Theatrical Notes.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13811, 23 January 1909, Page 1 (Supplement)

Theatrical Notes.

The bookings at the Theatre Royal, I'imaru, are as follows:-'- '.. ; January 27th. and '2Sth—Anderson/b Dramatic Company. ' ;i - - February Ist—J.C Williamson:" '. li'obruary 2nd—Edward Branscombe.

The Now .York. Board of Aldermon

had a visit from Harry Liiudeit, whb, in full Highland dross and escorted by five kilted bagpipers, was received" with due. honours.. As. the party marched in to the music of the "pipes <the busihe'fss of the Board.was stopped,iand-the'Pre-sidont invited Lauder to a chrtir beside him. . .The comedian- Wasto the aldermen, who vociferously, demanded a. song. -Lander-sa'id:' "It's no Scottish song ye: understand'heW; you're all Irish. i. I'll give ye'i an'-'lrish tune." He then sang about an *djjpatriatcd, homesick Irishman .' longihg for home, and made a'big hit. -Hafay Lauder was also privately received--by the Mayor of New York. .•. • . • :'*.<

: Madame. Blanche who New Zealand a :cqupl9".of> years, ago, has achieved jin triumph'.-in San- Francisco. 'All ,£lie newspapers speak of her in the most glowiug terirffe'. The San Krancisco' 'Cal 'I describes Madame Arral as a "discovery destinedigj duplicate , the wonderful success, atta'jfted by Tetrazzini after this city placid the laurels of its approval oh> the brow of the then Unknown songstress." Th'o Pacific Coast ' Musical Review ' is eyqn more eulogistic in. hailing, the Belgian artist as "the only colpratura scpra'np who majr justly be considered the legitimate successor to Patti an.d ' Serribrich." Other newspapers ate equally generous in praise, and Madame Arrfil is evidently on the threshold, of a brilliant career in the United States.,';,.,

The Earl of Shaftesbury, who refused to sing on the American concert platform even when tempted, with an offer of £IOOO for each of. twenty guaranteed appearances, recently gave his services at a concert by. the People s Concert Society in the Northern Polytechnic', Institute, Islington.. The Earl; sang,the recitative . and aria '. Ye People : Rend your Hearts,' and 'lf* with ;all your Hearts,' from . Mendelssohn's ■. '.Elijah;' and three songs —Goring, Thomas's ' Song of Sunshine,' an Irish folksong, ''The" Little Eed Lark,' and IMx's ' Trumpeter.' He was accompanied on the' piano' by his sister, La'dylMildreU Allsopp. "."■.'.'■:' ' ;■''

• Miss' Terry in her ! book says that during the many years she played Portia she. seldom found a. Bassan.io to ( • her mind. As for Mr Barnes's acting '.of the part, she criticised it as •'• simply overwhelming- in its gentility,?' -though " in the love scenes he' appeared to og taking orders for ' furniture." Miss Terry told of a joke'she and-her sister Florence once played this.dignified Bassanio by substituting two almond rings for the'real rings. ' Not so, retort's Mr Barnes in the 'Stage.' "I was handed,' not a ring, nor an almond ring, but. -asmall india-rubber ball with- a ' hole in it, and fdled with water, which, before J realised what it was, had;ejected a considerable stream of waiter all down a very light gi;ey silk .costume provid-. Ed by the. management, compelling me, to change completely the • rehearsed ' business'. of the scene by playing the end of the play with, my back, to the audience." .... i

The attention of the audience at'the< Cambridge Theatre, London, one night recently was about fairly divided between '"The Merry Widow" on the stage and an equally, entrancing divinity who occupied box C. With the latter lady were three devoted -under- , graduates; It is, by.'the way, one of the 1 rules of the theatre that undeigraduafces shall not charter a box unless-they-are accompanied' hy-.,a. ; ,lady. -No one' knew who-' the mysterious. ;beauty, ,wa's, though one or two ' Varsity men in the house thought she romindecr them dimly, of someone. Her three cavaliers, plied her incessantly , witlv chocolates, and compliments, and every man present wished he had half their luck. And no wonder..-" The lady was voung and handsome, and spirited'. She was superbly gowned in. white satin, shimmering with; sequins, and lief: glorious hair was dressed in the nio&t fascinating " Merry Widow " style. She; had a most agreeable smile, ■ and the quantities of chocolate that she con-, sumed indicated a very' healthy appe/. tite. At least a score of the audiencecompletely lost their hearts'to-her. One; or'two cavillers said her hands were largo, but they were indignantly silenc-' cd And then the sad 'truth, leaked, out. Both theatre officials and'audi-, once had been duped. The " lady. . was an undergraduate, and the beautiful head of hair was the work of-a-fa-r moiis London costumier —'who came/ down himself to conduct the final "touching up" and took-the wig ba<:k with him. ___-__„»„ f