THE LORGNETTE

Observer, Volume XXIII, Issue 2, 27 September 1902, Page 6

THE LORGNETTE

By Pendennis.

Opera House Bookings. July 21st to September 20th — Closed for alterations September 22nd to Oct. 13th— George Musgrove's Company. October 18th to December 4th. — Pollard's Opera Company. December 17th to 20th — Auckland Dramatic Society (" The Guvnor"). December 26th to Jan. 21st— Geach and Willoughby Company. December 26th to January 25th, 1904— Pollard Opera Company. HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. December 26, 1902, to January 21, 1903— J. C Williamson. January 27 to February 14, 1903— Frank Thornton Comedy Company. OTHER SHOWS. Dix'a Gaiety Co.— City Hall (permanent).

DIX'S GAIETY COMPANY, at the City Hall, has been playing with great and unvarying success during the week, and the popularity of the principals has shown no sign of diminishing. Mr Tom Woottwell's "loose legs" have been exhibited in an extraordinary number of characters, all excruciatingly funny. Asalaughtermaker, he has had few equals in this citj, and he thoroughly understands how to be amusing without being vulgar. Miss Emily Lyndale has also been adding to her laurels, and the departure of these two artistes has been a source of genuine regret. • • • Miss Alice Layton, Miss Olive Lenton, Mr Dean, Mr Howard, Mr Riven hall, and the other members of the Company have contributed in no small measure to the general sum of delight, and encores have been frequent and free. On Wednesday Mr George Bentley, the Sisters Smith, and the boxing comedy trio, "The Harvey Boys," made their first appearance and received a hearty welcome. Mr Dix has very worthily been doing his best to provide a liberal bill of fare for the winter. • * Mr G. H. Barnes, representative of Mr George Musgrove, was a passenger to Auckland by the Mararoa on Sunday, heralding the approaching season * comic opera, which is to fill the gap 0< "> by the change in Miss Nelly made ) % arrangements. If anything btewart > enS e for the disappointcan recoup * ue ..Chinese Honeyment then . Mng to do it . The moon is the t.. < he besfc the co i o . company is one of c uprises some nies have seen. II ct a number ninety persons, including -,^ at out who have been specially brou from England for the occ<. - r j Amongst these are Messrs Edwa Lauri (cousin of George, of that ilk), J. C. Fiddock, and J. C. Beatty. Amongst the ladies are our old and ever welcome favourite, May Beatty, Misses Cissie Neil, Josephine Stanton, and Bessie White. • • • The other opera to be performed is " The Thirty Thieves*," and the entire scenery, etc., for the two representations will be brought over here, so that the New Zealand public will have the operas presented to them on the same scale of magnificence as they were in Melbourne and Sydney. The whole of the scenery has been specially painted by Messrs Coleman and Qoatcher, and has evoked unbounded admiration. The company have done an enormous business in Australia, and are now playing to packed houses in Sydney every night. All our oversea exchanges speak in m ost eulogistic terms of the "FiFi" of Miss Beatty, and regard Mr E. Laurie as one of the finest comedians ever seen in Australia. The other principals have also won an envied place in the esteem of the audiences. Especially Mr Piddock, whose clever acting and dancing have been greatly admired. The company opens on the 6th Octo-

ber. Mr Barnes is greatly pleased with the alteration? to the Opera House. ■ • : a.v,;*,;: -„ -....* ■, Mins Lilian Tree's singing in the Stabat Mater at St. Patrick's Cathredral on Sunday evening was a magr nificent performance. It demonstrated what is not always understood, or, indeed apparent — the infinite superiority of the human voice divine to the mechanical contrivances of man. Miss Tree fully justified the unusually high anticipations formed by lovers of music. M. Casier (tenor) and Mr Man tell (bass) rendered the other solos in tine style, and the chorus work was most efficiently taken, i • • • The alterations to Abbott's Opera House must be seen to be appreciated, and, as the greater part of the population will soon be hieing thither to listen to the dulcet notes of Miss May Beatty, it will not be necessary to enter into very minute details, and a few words will be sufficient to indicate the scope of the change. The whole of the auditorium has been remodelled. The dress circle has been slightly lowered, and a new gallery, which will be known as the amphitheatre, erected above it. This will take the place of the pit, and that portion of the downstairs formerly devoted to the shilling patron is included in the stalls. There is now comfortable seating accommodation for about 1700 people, and at a pinch room could be found for a couple of hundred more. Another new feature is the' private boxes, of which there are now six — three on either side of the stage. A handsome balcony projecting over Welleeley-street will afford a promenade for the dress circle visitors, and be of incalculable advantage in the event of an alarm of fire. • • • The stage, with its accessories of dressing-rooms, etc., has also been remodelled, and the proscenium has been rebuilt on a new plan. It is intended to install the electric light throughout, the necessary power being provided by an engine in the basement. The whole work has been carried out as though the contractors possessed Aladdin's ring, and Mr Sam White must be prepared to share his fame as a lightning change artist with Mr W. E. Hutchison and Mr M. J. Bennett. A special word is due to the last-named for the really excellent manner in which the painting contract has been carried out. A more artistic job would be hard to find anywhere, and it has to be added that Mr Bennett had all the materials required in his own stock. At one time, he had no less than thirty hands employed. The architect, Mr A. P. Wilson, has expressed his complete satisfaction with the way in which both contracts have been carried out. • • • One is reminded of the dread object at the Egyptian feasts by the experiences of Australia's two idolised Nellies. Miss Stewart's father died suddenly while she was at the height of her first dramatic success, and Madame Melba's father is stricken with paralysis while on his way to meet her. We have all got to chew '*«» bitter gourd of the Eastern story, tii. • • • ''■'ougbs open at Calcutta in the The I>. t< i n November, second wee. « # *lks of organising a Cecil Ward ta >, the familiar lines comedy company oi_ v t> adopted by the Brougi. ' # ' treating Mr Frank Thornton is v,ane, to patrons of His Majesty's, Bris. *unt" a series of revivals. '• Charley's Jn. was followed by " The Private Sec. tary"and "The Strange Adventures of Miss Brown." • • • Miss May Beatty's " I Want to be a Lydy," in "A Chinese Honeymoon," s said to be the success of the piece, and is responsible for four or five encores every evening. • • • The Wirths' departed on Thursday last week for New Plymouth, where they performed for a short season. They will work their way down the coast to Wellington, at which city they will open about the middle of October. We predict big business in the Empire City.

It wasannounced by cable that Nance O'Neill opened at the Adelphi. London, in " Magda," on the Ist inst. Mr St. Clair sends us a poster containing the cast, which includes Mrs Henry Bracey and Mr Cyril Keightly. The stage manager is Mr Walter Raynham. • * • Herr Slapoffski is in Melbourne busy arranging for an orchestra for Melba. • • • It has now been definitely arranged that Melba shall give one concert at each of the four chief towns in New Zealand. ■ The plates have yet to be fixed. • • • Mr Wilson Barrett's illness is much more serious than accounts published to date would lead one to suppose. The post-nasal growth Mr Barrett suffered from during his recent Australian tour has affected his general health, and now the affection has asserted itself again. This time, it is feared it may affect the brain. Recent communications do not speak at all hopefully of Mr Barrett's trouble.