THE CRITIC

Observer, Volume 1, Issue 14, 18 December 1880, Page 123

THE CRITIC

The Hill-Burford Company has disbanded. I T. T. Kennedy has joined Clara Stephenson's West Coast Company. Grattan Riggs's engagement, at Christchxirch, lias been a success. He is coming up here. The late Wm. Lyster was an officer in the army. Williamson's law exjsenses, in connection with " Pinafore " suit, amount to over £1000. Teddy Righton, one of the funniest of English low comedians, will visit the colonies shortly. Signor Giorza lias written several masses which are great favourites at the principal Catholic clmrclies in Melbourne and other parts of Australia. That fearf idlest of "frosts," Jane Coombs," was at last advices playing to poor houses at Ravenna, Ohio. According to the Melbourne Bulletin Louise Poxueroy's wardrobe and diamonds are valued at £5000 ! (Bunlnun !) The Williamson's produce "The Pirates of Penzance " in Melbourne, at Christmas, on a grand scale. Hill, lima de Murska's husband, Avho used to call himself Strauss Ilia, is now styled Hillier, leads the band at the Strand Theatre, London. I M. Henri Kowalski's concerts are a great success at the Melbourne Exhibition. His new valsc, j " Les Belles des Melbourne " is quite the rage. He appears in Sydney shortly. Madame Carandini was assisted at her benefit in Hobart Town by Mr. Fred. Jolly, a young basso of great merit, who fairly took the palm from the Com- I pany's own prof undo. Signor Gayarre, the Spanish tenor, so popular in London, was in youth a blacksmith at Papeluna. He is a homely man with a beautiful voice. For the season at Covent Garden he Rets JE2.500. There ore no great men who were not originally blacksmiths. Some mendacious scamp has been spreading ill-natured stories about Charlie Weightman in Sydney, and, as they are calculated to cause " words " between himself and bis wife, he wishes them denied. During his stay in Auckland, Charlie was.a perfect Joseph. i Dick Stewart and his daughters do not appear to have met with the approbation of the American press. One journal cruelly says: "We wish them all the good fortune in the world, with the single proviso of never seeing them again." The London Musical World speaks of the advantage of the use of gold in the construction of musical instruments. Nothing equals it, if combined with copper or silver, for ductility and power of vibration. An experiment was made in the use of gold wire for the strings of the piano, with marked results. The wonderful pianist, Ketten, is now playing to crowded houses in the Garrison Hall, Dtwedin. The performances are simply marvellous, and though unassisted by vocal or other instrumental talent, no one ever complains that the entertainment is at all monotonous. The many friends in Auckland of Madame Camilla Urso may possibly he glad to hear something of her movements. She intends spending this winter in New York, and is about to enter the concert field there once more, having given up her contemplated trip to Cuba. Mr. Walter Reynolds writes : "I am glad to tell you I have arranged for the appearance of Herr Bandmann, the tragedian, and Miss Beaudet, the celebrated tragedienne and comedienne in all New Zealand towns. Commencing Invercorgill at Christmas, supported by myself and first-class new Company." The friends of tlie "legitimate" will regret to hear that Herr Bandmann is slightly indisposed. It seemed he strained hiinslf trying to draw a house to see the noble Dane " strut his brief hour," and then wash off and skip round to count the ticket money. It was rather a strange accident, too, because Herr Bandmann is a strong man, and it was quite a little house. "Avay! Oi em nodt in der vein to-day." That's Hamlet—in Deutsch. The Great Zitella (now toned down to Miss Zitella), with Miss Lottie Elliot and Miss Carrie Armstrong, and Messrs. John Gilbert, Cummings, and Harington, all well known in Australia, when members of Monsieur Simonsen's " Froliqucs " Company, were (Sept. 18) performing nightly at the Bella Union Theatre, where also was engaged Miss Fanny Young (Mrs. G. W. Daniels), an actress well known and appreciated a full generation ago. Mrs. Lingard took her benefit at the Princess' Theatre, the 26th November, and I am pleased to notice that her ability was recognised and her popularity demonstrated by the presence of a large audience. The piece produced was the New Magdalen, and it is no formal compliment to say that she appeared, to advantage in it. Her pourtrayal of Mercy Merrick was admirable, and the drama was successfully presented, although Mr. Lingard had not a congenial part in Julian Gray. At the time the mail left 'Frisco, the Melville Opera Company was doing royally at Portland, Oregon. The News Letter says : " The prima donna, Miss Emelie Melville, has won all hearts by her brilliant singing and admirable acting. Her advent on the mimic scene is the signal for outbursts of uproarious applause, and each of her songs is encored vehemently. In the ' Royal Middy ' she creates a perfect furore by her arch manner and fun." Signor C. Moiiey has succeeded, with a company of amateurs, in producing, at the Queen's Theatre, Dunedin, the opera Lucrezia Borgia, and the opera was by no means badly performed. It was anticipated that Mr. Morley would find some difficulty in inducing a lady, who was only an amateur vocalist, to dress the part of Orsini. Several declined (so I am informed), but a handsome yoimg lady, Miss L. Marion, and not only dressed as a professional would, but played and sang almost as well. Rumour hath it that Signor Morley and Miss Marion are engaged to be married, and that this was the only condition upon which a lady could be induced to take the part. The Signor is not a man to stick at trifles when he means to place an opera on the boards. Mr. Garnet Walch tells the following story re the French company who have been playing at the Novelty Theatre, Melbourne. He says : "At the Novelty Theatre, the French Comedy Company are delightitg the ' paraquetto/ pleasing the ' stalls,' beautifying the 'balcony/ and utterly bewildering the ' pit.' I shall never forget the series of expressions on the face of a worthy seaman who strolled leisurely into the lastnamed part of the house the other evening, quietly awaited the rising of the curtain, listened more and more attentively to each fresh sentence uttered by the performers, shook his head, leaned forward and listened again most intensely, and finally made his way hurriedly out, exclaiming—' Well, I'm d d,' and, palpably pinching himself, to prove whether after all it might not be either a dream or the commencement of delirium tremens." An original comic opera, "The Wreck of the Pinafore," was produced at the Princess' Theatre by the Lingord's on tho 30th of November. The libretto has been written by Mr. Horace Lingard and the music by Mr. L. Searrel. The argument is stated thus :— " The opera commences where 'Pinafore' concludes. The whole party after the engagements of Josephine and

Ralph, Buttercup and the Captain, ancl Hebe and the AUunral, start for a pleasure cruise in the ' Pinafore ' ?tt°™S being- married. The first act opens with H.M.S. Pinafore m full sail. When the three eneaeed couples grow to know each other more intimately, they find themselves (as would be naturally the case) wholly unsmted ; Jesephine sees in Ralph not what she had expected, and begins to look on Sir Joseph Porter with a favouring eye. Captain Corcoran cannot close his eyes to the vulgarity of Buttercup ; while Hebe is wildly jealous of the Admiral's attentions to Josephine While ail ot them are playing at cross-purposea, the ship suddenly strikes a rock, and Ralph displays so much cowardice on this occasion that Josephine finally determines to give him up and give her heart to the Admiral Everybody is saved from the wreck, and the second act opens on a desert island, where the boats of the ship have landed them. Hebe catches Josephine and the Admiral plighting their troth to each other, and the Captain repudiates his engagement to Buttercup, asking Hebe to marry him. When Buttercup finds her cause witli the Captain hopeless, she confesses that the story she told in ' Pinafore ' of her having changed Ralph and Corcoran at birth was n fabrication, and tells the real truth, that Ralph is her own son, and that Captain Corcoran is »i reality Captain Corcoran of the Royal Navy. A ship heaves in sight, and all the dramatis personal are rescued ; Josephine having given her heart to the Admiral, Hebe being betrothed to the Captain, and Buttercup, consoling herself with her now acknowledged son Ralph, marries the boatswain."