THE Lorcnette

Observer, Volume XV, Issue 895, 22 February 1896, Page 9

THE Lorcnette

By Prompter.

The youthful artistes of the Pollard Opera Company are not children, and neither are they men and women. "They are in the interesting, though perhaps unhappy., period of transition from one stage to the other. This circumstance is somewhat a disadvantage to them in a musical sense, and yet, this being borne in mind, there is no question that the company achieves great results in the performance of comic opera. The young people are admirable actors, they are wondertully trained to their work, and, setting aside the shrillness that is inseparable from immatured voices, they are possessed of exceptional gifts in the matter of vocalism. Then, again, the operas produced are admirably staged.

I saw the ' Gondoliers ' on Tuesday evening, and I am bound to confess that the performance compared by no means unfavourably with the achievements of some capable adult companies I have seen in the same direction. There was a crowded house, every seat being occupied, and numbers of people were content to stand throughout the whole performance. Which fact speaks volumes for the popularity of the company with the public.

Misses M. Mitcheli and M. Beatty filled the roles of the two Venetian gondoliers, and most successfully so. Since the company was last here, Miss Beatty haß continued to deveiope into a graceful girl, of charming figure, and if Miss Mitchell can still give her some points in the matter of singing, .the palm for good acting and artistic posing still rests with her young companion. Miss E . Hewson , who took the part of Casilda, is a recent addition to the company, and a very useful one. She sings her music well, and has a natural turn for acting. Miss E. Metcalf, who is another very promising member of the company, made a capital Duchess, but she appeared to much greater advantage in 'Olivette,' which gave her more scope for the display of her talent. Master Quealy was a firstclass Don Alhambra del Bolero, Master Stephens did well as the Duke, and Miss "Wilson as Luiz. Miss L. Stephens and Miss c-. Sandford were both very successful in their respective parts of Tessa and Gianetta. They sang well, and their acting was piquant and pleasing.

The company is meeting with much success, which it well deserves. 'Paul Jones,' ' Olivette,' and ' The Gondoliers,' have already been performed, and with a degree of perfectness quite astonishing when the youthful material the management has to work upon is remembered. The operas to follow are ' Madame Favart," 'La Mascotte,' and ' Uncle Tom's Cabin.' They have all been repeatedly produced by the company, and promi&e to be quite as successful as the pieces that have preceded them.

Mr L. J. Lohr's latest 'show' — and bis name alone is sufficient assurance of its sterling merit — is simply coining money in Wellington. The colony has never before seen such a remarkable mesmerist as Mr T. A. Kennedy, and after witnessing one of his performances, no one will feel inclined to dispute the title of ' King Laugh-maker of the World,' with which the newspaper advertisements and pictorial posters about town decorate his name. Re plays all sorts of tricks upon his ' subjects,' and puts them through a series of comical antics that would make the regular purveyors of bioad fnn sick with hopeless envy. In less than a minute the Professor mesmerises his subjects, and they fall off their chairs, and curl up on the platform in all sorts of ludicrous attitudes. Then he passes a needle and thread through their impassive flesh, sticks needles into their unconscious scalps, and puts one of them into a state of catalepsy.

Next, bringing his subjects out of their mesmeric sleep, but still retaining his hypnotic control over them, he sets them at work to play the fool. One man, under the delusion that he is a shaver of seven, will chew a rancid tallow candle, believing it to be toffee ; others will saturate their handkerchiefs with assafcetida in the belief . that it is eau de cologne, a third will pour a glass of water into his trousers pocket, thinking he is making away with sovereigns ; and a fourth, will waltz with a wooden dummy who is introduced to

him as 'Miss Harris:' These deluded .subjects, with the utmost earnestness, make imaginery balloon ascents, engage in fishing excursions, give concerts with an orchestra composed of a pianist banging away at a table, and a violinist scraping with a walking stick upon a broom, and th ey glay dominoes with a stage dummy, while they smoke tallow candlea as cigars. One of them quaffs with the utmost relish a vile concoction compounded of- colza oil, kerosine, codliver oil, vinegar, mustard, cayenne and salt, and displays no ill effects from the nauseous draught:- How the stomach is fortified against it is a mystery that Mr Kennedy alone can explain.

To crown all, a man was put into a trance cm Monday night, 10th instant, and after being under observation day and night since then, still sleeping (Friday afternoon, 14th) on the stage of the Exchange Hall, and is not to be awakened up until to-morrow (Saturday) night. Dr. Chrr, who was in Auckland some 20 years ago, and whose feats are still spoken of with wonder, is not a circumstance on Mr T. A. Kennedy. The Auckland people will see him about the end of the month and may then judge for themselves. At any rate, the doctors of Wellington admit the genuineness of the feats, and they seem to be as much perplexed as the ordinary laymen. "

Mr and Mrs Clifton Alderson were expected in London on the 17th ult. in the Ophir. Charles Arnold and W. J. Hollowway were appearing at Johannesburg at Christmas. Frank Fillis, the genial circus proprietor, after doing record business at Capetown, opened in Johannesburg. It fs probable that Mr George Tallis, well-known in New Zealand, will succeed Mr Harry Musgrove as business manager of Melbourne Princess, when the latter leaves for England with the Australian Eleven next month. Why didn't they give the billet to piggy little Pete ?

Messrs H. M. Wilson and F. H. Whalley, architects and surveyors, have dissolved partnership. Mr Wilson will carry on the business. Messrs A. E. Whitalter and F. Baume have entered into partnership as barristers and solicitors. The new firm is a capital legal combination. Mr W. J. Napier is to deliver a ectnre in connection with .the Navy League in the V.M.C.A. tomorrow (Friday) evening, on the ' British Navy : Its Duties and its Strength.' The lecture will be interspersed with appropriate music. Now that the Passover season is approaching, it will be interesting to our Jewish readers to know that Mr J. C. Morrin is receiving orders for Aulsebrook's Passover bread, made under the. direct Isupervision of Rabbi Van Stavern The Hibernian Society's annual fete in celebration of St. Patrick's Day is to take place this year on Saturday, March 14. Already, a full programme is out for the sports on the Domain Cricket Ground, in connection with which there will be an art union for a series of valuable prizes. Full particulars elsewhere.