Theatrical Notes.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13974, 7 August 1909, Page 4 (Supplement)

Theatrical Notes.

theatre BOOKINGS. Permanent —Sherwood's Modern Pictures. August 27 —Williamson s. Scptembere 14, 15, 21, 22, 23 Allan Hamilton (pencilled). October 9, 11, 52 —Williamson. October 25, 26, 27, 28—The Operatic Society.

Miss Hettie Evans, a contralto, who is on a holiday visit to Australia, has been engaged by Mr Harold Carr for a tour of South Africa with his forthcoming concert company. Miss Evans came to Australia for the benefit of her health, and has visited New Zealand, where she says she heard some magnificent voices. Mr Caxr's company leaves by the s.s. Perthshire on the 28th July.

Major Peixottoj of the National Guard, California, who, with forty members of -the Columbia Park Club of that city, is giving entertainments in, Australia, seems to be a kind of American Dr Barnado, having devoted his life to the upbringing of the city boys. Oyer "four thousand boys have passed through the" blab in fifteen years. The boys are taught to play musical instruments and work at technical trades..

Mr Harry Roberts is looked upon as among the -cleverest"of Australian-born actors. He evidently inherited his histrionic talent from his parents, his father having been a prominent actor in the sixties. A native of New Zealand, Mr Roberts gained most of his early stage experience in a company headed by Mr William G. Holloway and Miss Essie Jenyns. Mr Roberts was subsequently associated with that clever English actor Mr Harry St. ,Maur and with the Bland Holt Company.

It is probable the next J. C. Williamson pantomime ■vriH introduce to Australians Pried and Prevost, who were with Hayroan and Franklin in Austra T lia. The former separated last December, and the comedian has a new partner in England, who is said to be a marvellous tumbler. " A letter received from London, states- they have signed witK Mr J. C. Williamson to pome to Australia in November for the pantomime, and that the engagement is for air months. ■' " i -

> Emily NiehoHs, . who played Lady Saedale in. "The Tjlag Lieutenant" at Sydney is the ■mother- of that clever ■ - joiinp • actor. Mi* - Cyril Mackav, and the ■widow of Wallace Mackav. the ori- ' exnal "Captious Critic" of "The Snort- - int* and Dramatic." London. "Wallace Mnickay- was a velk-fcnown journalistic figure in London, joining with a witty . uen'a gift for drawing effective enrfc-i- -- turps. Emily Nicholls was a prominent - bnrlescfue artist at: Drnry - Lane, where her brother, Harry Nicholls. was for years lion conrioue r -.and i« gbH a roir.- , edian of consequence, in London..

. When Mr Douglass, whose clever T>nrlesau«»*stndies : .are- a- feature at the Srdney.TivpTL was nroducing / pnntomimo !>t the- Court Theatre, T ivjfiKrtl e»»ly this Tear, he received many ap riHcations;for< enpacements, son:e of - them beinp- distinctly humorous. on<* •tfaur ■• struck . voumr woman wr »t-» n - fr't.Trmtr, account of- her ability. _ ro I 1 " rliifhnsr hv saying "I »m -cxr"Miiiny VfT^atT"; in fact, I f.n ta'*o • -iff anyHiTjie!" Mr- T»ouef «ss savs he ijrvfcr Ninld d«>eide if she w-v a in'tiiic ,»r. a Salome: Anoth'.r r" as follows: —"D :nr _ K i r - 1 like-an ensaeswit--wr>li v «-" +hl«.ye*r.: lan no novice. • T. twl°'l on io the grand -xocession, b?'+ un Fortunately no one saw me s»s the stage t. f i aeer insisted on n .i wpwin/ nrit/ir •lo cover.my figu«,- and Pia-?o in? tnrry. ■a banner .to fide my fsoc."

Afwg E&el Smith enjoys the deKehtfnl position of "being the only English-woman-'who has ■ composed a grand, opera, a. work of art quite distinct from a. light-opera, ■an operetta, or a . musical' comedy. .This composition, en-- '*• titled "The -Wreckers,?'. which waa produced in-_ England at His Majesty s ■ Theatre on. June- Zlsfc, has had a cnr- ' ions career. .The libretto, which deals ; with an old Cornish romance, wf* on"-/ inallywritten .in-French by Mile.. H. B. -Le Forester. Then it was trans- ■ lated into German* and raider the title r* "StranHrecht" the onera was produced by" Herr Arthur NiMsch" at Leipeic ia 1906: Herr Gnstave MaWer also consented to stage it at Vienna, hnt while the preparations for its perform-. ance were in. progress he resipjicd, and, - hfe successor there, -Herr Felix vvemgartner, declined to proceed further. Miss Snrith then offered her composi - tiott to the Grand Opera. Syndicate at Covent " Garden, hnt the direrfors thongE appreciating the work, confess-. ; that there was no: chance of ltsiproduction for the reason: "It is enoueh to announce a new.- opera hy a new composer to secure an absolutely house, and in future no opera will be nrodnced here th*t has not estahhshed its success abroad- are not Justified in embarking on expeditions into a terra incognita at . the expense of OTir ■ shareholders." . /This brave Enelishwoman, however, was not dismayed by this reply. On the contrary. In order that the T-nndon onWic mieh* l">ar a oortion of the work die organised a concert performance, which took p*c« in May of last year at OneenbJWl lender the direction of Herr Nikisch; The selections then altlioajrli s«ng in German. aron«=ed the interest •«f amateurs in Wreckers," .manv heinu surprised that this* gifted, though • - l-aidlv iwognised, Is dy had such power . « F lEventicH 1 •

' A scene of ftreat and heautv TT,ark«L close of the perfonnance of the EneKsh fCtarclt Pageant m the PTonnds of Fnlham Palace, on Jnne I 9&. Bott- performances aH°rnoon and evening drew crowds of/000 rwople. In the evenms the last scorns of all —it® acqnittal of the ven . ®, l.ops—was presented in a roostfashion, and when the Worapre liad cheered the Bishops _imta all Fnlham might have heard the aecl. nation the- audience witli them ?n an rendfof the Hundredth Psalm. i" the vast roofless cathedral tto JP a rT ™nt Sonnd the the srmj old hymn were heard with wonderful effect W the "Amen" Bad no sooner rolled away into silence than a was sung hy the same immense congre"ati<TandVith a very stribng :accompaniment. Gronps representing eigb for the propaeahon of the GOS- - So^ SSSSS3a gronps of Perf?rmers -h^^ their t:«fe S& tfSi 3% B o £ several h ymns helo in ages past, a Mil . n tolling—it was th j process ; o n Y immediately .the "orchbearers in the the^ L n n 6 e?s accomplish-

Ed with fine dramatic abruptness, and brought fortli a great cheer* from the audience.