actor) with the "Everywoman" Company, is the same actor-vocalist well remembered m Pollatd's Opera Company in the halcyon days of that organisation. Mr Ralston's singing in "Everywoman" is a feature of the production. The ex-Pollaidian retains his voice quality wonderfully Miss Elsie Clarens, who plays Youth in "Everywoman" at His Majesty's Theatre, visited Dunedin, if memory serves, with the late lamented Herbert Flomimng's "Mummy and the Humming Bird" Company. Mr Frank Talbot, of the recently-inaugu-rated firm of entrepreneurs, Messrs Portus and Talbot (Ltd.), who was in Dunedin last week with Jansen the Mysterious, informed me that the firm's present arrangements would curry them well on for the next two years, and that future attractions were being negotiated for. One of the attractions at present claiming attention and consideration is so great that fares alone vyill represent a small fortune. The enterprise of the new linn is undoubted, for, amongst other ventures, they have arranged lor a tour of the Commonwealth and New Zealand of the famous operatic artiste Countess de Cisneros, whose success with the recent Melba Grand Optra Company was in the nature of a triumph. A great musical treat is in store for the music-lovers of Dunedin, This is the forthcoming visit of the Countess de Cisneros, the great prima donna, who leaves America by the next mail steamer for Australia, where she will give concerts at Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide Madame Cisneros will have with lier a full concert company of brilliant artists, chosen by herself, and will arrive in Dunedin on August 6. The Dunedin season will comprise two nights early in August. Madamo Cisneros was a member of the Melba Grand Opera Company, which visited Australia last year, and the great mezzo-soprano won a remarkable success in Sydney and Melbourne. On the nights she appeared the houses were always full, and her popularity as a singer transcended that of Madame Melba herself. Accompanying the diva will be Paul Dufuult, the great lyric tenor, and James Lieblir.ir, who is regarded as the foremost 'cellist in the United States, and has a reputation as a composer as well as a cultured musician It is very many yeais since the theatregoers of New Zealand had a chance of hearing real negro minstrels, but next month the enterprising managers Messrs Portus and Talbot (Ltd.) will enable New Zenlanders to hear the finest band of American minstrels known in the United States. The company numbers over 30, and aie headed by the famous Billy Kersands, whose name is familiar as i. household word in America, where he is known as the greatest and most humorous negro comedian. Tho minstrels, who carry almost as much scenery as a dramatic company, left San Francisco on Wednesday last for Honolulu, where they will play a short season, after which they will join the Marama « n route for Auckland, where they arc duo on June 4. The tour of the Dominion will be opened in His Majesty's Theatre, Auckland, on June- 10, the season lasting a fortnight. With a company such as this the expense is very great, and it will only be possible to visit six towns outside the four chief centres. Great interest is being taken in the visit of the minstrels by many old theatre-goers who have pleasant memories of the nigger minstrel show of the past, with the plaintivo and comic melodies of the darkies of the Southern States of America. To the rising generation such an entertainment will be quite a novelty. There can be no doubt of the success of the minstrels in New Zealand, whore such a company has not been seen for many years. The boat bringing the minstrels will have on board tho Countes3 de Cisneros, whom the same management has booked for a tour of Australasia. Haddon Chambers, who wrote "Passersby," tho play to be produced at His Majesty's on Friday and Saturday next, was recently interviewed regarding the play, and confessed that a chance meeting with a tramp in Hyde Park, London, gave him his

idea, and provided him with at least two of the important characters. The tramp, who was the prototype- of Samuel Burns in the play, was enjoying a luxurious idleness when Mr Chambers approached and entered into conversation with him. He was greatly entertained by the dead'beat's rugged and cynical philosophy, in the course of which he made the remark about work, which occurs in the play and which has been widely quoted : "Work m't for the like o' me. Work's for the workers." The tramp introduced the playwright to a nighthawk cabman, and these two characters are made vividly lifelike in the play. Agnes Nicholls, who will appear with the Quinlan Grand Opera Company in Australia under the J. C. Williamson management, is not one of the greatest operatic uopranos—she is the greatest, and as an interpreter of Wagnerian roles she >s without an equal. The whole of hep operatic experience has been gained during the eight seasons she has appeared at Covent Garden under the direction of Richter. Her briliant voice and high musicianship should create a sensation in Australia, where a great Wagnerian soprano has never yet been heard in opera. As Lea .in "The Prodigal Son" she has created a profound impression. Miss Nicholls is the wife of the famous composer Hamilton Harty, and her recitals of his music have been a regular feature of the London musical seasons. Maeterlinck is devoted to outdoor life He works out of doors most of the year, skating, fishing, gardening, walking, motoring are his favourite amusements. In the winter he lives imongsfc the roses of Grasse, in the Alps Maritimes. Here it was he thought out "The Blue Bird," the fairy play which has created so much rapture in Sydney and has broken all records in that ctty. It is the most beautiful of anything he has yet written. The rest of the year he lives at the old Norman abbey of St. War.drtlle, a wonderful old house which has hardly been touched or altered for centuries. It is surrounded by a great garden full of mysterious paths and grand old trees. Flowers are everywhere, for the r>oci is a famous gardener, and is never happier than when tending his flowers or watching his bee?. His books on "The Life of a Bee" and "The Intelligence of Flovrers" reveal some wondrous and unexpected secrets of Nature. Mr John Farrell, touring manager for the "Everywoman" Company, departed Dunedin to-day for Wellington, to arrange for the opening of the season in that city. The New Zealand tour of "Everywoman" terminates at Wellington, and the company returns to Australia. Mr Richard Stewart, business manager of the "Every woman" Company, will at the conclusion of the tour at Wellington go to Auckland, where he will enjoy a three weeks' rest prior to taking over "The Blue Bird" Company, which commences a Maoriland tour at Auckland on Jun<j 24. One of the most, important vaudeville engagements of recent times is that of Miss Carrie Moore, the popular and talented musical comedy actress. Miss Moore lias recently been engaged for a New Zealand season by Brennan-P ullers (Ltd.), and is to appear in Dunedin very shortly. This notable ■ artist has in the past commanded success on the musical comedy stage, having been leading lady for Mr J. O. Williamson. She was brought out from England to play the title role in "The Merry Widow," and did so with success. Included in the j>rincipal pieces she has played in are leading roles in "Floradora," "The Runaway Girl," "The Circus Girl," "The Gay Parisienne," "The French Maid," and Flirt in "A Trip to Chinatown." In England, under Mr George- Edwardes's management she took up Lctty Lind's part > n "The Girl from Kays" at the Comedy Theatre. London In "Our Miss Gibbs" the title role Mary was given to her. The Continent is the fountain head of all big acrobatic and sensational gymnastic acts, and 'The Siddons," who are to own shortly in Dunedin at the King's Theatre, are in the first flight of sensational performers. Originally daring circus pertorm-ers, they wore engaged to appear at the Berlin Winter Garden on the occasion of the visit there of the German Em peror. Their success was so emphatic that their engagement was extended for two years, and they toured throughout Europe. Mr Brennan saw them at Breslau, and engaged them for an Australasian tour. The elder of the Siddons was chosen for the splendid marble statue of Apollo which stands in the Tuileries in Pans. The act the Siddons present has been described as the acme of daring. Dressed in well-fitting suits of grey tweeds, they walk on from opposite sides of the stage, salute each other in the Continental fashion, and immediately start into a performance that contains a thrill in every turn, finishing up with .the most astounding one-arm high balancing act, which places the younger Siddon high up in the borders of the scenery, the fall from that height to thg ground being the culminating point of their many sensations. The latest news to be received by cable from Mme. de CLsneros, whose concert tour

of Australasia under Portus and Talbot (Ltd.) is to begin in Sydney on June 22, is that she was booked to leave San Francisco by the s.s. Marama on May 9, with two notable artists to accompany her. These two are Mr James Liebling, 'cellist, and M. Paul Dufault, lyric tenor. James Liebling is described in press notices as one of the famous group of American musicians of that name. Emil Liebling and Georg Liebling are pianists of the first order, and composers of high i-ank, and James Liebling has long been recognised as a premier 'cellist in the chief musical centres of the United States. Paul Dufault is a lyrio tenor, a great American favourite,. with whom Mme. de Cisncros hopes to delight Australasia as Melha delighted and surprised the Commonwealtih with her lyric tenor, John M'Cormack, in the opera season last year.. The programme which Mine, de Cisneros intends to sing is to contain some of her finest solos from operatic parts like the "Habanera" or the sweeping strophe to "Liberty" in "Carmen."' Her programme will be varied, and so designed as to exhibit the wonderful range of her voice, which ranges from the G below the line to the 0 above it. The Sydney season begins on June 22, and is to be followed by brief seasons in Brisbane, Melbourne, and Adelaide, and thereafter the great prima donna—who in Australia last year was acclaimed as second only to Melba — is to tour tlie principal cities of New Zealand.