DRAMATIC GOSSIP.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6886, 23 June 1890, Page 4

DRAMATIC GOSSIP.

The Opera Company have made a decided success at the Opera House, Auckland, with Dorothy, which has drawn crowded houses.— Wirth's Circus, also in Auckland, does not appear to have suffered ! from the strong counter-attraction. A rather amusing incident, told as follows by the "Star," happened on June 9: — "Bonnie Black Bess" refused to die decently at the circus last night. After Dick Turpin was secured, Bess would persist in coming to life, being thus requickened at least three times, and she was only induced to die with the utmost difficulty. The climax was reached after Bess was placed upon the stretcher and raised shoulder high. She was pretty quiet with her master sitting on her side, but the solemn strains of the " Dead March in Saul" were too much for the equanimity of the presumably defunct Bess. When the drummer struck his most effective notes, Bess struck against playing funerals any longer. She arose on the stretcher and slipped to the ground, the pall-bearers at the same time displaying marvellous dexterity in getting out of the way. Poor Bess limped a little when she got on her feet, but afterwards appeared to be all right. — The Vivian Company are still playing in the smaller towns of the Wellington Province ; while Mr Miln's company are meeting with a fair amount of success at the Wellington Opera House. The Little Lord Fauntlcroy Company have returned to Melbourne, and have taken up their quarters at the Princess' Theatre, where the opening performance was given on June 7. At the other places the bills remain the same as announced last week, viz., Tlie Silver King at the Theatre Royal ; Joseph's Sweetheart at the Bijou j Paul Jones at the Opera House; and Tha Private Secretary at the Alexandra. Negro minstrelsy has re-established itself at the Victoria Hall, evidently to the delight of the public who have attended in overflowing numbers. The company styles itself the United States Minstrels, and includes our old friend Horace Bent. Mrs Potter brought her season at the Theatre Royal to a close on June 6 with La Davie aux Camellias, -when the house waß literally packed from floor to ceiling. On the conclusion of the performance the house (says the "Sydney Morning Herald") resounded with applause and cheers, mingled with a request for a speech, and Mrs Potter", coming gracefully towards the footlights, said : "My heart is too full for words; a thousand thousand thanks." This simple speech brought forth another storm of applauso, when Mr Bellew said: "Ladies and gentlemen, — We were not prepared to make a speech. On behalf of Mrs Potter and myself, allow me to say that we will be happy to come back if you care to have us." With renewed cheers and other signs of pleasure, and a fourth and final call of enthusiasm, a memorable evening and an equally* memorable season were brought to a brilliant close. On the following evening Mr J. L. Toole commenced hi 3 Sydney season at the above-mentioned Theatre, and was greeted by a crowded house. At Her Majesty's, Mr George Rignold has revived Dion Boucicault's well-known sensational drama After Bark, Mr William Rignold appearing in the character of Old Tom, while Mies Roland Watts-Phillips is the heroine Lizzie. Messrs Brough and Boucicault's Company have staged The Parvenu at the Criterion, Mr G. W. Anson taking the leading character. A Ring of Iron, another of Mr Frank Harvey's dramas, is being played at the Gaiety by the Howe-Holloway Compauy. At the Opera House, the American Coloured Minstrels have produced Uncle Tom's Cabin, with Hosea Easton as Uncle Tom. The partnership between Messrs HolJoway, Howe and Little expired on June 13, and the firm is now carried on by Messrs Howe and Little. Among the many floral tributes to Mrs Potter, last evening (saya a Sydney paper of June 7) was ono which commanded much admiration. It was a very large basket of the choicest seasonable flowers, draped with many streamers of rich silk ribbons, which were embossed with tho names of tho principal characters in Mrs Potter's repertory. It comprised a selection of the purest blooms of orchids, stephanotis, gardenias, narcissus, roses, and other flowers, the colours of the blossoms being heightened and relieved by the careful use of choico ferns. Tho following items are taken from the Sydney " Bulletin " : — "Melbourne low comedians, dres.=ed up as aboriginals, tried to surprise Johnny Toole in a bush excursion, but he didn't come that way, and the aboriginals had their clothes stolen, wherefore they got locked up. " Poor Frank Stephenson who, wasted by consumption, came to Australia for his health, died in Melbourne on May SO. His performance of Ciro Panitza, in My Jack, was a very powerful one, and will not soon be forgotten by Sydney (Her Majesty's) and Melbourne (Alexandra) audiences, "Coppin's father was a doctor, afterwards actor and manager. Georgo, though very young indeed, ere arrival in Australia, had considerable experience as a low comedian in the provinces, and oven at London minor theatres. The to3s-up of a penny decided him on coming to Australia, instead of America. " G. B. W. Lewis still fiouriab.es in Melbourne, as hearty as ever. He began life as an acrobat (some will remember his Rieley act, with Lilliputian Tom.inßowe's Circus, thirty-six yeara ago), and the writer recollects him at Coppin's Old English Fair, Cremorno Gardens. After that, he married Rose Edouin, and they havo a grown-up family, with more money made in Bombay than in Melbourne. " Amid discussion on the employment of children in theatres in Melbourne, reference is made to Mrs G. B. W. Lewis (Rose Edouin), who has greatly interested herself in training young people fortheßtage. She herself, with her sisters Eliza and Julia, end her brother Willie,? under the direction of her elder brothers Charley (Mrs Bryer's husband) and John (Tilly Earle's husband), began as a child actress, the Edouin Family being renowned in that line. Mrs Lewis' ;most successful pupil is Flora Graupner, and next to her stands Mrs George Darrell (Miss Peachey). The new t law interferes with the Duvallis in their training of ballet children. This legislation in England was first stimulated by the circumstance of half-a-dozen little girls being abducted, many years ago, from Mdme. Weiss' Viennese ballet." Signor Masini, the great tenor, has declined an offer of £250 a night to siDg at Covent Garden this season. Mr 3 Bancroft has written a new play, A Rivtrside Story, founded on a tale re^ lated in the reminiscences of Mr and Mrs Bancroft, which is to be presented at the Garrick Theatre. Miss Jessie Millwar,d, formerly a member of Mr Henry Irving's company, and for some years the heroine of Adelphi drama, has been engaged by Mr Augustus Harris to play the chief female rales in Drury Lane drama for a period of three years. The death is reported of Mr John Barnett, at Cheltenham, at the advanced age of eighty-eight. He has been made famous by his composition of the Mountain Sylph, i which was published in 1884, and which, according to the late Sir George Macfarren, ' opened a new period for music in England. The "New York Herald" reports that ' Gounod has agreed to write a grand opera for America, and on an American libretto the action of which will be laid either in Mexico or the Western States. It i a to be produced during the Exhibition of 1892, and possibly under the conductorahip of the compoßer. ,