The Lorgnette.

Observer, Volume XXIX, Issue 42, 3 July 1909, Page 6

The Lorgnette.

By Prompter.

K;;| COMIxG SHOWS pl: filly 5 to July 24— Allan Hamilton's Dramatic J*-;-'.'v:-pplnpany. *B;July,26*o August * — Nellie Stewart Dramatic ?'£'-' 'v A/ompany, ■ August 24 to September 7— Allan Hamilton's ;■';*;• h • £i»graph Company. 6 to October 16 -Harry bickaTds'a <;jv. Vaudeville Company

CHUNG LING SOO started with a packed house at His -, . Majesty's on Monday, and •sfent his patrons away in such a conof perplexity, bewilderment, admiration that he may safely rely upon bumper business for the remainder of the eleven-nights' season. For Chung is beyond question one ( of the cleverest magicians that Auckland has ever gaped at. He differs from ' his predecessors in that he places no reliance upon the distract - ing influence of "patter." Not one * word does he utter from the beginning of his three-quarters-of-an-hour * turn to its conclusion. Simply, the - calm-visaged conjuror, clad in the ' .robes of a high-caste Chinaman, 1 moves quietly about the stage — * which, by the way, has a picturesque ' Oriental setting — as though he were merely setting its furniture to rights, "and with almost every wave of his - hand performs feats which leave the » onlookers breathless. • » • Many of Chung's effects of leger- , domain belong to the ordinary stock-in-trade of the professional oon- *- juror. Even where the results are * familiar, however, they are generallyproduoed in some original way, and with a, deftness that defies detection. Also, he establishes a friendly rela- "" tion with his audience by distributing some of his manufactures in their midst, as if to prove that there is , Vno deception." For example, he exhibits canisters containing coffeebeans, whit© ordinary beans, and sawdust. After being covered for v. an insitattt (the sawdust becomes sugar, the white beans milk, and the coffee-beans steaming hot coffee ; and the three ingredients are intermixed and passed round on trays to be * sampled. - Again, pots of sawdust, after v moment's concealment under a cone, are transformed into bouquets of jonquils, which are in turn showered to all parts of the house. An umbrella 'is wrapped in a mat, « the mat is. rolled, and the umbrella comes out stripped of its silk, a piteous wreck of staring ribs decorated -with coloured ribbons : again ftiswrapp^ed up, and on the instant released in its original perfect ■condition. TJie union of severed articles, the amalgamation of flags of all nations into a Union Jack ' which spreads across the stage, the extraction of mountains of ribbons from vessels which had a moment before * been exhibited empty, and the pro-duction-of live creatures and savoury >-* dishes from unpromising surroundingß,.'are but a few of the magician's , .dazzling succession of minor tricks. • • • It is, however, in his larger il- ~ lusions^ thait Chung Ling Soo most r excels. Several hug© dice are stacked 1 on a pedestal, and a mammoth lowered over them.- - The extinguisher is hoisted again, .? and in -place of the dice stands his lady assistant, richly costumed and 1 smiling.. An octagonal glass caib- ,( met 18 '"suspended and . set spinning. """ Two i revolver shots ring out, and \, the lady assistant . gradually > 'materialises: under the eyes of the ' "audience, in the centre .of the *" cabinet. Last of all, and more perplexing; ,6till, a .cauldron is swung /strom, a tripod,. and filled with water. "liberty" poultry* rabbits, and; Xj ylb&iasfii. are -dropped in^ a fire is V , lighted underneath^ and, steam rises %'from cauldron. Then, enough; C?Jwie bOT»: to stock a. decent

poultry-yard, and finally, from the centre of the vessel, rises the same radiant little lady. Chung Ling Soo and his marvellous exhibition is wie standing wonder of the moment.

The vaudeville comnany which Mr Rickards has sent to support the conjuror contains several meritorious features. The Australian " Little Tich " is a midget comedian who contributes a clever turn of dancing and acrobatics. Stewart and Lorraine, an entertaining pair of musicians, extract delightful strains from a variety of peals of bells, notably the lady's performance upon a stand of liquid-sounding tubes. The two Wheelers are expert and exceedingly comical cycling acrobats, equally at home upon single or double wheels. The young Australian Dartos give a turn of whirlwind dancing, more exciting, perhaps, than graceful. Madame Carnille Cornwall is a soprano;vocalist with a voice and style above the average vaudeville level. The two Bell Sisters supply the apparently inevitable "serio" interlude, consisting mostly of tripping upon the stage and displaying millinery. And "Ted" Kalman submits a series of vocal drolleries which, contain besides the conventional kind of humour so much real. fun that he might dispense with his absurd facial colouring and elec-tric-lighted nasal tip.

A change of bill was presented at the Opera House on Monday night, when "Lured to. London" gave place to "The Woman Pays." This piece was perpetrated by an individual answering to the name of Frank M. Tborne, and is overflowing with sensations. Furthermore, as staged by the Geach-Marlow combination, it contains some exceedingly fine specimens of unconscious humour. For instance, the comic gentleman is a photographer who is apparently the patentee of several interesting devices in photographic art. One notices, with awe, that he focusses his subjects without the aid of a focussing glass, and also that he is able to take a snapshot by moonlight. One feels instinctively that this person is out of the ordinary. Then there is a postman who careers over his beat clad in a red coat, blue trousers, and white helment. Unfortunately, this indivdual is slain by the villain er.rly in the piece, which is really a pity, because one feels that his acquaintance is worth 'cultivating. His i uniform proclaims him a man possessed of a pleasing amount of originality.

There is nothing new about the plot of "The Woman Pays." There is the usual squire who has mortgaged his estates ; there is the inevitable villain who, although already possessing a very nice looking and exceedingly well-dressed mistress and " chee-ild," pesters the squire's daughter with attentions that are really ungentlemanly. The squire's daughter, however, is secretly ma-r---ried.to a fishy-looking party of the name of Sid Armstrong, who ekes out an existence by orating heroics and catching fish, so, although the villain sjbill pursues her, she will have nothing to do with the base scoundrel. There is a sailor who certainly ought to be the subject of a prohibition order. There is a despotic ship's captain who does all sorts of unpleasant things to the fishy hero ; and there is the usual comic relief in the shape of a housemaid and the phenomenal photographer already referred to, the whole forming an interesting and striking combination.

Mr Robert Inman gave an excellent interpretation of the part of Sid Armstrong, the fishy person, but he is worthy of better things. Mr Kenneth Hunter made a remarkably good villain, and it seemed a pity that he should have been ultimately slaughtered by the snickersnee of ■ Luke Moreland, whose daughter he had ruined. Mr Moreland Bhould have made an affiliation case of it. This would have been more prosaic, perhaps, but it would also have been more satisfactory 'to. .all concerned. ; Mr -J. P. O'Neill was in. his element as the phenomenal photographer. Mr . Albert Lucas was middling as the ; drunken sailor, Luke Moreland, but -his monotone style is somewhat ex- * i\ ay ", v'-I'. • '. v' i,' i':r^v;- V;' : \ '■■-. ■&%:*'■■ ■*:'■<■ : :^f£'> r^''fJ^y'^A- &

asperating. Of the ladies, the only two who deserve special mention are Miss Ethel Buckley and Miss Pattie Gourlay. The former had the part of the maid-servant Polly Stokes, and was consistently good throughout. Miss Gourlay was seen as a frisky old maid, and her interpretation of the part was a really excellent one. The scenery was good, the waterfall in the first act and the shipwreck in the second being conspicuous features.

Allan Hamilton's Dramatic Company will be the next attraction at His Majesty's Theatre, where the season will last for thirteen nights only. Tile first production will be " In the Ranks/ the famous military drama written by G. R. Sims, which has enjoyed great popularity during the present tour. The work lends itself to spectacular effects, and. in commenting upon Mr Hamilton's production in Sydney, the Press were unanimous in declaring it equal to the best of its kind seen in JNew South Wales capital. ■ The drama will be presented in Auckland precisely as in Sydney, down to the minutest detail. "In the Ranks" will be staged for three nights only, and will then make way for " A Message from Mars." The Hamilton combination lately terminated a nine weeks' season at the Palace Theatre, Sydney, with most satisfactory results, and the press of Wellington and Napier, where it has since appeared, has fully confirmed all the good things said ,in Sydney.

The company, which numbers thirty-four people, includes such wellknown players as George Cross, Wilton Power, Wilton Welch, John Hesford, Miss Ada Guildford, Miss Hosemary liees (a native of Gisborne, who has just returned from London), Mies Maud Chetwynd, Miss Beatrice Usher and Miss May Hesford. It is promised that the mounting and staging of each play will be on an elaborate scale, and to use Allan Hamilton's own words, "Whatever reputation I may have as a theatrical manager, I will stake it all on my statement that nothing better in the way of productions has ever been seen on the Auckland stage." Popular prices of admission will be charged and there will be neither booking fee nor early door charges.

Howard Carr, the conductor of the Williamson Opera Company that was with us two or three weeks ago, is writing the music for a New Zealand cantata dealing with, the Maui legends. The words are being written by Richard Harris, a young Wellingtonian.

Bert Gilbert will not come to NewZealand with, the "Jack and Jill " pantomime, as he is now taking the principal comedy role in the " King of Cadonia." Fred Leslie will be Baron Bounce in the vacant pantomime part. Another change in the cast for the Dominion tour will be caused by Miss Alma Barber giving place to Miss Betty Ohls, who is the third Jill of the panto. Miss Fanny Dango was the original in Melbourne. I

Roy Redgrave has written a oneact musical farce, ' ' The Merry Widow Twankey," which was produced for copyright purposes in Wolverhampton last month.

Edwin Geach's " Englishman's Home " Company has experienced a very successful time in ite country tour, in New South Wales, appearing to overflowing audiences.

The Royal Male Welsh Choir has only just finished up its colonial tour, and gave its farewell concert at Adelaide a couple of Saturdays back, on the eve of embarking for South Africa.

The Clark-Meynell-Grunn combine tion has acquired the Australasian rights of "The Arcadians," a fantastic musical play in three aote.by Lionel Monckton and Howard Talbot. The London "Daily Telegraph" says that "it is one of. the best musical comedies that the stage has seen for some years'."

The West Picture manaigement^i-^ about to erect a picture theatre in. Melbourne, adoacent to the Olympia, at a cost of £6000.

. It is announced that George Mu&grove intends reviving at un early , period his productions of "A^MidJsummer's Night Dream "-and "As You Like It," in which New Zea^land saw memorable performances four or five years ; ago, \ ■■\- . ■...

Judging by the preliminary booking in Sydney, Miss Nellie Stewart is likely to enjoy a fine; season, in, that city. For her first night practically every seat in the stalls and : circle was secured at 7s 6d before the der mands of those who wrote in undej the preferential booking system wers satisfied. The booking, indeed, cxV oeeded that for Margaret Anglin, and was only equalled by that for " The Merry "Widow."

Miss Nellie Stewart and the dramatic company with which J. C. .Williamson is supporting her, will be in Auckland at the end of this month, Mr Williamson having allotted to them the dates which he has secured at His Majesty's from the 26th July. In addition to "Sweet Nell" and " Sweet Kitty Bellairs," Miss Stewart will be seen in Shakespearian roles — Rosalind, for one — during her visit.

Pollard's Juveniles have impressed the Greymouth people with their production of " Manola," which, according to the Grey " Argus," is the best piece in the company's ' repertory. It is stated by Mr Pollard that he will revive other old operas.

" Jack and Jill " has wrested nearly all the records from " MotherGoose " and is an achievement worth; crowing about. It ran for the same length of time in Sydney as " The Goose," but at the end of the run was well ahead of the old bird as far as total receipts were ooncerned. Not only so, but it holds the record for the nightly average per performance, the highest single night, and the highest weekly aggregate, which last record fell to its share during Easter week. The J.C.W. transportation staff is very busy with preparations for the removal of theliuge organisation to Christchurchj where it is timed to open on the 16th inst.

Looking forward (says Melbourne " Punch ") there is a vista of good things for play going Australia. During the next few months we are to have Hugh J. Ward and his company ; Oscar Asche, Miss Lily Brayton, and their fine organisation (a truly gigantic undertaking) ; William Gillette ("Sherlock Holmes"), and a strong support ; and George Willoughby, backed by new faces. Of course, the first attraction is the new Williamson Musical Comedy Company.

During the next fortnight two J. C. Williamson companies will undergo the process of disbandment and amalgamation. In Adelaide, "An Englishman's Home" company will also finish its career as at present' organised. Out of the two disbanded companies it is intended to form a strong organisation to play "The 1 Flag Lieutenant," the recent great dramatic success of London. Mr Thomas Kingston will fill the title 1 role, and Mr G. S. Titheradge will make his appearance after his long; and severe illness as the Admiral. A new leading lady, Miss Ethel Warwick, is on her way from London to' play Lady Henriette Wynne, and two other newcomers on the " Omrah" with her are Miss Dorothy Grimston and Mr : Lewis Waller, jun. Other members of <the castwill include Mesßrs Cyril . Mackay, Eardley Turner, Gregan MacMahon, Fred Cambourne, and Miss EmmaTemple.

The great women artists and mnndainer who wear the P.D. Corset, know why. They P.P., giving healthful support, prevents lasai--tude and .prostration. The P.D.. being modelled on the finest and sanest. principles, enhances the natural grace and balance of: : Ss^l e^'^ p^ h ?VS-^W*!- ; .«W> i »--I^l? o *i? l *'i 1 ' 3Jk> ordinary" strain or 1 icaa'dentroy tjie"' characteristic faultless linea of the P.D, These facta,telL ■;•■■. ; \ '-^/'k; :/■■,,;•■■■•.■,:■.• ,;...-'