The Lorgnette.

Observer, Volume XXIX, Issue 43, 10 July 1909, Page 6

The Lorgnette.

By Prompter

| COMI G SHOWS £ July sto July 24— Allan Hamilton's Dramatic %J Company. J.WI July 26 to August 7 ' — Nellie Stewart Dramatic }*<-'y Company. i l b 'August >A to September 7— Allan Hamilton's \ x lii igraph Company. * 5 to October 16— Harry Kickards's • Vaudeville Cimpany

l y C ROM a managerial point of view, **■" JL probably, Chung Ling Soo's - repertoire contains one trick , that excels all others ; and that is 0 the trick of conjuring large audiences ;^ into His Majesty's every night. For r last Monday night an ' entirely new <f programme was announced. So far \ as the star attraction was concerned, ' this didn't materialise. It is true that one or two of Chung's minor '* tricks were new ; but the majority of \ at them, and all the larger illusions, ! f were identical with those staged last week This hardly seems fair to the general public, who, if they pay their % money to see a complete change of programme, as announced by the i s management, are surely entitled to 5h 'receive what they paid for. Man- */ agers would be well advised to keep |* faith with, the public in this respect, '„ as well as in that of the prices chargt ed for admission. They are support- ' ed by the public, and it is in their s own interest® to merit that support. f As business men, they should recog- \ nise that fact.

HjnAs usual, Chung Ling Soo's act Improved the supreme success of the , i||'©vening. Where Chung has the adover the conjuror who apif^pears in ordinary evening dress, is his ' §kfrc>ose and baggy Chinese costume, in [ jN^wWch many an article essential to ' |l:|-fcjie success of the various tricks may . t£|be' concealed ; and also in his four . who also wear Chinese ; lldress, and whose every movement, ; apparently careless, has cvi- ■ |fe^©ntly been carefully rehearsed with §|:a view to assisting the master conjuror in his illusory work. But what . KBpfofiteth it a man to speculate as to $&the inner workings of the various fciieats of legerdemain! ? Suffice it to that Chung Ling Soo's act eomf^prises a brilliant series of master'•f.^pieces of. the wizard's art, subtle r^aiike iai conception and execution, i^and bewildering in effect. Chung's maainer is a valul^ablo asset to him, and is far more &b---p'tractive than the "patter" employ-si^id-by the average conjuror. \£f : :y-- m • •

Ilfe-. Next to Chung in order of merit income the two Wheelers, a pair of exIW.oeedingly clever, daring, and, withal, g^humorous trick cyclists. Their oonpcjiiding feat of " hooping the hoop pjs a particularly thrilling piece ot Ijvwbrk. The Australian Dartos exi^hibit their powers in the whirlwind i&ancing line, the lady being particularly agile. Stewart and Lorraine sweet music from all sorts ot appliances, but it I'would be well if they extended their Htfepertoire a little. . The tunes they on Monday night were exactillvHhe same as those they placed bepfor© Opera House audiences a year K?so ago They should bear m mind |.^he wise, if. hackneyed, adage, ■jr ; " variety is charming. — Mr xea Ky.'Kalmaaa contributes a budget of ■gnomic songs, of which the first xs the ■Floret and the last the best. ■pKame. Camille Cornwall's soprano ■Ifeing is fair, but she might have KtlrnaSe %, happier selection of songs. ■WHere is nothing particularly attracBltive about any of .her items. Ihe ■Rwo 'Bells are series and dancers ot ■KvSaSe merit, and Master _ Ray ■iBS.Si, billed as ?' Austraha'slAttle a iuvenile eccentric dan.oei

The friends and admirers of Madame Blanche Carelli will note that she gives a concert in the Choral Hall this (Thursday) evening. Miadame lately made a tour in the South which gained her renewed kudos, and from which she has returned in excellent voice. Besides her own contributions, she has secured the support of leading local talent.

Allan Hamilton's Dramatic Company will commence operations at His Majesty's Theatre on Saturday next, with that excellent drama " In the Ranks " — which is one of G. R. Sims's masterpieces, and one of the best dramas written for the English stage. Clean and healthy in tone, ' ' In the R,anks ' ' possesses a highly interesting plot, and is interspersed with exciting incidents. That the work will receive ample justice at the hands of the Allan Hamilton company we are abundantly assurred from other New Zealand centres, to say nothing about Sydney, where Mr Hamilton staged " In the Ranks" for five consecutive weeks. The company numbers thirty-five people, and includes such well-known players as Misses Ada Guildford, Maude Chetwynd, Rosemary Rees, and George Cross, Wilton Power, Wilton Welch j and John Hesford. The season in Auckland is limited to thirteen nights — the first week being equally divided between "In the Ranks" and "A Message from Mars," which is always a favourite here. Speaking of the Allan Hamilton performance of "A Message from Mars," Mr G. Marr Thompson, the well-known critic, wrote in the Sydney Morning " Herald " that he considered the production- a better one than that given by the original oompany organised in London by Mr Hawtrey.

Two famous theatrical names of past and present are borne by new members of the J. C. Williamson "Flag Lieutenant" Company. Miss Dorothy Grimston is the youngest daughter of Mr and Mrs Kendal, who have been for many years honoured and respected by all England, and who had much to with the inauguration of the more modern school of playing and plays. Lewis Waller, jun., is the son of the famous Lewis Waller, and has played extensively with both his father and his mother for several years past.

Dorothy Grimston is the youngest daughter of Mr and Mrs Kendal, who have been for many years honoured and respected by all England, and who had much to with the inauguration of the more modern school of playing and plays. Lewis Waller, jun., is the son of the famous Lewis Waller, and has played extensively with both his father and his mother for several years past. • • • The Chung Ling Soo company, after closing their Auckland .season on Friday, will play at Hamilton on Saturday for one night only, returning to Auckland after the performance by special train. They leave for Sydney on Monday next by the '" Wimmera."

A comedian who knows his business as thoroughly as Mr Bert Gilbert always does make a point of treasuring up any little incident that come into his experience, in the expectation of being able to use them to advantage later on. They usually do, too, and one of Mr Gilbert's most laughable "gags" in "The King of Cadonia" came to him that way. When he is singing in "Disguises" with Miss Lottie Sargent, he feigns a difficulty in reaching a oertain top note in the operatic burlesque, and after several ineffectual attempts solemnly produces a syren, blows hard through it, and then strikes the correct pitch. ■ ■ ■ The whole thing is founded on fact. Years ago Sidney Jones — the composer, by a curious coincidence, of " The King of Cadonia" • — was writing a comic opera in which he bet the comedian he could write a passage which the latter could not sing. He did put in an extraordinarily difficult bar or two, and for the whole of the rehearsals Mr Gilbert saw his chance of the new ha* fading away. So he bought a the whistle, and on the opening night of the piece managed without being seen by the audience to give himself the correct note, which of course he sang. Sidney Jones happened to be at the back of the dress circle and that part of the house wae suddenly startled by a yell from him— " Good 1 /.I^d,;:h^;^t ! i|^ftOT ; aU.^:- : ,: /.; .-.. -:^:

laughable ' gags "in The lung or Cadonia" came to him that way. When he is singing in "Disguises" with Miss Lottie Sargent, he feigns a difficulty in reaching a certain top note in the operatic burlesque, and aifter several ineffectual attempts solemnly produces a syren, blows hard through it, and then strikes the correct pitch. ■ ■ ■ The whole thing is founded on fact. Years ago Sidney Jones — the composer, by a curious coincidence, of " The King of Cadonia" • — was writing a comic opera in which he bet the comedian he could write a passage which the latter could not sing. He did put in an extraordinarily difficult bar or two, and for the whole of the rehearsals Mr Gilbert saw hie chance of the new hat fading away. So he bought a the whistle, and on the opening night of the piece managed without being seen by the audience to give himself the correct note, which of course he sang. Sidney Jones happened to be at the back of the dress circle and that part of the house was suddenly startled by a yell from him— " Good : ; I^d,;:h^;^t ! i|^ftOT ; aU.^-.,: /.; .-.. . :^

News has be*n received of the death of Miss Georgie Leighford, which occurred in Australia the other day, as the issue of a short but severe illness. Miss Leighford has been connected with melodrama production in the colonies for a generation, of late years in the Andersonian companies, and was a capable all-round actress.

Miss Alice Hollander, the Sydney contralto, who was lately married in London, announces her intention to leave the concert stage, and is endeavouring to obtain a cancellation of contracts to which she had committed herself before she contemplated matrimony. One of these is with Harry Rickards for an Australian tour.

W. F. Hawtrey, whom Auckland playgoers remember for, amongst other things, his Colonel Sapt in "The Prisoner of Zenda," his Talleyrand in "A Royal Divorce," and his Tramp in "A Message from Mars," was the Mr Brown in the New York prediction of " An Englishman's Home."

Calve, the famous operatic singer, is at present performing in London under the Tait management, and it is hinted that it should not be unreasonable to hope that this distinguished artist may soon be heard in Australia.

Rupert Clarke, Meynell and Gunn have their hands pretty full at present. Their ventures now comprise the new English Company in "The Hypocrites " at the Melbourne Theatre Royal ; the Maggie MooreRoberts Co. at the Criterion, Sydney ; the Comic Opera Co., in NewZealand ; the "Miner's Trust" and "Two Little Sailor Boys" Co. in Australia ; the new farcical comedy company being organised in London ; the Oscar Asche-Lily Bray ton Co., shortly due in Melbourne ; and the new oomic opera company being organised in London.

A new idea has been introduced in the programme of ' ' The Hypocrites " at the Melbourne Theatre Royal — the printing of the cast i» the order in which the characters make their entrance on the stage.

"The Merchant of Venice" and " Much Ado About Nothing" will probably be staged by the Oscar Asche-Lily Brayton Company during its Australasian tour.

There has just arrived in Sydney a little personage, by name Sylvia Dane, who is called the "Miniature Melba." She is said to have two voices, although she is not more than for or five years old. She is to give a series of concerts.

The big musical successes of the Continent just now are " Didi " and "Tzigane.'' "Didi" is by Oscar Strauss, who did the music of "A Waltz Dream," and "Tzigane" is by Lehar, the composer of ' The Merry Widow."

In her short life-time "The Merry ! Widow " has enjoyed wide popularity. According to statistics compiled by Mr H. W. Savage, holder of the American copyright, the opera has been produced in thirty different countries, including China, Hindustan, and Siberia, and has been translated into thirteen different languages. Mr Savage states that it has been performed in 422 towns in Germany, 154 in America, and 135 in England. At the lowest computation, its performances total quite 20,000 — 1500 in America, and 1400 in England, while equally striking figures mark its reception in the other cities in which it has been produced. To hear the opera in New York alone no less than 1,000,000 dollars have been expended, while 3,000,000 copies of the famous waltz have been sold in that city, and the waltz been danced there by different widows and princes no less than 4652 times, which allows for five encores ' at each performance. In Austral- • asia, where the wonderful musical . masootte is still on tour, it has ; al- ' ready been 'performed close oil 300 ! times, and quite half a million people './■-hay©;. w^tofigsediiit^;; „;_: : . A - : .'X^^'^

The Australian season of the Oscar Asohe-Lily Bray ton English Dramatic Company opens at Melbourne an the 17th inst.

Harry Lauder is said to have entered into a contract to tour the world two or three years hence for £30,000, plus expenses.

Watkini Mills (is already beginning to talk of another concert tour of Australia : and New Zealand.

Theodore Kremer, who wrote "The 4 atal Wedding," was once an actor, and — it may not be generally known —was out here years ago as a member of the Brough-Boucicault company. He is now exceedingly (wealthy, with country residences, and a mansion on the fashionable Riverside Drive, in JS T ew York

Bengough, the Canadian monologue entertainer and cartoonist, lias made a pronounced hit at Sydney. He is assisted by Miss ftosina liuckmau and I'hilrp JNewbury with Miss Lily Deiany as pianist! X red Shipman, under whose management Bongough is appearing, projocts an early tour ol iNew Zealand.

Allan Hamilton is responsible for the advance arrangements for a series of companies which are due in. the Dominion within the next few months. These include the Hugh G. V\ ard London Company, in which are Miss Grace Palotta, Miss Celia Gilhoiu, Miss Rose Musgrove, and other favourites ; a strong combination under Mr Harry ltickards's banner,mtroducing a sensational novelty, which he is not at liberty to disclose at the present moment ; a biograph entertainment ; and an Irish Dramatic Company, headed by Mr Allan. Doone, a comedian of the AndrewMack type.

Same crisp criticisms by a correspondent of a Sydney paper upon recent London productions : — Haymarket : "Beevis," short run, going ott ; Bilhe JBurke and Company in " Love Watches" coming on. Adelpha : " The Devil," quite warm, you know. Press shocked ; public pleased. St. James : "Colonel Smith," not much in it. Criterion : "Mr Preedy and the Countess," good farcical comedy. Vaudeville : "The Chorus Lady," American musical comedy. Rose Stahl is the chorus lady, and the chorus lady is Roe© Stahl. Success. Lyrio : "The Conquest. Went on Saturday, coming off to-night. Skaftesbury : " The Arcadians." Musical play. Mr Courtneidge was a success. Queen's : "A Persian Prince." musical play. Great spectacle. Carrie Moore in it ; but Ruth Vincent takes the cake. Kingsway : "The Earth," a newspaper play ; newspaper people. Something between Heaven and the other H.

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