FOOTLIGHT FLASHES.

Observer, Volume 4, Issue 98, 29 July 1882, Page 308

FOOTLIGHT FLASHES.

■ ■ — -o— — The Lynch Family of bell-ringers are to appear in Adelaide on August 8. — The Burdette-Howe Dramatic Company is announced to open in the Theatre Royal, Napier, on the 26th prox. — The route of the Pomeroy Company now forming in Melbourne will be Queensland, India and the Cape of Good Hope, after which Miss Pomeroy herself will visit England. ■ — -Wo hear with pleasure that Mr Thompson has kindly tendered Lieut. Herman a benefit to take place next Friday, the 4th August, aud as Lieut. Herman has made himself a general favourite with the public tbere is not the slightest doubt he will have a good bouse. — Signor Majeroni passed through in the Mail boat on Sunday. We are sorry to hear that he has been compelled to relinquish the stage owing to the loss of his voice. The Signor is now business manager for Mr and Mra Polk, who were also passengers by the same steamer. — Bland Holt's " World" has now entered upon its second week in Dunedin and is still drawing good houses, and it will be succeeded by Mr Holt's latest London novelty " New Babylon." The busiuess done by Mr Holt with the "World" has equalled that of " Patieuco," and Auckland will be favoured in a little while by the performance of the "World" and "New Babylon." — Our Sydney correspondent writes, under date July 20th :—" Youth," with Rignold at the Royal, has drawn on the average £200 a night. " Jeames" (Marshall) is to bo withdrawn to-morrow night to make way for " Blow for Blow" and " Betsy." The company opens for four nights at the Bijeu, Melbourne, on August sth with " Mother-in-law." % "Patience" is a failure in Melbourne. Grattan Riggs, who has been playing in Adelaide, opened to ..ISO. — Mr and Mrs Lachlan McGowan's benefit at the Theatre Royal on Tuesday evening was but indifferently patronised. The entertainment, which took the form of a concert and comedy recitals, was well received throughout. The boneficiara appeared in an amusing sketch, entitled, " Uncle's Will," and in a scene from "Rob Roy," Mr McGowan's assumption of the Scotch Bailie in the latter being remarkably good. The other portion of the programme was of a musical nature and received ample justice at the hands of Mrs Revitt, Misses Sampson and Hargreaves, and Messrs Gordon Gooch, Hood, Kohler, Edmiston, Hydes, and the Hobson band. — Thompson's Colossal Diorama bf the Zulu War has been crowded nightly during the past week, and the interest in the show is maintained. The matinee on Saturday attracted a full house, and every child received a present. Mrs Forbes, of Onehunga, was the recipient of the handsome suite of drawing-room furniture. On Monday evening a similar gift fell to the lot- of Mrs Smith, of Chapel-street, and 70 other useful and substantial prizes were distributed. On Tuesday night Mrs Finlay, of Durham-street, received another very handsome suite of furniture, and on the following evening a magnificent piano, valued at fifty guineas, fell to the lot of Bliss Robinson, of Hardinge-street. The diorama will be on view dnring next week, and each evening a large number of. prizes will be given away. This (Friday) evening a fine oil painting, valued at ten guineas, will be given for the best' conundrum oh "The Zulu War."

— Kohler's Waxworks Exhibition has heen ors view during the past week, and the interest in this veryfine collection of life-like figures has not only been maintained, but has increased daily. On Snturday there was: a matinee, when the exhibition was visited by thousands of children, each of whom received a handsome 'and; substantial present. During the day the Waxworks were patronised by between '6000 and 7000 adults, and amongst other presents a very beautiful chest of drawers fell to the lot of Miss C. Rayne, of Pitt-s.treet. Theconcert in the evening was really a first-class entertainment, and was much enjoyed by a crowded audience. The orchestra consisted of Mr R. "W. Kohler, flageolet, Mr J. Hohler,lst cornet, Mr McComish, 2nd cornet,. Mr W. Hydes, piano, Mr Hitchcock, violin, Mr O'Bern, clarionet, and Mi- Simpson bass. They rendered with fine eifect many very beautiful operatic selectionswhich were warmly applauded. Mr R. W. Kohler is a wonderfully versatile musician.playing with the greatest facility and effect on almost any instrument. In fact, heis a complete baud in himself, and the mere list of the instruments on which he performs would occupy considerable space. On Saturday night he managed theflageolet, large drum, kettle drum, cymbals, bells and! castanets, playing ■ several simultaneously with thegreatest ease. The roll played with one hand on thedrura was very clever and shewed that Mr Kohlor is a. master of that spirit-stirring instrument. He alsoperforms with fine effect on the musical glasses, and the "bushman's piano," consisting of a- number of kauri, scantlings of various lengths, fixed on bars of straw-. Ocarinas are given every evening, with illustrations' and instructions in the mode of playing them. The music alone is well worth the price of admittance, and. from a careful comparison of tlie wax figures with cartoons and engravings in our possession we can recommend them as faithful and life-like.