THE CRITIC

Observer, Volume 1, Issue 20, 29 January 1881, Page 199

THE CRITIC

The great musical event of the week has, of course, been Henri Ketten's appearance at the Theatre. lam not sufficient of a musician to be able to pronounce a decisive opinion myself, but if the raptures of the cor/noscetUl are to go for anything, then Ketten must he indeed a wonder. The mistake of his recitals (from a pecuniary point of view) is that there are not a great many real music-maniacs in Auckland and that two hours of piano playing is rather much for ordinary mortals. It would have payed Ketten well to have engaged a concert party to support him. After all, he would never get an audience to listen to him alone for two hours in any European city, and why he should expect it here I can't think. Vandals, Goths, and Philistines make up the sum total of colonial society. The death of Mr. E. A. Sothern, which was announced by cable last Monday, Avill have created but little surprise. The deceased had been in a very delicate state of health for some time past, and, those who knew him best, scarcely expected he would recover. From the time Sothern first appeared in " Our American Cousin," and created the role of Lord Dundreary, he lived very hard, enjoying life thoroughly and draining the cup of pleasure to the dregs. The great comedian Avas a Liverpudlian by birth, and served an apprenticeship m a merchant's office. The desk, however,, didn't suit him, and he took to amateur theatricals, which eventually led to the stage. His first appearance at any theatre (in the capacity of a professional) was at Jersey, where he played a small part in "Raising the Wind." After drifting about the provinces for some time, unknown and unnoticed, Sothern went to America and had the impudence to try and "star " as Dr. Pangloss in the "Heir-at-Law." This was a failure, and the young actor then passed on to New York, where he became a member of the company at Wallack's, and afterwards at Laura Keene's Theatre. It was at this latter house, on the 12th of May, 1858, that the seal was set on his reputation, and he at one bound leapt into the foremost rank of light comedians. The piece, "Our American Cousin,"

was written for a popular Yankee actor, who, it was thought, would make a hit in the part of Asa Irenchard. Sothern, a junior member of the company, the manager cast tor Lord Dundreary—a role of perhaps twenty sentences altogether. Feeling vexed at having to do. for such a wretched character, the young man determined to convert the English nobleman into a burlesque, and got himself up as extravagantly as possible. Going on to the stage he tripped over a footstool, and thus commenced the absurd limp henceforth to be unalterably identified with Lord Dundreary. As the piece progressed, Southern heard the shouts of laughter, and began to realise that he was the cause. This nerved him to additional efforts, and, when the curtain fell, the success of the piece was assured. Sothern now asked permission to amplify the, part as he felt inclined, and m a few months Lord Dundreary, as we now know him, was a creation. The actor played the part in America from 1858 to November, 1861, when he made his first appearance m London at the Haymarket, where "Our American Cousin " ran till March, 1863. On the 30th of April in that year, Sothern produced Robertson's "David Garrick," and caused an immense sensation by his acting in the title role. Lytton Sothern, you may remember, attempted the part here, but his representation seemed feeble and colourless, when compared with his father's- I think David Garrick was bothern s greatest part. The other roles which he made emphatically his own were— Frank Annerly m "A Favourite of Fortune," Colonel John White in "Home," the Marquis de Tourville in "A Hero of Komance," and Fitzalta mont m The Crushed Tragedian. " The latter was the last part he ever played. Sothern, besides being a most amusing actor, was a perfect boon companion. No one could tell a piquant story better, or give the "retort courteous " more effectively. I remember meeting him at the Palatine Club in Liverpool after a performance of "David Garrick" at the Alexandra Theatre. Some gentlemen friends had asked him to supper, and he repaid them for their hospitality by keeping the table in roars of laughter. The Duke of Beaufort was one of Sothern's most intimate friends j in fact, they went fishing together for several summers in America. Sothern will be much missed, not only by the profession, but by his private friends, whose name all over the world was legion.

— Cliiarini wiil visit New Zealand this year. —Mrs. J. B. Steele has heen acting with Herr Bandmanu in Duuedin. —Atlelina Patti's reputation has commenced to wane, so we may see iter iv the colonies shortly. —The Graphic will publish Besant and Rice's new story, " The Chaplain of the Fleet." —Cole's circus in New Zealand cleared £6,000 after deducting expenses. — The houses during the Bernhardt season in New York averaged £2000 a-nighfc. — The Salsbury Troubadours are back in America, and were playing at Baltimore to poor houses when last heard of. — Chas. H. Hicks, erstwhile manager of the Georgia Minstrels, who went to 'Frisco by a recent mail steamer, has been engaged to act in a similar capacity tor the Italian tragedian, Salvini. —James, Pay n's "A Confidential Agent" wtis the most popular novel of the autumn season at home. —The Marchioness of Lome lias written and published a pianoforte piece entitled "The Doctor's Galop. ' On the title-page the Royal composer figures ns " Louise Campbell." —A Parisian impressario recently took with him to Brussels a theatre all ready constructed and ingeniously packed iv boxes, comprising lustres and seats which can be put together and taken asunder in fortveight hours. J —Miss Christian, who vent to Sydney to rest during the vacation, devotes every morning to eivintr singing lessons, for which she has any number of applications. — R. S. Smythe is still in Sydney, nominally resting, probably scheming. He wrote to the Melbourne Build in requesting that journal to contradict a statement in a previous number, that he is not a handsome man. —Mr. Irving will play the King, and Miss Ellen Terry the Priestess, in Tennyson's new drama Ihe nnal scene takes place in a temple in Asia Minor when the Priestess poisons the King. * — "Michel Strogoff," she spectacular drama recently put upon the stage at the Chatelet, in Paris has cost over £18,000 to produce, and the nightly expenses are £300. As the house only " holds " &150, it is obvious that the piece must rim for over a year if it is to be a profitable speculation. — Augustin Daly, the New York manager, has imported a strange novelty from Judea iv the sfiape of five Fautck girls, two jugglers, and three snake charmers. They appear in a drama called " Nisida." —"There was once a young gentleman who made himself notorious under the name of Ernest Boulton. He is now (says ' Carados,' in the Referee) known as Ernest Byne. He and his brother call themselves the 'Wonderful Bynes.' They give entertainments about the country, Ernest still preferring to go in for female impersonations." — The prolificautkorof "Our Boys" has written for Toole, the famous low comedian, a screaming farce called "The Light Fantastic," in which the latter enacts tne part of a dancing master— all postures, pumps, and i lrfc l rout - Kis said *o be very f uniij, and would I should think, suit Lingard down to the ground. —A new sixpenny magazine, the Burlington, edited by Helen Mathers, was published on December 14. It contains the first part of a new novel, entitled " Story of a Sin," by the author of " Comin' tkro' the Eye, and many other interesting contributions. —The good people of Hull (England) have been showing their appreciation of true merit by attending m crowds to do honour to Jean Luie ("the periurer in the Tiehborne case, who has just been releaspcH at the Mechanics' Music Hall. A local critic saysit was a general question whether the martyr's orations or Ms expectorations, were the better rendered. —Says the N. Y. Dramatic News:~D Dalziel is at it again. On Tuesday morning two officers appeared at the West End Hotel, Philadelphia, to arrest him for • swindling his company out of two weeks salary but lie had fled tdready. The company's baggage is held at the Atlantic Hotel for a fortnight's board? Prior to running away from town, Dalziel paid a part of his hotel bill m money, and gave a Chicago draft for the'balance. The draff is supposed to be fraudulent. The young girl whose father gave Dalziel the money to start the prfsfnt company with, was left unprovided for like the rest Dalziel is supposed to have gone to Chicago to eet money, but sorry will be the man who trusts ffim Dalziel s later occupation has been the utterance of falso. checks, and his proper place is the State Prison Daf ziel is the husband of "Dickie "Lingard.

The Parisians have been wondering where Sara Bernhardt's dog, a precious little cur, in which his mistress is supposed to take a great deal of interest, las got to. It is now said that Mdlle. was busily painting one day, and in her study, were only herself, iier model and her dog. The little animal commenced to ■whine. Sara raved at him vehemently, hut to no effect, whereupon she beat him severely, but still £c kept up Ws annoying whine. The passionate actress was then so enraged that she dropped her brush, seized theronfortunate pup by the neck, and thrust him into the redliot fixe in her large stove and closed the door, and quietly resumed her work, as composedly as though she had burned a stick of wood instead of a living creature — "Where is the Cat," the new piece produced at the Criterion Theatre, London, in succession to "Betsy," is described as even more uproariously, noisyfbustling, laughter moving, and delightfully imProper than iven "Pink Douiraos" or "The Great Divorce Case." Vanitu Fair sap: "The piece has no story ; it is a tangled skein that would take volumes to travel ; there is a plot at the bottom of it all, but who cares for the plot when one can laugh at the odd situations and extraordinary dialogue ? Are not the most sacred situations of life made mock of? Do not wives . and husbands shock Mrs. John Wood's sense of pro■priety ? Note, I pray you, her sense of hurt propriety In this one passage-a random memory—a young woman in the play remarks that she does not know 'whether she is standing on her head or her heels ' (a bewilderment shared by the audience); and, with indignant dance and rising colour, Mrs. John Wood severely observes, ' That is a position no decent woman should ever have a doubt about !' " —Creswick broke down in " Virginius," at the Surrey Theatre, London, and had to give up acting for several nights. After that he was brought out as Kins Lear, which the manager mounted with praiseworth completeness. Mr. Creswick was heavily handicapped by his hoarseness, but he acted well on the first nieht. As a specimen of that British love of fair play, of which we are so often boastful, I may mention an incident which occurred the first night. Notlikmgthe way in which Creswick declaimed his lines at the end of the first act, a pitite hissed loudly, and King Lear, evidently annoyed and confused, finished his declamation m great laste and with much mental perturbation. The act drop descended, and then Creswick came before the curtain to address the audience. " Ladies and gentlemen said he, " I cannot possibly proceed with the play until that ruffian has beon removed." Thereupon each stalwart son of Great Britain arose in his might, and bounced "that ruffian" very quickly. The fellow protested his his right to hiss if the performance displeased him ; but the audience, for the time being, differed with him, and out he went, " collar and elbow fashion," as they say over at Birmingham. The man was soon avenged, however for the very next evening Creswick had to give up entirely, and the curtain was rung down on an imconipleted performance. —The following incident of Bernhardt's arrival in America is told by the New York World :—" The greater portion of the "Amerique's" passengers had either not begun or had finished their breakfasts. The saloon was nearly deserted. There was, however, on the for side of the room, seated entirely alone at table, an elderly lady dressed in deep mourning. She wore a plain, bombazine dress ; a crape veil, faded and shabby, through long use, was thrown back from her pale, wrinkled face. She had finished her breakfast before Mdlle Bernhardt's admirers entered the saloon. As sue rose to leave, the baud, with a flare of trumpets and the rat-a-tat of snare drums, filed in. Quite dazed and bewildered by the din and confusion, she paused and stood her hand resting upon the back of the seat from ■which she had risen. A moment later the crimson curtain was drawn aside, and MdUe. Bernhardt, enveloped in sealskin and smiles, stood in the dorway of the saloon. Forty champagne glasses were instantly lifted up over the heads of as many persons, and the baud blew ltselt quite red in the faba in a struggle with the btar-Spano-led Banner." Seeing a quiet way of escape open to her, the little elderly lady in black— Mrs. Abraham Lincoln— went out of one door as Mile. Bernhardt, loosening the sealskin robe which extended to her feet, and decking her face in fresh smiles, entered at tne other.