THE LORGNETTE

Observer, Volume XXX, Issue 39, 11 June 1910, Page 6

THE LORGNETTE

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|\| ■ N COMING SHOWS. J- j *"Mayßoto June 18—Meynell and Gunn. 20 to July 2-J. C. Williamson's Grand *X ■ Opera Co . _.. , l /J July 7to 16—MacMahon*s Pictures ■C »nly 18 to 81—Hugh J. Ward. }«' 'August Bto 20— J. C. Williamson's " Aladdin " i'ti l pantomime. „ . _. . . . ■ September 1 to B—Auckland Boxing Associato 24t-J. C. Williamson's Nellie e \ a* * > _>(_i_iw&_ > _ Co* /'September 26 to October 19—Allan Hamilton. & l ,< October 20 to November 4—Fred Graham. £> - —

PLUVIUS - in all his l^itl-'. /humidity' "cannot damp the IpSardour of Opera House patrons, weather having no visible upon the attendances. This programme is of the usual • order. The running of the Punchestown Steeplechase in fe Ireland proves an exciting sporting j |S; film, falls (in one of which a horse is ; fI killed) being frequent and free. 1 II I '"Around Windsor Castle" includes Sfeisome-fine views of this historic bundle ing. ■ "The Fugitive Dalai Lama" ] j§£ Shows this mysterious individual driv- ] p-ing through the Btreets of Darjeeling, i P Northern India, and the audience is : -afforded an opportunity to view him i W at close range. Of the dramatic studies, I f ?i the most powerful is "The New ". 'Marshal of Gila Creek," a strong story , W. of love, jealousy, and revenge.'! V Old < t£:'California " is another attractive ( film, a mother's love and a ff&sbh's unworthiness being the predomisfenating. features. . "A Victim of , l&Bridge''is a salutary lesson to those, j fcwho are obsessed with a passion for ,; W- -this game; and " For Her Brother's j Si Sake "completes the dramatic section. life: *£a Picture Puzzle " is one of those , |H surprising. trick pictures which inW* evitably cauee spectators to wonder , P%-«how it is done." "The Newly- j §oJWeds ■" is a deliciously funnystory of iJ-Vhow a young couple, per medium of a of rice dropped on the pavement a a child, are prevailed upon to patch W* vp f a quarrel. A Foolshead film full of flfecomical features is seen in •«The Three $$, 'Brothers;" and " The -Ladies' Train " responsible for roars oflaughter. Another attractive picture pi;iß An Original Revenge." Yielding requests, the managepv merit have decided to give a matinee ptpirftlrmahce every Wednesday as well as Saturday, and the first of took place yesterday, June 8. il A change of programme takes place Saturday at the matinee, when, m ■■among."others, the following pictures IS-will be shown :—•" Roosevelt in Africa," fe« Through the Alps," "The Third i§ Decree," "Foolshead Skates," "Shootliing^ an Oil Well,"' "The Thread of pt Destiny," ''.Paul Pry," "A Baby Power," "The Final Settlement, Pills," "The Clown and ftp His Dbgsi" " My Maid is Too Slow." f|fe'':'/■-' ■?' /;"'•'" ; '/-; • ■, .' ■•■.-■. mM'f- Air unusually ambitious programme 111 wajj provided by the Orchestral Society Wednesday night of last week, the flp'same bill 6i fare being placed before on the following evening. The o'oarivire, the ; interpretation of »- which had been anticipated with conKsiderable interest by, subscribers, was Ppßtcnard Strauss's "Death } and Tranß- (" Tod und Verklarung'?)— p#a. pie&eithat 'is. intricate, enough to tax &£&s•■■ of the most accomKplisied professional orchestra. The H^ :^ai * lon;left: ' mu^h -^ to ' ;; - ; - deaired v If evidence was forthcoming of ifPiSsfltßeient. jrehearsal, and raggedness, an inevitable consequence, was of ten Wm orchestra being palpably and past their'/iimita---' bjppbrtuhities o£ g||practice are present, it is futile for any

amateur orchestra to - undertake so - colossal a task. On this point, it is unnecessary to say more. -_■ , » l ■ » the other items on J;he programme, ion the whole, merit praise. The overture "Phedre" (Massenet) was tastefully interpreted, and Moszkowski's suite, "Germany." and "Hungary," was one of the most capably handled items of the evening. The prelude from Massenet's " Le Dernier Sorameil de la Vierge " received masterly treatment, and the exquisitely dainty "Loin dv Bal" (Gillet), which is a favourite alike with instrumentalists and audiences, was played in the orchestra's usual finished style. The orchestral programme concluded with an excellent rendering of Gounod's " Saltarello." Herr Wielaert was the usual exemplary conductor, and Miss Edith Wbitelaw was a brilliant leader of the orchestra. The soloist of the evening was Madame Wielaert,, who was in fine voice, giving a delightful and artistic rendition of the scene and aria " Ha! Tireuloser " (Beethoven), with orchestral accompaniment, and Gounod's " Ring On, Sweet Angelus," Mr T. £ Midgley ably accompanying on the organ, and Mr C. B. Plummer on the tubular bells. ■■'*'.•.■■■•;•,.'. .-..-.... --■~. Mprospero" in the Christchurch "Press" says•:—"lt is stated that Mrs Hamilton Hodges is likely to join the Jubilee Singers at an early date." ■ • '■•' ; a : m'Mr Charles Albert will take the part of Sir James Macgregor in " The Dollar Princess" when that piece is produced in Sydney. • -'.'• ' . ■ ■ Tom Pollard is about to open a permanent picture show in Greymouth. Recently, in Christchurch, a cabman said to him: "It's no good, Mr Pollard. I've got to save up and buy a taxi, and you'll have to go into pictures before you'll do anything." From which wise utterance on the . Jehu's part, the moral may be deduced that it is wise to be up-to-date in every branch of life. • ■ ■ ■■•'•■ Miss Carrie Moore, who will be remembered for her somewhat sensational marriage with an erstwhile New Zealand sporting man, is now appearing at the Empire, Bristol. ■' ■ ■ It is understood that a return Australian season of Oscar Asche and Miss Lily Bray ton, has been arranged. The original tour was for six. months, but it will have extended to a year by tbe_ time they leave on their return home. s • • G. D. Pbrtus, who left for Sydney last week, will probably return with a musical organisation at an early date. ' • '.'.•'" - " Miss Grace Edmonds, one of J. C. W.s latest importations,' and who takes.the part of Alice Conder in " The Dollar Princess," is an enthusiastic young American belle, who commenced her stage career at the age of 14. • ••■ ' • As well as entertaining the Sydney public right royally for some five weeks, the Grand Opera Company has had the effect of stimulating the musical students of that city to better work. An example of-'what may be achieved in the realms of music has been given by the Puccini operas, and one musical aspirant was heard to say that it needed some new stimulus like Puccini's "Madam Butterfly" to come along periodically. Nor are the students alone benefited, but also the teachers, and Puccini's themes have been most carefully analysed, and have afforded ground for wonderment at the inherent beauty of the compositions. \ '• • • Under the supervision of Mr Fred Leslie, the male members of the Royal Comic Opera Company are going in enthusiastically for physical culture. An excellent little gymnasium has been equipped in the rehearsal room at Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney, and there every day the enthusiasts meet for their exeroises, and they ate quite proud of the progress they are making. At the present time, Mr Leslie has a, girl in training of whom he prophesies ' great - things in the future in the acrobatic dancing.line. * . -"• '„->.' 1( •'' • • <■< -.

After finishing up a long and popular' season at Her Majestys Theatre, Sydney, the " Aladdin " Pan- -. tomime Company has now taken up its quarters for a brief season in Brisbane, after which - the company will take, a long trip round to Perth, which will be their next objective. '• • • When he returned to England after bis, first association with the J. C. Williamson firm, Mr Spencer Barry took with him. Miss May Flower, ' whom he considered one 'of the matrimonial prizes in the Australian theatrical market. Recently, the London "Tattler" spoke of this young artist as " the beautiful' Australian actress." ■ • • That powerful drama by William Devereux—" Henri of Navarre "--has for some time past been in rehearsal by the Knight-Grey Company, and now needs only the final touches to make it quite ready for production, it is made up of striking and highly exoiting incidents, as may be imagined, considering that it deals with such historical characters as the infamous prisoner, Catherine de Medici, the Duke of Guise, and the weak and cowardly King Charles 1., who, at the instigation of Catherine, sanctioned the massacre of the Huguenots. .-.'•■ • ■•'■.-■■ Gratitude is evidently one of the good qualities possessed by Mr Charles Albert, the new member of the new Comic Opera Company. He has lately been ringing the praises of Mr W. S. Percy, with whom in his young dayshe was associated in Pollard's Juvenile Opera Company. Mr Percy was Mr Albert's senior, and the latter speaks of the kindness he received from the comedian, who used to look after him, and, when he was sleepy after the performance, wash the grease paint off his face and carry him home on his back—a feat that would be out of the question now, as Mr Albert is six feet high. -.■'■•• ■• In the United States last month, " The Squaw Man," which was played for the first time in Australia a few years ago under the J. C. Williamson direction, celebrated its 2000 th performance. Robin, the handsome little son of Miss Beatrice Day, will appear as the page in Merry Wives of Windsor" with the Oscar Asche Co. ■ - ■ ■ - . That "The Third. Degree" is. not without a salutary effect in New York is evidenced by the fact that a newspaper man, remarking upon a conversation he had with Inspector McCafferty, the head of the Detective Bureau, said that the latter claimed there was less crime there to-day in proportion than at any. time during the past twenty years. As an explanation of this fact, the detective said that whereas in the old days captures were written up, now it's, when the police are not successful in catching a criminal that the newspapers devote space to the subject. And this is a strong point enlarged upon by Klein in his drama. '.-'»''" •• -.*■''.''•■'. Mr Andrew Higginson, accompanied by a fine specimen of a policeman, driving together in the former's .motor • car, caused quite a sensation in the Melbourne streets lately. The idea got abroad among the feminine admirers of the popular actor that sore trouble had befallen him, and in their eagerness to learn the facts of the case they pressed' -forward, and one member of the little crowd, bolder than the rest, inquired the reason of the policeman's close proximity to the matinee idol. Their fears were allayed when the explanation was forthcoming that Mr Higginson was merely going through the test necessary to be passed before he could drive his motor through the streets himself—?a test, : by the way, which he passed successfully.