FOOTLIGHT FLASHES.

Observer, Volume 7, Issue 237, 28 March 1885, Page 12

FOOTLIGHT FLASHES.

M. liemenyi, who has given a series of unprecedentedly successful concerts in Auckland, was a passenger for Napier on Thursday by the s.s. Manapouri. He was accompanied by his genial and indefatigable agent, Mr Frank Weston, and the members of the Concert Company. The company give a sacred concert at Christchurch on Good Friday.

On Monday next " Fun on the Bristol " will be produced, for the first time in Auckland, at the Opera House, under the auspices of that prince of entrepeneurs, Mr J. 1\ Macdonald. Everywhere in jST.Z. where this popular side-splitting piece has appeared the Press have been unanimous in its opinion that it is the funniest play on record. Mr John F. Sheridan, in his inimitable impersonation of the Widow O'Brien, gives a perfect piece of acting, and the play throughout is full of quaint humour and pleasing music.

We have received a copy of the new, charming song " (cordon of Khartoum," written by Mr W. K. Wills and composed by Mr Victor Goldenstein. The first thing that strikes us is the excellent " get up " of the work, the title page being a work of real art and beauty. Then the music is clever and taking, and essentially appropriate to the theme. The song is written in an easy range, suitable for soprano, mezzo soprano, tenor, or baritone voices, and, being published at the the low price of 2s Gd, should sell rapidly. The whole production satisfies us that in Auckland we posses both the talent and mechanical means for producing the best kind of article in this line.

At the Theatre Royal on Wednesday evening Mr J. A. Grain, who has been long and favourably known in Auckland as a vocalist and an actor, took a benefit, tendered to him by a number of Auckland amateurs, musicians, and others, out of sympathy with him for the loss he sustained in the late wreck at Kaipara. The performance. was under the patronage of Lieut. Lucas and Gunner Parslow — the rifle and carbine champions — who, however, were not present, having to attend a banquet at the Thames on Thursday evening. The attendance was moderate. The programme opened with the ever-popular farce of "The Lottery Ticket," which was played through-

out with spirit. The leading character, Mr Capias, a village lawyer, was sustained by Mr Grain, who acted with dash and fully realised the ideal of the covetouslyamorouspettifogger. Mr F. W. Fisher was a very comical Wormwood, the clerk, and quite equal to many recognised professional actors. Miss E. Leonard was as sweet as sugar-candy as the maid; while Miss Tassa Balfern (Mrs Corset) sustained the part of the angling widow very creditably. After the musical melange an overture was played by Messrs. Webbe and Hunter (piano and cornet). Mr Cram then sang " Scenes of Youth," which elicited a recall. A recitation, " Sharaus O'Brien," by Mr J. J. Walsh, was warmly applauded. Mr E. W. Sceats sang in splendid voice "Here upon my vessel's deck," which narrowly escaped an encore. An original poetical composition, "The Great Citizen Army of the "World" was then given by Mr C. O. Montroso. In his prefatory remarks he stated that the poem was Avritten late on the preceding- (Tuesday) evening, and pressure of other business had prevented his devoting any study to it for the purposes of the present reading. Every verse was warmly applauded, and at the conclusion Mr Montrose bowed himself off the stage amidst heaijfcy demonstrations of approval from all parts of the house. The poem is published in another part of this issue. " Home of My Heart," sang in good voice by Mr W. Edwards, concluded the interlude. Mr W. H. Webbe officiated as musical director. The farcical comedy, ' ' The Laughing Hyena," concluded the programme, the cast being Mr J. J. Walsh (who was inimitably comical), as Simon Hornblower, Chris. Smith (Felix Fumer), Miss Balfern (Florence Fumer), Miss E. Leonard (Popsy). We regret to say that Mr Grain has not benefited much in a pecuniary sense. He desires to express his acknowledgments to the Press of Auckland for its courtesy.

TRAMWAY ' CAP-TIOUSNESS. — BRUMMAGEM MORAL FORCE.

The Pollards have continued through the week past to draw excellent houses. Our notice of "The Princess of Trebizonde " last week was necessarily short, as it came on so late in the week. It well deserves a more extended notice, and we will try in the lovingkindness of our heart to squeeze in a bit more thisg trip. Miss Eva Clements, pla3 r ed Miss De Lorme's part of Tremoliui, the assistant and subsequent Major Domo. and played it it very sweetly. She is favoured by nature with a graceful figure and a very nice voice, and she acted gracefully and naturally all through. Miss liuth Wallace, to whom, by the way, we owe a sort of apology for not having noticed that, on frequent occasions, shejhad taken Miss De Lorine's place in consequence of that lady's illness, and filled it with credit to herself and gratification to her hearers, took the part of liegina, the showman's danghter, and both acted and sang delightfully. The substitution of the Mountebank for her regular song, "When I'm on the Tight-rope Dancing," was a happy thought, and the song suited, lluth's voice and tender way exactly — we never heard it sung so well, in fact. Miss Maud Pollard scored one in the part of Manola, the snowman's sister. She reallyacted cleverly, and brought down the house on several occasions. Miss Bella Stewart was very good as Zanetta. The Cabriolo of Miss Amy Brooks was a wonderfully clever conception, and in the scene on the lawn, when the former poor stroller recurs to the happy, careless past, Cabriolo and his daughters, with Tremolini, were simply immense — whoop la! As Prince Casimir, Master Ferguson made his hit of the season. He conceived and executed the furious old cuss to the knocker. Our own May Pollard was even more lovely than ever, as Raphael, and pleased her audience immensely, but she should get over the habit she has of rushing her sentences at the finish till she becomes indistinct, and of speaking at times as if she had a bit of ' ' stickj aw" in her mouth. Lizzie Donnelly, as Dr Sparadrop, had a part she knew how to make the most of, and did it. The other characters were all cleverly represented, and the scenes were most effective. On Monday night "Patience" was put on, and it ran through the week. Considering all things, such as the youth of the players, and the excollence of the troupe from whom we first heard it, we can confidently say that the • ' Patience " of the Pollard kids is- a splendid performance, and a long way ahead of anything else they had given us previously.

As sweet Patience herself, the singing of Mo de Lorme left nothing to be desired. We compared her in our capacious and retentive mind with Alice Bees, and could not conscientiously say that the latter sangbetter, though of course her acting wassuperior. It is in acting- that our Flo lacks slightly. She is a bit too triesto — a shade tooscared of the intensity of Bunthorne ; butwhen the darling opens her rosebud mouth, to sing we forget all that, and wish shewould never stop. ;*ln her first song, "I cannot tell what this love may be," and the^duet with Lady Angela, «He was a little/ boy"; m the pretty duet with Grosvenor, " Willow, willow, waley," and especially in the lovely waltz song, " Love it is a plaintivesong," she fairly took a very cold audienceby storm, and made them enthusiasticwhether they would or nay. There is very little doubt that Miss deLorme has a good future before ' her. As the Lady Angela Miss Ruth Wallace was. very utter, and looked most transcendentallyquite, as indeed did Tottie Dawson as Mina Foster. The Lady Jane of Miss Maud Pollard was a very fair performance, indeed it was the best part we have yet seen her in.. The part of the fleshly poet, Bunthorne, was on Monday commenced by Master HarryHall, but he was so evidently suffering from, a severe cold that after a while he wasreplaced by Master Fergusson. Now Fergusson can't sing a note, but he almost made up the deficiency by his excellent acting. As Archibald Grosvenor Miss May Pollard was, as Grbsvenor says of himself, "very beautiful," and she sang her &ongsvery fairly. Miss Marion Norman made, as she always does, a feature of her part of Colonel Calverly, while Amy Brooks, as theMajor, and Bella Stewart, Duke, were alsovery good. That little fairy, Norman, has established herself as a public favorite since the first moment she put her tiry foot on. the stage in " The Little Duke," and no< wonder. Sho is so earnest, and so evidentlyanxious to please, and seems so thoroughly to enjoy her part herself that her hearers must do so also. To see her in her walkingdress, she looks about ten years old at the?outside, and then to think of her wonderful intelligence in interpretation, and her power and pace in executing such difficult parts as; are given into her hands, why it seems next door to the miraculous. Such a child is well, worthy of the most careful tuition and training. This week closes the Company's, season in Auckland, and it says a good deal for their ability to please when we say that they had biggor houses this, their last week, than any during the season. j\ ;