THE LORGENTTE

Observer, Volume XXI, Issue 1182, 24 August 1901, Page 4

THE LORGENTTE

By Pendennib.

Opera House Bookings.

September 14th to 27th.— Arthur Pollard's Liliputians. September 30th to October 19th. — Cosgrove Bros. Comedy Company. October 21st to 29th. — Auckland Amateur Opera Club. November Ist to 30th. — The Pollard Opera Company. December 26th to January 22nd. — Brough Comedy Company. January 23rd to February 3rd. — W. F. Hawtrey's Comedy Company. February sth to 26th. — Williamson's Italian Opera Company.

ATRIP TO CHICAGO," the second of the Sheridan pro-

ductions, is widely different from " When Lamps are Lighted." In the latter there is plot and some c ontinuity, but in " Chicago " there is not an atom of either. The play — excuse the term — is a series of comic situations, and deals with the troubles and caprices of one Johanna Murphy, an Irish widow of wealth and volubility, who goes to visit her daughter just married, and threatens a stay of three months, to put her son-in-law to rights. The widow has a mind of her own, and a boisterous way of expressing it, and from the moment she enters, armed with the inevitable hand-bag, the fun begins, and never Hags while she is in evidence. The son-in-law fares badly, and is knocked out at every turn.

There is also a bit of love-making. The widow's fond, Muttering heart is besieged by two suitors — one a brokendown ex-major, witli gory looks and a wooden leg, and the other an adventurer who wants her money, and the diversion between the two, with the help of the widow, affords some merriment. Other characters are the widow's unmarried daughter and her Johnnie, and the opposition mother-in-law, who happens to drop in, and leaves very suddenly — after a short bout with Mrs Murphy. Things are going very nicely, and working up to a tort of climax, when all at once the play stops and you are treated to sn hour's vaudeville, made up of songs, dances, acrobatic work, and dialogue, and there is no more of the widow or the rest till the wind-up, when everyahing ends happily.

Mr Sheridan, as the widow, was at his best, and gave a performance quite equal to the character of Widow O'Brien. If there was any fault at all, it was one that is common with too many actors, and that was in some- % times speaking as if he had no teeth. In his natural voice, and speaking moderately fast, Sheridan is clear and distinct, but as soon as steam is got up his faulty utterance is only too perceptible. The Major Tiffin of Mr Duggan was first-class. Without any over-drawing, he made the part as comic as could be. Mr Fred Wentworth, the adventurer aforesaid, was also good, and the "Johnnie" of Mr Frank Crossley was excellent. Mr Walter Dalglelsh, as the son-in-law, was the right man for the part, and scored every point. Miss Celia Mavis (the widow's married daughter), gave a pleasing, interesting pourtrayal, while Miss Maud Gwynne (opposition mother-in-law) and Miss Florrie Barns (Lulu Murphy) were no less successful. The company all through are more at home in comedy than drama.

Messrs Johnson and Bentley, now appearing at the City Hall, are marvela in their way. In their little act, called "The Monkeys and the Farmer," the monkey is aped to a nicety, and some of the wriggling, acrobatic

and trapeze work, and climbing that is got through would put him to the blush. It is a dumb show, but is highly diverting, and distinctly novel. There is one feat I don't think has be.en equatled in Dixs circuit. Two ropes are hanging from a branch, and up these, with a turn round each leg, one of them goes, his hands never touching them.

Baby Capel, the little serio, puzzles the house with her rapid ttjps, and tires the orchestra every time. Martyn Hagan and Lucy Fraser, two prime favourites of Agricultural Hal! days, are favourites again. Both appear in first and second parts, giving a song apiece in the first, and making the most of a rather weak sketch in the second. Frank Yorke, in his comic ditties and quaint sayings, brings down the house, this notwithstanding that in singing he "mouths" his words, and cannot be understood sometimes. Harry Gray, Mollie Bentley, and Alberto the deceptionist, are quite up to form, which may be said of the rest.

Ernest Fitts, the basso, contemplates returning to his profession — that of a dentist— at the conclusion of his present engagement. • • •

The Leslies, late of Dixs (iaiety, are with the Fuller's at the Empire, Sydney.

We have received through Messrs Arthur Eady and Co. a copy of a new song, by (i. S. de Chanceet, entitled, " The Children's Prayer." The air is impressive and full of pathos, but tuneful and rhythmical. The accompaniment, through nearly the whole of which the air is discernible, is neither too simple nor yet too complicated, but lends much to the harmony of Jtfie song. The words, by Louis Wright, are most expressive, and, beyond the actual phrasing, convey a world of meaning. The publishers are Messrs Cary and Co., of Oxford-street, London.

Miss Irene Franklin, the clever serio-comic, has announced her determination to quit the music-hall stage, and return to legitimate comedy.

The Pollards, in " Floradora," at Dunedin, were last week turning money away. The Princess's Mas all too small.

A Southern critic on Jean Gerardy : " If he were as ugly as sin and as full of tricks as a monkey he would be freely forgiven for the sake of liis masterful playing." Enthusiastic.

The Whitehouse Biochronoscope was last week at Egmont, drawing splendid houses and winning much applause. The show has been doing well all through New Plymouth.

John Fuller, jun. — who, by the way, is the youngest show manager in the colonies, being under twenty-two — was in town last week, en route for Sydney, to join John senior. John has wound up the whole Fuller business in New Zealand, and withdiawn the companies. He has leased the Alhambra (Dunedin) and Choral Hall (Wellington), of which two houses they hold the freehold, to Percy Dix, and sold the lease of the Agricultural Hall, Auckland, to the same impressario. The iirm made a good spec. in Wellington Choral Hall. They bought this house last December, anil were recently offered £1000 over and above their bargain, and declined it. At the farewell in Wellington the house, notwithstanding that the prices were raised, was full to overflowing, and when the curtain went down young John was "Jolly Good Fellowed" by the vast audience in a most enthusiastic manner. Business at the Empire, Sydney, is booming, and the senior John — so the junior tells me — is looking years younger and was never happier, /and his voice is also better. Jn their two years' stay in this colony the Fullers netted fifteen hundred pounds, which, with rents accruing from Wellington Choral Hall and Dunedin Alhambra, ought to enable them to 101 lin easy chairs and smoke fat cigars all the rest of their days.

Walter Beutley is now in London

The dramatisation of Marie Corelli'w "Barabbas" lias caught the taste of Melbourne, the crowds who roll up to see it growing larger and larger. It iB a semi-religious play.

Mr J. H. Love, who was acting as general manager for the Josephine Stanton Company here, has leased the Melbourne Bijou.

Charles Arnold, after a payable tour of Westralia, is now in Melbourne. After a season there he goes to Queensland.

Mr Cosgrove is organising in Sydney a company for a tour through New Zealand. They leave on August loth, and open at Wellington.

Bland Holt staged "A Million of Money" in the Federal capital during Steeplechase week, and boomed it for all it was worth. It {tanned out a bonanza.

Miss Alice Crawford, of Hendi^o, who is looked upon as a coming Australian actress, and appeared so successfully in some of Nance O'Neill's productions, has joined the WilsonBarrett Company.