THE LORCNETTE

Observer, Volume XXI, Issue 118, 17 August 1901, Page 4

THE LORCNETTE

By Pendennis.

Opera Housk Bookings. August . 12th to 29tli. — William Anderson's Dramatic Company (John F. Sheridan). September 14th to 27th.— Arthur Pollard's Liliputians. .September 30th to October 19th. — CottftroveBros. Comedy Company. October 21st to 2!) th. - Auckland Amateur Opera Club. November Ist to 30th. --The I'ollard Opera Company. December 26th to January -22nd. - lirough Comedy ( Company. January 23rd to February 3rd. -W. !•'. Haw trey* Comedy Company. February ftth to 26th. - Williamson's Italian Opera Company.

MR .JOHN SHKKIDAN had no occasion to complain of the welcome accorded to him at at the Opera House on .Monday night. There was a capital house, the downstairs portion being tilled to the utmost extent, while the majority of the seats in the dress circle were occupied. It was an appreciative audience, too, one that evidently anticipated plenty 'of fun, and was prepared to make the most of it. "Johnny" is so well known in Auckland in his inimitable rdle of the Widow O'Brien, in that .screaming comedy, " Fun on the Uristol," that he has a reputation to live ujt to. * * « " When the Lamps are Lighted" is not, however, a "Fun on the Bristol. ' It is a peculiar combination of witty comedy, weepful melodrama, and bloodcurdling stage tragedy, brightened occasionally by musical sketches that add greatly to the pleasurableness of the performance. Numerically, the company is a very strong one, and individually it comprises some firstclass talent, and some also that is decidedly of mediocre merit. The piece is well .staged, the mounting being decidedly good, and the scenery thoroughly artistic and appropriate. ■* » # The thread of the story follows the fortunes of an ex-convict, Paul Wayland, who was the victim of a fellowclerk's conspiracy, and who served a sentence for the guilt of that fellow clerk (Druce). Years afterwards, Wayland returns to find Druce living in wealth and luxury with his (Wayland's) wife, whose scruples he had overcome by making a home for her and her daughter. The touch of romance is introduced by the betrothal of his daughter to a clever lawyer on the eve of his return. There is an emotional scene between the returned husband and penitent wife, immediately after which Druue is murdered by a discovered burglar a moment after a violent altercation with Wayland, and suspicion falls on the latter. From this point, a complex and entertaining melodrama is worked out to a happy finish in Sims"s best style, with the aid of the usual stage villain, Dan Uafferty (Mr Sheridan) being the good genius of wronged innocence. * * * Necessarily, Dan IlafFerty, who is an Irish showman with an inexhaustible and bubbling fount of humour, is the life and soul of the play. Besides this part, Mr Sheridan impersonated with marvellous versatility an Italian, a Dutchman, a matchwonian, a nursemaid, and a singer and dancer. His songs were capital, his repartee sparkling, and his acting quite on a par with the best we have seen from him. * * ■* lie is strongly assisted by Miss ('elia Mavis, a lady with a pleasing -soprano voice, who is also cast for five separate parts, which she fills with marked ability. Miss Maude Gwynne, who takes the character of the mother, is an emotional actress of good presence and some talent, while Miss

Violet Montague, as Ruthi is charming and natural, and quite freeJi'om stage Miss Daisy Chard in a born comedian, ajtdin\ine role of the stage -struct slavey, Semolina, furnishes much' of the broad humour of the play. The part of Loo Enderby was a small one fo> Migs Florrie Fanning, who is evidently gifted with histrionic talent, and who made much of the little allotted to her. Of the others, the best were decidedly Mr Dnggan, who played the part of Paul Wayland naturally and well, and Mr Walter Dalgleish, who was decidedly good as the lawyer betrothed to Ruth. * ♦ ♦ The first of a number of new artists engaged by Mr Dix under arrangement with Harry Rickards are showing this week at the City Hall. They are three in number, their names being Baby ( 'apel, Alberto, and the Reil Heads. Baby ('apel is well called " baby," being little more. She is a tiny wee poem, with tlowing light hair, and looking younger by years and not as tall as Eileen Boyd. Her specialty is coon songs and fiances, and to say she is good is not a good enough expression. Slie is weak in voice, but when she is through and starts the dancing, the orchestra is knocked out. The Tiddlers, drummer, and 'cello man do their best, but it does seem that Baby lias to slow down occasionally to let them catch up. She gets ahead of time, and doesn't seem to tire, and for all the world is like an automaton. * * * Alberto, the illusionist, surrounded by tables of big and small sizes, each with the usual covering, pushes white handkerchiefs through a white paper channel which he makes on the spot, and brings them out a salmony sort of red, and the audience wonders how it is done. He makes billiard balls by rubbing his bare hands together, anil when he places them on his head they apparently fall through and come out of his mouth —and they all wonder again. He places a weight in a box and puts the box on a table, and plants a ball on another table some distance away, and covers it with a cone-shaped paper covering, and then lie stands off and commands the ball and weight to change places, and they do so. and there is a lot more wondering. Alberto is quick and clever in sonic other things. * * # Why the ■• lied Heads" show under that name is beyond me. The two are got up as sable ZanibesiaiiH, black as ebony; with orthodox -white shell ear-rings, and unorthodox eye rings of white shell also, a sort of ensemble neither fitting nor funny. They do some capering and jabber a bit/ and sing and dance with more or less ability, but in one or two contortion feats they are good. In one of these, trussed turkey is about the shape they get into. Harry (hay, the squat comedian — small in inches, big in talent — is all about again. His tour South has not bereft him of any of his energy. Molly Bent ley, Frank Vorke, Jim Marion, Lily Roberts, the Woi rail sisters. Annetta Rodin, George Dean, Johnny Collins and Karl Browne are good as ever, and on the whole the show just now is bright and sparkling. Jean (jierardy, the young but famous 'cellist, who is giving concerts in the Choral Hall, is, perhaps, the greatest | performer on the violincello who has ever been in Auckland, if not in the colonies. It. is said that he has mastered the technique of his instrument to perfection, and that his performance is a revelation. His tone is 1 exquisitely sweet and rich, his expres- ; sion delightful, and he astonishes you "' by the affluence of his musical talent. ; The audience is most struck by his 1 performance of Servais' variations on 1 Schubert's '• Le De'sir," and the berceuse from il Jocelyn/' an opera by 5 a Belgian composer named Godard./ ■ Most cellists are familiar with Servaia' ' variations on the above theme by -Schubert. They are very ornate and difficult — it was out of no idle eoms pliment that Servais was called "the t King of 'Cellists "—and Mons. Gerardy - plays them magnificently. Jean l Gerardy looks quite a youth, and is , free from mannerisms. His stage' , manner is quiet, and, until he bows, I seems perfectly oblivious of his i I audience.

• The MeAdoo original Jubilee Singers l^ave been successful at Wellington ' during the; past week in upholding their established reputation as highclass singers. * » * i Bland Holt is importing a new leading lady from England. * * * " Floradora," of which Tom Pollard has sole New Zealand rights, " caught on " immediately in Dunedin. . Several new and talented artistes have joined the company. * ♦ ♦ Josephine Stan ton ;ind her comic opera troupe were last week ut OaiuarifcrJ .-Good houses right along, and Hattering notices. Tlie Tylers, late of the (Jaiety. supported l>y a vaudeville .company, are touring the goldficlds, and doing well. The Musgrove Opera Company commenced their Wellington season with "II Trovatore "' on Saturday, August 10th. The (Jreen woods, after a lengtliy tour of (Queensland, have gone on to Sydney. The Williamson Italian Opera Company is gradually working itliis way. Jt opened in Sydney last week. ' 3 Anoowi ' * • * The successor to Krnest Fitts in the Pollard Company is Dave O'Connor, the popular baritone. Another absentee from the Pollards is Albert, who played Insect in ■' Paul .Jones." * * * Parkyn and Bromley, the society entertainers, were last week in (fisborne, and going from there to Napier. * *. # .Miss Florence Young having been engaged by J. C. Williamson for the star part in an Australian tour, the opening will be at Her Majesty's, in Melbourne. *» \ » As I predicted, Whitehouse's Biochronoscope had a good time at New Plymouth. The houses were firstclass, and the show was greatly applauded. Apparently, in New Plymouth, as in Auckland, they know a good thing, and roll up in force to see it. The show opens at Stratford on Monday, 12th, and Kapouga on Wednesday, 14th, with Awatuna and Opanake to follow. There is no exhibition of the kind in New Zealand to beat the Whitehouse. * * • Recently, at the Brisbane Supreme Court, Charles Arnold applied for an injunction against Robert Henry Nicholls. otherwise known as Robert Henry, restraining him from performing "What Happened to Jones.' 1 It was set out that defendant had already played the piece at Mount Morgan and liockhampton, and advertised it for production at Townsville and Charters Towers. Plaintiff, Charles Arnold, claimed that he had purchased sole rights of the piece for Australia. His Honor made an order restraining defendant from performing the production until 12th August or until a further order. 1 * * * At Madame Rosa Bird's Australian concert in London, the bright particular star of the afternoon was Mdnie. Amy Sherwin, who was encored and recalled half-a-dozen times, and was attired in the perfection of taste. Special interest centred on Miss Regina Nagel, whose line voice was heard with telling effect. ■:■:• * •::■ A sample or two of the gush ladled out to the Pollards in their Hobart .season by an admiring scribe : — '• Her sweet young voice rang out in its upper notes with the purity of a silver flute, or the song of a lark high up in the air." But oh listen to tliis : 14 Tasmania and Australia have sent their song-birds home in the persons of Amy Sherwin and Madame Mel ba, and we doubt not that Miss May Beatty will yet be heard of in the Old Land as the New Zealand nightingale." Then : " Screaming, sidesplitting histrionics. " " Capital, though bizarre, step-dancing." '* Mr Charles Carter, the juvenile tenor."'