STAGE GOSSIP.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, 3 December 1887, Page 3

STAGE GOSSIP.

"Genkral Mite" and "The Circassian Youth " are on exhibition in Christchurch. Miss Carrie Swain leaves Sydney for New Zealand on December 15th, together with Frank Gardiner, and a large company. The Sydney Lodgeof Imps have disbanded by mutual consent, but I hear a new lodge i-> about to be formed before long. Signor Carmiiii Mm ley is busy at Wollington prepaiing "Maiitana'' for production by his amateurs. It is expected to be ready in about a week hence. The Wangauui H.innonic Society, following the lead of Dunedin, have pioduced the fairy opera of " lolanthe " with, according to the local papers, much success. Miss Emily ISlolvillo lias been appearing at the Theatre Royal, Bri.-banc, in a new farcical comedy, "The Amazon, 1 ' wiibten by Air DArcy Stanstield. The "Argus '' says the piece was a great success. A young Irish comedian named Scan Jan, who" has" recently been playing in San j Francisco, is spoken of as one of the most amusing actors of the pi esenb day in his particular lino. , Frank Clarks new Ameiicin Vaiiefcy i Company have made a. big hit at the Opera, House, Melbourne. Claik wa^ lined the other week for overcrowding the building. How Liddy's mouth would water at thtpossibility of such a prosecution against him in Auckland ! ' A dramatised edition of Mr Rider ] laggard's " She" is in course of prepara tion by Mr Edward Ross. It is undoi stood that the pioduction will be accompanied by effects of a novel description, tendered necessary by the unusual chauictcr of the story. Martin Simonsen's Italian Ope 1 , a season i> now drawing to a clo^e at the Theatre Royal, Melbourne, but it is understood that a series of performances will be ghen at the Alexandra Theatre, when an Italian version of Wallace's "Maritana''und Alfted I'lumpton's new Italian opera, "I Due Studenti," will be pioduced. A three-act comic opera has being di>eoAored among Weber's manuscript-'. Konellmeister Mahler leeched the oider to thoroughly complete it, and after the iust act was heard at Leipzig by the musical authorities the opera was placed fin performance among the ncv cities of the next season at Leipzig. Mit-s Louise Pa-\enpoit did not long remain a widow. An American paper infoims me that " Mrs Mamie L. Sheridan, the widow of the late William E. Sherid m, who died a few months ago in Australia, ha? been married to Mr Robert C. Hudson, of the firm of Hudson and O'Xeil, manager-, of Mr Frederick B. Waide, the tragedian.'' Such is life. The Holts arc said to have secured the Australian rights of the latest Drury Lane production, " Jr*leas>urc," which came out on September 3rd. The hero is an undergraduate, strong in athletics but rather weak morally. The first portion of the play parses at Ox foul, and includes a collegian's wine party, giving a capital picture of University life. Later the action of the piece takes the spectators to the Riviera, wheie occui lifelike rcpioductions of the "Battle of Floweis" of a marked ball, and an impressive and thrilling episode in this year's Rivieia eaithquake. English playgoers are promised a theatrical novelty shortly in the shape o.f a company of Chinese comedians, some eighty strong, who purpose ghing a series of dramatic representations such as are popular in the Celestial Land. Their repertory will include selections from the classic writers of Vu-En Dynasty, the golden age of the Chinese drama, as well as specimens of the lighter work, comedies of intrigue and farce produced by the playwrights of the modern schooK And if the arrangement be carried out, as no doubt it will, the " outer barbarians '' will have at length an opportunity of learning the truth about Chinese plays and playeis. Bland Holt and Co. are doing well in Cli riot chin els. Ot iha Holt the "Vi e?& ' sa\> :—": — " Mis Holt is but a young girl, and .^ives evidence of developing into a liisfcclass actiess of emotional parts. Her elocution is sliffhtly defective at times, and her voice a little untrained, but these small faults time and study will obliterate. She possesses plenty of drama tic ability and unusual personal advantages. Her fine, clearcut, handsome face is open and intellectual, her eyes large and dark, and her figure &light, graceful, and supple. Her gestured are always appropiiate. In the most emotional scenes she never exaggerates and never fails below what one would expect from a woman under the circum stance? which impel her actv ns. Her diamatic taste is true and unerring. She rose to every crisis (in ' Alone in London '), and never once overstepped the bounds between dramatic power and lanting ; never even showed the slightest tendency to do so or the smallest inclinations to ' pile on the agony,' a& an actress with less true dramatic taste would have done. Her representation of the &oj tow-&fcricken, heartbroken Nan was all the more real on account ot its subdued intensity, and its lack of anything approaching the maudlin. The delineation was throughout, thoroughly real and natuial." The other member s of Bland Holt's Company are, Misses Ida Herbert, Montie, Frederics, Mabel Tracey, Mrs Walter Hill, Messrs Walter Howe, Frank Gates, Augustus Glover, G. R. Ireland, W. H. Seagrave, J. Wiseman, Arthur G. Poulfcon, and Harry Norman. The following extract is from an Ameiican paper, and must probably be taken cum rjrano f ib : — " Most everyone, at .some time or other, ha« obsencd the peculiar purr of a cat. R. W. Scott, of Bishop's Creek, is the proud possessor of a cat that is an artist in this respect, as it more than \ purrs— it sings. This may appear too strange for belief : but, in the face of the fact that of our most prominent citizens all gentlemen of undoubted veracity, vouch fot the truthfulness of the story, it must be belie\ecl. Mr Scotb has in his establishment a very fine music ,box, and the cat has been noticed listening to its strains for hours at a time. One evening, recently, the feline prima donna poured forth, in a rich and clear contralto, the melody of the Grand Duchess. To say that the owner was astonished would be putting it mildly. He immediately called in .several of his neighbours to listen to the wonder, but it was love's labour lost, for the music stopped. A few evenings later she again poured forth her liquid notes, this time rendering, in fine style, ' Listen to the Mocking Bird.' Several gentlemen, fortunately, were piesent, and listened with surprise and delight to po-haps the greatest wonder of the age. Many times during the past week the song-cat has tuned herself to the sweetest melody, and each time to the delight of the interested hearers. Her owner is justly proud of her, and, of course, values her highly. He is endeavouring to train her to sinjr whatever he desires, and if .successful wiTl probably vitit the principal places of the coast. "

Visitor : " And how is the baby to-day, Flossie ?" Flossie : " Mamma says she is a little better." Vifeitor : "Not very much, though?" Flossie: "No; but, you know, she ain't be very much better because bhe is such a little bit of a baby."