THE LORGNETTE

Observer, Volume XXIII, Issue 5, 18 October 1902, Page 6

THE LORGNETTE

By Pendennis

Opera House Bookings. October 18th to December 4th. — Pollard's Opera Company. December 17th to 20th— Auckland Dramatic Society (" The Guvnor"). December 26th to January 21st— Geaeh and Willoughby Company. December 26th to January 25, 1904,— Pollard Opera Company. HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. December 26, 1902, to January 21, 1003— J. C. Williamson. January 27 to February 14, 1903— Frank Thornton Comedy Company. OTHER SHOWS. Dixs Gaiety Co. — City Hall (permanent).

THE comic opera season, which concluded on Monday night, is not

calculated to enhance the Musgrove professional reputation, though it has helped to fill the Musgrove pockets with dollars. It was a season of great expectation and disappointing realization. On Friday evening, the company staged " The Thirty Thieves." If anything of the kind could be worse than " The Chinese Honeymoon," then "The Thirty Thieves " might fairly make claim to the distinction. To describe the production as a comic opera would be correct, with two reservations. In the first place, it is not an opera, and in the second it is not comic. It has been claimed that the music is " catchy," but this is an illusion; on the contrary, it is exceedingly difficult to catch, and, like the Yankee's horse, it is no good when caught. One does not look for the highest qualities of music in comic opera any more than he expects to find coherency of plot, but one does expect in the one case tunefulness, and in the other sparkle and "go." As a conscientious jury, with our hand upon our heart, we find the Thieves innocent of all intention to charm.

It is, perhaps, needless to say that the production was admirably mounted and staged. The pity is that so much good paint and other material should be wasted on such rubbish. It would be a pleasant thing to be able to add also that the opera was unworthy of its interpreters, but, truth to say, in most cases the punishment appeared to fit the crime. It was sad to see such artists as May Beatty and Edward Lauri wrestling with the twaddle written for them, but we cannot pretend to be sorry for the others. Had Mr Fiddock, as the captain of the thieves, murdered the Woodman (by the way, the Lord Mayor called him "woodpecker" — brilliant joke!) and his son in the first act, his further presence on the stage might have been tolerated as an act of grace, and vice versa. Miss Stanton, as Mariana, sang nicely, but as a lady with a New Jersey accent the author permitted her to speak too much. May Beatty, too, sang a bewitching little ditty, but she must have been bored by the whole business. As for the porcelain ballet (which is not a ballet, by the way, but a sort of schoolgirl manual drill parade), it makes an exceedingly pretty effect, but it has nothing, however remote, to do with the play.

At Dixs, there have been several changes during the week. The Harvey Boys got a very enthusiastic farewell, and their places were temporarily supplied by Miss Ida Roslyn, Mr Jack Kearns, and little Vera Kearns, who were warmly welcomed by the patrons of the City Hall. On Saturday night there were more last appearances, one at least of which caused a pang of regret, for no artiste has ever been more genuinely popular at Dixs than Miss Olive Lenton. There was a splendid house despite the counter attraction, and a programme of more than ordinary excellence was submitted by the company.

The piece de resistance, however, was naturally that provided by the Irish comedians, Callaghan and Mack, two performers who made their first appearance in Auckland on Saturday, but whose reputation had preceded them. They certainly do provide a quarler-of-an-hour's fun of the purest and most refreshing kind, racy of the Irish soil, and touched with the magic of its music. No true lover of his country can afford to do without seeing Callaghan and Mack. On Tuesday, the company was further reinforced by the accession of that clever comedian, Arthur Nelstone, and Miss Elsie Forrest, and the programme now presented is quite up to the best Dix standard.

• • • Mr Tom Pollard is due in Auckland, to join his company, on Friday, from Sydney. He brings with him several new artistes, and the rights for the new comic opera, " Toreador," which we are informed, upon independent testimony, is a remarkably good thing. In anticipation of securing the rights, the Pollard Company have had the opera in rehearsal for some time, and the whole of the chorus work is well advanced. When, therefore, it is produced here, it will be in no hurried manner, but with due regard to its artistic merits.

• • • The Pollard Company open here in "The Messenger Boy ' on Saturday night. The piece has enjoyed exceptional popularity at Home and in the colonies, and its style ought to fit the capacity of the Pollards. One of the musical items, a humorous duet between W. S. Percy and Harry Quealy provides a vehicle for satirising local people and local things, and ought to prove amusing. Amongst the principals in the cast are Messrs J. Ralston, J. O'Sullivan, A. Stephens, C. Carter, D. O'Connor, L. Stone, C. Vaughan, D. Shortland, C. Albert, H. Queally, W. S. Percy, Misses Gertie Campion, Connie Buttel, Alice Pollard, Nellie Wilson, Nina Osborne and Alice Edgar. • • •

Sandow, with Harry Rickards' No. 3 touring company, is due in Auckland on the 17th November.

• ' m It is said that the King requested the acting-Governor-General of the Commonwealth to show Melba " every attention." She is being attended by a special detective, who takes charge of her jewellery. • • •

Mr Walter Fuller, eldest son of Mr John Fuller, was married on September 13, at St. John's Church, Hobart, to Miss Dolly Cameron, of Christchurch. The happy pair were iv receipt of congratulations from all parts of the colonies, and the honeymoon was spent in Melbourne. The company is now located in Hobart, and doing satisfactory business.

• • • Melba will open her New Zealand tour at Dunedin on the 14th of January. • • •

The ever - green Maggie Moore is playing "Struck Oil" in Melbourne once more. • • •

Phil. Newbury and Madame Spada were tendered a benefit at Sydney before their departure for the Old Country.

•. • • It is at length settled that the popular story of " Trilby " is to be made the subject of an opera. The libretto is from the pen of Herr Prasch, a wellknown impressario ; and the music is the composition of Herr Victor Hollander.

• SB In the light of after events the following paragraph from the London letter of August 13th in the New York Clipper is interesting :— " McKee Rankin will not on the first night of Miss O'NeilPs season at the Adelphi invite theatrical and social notabilities to fill reserved seats. In the words of his press representative, "Flouting tradition and defying the moss-grown custom of first nights in London, we shall keep a perfectly open house on September Ist." As has been cabled, the season was a failure.