The Lorgnette

Observer, Volume XXIX, Issue 26, 13 March 1909, Page 6

The Lorgnette

By Prompter,

March 15 to 27 — Meynell and Gunn. March 22— Wirth's Circua. March 29 to April B— M. Cohen's Opera Com panics (" Sixes and Sevens" and ' Manu ella "). April 10, on wards— Pollard Opera Co .

THE WHITE HEATHER " bloomed vigorously ab His Majesty's ail through last week. So prolific was it in its yield of golden flowers for the treasury that the management prolonged its lease of the stage garden to seven nights, and at the time of writing the v?elimounted melodrama is still going strong. Without any extraordinary merit in the way of either construction or acting, the " Heather " is a picturesque play, presented with the scrupulous attention to details for which Bland Holt is celebrated. The theatre-going public know their Bland well enough to take on trust almost any play that he thinks worth putting before them, and in " The White Heather" they have had romance, thrilling incident, and an eye-pleasing setting to their hearts' content. a a a Last night, too late to catch this page in its race to the press, "The Flood Tide " was to set in. This play is described as a Drury Lane melofarce, ana according to the " Free Lance," which saw the production in Wellington lately, " The Flood Tide " seems to bear upon its bosom a dazzling variety of stage accessories. Says the " Lance" :— " The Flood Tide " introduced practically everything on this terrestrial globe, from a first-class twin-screw turbine ocean liner, with a bang-up concert going on in her saloon, to a diamond millionaire making his way to London from Chili with a No. 1 -sized attack of delirium tremens ; a desperate Italian with a sandbag in one pocket and a stiletto in the other, an English earl, a hero who has won the V.C. in South Africa. They are all in " The Flood Tide." And a racecourse scene with a string of real live racehorses, and silkclad jockeys in the saddle, made up other details of verisimilitude. a • • Bland Holt impersonates the diamond millionaire, excepting that Bland dodges the D.T.'s. He goes in for jokes instead, and succeeds. Mrs Bland Holt is charming in her part, and Mr Styan as the drunken millionaire is right up to his part. Miss Harrie Ireland as a scheming foreign lady (Italian, for a guess) acts cleverly, and Mr Max Maxwell, as the V.C. hero, is not bad. His delivery is distinctly ecclesiastical, though, whether he's in battle or talking love to his best girl. All the other parts are well cast. "The Flood Tide" will turn on Saturday night, after which the company will sail away upon it Sydneywaids. • • .• The present programme of living pictures at the Opera House is full of good things, and excellent business is the natural consequence. The star picture is a faithful reproduction of scenes at Messina before and after the great earthquake. The fearful results of the holocaust are realistically portrayed, and bring home forcibly to the spectator the magnitude of the disaster. Some splendid rescue work done by British bluejackets is a con spieuous feature ot the pioture, and is always loudly applauded. A charming child study is that entitled " Following in Mother's Footsteps," the parts being taken by two exceedingly clever children. " From Jaffa to Jerusalem " is an interesting scenic set, while <* The Immaterial Man " is a film that, s chock-full of trick effects.

Several good dramatic pictures are •hown, including " Lucy of Lammermoor," •« The Deadly Plant," a particularly thrilling set, and " Poverty sod Compassion." " A Fight for Honour " is meant to be drama, but it is so impregnated with gore and utterly impossible features that it only succeeds in being ludicrous. The idea of a woman, single-handed, engaging in a cut-and-thrust duel with bur cavalry officers, and slaughtering them one by one, is too ridiculous for words. However, it is a Yankee film, rhicb. perhaps explains it. " The Evil Spirit in a Girls' Boarding School " is . a screamingly funny picture, besides containing some beautiful colour effects. "The Farmer's Nap" is mother funny series, and "The Misdeeds of a Sack of Coal " and "At fltome Day" are also included in the comic section. Instructive pictures are " Making Charcoal," and " North of the Arctic Circle," the latter being undoubtedly one of the finest scenic pictures ever projected locally. The orchestra, under the baton of Fred Stokes, renders tasteful overtures and appropriate incidental music. The usual matinee takes place aext Saturday afternoon, when a complete change of programme will be presented. a a • Miss Florence Quinn came to her own this week, and they received her with open arms. Her concert at the Choral Hall on Monday evening enabled a large audience to judge that during her stay in Australia she has risen high upon the ladder of professional vocalism. Miss Qoinn's voice is a mezzo - soprano of more than average range, the upper portion clear and beautifully cultivated, while the notes below the break have a good fieal of the contralto quality. Her platform presence is pleasing, and as regards technique she has not a great deal to acquire. The programme of the concert ranged from elaborate opera arias to sacred music and simple ballad, and of each class Miss Quinn proved herself a capable exponent. ■ t • The young concert-giver reached her high-water mark in a fine " Sancta Maria" by Faure. Her fresh-toned voice blended gloriously with the organ, piano and violin accompaniments, and in response to the enthusiasm of the audience the item had to be repeated. Other excellently-ren-dered selections were Goring Thomas's "Summer Night" and Zardo's "Tonight." Saint Saena' great aria, " Mon Cceur s'ouvre" ("Samson and Delilah ") was a daring undertaking, in view of its recent performance in the city by world-famed singers with heavier and therefore more suitable voices, but with allowances for the difference of tone-quality Miss Quinn comes out very creditably in a comparison. Mozart's " Voi che Sapete " was perhaps treated in rather a grandiose method, but was very sweetly vocalised. As one of her encore numbers, Miss Quinn gave a charming rendering of Liddle's " In My Garden." • • • Of the supporting artists Miss Elsie Hamilton, a recently arrived pianist, displayed finished technique and artistic taste in the performance of Chopin and Liszt items ; and Mr Colin Mus> ton played several violin solos, notably a fine Romance programmed as being by Gottheinei. Mr Hamilton Hodges distinguished himself especially by an original treatment of Somerset's " Song of Sleep," which was contrasted very effectively with the same composer's " One More," and a cheerful little " Ballad of Kisses " by Somerville. He also showed fine dramatic power in Elgar"* •• The Swimmer," and acknowledged: his recalls with " I Know of Two Bright Eyes," and " Till I Awake," the latter from Vincent's " Garden of Kbarma." Mies Hamilton and Miss S. Jackson played tasteful piano accompaniments, and Mr Harry Hiscocke was at the organ. . • • « One of Meynell and Gunn's .dramatic companies wi 1 arrive in Auckland on Sunday next, and will produce at His Majesty's on the following evening Mr Jo Smith's Australian mining drama " A Miner's Trust." It is said that this play has been one of Meynell and Gunn's greatest successes in Australia, and the management promise

something that will knock spots off the imported melodrama, and entitle them to ask the Customs departmeut to put a heavy duty on the made-in-England variety in order to foster the colonial-made article. • • • The plot of " A Miner's Trust " concerns the impersonation of Jack Howard by his mate, Allen Trengrove. When the former is robbed and killed after making his pile on the Red Hills goldfields of Victoria, Trengrove goes to England, and assumes the name of his dead comrade, and endeavours to take his place in the affections of bis blind sweetheart. The plot is described as being well worked out to a striking conclusion. The company which will interpret the piece is headed by Miss Beatrice Holloway, Miss Lilian Meyers and Mr Herbert J. Bentley, and Mr J. B. Atholwood, the well-known character actor, has a place in its ranks. The production, which has in its mounting a stirring shipwreck scene, will be under the direction of Mr C. li. Stanford. Popular prices are advertised, and the box plan is at Wildman and Arey's. • • • The Birch-Humphreys operatic extravaganza " Manuella " will be seen, at His Majesty's Theatre early in April. The preparations are now in a well-advanced state. Music, dialogue, specialities, and lyrics are all said to be in a light vein, making for "ear tickling and humour. The locale is Cuba, where all the characters assemble upon a tobacco plantation. Some of the episodes are a strike of the employees, a series of plots and counter-plots centreing around the wooing of the lady who plays the title-role, a laughable singing competition travesty, ballete, sketches and other inconsequential features. "Sixes and Seveus," which precedes " Manuella," opens on March 29. • • • The zoo attached to Wirth's Circus, now on its way to Auckland from the South, is larger than ever. Besides the lions and Bengal tigers, there are seven elephants, three dromedaries, two Indian water buffalo, and a Brahma, buffalo. A portion of the menagerie is allotted for freaks, and these include " Romulus," a hybrid extraordinary, and the giraffe. This giraffe was obtained by Mr Philip Wirth from baby, it stands over 14ft. high. • • • Madame Melba has a keen desire to let Australia see grand opera as London sees it during the Covsnt Garden season. She had actually arranged last April with one of Italy's biggest impressarios to brin^ out the necessary company, and hbd secured the promise of Madamo Destimn, M. Plancon, M. Renaud, and other great operatic artists to come to Australia, when her impressario was stricken with paralysis, and the whole plan fell through. Melba, however, has not abandoned the idea, and may yet arrange to carry it out through another agency.

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